I....just....don't even.......what?

[The Heavy Metal Nerd]

So there I am sitting in the Library researching my latest topic for Comp. class: Violence in Video Games. I'm sifting through articles, picking out the best ones to source, and putting up with the usual right-wing drivel and idiotic user comments when I come across THIS:

"As you know, most of us females just hate those action video games," she said. "You don't have to use shooting. You can use, for example, a princess which has a magic wand and whenever she touches something, it turns into a butterfly and sparkles."

Before you ask, NO, this ISN'T a user comment. It's DIRECT QUOTE from the article. The woman who said this was Daphne Bavelier, "an assistant professor in the department of brain and cognitive science at the University of Rochester."

Furthermore, the article in question was about research she'd conducted which said action-heavy games actually IMPROVED vision and brain functions.

I have no idea what I should think about this. Just figured this is something I should let my fellow Escapists see...

Here's a link to the article if you're interested: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/28/violent-video-games-toute_n_593113.html

 

[LarenzoAOG]

That wouldn't work at all, where is the conflict that keeps us enthralled?

 

[Thaius]

Well she's not entirely wrong, just woefully ignorant about how these games work. I mean you could certainly make an incredible game out of that concept, but how would you contextualize it? What's the story? Why are you turning things into sparkly butterflies? How does that factor into the bigger picture of the gameplay? It's certainly a viable gameplay concept, but to simply say "replace guns and blood with magic wands and sparkles" is extremely ridiculous and simply demonstrates an intense lack of understanding of this medium and how it works. But at least that misunderstanding isn't extending to the same lengths to which most people take it.

 

[nukethetuna]

"As you know, most of us females just hate those action video games," she said. "You don't have to use shooting. You can use, for example, a princess which has a magic wand and whenever she touches something, it turns into a butterfly and sparkles."

How about a compromise!

 

[Don Savik]

"You don't have to use shooting...."

But how else is Serious Sam going to solve his problems? D:

Aint no magic wands gonna stop Mental.

 

[6unn3r]

Or she could just play hello kitty? Is'nt that gaming without violence? Or the Sims or Sim city or any of a number of sports/management games.

There are more genre's out there than just shooters.

 

[retyopy]

That's... amazing.

Can I hug you? Just for sharing this? Because I want to.

 

[DeviousSk47]

uhhh.... you.she what?. seriously i read this to my girlfriend she confused!!, how does one god i dont even know what to say!. just wow.

 

[McMullen]

I think the standards for cognitive science students are a bit low.

 

[Diligent]

Well then. First thing I thought of was this:

 

[Speakercone]

You know what? a game where you play as a princess with a magic wand who turns things into butterflies and sparkles might be really good. If it's a platformer, she could use her butterflies to levitate for a short time. Maybe the sparkles turn hostile skeletons back into people. Oh yeah, there will be skeletons because an evil witch has cursed the castle, but the sparkles protected the princess. So yeah, she has to save the castle now I guess.

 

[triggrhappy94]

"As you know, most of us females just hate those action video games," she said. "You don't have to use shooting. You can use, for example, a princess which has a magic wand and whenever she touches something, it turns into a butterfly and sparkles."

How is that any different from shooting things, really? Instead of butterflies, guns just turn bad people into dead things and sparkles. It kind of reminds me about how in some early games they'd just reskin older, more violent games to make them "G" rated.
Like some Bible-game company took the original Wolfenstien and reskinned it--everything else was the same--so the nazis were sheep/goats, the gun was a slingshot, and the player-character was Moses.

 

[CthulhuMessiah]

Well...she just pulled back on 20 years of gaming progress in the female gender.

And 30+ years of the feminist movement.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

Um, hate to break this to you Daphne, but just because you have ovaries does not mean your sentiments are shared by every other female on the planet.

Ironically, if it wasn't for violent video games having used up all my aggression, I'd probably be plotting her murder right about now...

 

[Mr.Squishy]

This woman...I...She's.....If I weren't seriously busy with a HUGE essay that counts for the major part of my grade, I'd write a whole gorram essay on how and why shooter games sell like they do, and especially WW2 games /MW/MW2/Blops, but also RPGS, both J and W. As well as thoroughly(sp?) shooting down her suggestions of "magical butterfly sparkles". Although...I'll admit, parts of Spyro were lik that, if I rmember righ...But Spyro managed to be entertining.

TL;DR: She doesn't understand games or gaming culture and has grown up indoctrinated into 'traditional' gendr roles. And apparently never played Portal.

 

[Alexias_Sandar]

We'll let Commander Shepherd explain an appropriate response. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zp7h6f9rr98&feature=related