Ben-DutkaNo, I'm not saying that; I heard someone say it.
Yes indeed, believe it or not, I heard someone say those very words just a few days ago. It wasn't a joke; the statement was made in earnest, and believe it or not, the person who said it was quite familiar with video games. It wasn't as if an 85-year-old grandmother made the comment; this person said it in a matter-of-fact-way and is a self-admitted gamer. While my first instinct was to disagree, something gave me pause…I can't quite put my finger on it, though, because in all honesty, I've never met any women who play games.
Even so, there was definitely something stopping me from disagreeing. I did, however, want to make it abundantly clear that I thought certain video games catered to the girly-girl. As the industry has expanded, it has become much like other entertainment venues in terms of diversity and variety. In short, we're reaching a point (if we haven't reached it already) where I believe there's something for everyone, provided you look hard enough. He didn't disagree with this, per se, but he insisted that the practice of playing video games – at its core – simply wasn't "feminine." It lies in the nature of the hobby, which is two-fold: firstly, it's electronic-based and for decades, electronics and gadgets were almost solely the male's habitat. Secondly, it has to do with the subject matter of most games, which admittedly isn't "feminine."
Still, in this day and age, every soul alive has a cell phone or a smartphone, and it seems to be a commonly accepted belief that girls are more into texting than guys. They're also into Facebook and MySpace and what have you; and those are electronic "at their core." And as I just said, gaming is branching out; the variety gets bigger with every passing day. It's true that the most popular games may be considered "guy fare;" i.e., all the shooters, GTA, action games where you run around killing stuff, etc. And it's also true that the mainstream populace still views gaming as a male-oriented hobby. Therefore, if you include social stereotypes and other elements of the situation, perhaps we can say that playing games isn't…well, "ladylike."
I'm just wondering what people think about this. I have no experience in the matter; I can only go by what I see and second-hand information. No offense to any women out there, but I think this is worth discussing. Is it that different from saying interior design isn't "manly?"
I wouldn't disagree either. I don't see anything wrong with girls playing games but I myself just associate the hobby more with boys/men.
My GF games pretty heavily, I don't see it as feminine but I sure do see it as attractive. Even if it is a male dominated hobby, I fail to see how women getting more involved would be a bad thing in the slightest. I mean that's just one more thing you can have in common with your woman. And in the end it's a very fun hobby to share with two people in the same household as systems are meant to handle more than one controller at a time for a reason 😉 Share the love of gaming!
ive met (or dated) many girls of all strains of nerdiness, from LoTR geeks to MMORPG chicks. except console gaming, outside of games deliberately designed for anyone to pick up and play, like little big planet. seems strange to me.
KZ3 isn't feminine by all means, yet before my PS3 died, I saw quite a few female gamers playing in the MP Warfare mode.
And one, GamerGirl666, who took the top honors on almost every leaderboard matches she played in while I was online.
So who's to say
"You go girls"
Last edited by BikerSaint on 4/7/2011 9:59:14 PM
Mind you there area quite a few guys out there who pretend to be girls O_o
Haha… true..
true, but that would seem to be taking it to the extreme if he made his psn I.D. gamergirl666.
Making female characters in a particular game is one thing, but to name your entire psn experience under a false sex?
You never know! One day on Mw2 I saw a 'girl' playing with the PSN Naughty_Girl(I think it was this but im pretty sure im 45% wrong, long time ago). Naughty_Girl did not have a mic the day I 1st met Naughty_Girl. Sent Naughty_Girl a friendly friend request, 4-5 days later invited Naughty_Girl to my party & Naughty_Girl had a mic, I was like, "So…. Wassup". Then Naughty_Girl replied, "Wassup man" I was like O_o OMG!!! It was a guy! I was scared. He had a deep voice…
Last edited by Killa Tequilla on 4/7/2011 11:19:30 PM
Case and point.
we all know by now that girl: guy in real life
your better of just laughing and telling yourself she put her boyfriend on the mic. that would atleast actually be funny and alot better than asking yourself why or what. hah, do i even got to say delete anyways?
Last edited by evilmunkie on 4/8/2011 8:27:47 AM
i remember playing once on an all female team on modern warfare 2. they all had headsets and they all played awesome. apart from those girls i have met lots of women that play video games and own at least one gaming console to the girl who owns all 3. and of course the geeky girls who play WoW lol. Girls are in the gaming scene for a long time now, but some are very quiet about it since most men would think they are more likely to be a bit of a tomboy. that or the huge mass of guys that when they know they are playing with a girl they start hitting on her. thats just pathetic imo.
Gaming is accessible by both genders, but males dominate the majority.
I know I feel like running over people in GTA after my girlfriend moans about where I put the syrup.
I don't know nor do I care is it feminine or not, but I sure find it attractive. I mean, myself being interested in games, it would make sense that I look for girl who is also interested in games.
definitely, its a common interest.
Though I'd like to disagree, deep down inside me admits its somehow tr..u..e.
Last edited by Vitron on 4/7/2011 10:44:23 PM
I honestly think most girls would love RPG's or great action/adventure games with really good stories except the fact I don't always think there to fond of the setting such as a fantasy or sci-fi universe. I believe they are more in to the practical this could actually happen kind of stuff.
I don't agree with comments like that, it doesn't anger me, it's just ignorance.
See my post lower. I originally began replying to you, but removed the reply once it got longer. lol
The hottest girl I know plays games, shes a sexy model and, well yeah I might find it cute when she breaks out the DS but I don't find it particularly feminine.
I would agree that most gaming isn't feminine in that it's not designed to be all girly girl for the ladies, but at the same time I know some girls that like to be girly sometimes and sometimes they like to get online and kill stuff.
Gaming may not be feminine, but that doesn't mean that some ladies don't enjoy it.
On a side note, I got an email from best buy today. Wanted to mention it because it was a response to a complaint I made. A complaint I made over 4 months ago and I just got a response. How sad is that?
depends, did they rectify the issue?
LOL no! They told me my blu rays would be here within a few days, some time between 12/4/2010 – 12/10/2010.
I wrote them back and said that was interesting since that was 4 months ago and I didn't get my blu rays until the 22nd of december. I had forgotten about it until I got the email last night.
I was mad they were a couple weeks later than I was told, but I had them so I forgot about it, but now I'm thinking Best Buy's customer service is about as good as 4 month old scrambled eggs.
As a girl gamer, it might be surprising that I agree with this and am not offended in the least. Yes, gaming it's not 'feminine' but I don't see why it should need to be just for us to play. On that same note, I'm happy to see more titles that cater to the female crowd, but there are many of us who will still prefer the grittier and more 'manly' titles we play now. Take it or leave it, but if the gaming deals a hit to my image as a female, I'm cool with that. I'll still continue to love games just as much as I love my sappy romance movies and other more 'feminine' things.
"but I don't see why it should need to be just for us to play."
Exactly.
.HACK GU.
Awesome.
Gaming today is not like how it was years ago… Before, I used to hide that I played videogames because noone played back then. Now when my friends ask what im going to do later, I tell em' im going to play my playstation 3. In todays world almost every teenager has either a 360, Ps3, a Wii, or a PC to game on. Since there are more people gaming out there, mostly males, soon the females will join the party. There's nothing that can stop it.
Why would anyone care if something is 'ladylike' for the girl in the first place? I never understood that. More often than not, the people saying this aren't their parents. Sure playing games isn't feminine, but holding a controller while looking at things that go on on a screen isn't masculine either.
girls are just wired different. there is definitely something about them that makes them less inclined to be hardcore gamers.
I know this is probably gonna start a fight but how so? What specific examples do you have?
Depends on how you choose to look at it. Another example from a different perspective: It is typically considered masculine for a person to be fit and active, while femininity is more tuned into sedentary habits. Would you agree with this? If so, does it not make sense that gaming, in its very essence, is feminine? I mean, that's a very limited view, and I'm certainly not disagreeing with the thought that they are not specifically aimed at the female market, or may not necessarily appeal to it.
I suppose I consider gaming more of a male hobby as that has how it has been seen since its inception. I have no trouble whatsoever with a girl playing games, regardless of what I might otherwise think of them. Saying otherwise is discrimination.
I think with more games like Heavy Rain and L.A. Noire being created, it makes it easier and more likely for girls to become interested in games, simply because they're not so focussed on violence and machismo. As I've mentioned before, I think that the more that gaming matures from a literary and thematic standpoint, it will naturally incline itself more towards feminine interests. Am I the only one that thinks this?
Peace.
well if your going to stick to the book then yea i guess not.
but nor are allot of things, but that does not stop them from happening.
im sick of the mindset that games are for kids, and girls dont play games.
its just stupid!
you would think society over time would wake up to the stereotype.
but you would think wrong!
just because thats how things were 20 years ago, does not mean thats how it is now!
Well… it's not negative, and that makes it a start. 😀
Zing!
True, gaming is a male dominant form of entertainment. Just like sports are male dominant as well. Racing is also a male dominant, so is wrestling. Comic books are male dominant…I'm sorry, where are we going with this?
Some women are attracted to the sport. Others are attracted to the men who play them. And yes, some women have the passion to make it their own and be great at it.
Billiard is male dominant and so is professional gambling…I'm sorry, where are we going with this again?
I have a female friend who's level 15 in Metal Gear Online (have knowledge of the game and you'll know what I'm talking about). I got her playing GT5 and she's level 24 and I told her jokingly "don't talk to me unless you're on my level" and mind you she's determined to get there.
The world is full of people (an obvious observation) so if you were to expand your line of sight it shouldn't surprise you in what you see.
Metal gear online is a hard game!!
Could never get the hang of throwing an enemy to the ground and stabbing downwards.
Kudos to your lady friend.
hmm now i feel like playing mgo
Team stealth deathmatch FTW!
I'm level 14 in MGO. Could be 15 if I didn't quit lol.
I like the fact that my favorite hobby isn't considered feminine, but I'm fairly certain that you look like you're participating in a neutral activity while playing.
Even if the context of video-games are solely "non-feminine" based. I think we are now a point in time, where hobbies can either be defined as "niche" or "mainstream" without as much prejudice – in this case, the female-gamers fall in the former category.
Don't get me wrong. In no way whatsoever I'm a trying to put females as a seperate entity. But if we genrally have to establish a class of distinction, then my point is just for reference.
From the way I see it, the only relevance when it comes to gaming and girls is when there is a marketable aspect attached. Just like TV shows, the more "mainstream" the product is, I wouldn't be surprised to see future games being "feminine" based as long as developers can see that how mainstream gaming can go. And when that happens, age-old discussions on gaming/females would quickly be dissolved.
Last edited by Ricochet on 4/8/2011 7:00:59 AM
made by men, for men, approved by men
honestly video games seem gender neutral. just appeals to men more.
Last edited by frylock25 on 4/8/2011 8:35:37 AM
I also think there's a distinction between activities that are inherently "feminine" vs. "masculine". I mean, the entire French language puts ALL nouns into either a feminine or masculine context regardless of whether or not there is any relation to gender or not.
Some sports for example: "football" is masculine in the French language and is preceded by the article "Le". Whereas "volleyball" is feminine and would be preceded by the article "La".
Obviously, both men and women participate in both, but my point is, there is a general understanding that labels different nouns and activities as "inherently" masculine or feminine. It by no means implies only men or only women participate in a particular activity.
In terms of gaming, while there are most certainly many women participating, it is predominately understood as a male hobby. I mean, just look at marketing. HD gaming advertising is almost always directed at the 18-25 year old male. Obviously, people above and below that age play games, and obviously, both men and women play games.
@Ben
You and I both have education in psychology. So think about the psychology of men and women in terms of relationships. Humans are relational in nature, yet, typically, both react to different cues. Men are typically all about actions and "doing", while women excel in "being" or relating. There are of course exceptions, always, but think about conversations… Men typcially ask each other about work or sports as a fall back conversation with another you aren't as familiar with, whereas it's well understood that women are far better at talking about things that matter.
I know in my relationship with my wife, she is far more likely to want to talk about feelings than I am. It's not that I am incapable of it, but it isn't the first thing I think about. I typically concern myself with the financial stuff or the basement reno's we're doing. Women definitely are, at a higher percentage rate, anyways, more into texting and social networking because they are just that… SOCIAL. And in general, women are FAR better at communicating than men (again, exceptions… I know.) and are more likely to enjoy that kind of social networking since women -TYPICALLY- rate their worth on how people view them. Since guys are "doers", they rate their worth on what they can or can't do, and as doers, it should be no surprise that "gaming" is understood as a male hobby, despite the fact there are plenty of women involved in gaming and excellent at it all at the same time.
I guess my point is, that typically, males and females fall into different roles, not because they aren't equals, but because men and women each inherently have their own strengths and weaknesses. I know there are exceptions -ALWAYS-, but as a rule, I'm sure there the percentages support this. So, no, I'm not surprised gaming is considered a "male" hobby, as it most certainly is male dominated. As long as people can also acknowledge that women are also interested in gaming and are very good at it.
Afterall… in Canada, hockey is a "man's game"… in the states, football is a "man's game"… and figure skating is "for women"…and men identify strongly with both sports in general… and certainly both are marketed towards men… as is figure skating or gymnastics to women… but we all know, there are tremendous athletes from both genders involved in all of them.
But I think we all know the percentages.
Last edited by Underdog15 on 4/8/2011 8:41:03 AM
Duke has something to say with his new trailer…
Who make the best politicians? Men!
Who make the best soldiers? Men!
Who make the best murderers? Men!
Can anyone guess what game this is from????
I think video games cater to the specific genre audience that they target, neither masculine nor feminine. My wife loves games, but only certain genre. I can quite imagine though certain genre being perceived as 'feminine' by the overtly masculine players of games that stereotypically appeal to masculine gamers. For example, how do you reckon the average (generalizing) first person shooter fan feels about JRPGs? You know those colorful, cartoony games full of characters with girly hair and girly voices?
Perhaps there are genre that appeal more to one gender than the other, there are certainly some specific games that cater more or less specifically to male gamers. Perhaps there are some games, a smaller number than those that appeal specifically to men, that appeal to female gamers.
Perhaps the answer is – as usual – it depends. It depends on the game whether playing s given game (aka video gaming) is masculine or feminine not so much on whether video games as a whole are one thing or the other.
In a way I would agree with this statement, games aren't seen as a very feminine thing, especially when we can associate many ugly stereotypes with it, such as 'sitting around in your pj bottoms, crisps, greasy hair playing games all day'. Now that's obviously not the case for most of us, but this common stereotype doesn't seem that elegant.
I guess there are many games catering for female gamers out there, look how well Facebook games are doing, my mother is now a 'casual facebook gamer'. And so many other girls I know.
I am more into FPS and other games that would probably classify me as a serious gamer. Afterall I am studying computer games tech course, so I have to play a lot and variety of games when I'm not making them. On the course there are only me and another girl so its 2:120 ratio. That kind of shows just how many girls play games, but it doesn't show whether we are boyish or not. I know some female gamers who are very feminine, pretty girls that love console/pc gaming and still have social lifes. I'm sure we can make gaming more feminine for ourselves by wearing skirts, having a glass of rose wine at hand whilst killing in games. Obviously who the hell cares how we look when we are relaxing at home and gaming. It really doesn't matter if the act of gaming if masculine or not, many girls do it very well. It's like cooking, slightly feminine right? But we all love men who can cook us a nice meal 🙂
A question – regarding gender bias in games, and the stereotypical roles and whether games are masculine or feminine.
In a game where you have a choice of which character to play, or can customize your character's appearance, skills and gender; what constitutes that being a masculine rather than a feminine game? Can the player's choices alter that perception?
I've always wondered why gamers choose particular games and play games in a particular manner. For example, a game like Gears of War. The typical player of that game is supposedly young (teens/twenties) male, heterosexual, and likes action. OK, so, why are the characters in the game so unremittingly masculine? Seriously, given the player, wouldn't it be reasonable to expect lots of scantily clad women with incredible physiques?
Now, taking this back to whether games are masculine or feminine, or are at least in touch with their feminine side. What would constitute a game being feminine? what would a typical female gamer want from a shooter – for example? Would they prefer a male lead character, or female? Would the game still be so action heavy or would there be a stereotypical watering down with associated interior decor improvements?
Seriously, what would constitute a shooter being feminine?
OK, so back to the original musing, when you're playing a game, you are going to spend a lot of time looking at your character in a third person game, and your team mates in a first person game. At very least in a first person game you adopt the character you play. So, would a male gamer always choose a male character? why? Would a female gamer choose a female character? Why?
For me, if I'm playing a game for dozens of hours and have to watch my character for the vast majority of that time, I prefer something pleasant to look at. Call me sexist is you like, but I'll choose the female character every time. So I can feminize my character, but how would a game be feminized? Is the approach take by the player in choosing their appearance or character sufficient to alter the perception of the game?
For example, I played all three Xenosaga games and my party invariably came down to Shion, KOS-MOS and either Momo or Junior (sometimes his attacks were just plain necessary). To me, the game plays very differently with an all female party. For a start some NPC interactions are different, but also the tone of the game changes because you're only hearing female voices, and the attacks are decidedly (especially with Momo) different to the male attacks. My wife first got into JRPGs by watching me play Xenosaga, and today it remains her favorite of that genre. Looking back on it, I don't know whether she would have found it so interesting had I used an all male party – say Chaos, Jr and Ziggy. I suspect not.
So, could it be that games that do not explicitly cater the 'masculine' gaming are sufficiently neutral that the player's choice can alter the perception as to whether the game is masculine or feminine?
All that said, I do use exclusively female fighters in Soul Calibur, but the reasons might not be very feminine – on my part…
😉
All women in Japenese games = MASSIVE BOOBS THAT SWAY FROM SIDE TO SIDE! (Depending if you move the controller or not ofcourse…[wonder if anyone get's that…Jawknee this ones for you XD])
Seems Jawknee doesn't know what I'm talking about so I'll spill the beans.
In MGS4 (Jawk's fav game), when talking to rose, if you shake the controller, see what happens..
Totally agreed. but there are some games for girls.there are few girls playing cod and
kz games. that's some violent girls if you ask
me.lol.