Female's and gaming.

[Rachel317]

I'm a girl, and love to game. I wouldn't say I'm hardcore, but I'm into games like Bayonetta, Prince of Persia, Fable, Dead Rising, Oblivion, Enslaved, Tomb Raider, yadda yadda.
I think some girls might not like games because they see it as immature, but that's largely generalising. I think chick flicks are immature, whilst another girl might totally disagree. I don't think it's a case of "guys like games, girls don't", but "that person likes games and happens to be a guy, and that person doesn't and happens to be a girl", and vice versa. Why does there have to be a generalisation? Why can't everyone just be judged as individuals, and like whatever they want to like?

Without asking EVERY SINGLE GIRL in the world why they do or don't like gaming, you won't get a definitive answer.
I also don't think it's necessarily fair that this generalisation still exists. It's like saying "Men are pigs", or "All men only think about sex". Well...yes, those statements might apply to a specific group of males, but not all. And it's very unfair, and unjustified, to assume it IS based on truth.

 

[imnot]

Games like Bioshock (1 at least <_<) look *really* interesting, and it bothers me that I don't personally have the balls to play them. L4D is meant to be kick ass, too, and I can't even watch someone else play it D: Lmao, I'm just a big scardey cat, and don't like war games, I suppose xD

But L4d is hilarious exploding fat people!

 

[Death-of-Penguins]

I'm a girl, I like games. But I know several girls who don't. Though they generally use the excuse of being rubbish at them.
I knew a few of my friends were into them, but unless you ask, a lot of people don't bring it up. I only found out someone I've been speaking to for years is a big gamer when I saw her drawing some rather good Okami art in her sketch pad.

One girl likes FPS games, and anything by Valve and... well, lots. Another is big on zombie and survival horror. Third is an RPG person. Myself? I play most things... but things like Dragon Age, and Final Fantasy and Okami etc sit at the top of my shelf, just above Bioshock and Metal Gear Solid.

Though I have to agree with the above that FPS games tend to be the least popular genre among girls. I think there's an attraction to game with a big story behind why you're killing people.
Who knows.

 

[Aerowaves]

The girl gamers I know tend to love things by Valve, weirdly enough, though they're the intelligent sort as well, and I suppose they don't fathom why I'd want to play something like Halo, Battlefield, or if the mood takes me, yes, CoD.

Not a fan of Valve then?

Valve games are exactly the sort of games that I personally would imagine would have potentially universal appeal, and would consider them for the "intelligent sort" or, more broadly, for those that appreciate the atmosphere, narrative and sense of humour.

Again, this doesn't take personal taste into account.

Also: it's okay you're allowed to like CoD!

 

[pyrosaw]

My sister has played over 680 hours of Left 4 Dead. I think girls like games.

 

[Diligent]

Every single girl I know plays games in some form or another, even if it's just Farmville.
Its basically to the point these days where the statement "No way, I don't play games, games are stupid." sounds about as ridiculous as saying that about movies or music whether you're male or female.

It's just that more girls probably don't play the same genre as you.
While it's true that girls listen to death metal, I think its safe to say there is a higher ratio of females than males that listened to the likes of the backstreet boys or spice girls.
That doesn't suddenly mean that girls don't like death metal.

 

[AmrasCalmacil]

The girl gamers I know tend to love things by Valve, weirdly enough, though they're the intelligent sort as well, and I suppose they don't fathom why I'd want to play something like Halo, Battlefield, or if the mood takes me, yes, CoD.

Not a fan of Valve then?

Valve games are exactly the sort of games that I personally would imagine would have potentially universal appeal, and would consider them for the "intelligent sort" or, more broadly, for those that appreciate the atmosphere, narrative and sense of humour.

Again, this doesn't take personal taste into account.

Also: it's okay you're allowed to like CoD!

Oh, don't get me wrong. I enjoy Valve games a lot.
I just wish they actually made them.

 

[Something Amyss]

I can almost guarantee that if you meet a nice girl at a party she's not going to want to hear about how you owned arse on Medal of Honor last night... Ok, those discussions can be tedious... meh.

I can guarantee most people you meet aren't going to want to hear about it regardless of whether their reproductive organs are on the inside or out. In a social situation like that, at least.

 

[UnderCoverGuest]

Some of the female clients I've had who have mentioned video games usually say things along the lines of "It's brainless!" and "It's too complicated for me!"

It raises an interesting anthropological discussion though, since women are equally as capably intelligent as men, and thanks to the shifting of views on sex and gender roles, women are beginning to receive (and already have made significant advances in the past decades, towards) a more equal education. So women are quite certainly intelligent enough to play something as mind-numbingly thoughtless as...say...Call of Duty. Then there's the evolutionary perspective focusing on the genetic roles that we have been given as human beings; women are incredibly more attuned to sensory functions (evolutionary; for the purpose of finding mates with good genes); it would be rather low of me to state this could mean women are interested in things with more depth than your average first person shooter, and since most games on the console market are first person shooter or fantasy hack and slash games, they simply might not appeal to women...but maybe that thought will contribute somehow. I need to fly now!

But this is a rather silly

 

[minakorocket]

I think that to answer your question as to why girls aren't into games has to do a lot to do with two things.
1) they were never introduced to it properly
2) they don't know any friends (female) that are into it

From what I understand, I was fascinated by video games since I could see my father play them. He would put the game on pause and go make breakfast or whatever and I would unpause and play before I could even talk. (I find it hard to believe, but my dad swears to it)

I was never turned off by video games because I grew up constantly playing them before I could even make friends. I found out though, liking them as a girl made it hard to be friends with other girls. When I went to school and tried to find topics girls liked, it was either... fashion, celebrities, boys, latest diets, gossiping, jewelry... and I found that I was extremely bored by their conversations. In turn, they were very "bored" with me talking about the extremely hard boss that I finally beat after grinding away several hours. I myself enjoy all types of games, shooters, rpgs, action, horror, strategy.

As to how to introduce games to girls? I don't think throwing them right into your Halo game is the way to go. I started introducing games like Viva Pinata and Harvest Moon to a couple of my female friends who were typically turned off by my videogame conversations. Now one of them has moved up to playing Fable III and has been asking to borrow my Fall Out New Vegas game.

I'll also be the first one to admit, if I can play as a female character--I probably will. I think that maybe they could tone down some of the naked/sexy type things going on. It isn't that it bothers me but it bothers other girls who are semi-interested in games but frown upon how the girl looks like a skank. That's just my advice.

---

Unrelated to this thread but I've been trying to find it for quite some time. The first game I played when I was -really, really- little was a game where you played as a boy in a 'dream' or something? He wore pajamas and it was a sidescroller. I can't remember anything beyond that. ((edit : It was on the NES I believe... ))

 

[Capslockbroken]

Gaming is solitary, females are social.

not entirely true xbox live is a pretty social way of gaming if you blank out the screaming 12 year olds though that in itself is actually a social interaction

You're not wrong but, honestly, even most forms of online multiplayer, including Xbox Live, are far less social than almost anything else you could be doing. I think Devlin's point was probably the best guess as to why we don't see more girls doing what we do. Although it's far from scientific, my observation has been that the games which offer more chance for social interaction tend to attract more women.
Single player action games, even those with female protagonists, are predictably at the bottom of the list. These don't even offer the imaginary conversations that games like Oblivion or Dragon Age do.
Then you've got MMORPGs, which cover the area from "not very social" to "fairly social" - depending on how you play them. I've known quite a few women who were big into WOW, and they tend to play on the more social end of that range. They're almost never found without a guild membership, for example. Conversely, the main reason I stopped playing WOW is that Blizzard limits the size of your /ignore list. I decided Oblivion would be a better fit.
Games that are designed for local multiplayer seem to bridge the gap very well. In my experience, the number of women who are hardcore Rock Band players actually exceeds the number of dudes.

 

[Wondermint13]

Girls don't need Games!

They have Twilight now...

 

[RatRace123]

A lot of girls do play games, but I think the main problem comes from the image we've set.
Yes girls play Halo and Gears, but those games aren't really marketed to include women. The women that play those games can see past the overly macho marketing, but for the uninitiated it sets a very clear gender preference. Even Mass Effect, a game which has one of the strongest female protagonists (possibly) and a large female fanbase, is still heavily marketed as a masculine space marine adventure.

Marketing isn't our only problem and it's not like women are too stupid to see past cheap marketing tricks, but it is part of the problem.

 

[Spawny0908]

Sup. I'm female and I love games, been playing all my life. I've always been a bit of a tomboy no dolls for me when growing up give me a fucking action figure! I love games, I'd rather a video game over makeup, a purse, or jewelery. Why don't more of my sistas (my true sister included) like games? I dunno but they have no idea of what they're missing out on!!!

LONG LIVE GAMING!!!

 

[Capslockbroken]

I think that to answer your question as to why girls aren't into games has to do a lot to do with two things.
1) they were never introduced to it properly
2) they don't know any friends (female) that are into it

From what I understand, I was fascinated by video games since I could see my father play them. He would put the game on pause and go make breakfast or whatever and I would unpause and play before I could even talk. (I find it hard to believe, but my dad swears to it)

I was never turned off by video games because I grew up constantly playing them before I could even make friends. I found out though, liking them as a girl made it hard to be friends with other girls. When I went to school and tried to find topics girls liked, it was either... fashion, celebrities, boys, latest diets, gossiping, jewelry... and I found that I was extremely bored by their conversations. In turn, they were very "bored" with me talking about the extremely hard boss that I finally beat after grinding away several hours. I myself enjoy all types of games, shooters, rpgs, action, horror, strategy.

As to how to introduce games to girls? I don't think throwing them right into your Halo game is the way to go. I started introducing games like Viva Pinata and Harvest Moon to a couple of my female friends who were typically turned off by my videogame conversations. Now one of them has moved up to playing Fable III and has been asking to borrow my Fall Out New Vegas game.

I'll also be the first one to admit, if I can play as a female character--I probably will. I think that maybe they could tone down some of the naked/sexy type things going on. It isn't that it bothers me but it bothers other girls who are semi-interested in games but frown upon how the girl looks like a skank. That's just my advice.

---

Unrelated to this thread but I've been trying to find it for quite some time. The first game I played when I was -really, really- little was a game where you played as a boy in a 'dream' or something? He wore pajamas and it was a sidescroller. I can't remember anything beyond that. ((edit : It was on the NES I believe... ))

Little Nemo: The Dream Master......ah good ol' NES.

 

[Mr.Petey]

Girls don't need Games!

They have Twilight now...

Sure they do mr. sexist/stereotype Cute joke but unfunny.

I wish there were more female gamers in the "field" as it were as I'm tired of the same men-children ruining my online experience. Sorry but a lot of online titles can be ruined by some selfish testosterone idiot, whereas I've had a more pleasant experiences with female gamers.

Sup. I'm female and I love games, been playing all my life. I've always been a bit of a tomboy no dolls for me when growing up give me a fucking action figure! I love games, I'd rather a video game over makeup, a purse, or jewelery. Why don't more of my sistas (my true sister included) like games? I dunno but they have no idea of what they're missing out on!!!

LONG LIVE GAMING!!!

I salute you Spawny!! =D

 

[meece]

The best way? Sex appeal for girls i.e. good looking scantily clad guys.

Probably.

 

[Lerasai]

Unrelated to this thread but I've been trying to find it for quite some time. The first game I played when I was -really, really- little was a game where you played as a boy in a 'dream' or something? He wore pajamas and it was a sidescroller. I can't remember anything beyond that.

The only game I can think of that sort of fits that description is Pajama Sam. It's a pc game that I remember playing as a kid. And to get on topic I guess that's why I'm into video games despite being female. It's not that girls aren't interested in gaming, it's just many have never been introduced to much of it outside casual games and they think it's a lot harder to do or get into than it really is. But, I've been playing pc and video games since I was a kid so I've never thought of it as odd or new.

For example, I have a friend who's older brother plays Bioshock and she always liked to watch him play it because she was interested in the story. But, he'd get ahead of her while she wasn't there and she'd miss parts of it. She also expressed a lot of interest in Amnesia Dark Descent when he'd gotten it. When I would suggest that she play these games herself her response was along the lines, "What? I can't do that."

The problem isn't interest, it's the attitude that girls aren't interested and that girls like me are the "exceptions" to the "rule".

Edit; Oh, NES? Then that other person is probably right.

 

[inFAMOUSCowZ]

The girls in my town don't game much, other than guitar hero, and some minor wii games. But I was going to have a party, and some guys came over early, so we played some Halo until more people came. Then some of the girls I know really well came over a bit early, and us guys got them to play Halo. Even though they did terrible they enjoyed it. So its just that they probably never grew up with playing games.

 

[minakorocket]

Little Nemo: The Dream Master......ah good ol' NES.

That is the exact game! Good ol' NES indeed.