minakorocket said:
Yeah, I can see that. thinking of people who I've put an effort into introducing video games to, It's really been almost exclusively men, although I did get my sister playing Zelda. This is not because I don't think girls should be playing video game (quite the opposite in fact) but because when I think of people who could get into gaming I almost always think of men. another example of preconceived notions getting in the way of change.
AstylahAthrys said:
Yeah, we can be. There's no denying that one of the biggest hurdles in getting girls into gaming is male gamers. we don't exactly have the best reputation for reasonable behavior. and we certainly not famous for our social skills. Look at most forums or play xbox live for a little while, the instant a member of the fairer sex reveals her gender she's mobbed by everyone on the site either telling her that girls aren't fit to play games or invitations to cyber.
Suki the Cat said:
I usually make a point of talking to the shy, cute ones. forget the 10's on the dance floor, the one you want is the 5-8 on the wall. They've always been around hotter friends, so they never realized that they're also attractive. And they're much more likely to be into the same things you are. Although an inherit problem meeting shy cuties is exactly that, they're shy, less likely to show up at parties.
HigherTomorrow said:
Games are a much bigger aspect of our culture than we give them credit for. If my college professor can give a long discussion on the merits of angry birds then games aren't quite the social cesspool that they used to be. But once again one of the biggest problems are gamers themselves. if we want more female gamers, we need to work on the culture of gaming.
Jennacide said:
No one will ever say that male gamers are non-vocal, especially within our own communities. But don't think that girls are the only ones mistreated on XBL, live is a notorious hive of scum and villainy. Famous for it's population of 14 year old boys eager to try out their newly learned swear words and drunken idiots, eager to assert their dominance behind the shield of anonymity. A place where no one is safe from their screechy dialogue and tea bagging game play.
Like I said before, we need to fix ourselves as gamers, before we complain about our negative reputation, and the lack of a diverse gamer base.
I for one would love to see more girls gaming. video games are a huge part of my life, and my culture. The people I talk to discuss the common aspects of our lives, from movies to books, politics and television, and yes gaming. and it's always awkward to talk to a girl and have no common ground. I would love being able to talk to a girl about the philosophical nuances of bioshock, the advantages of playing a spy over a pyro, or how excited we are for portal 2 to come out.
Gaming is something I enjoy, and if I can get others to enjoy it too that's all the better.
I have a balanced life, I'm not a tomboy, and I game. I grew up on rpg's and platformers, wipe the floor with male friends' butts in rts, and have been playing fps for the last two years... A lot. 
