Issue 50: Casual Friday - Selling Power

[The Escapist Staff]

Ancil Anthropy"I know that sometimes it's alienating to be a woman in a sphere like videogaming, but I can't help thinking that the 'issue' of 'girls in games' has largely been manufactured ..." In Selling Power, Ancil Anthropy takes a hard look at the market forces at play in today's battle of the gaming sexes.

 

[The Escapist Staff]

Original Comment by: guy

Samus... Prime (no pun intended) example of a point I was trying to prove the other day about how the industry views the male gamer's perspective of women. In Prime 2 and 3, Samus' image changed drastically when the suit was removed (like they tried to pretty her up a bit...). Now, if you compare that to how much, say, Mario's image has changed in any recent games... Not to mention Samus always removes the suit at some point in any Metroid game...

 

[The Escapist Staff]

Original Comment by: guy

sorry, Prime and Prime 2.

 

[The Escapist Staff]

Original Comment by: Peter Bessman
http://blog.gazuga.net
I have extensive thoughts on the matter, and blogged them here:

Videogames treat Objects like Women, Man [http://blog.gazuga.net/?p=132]

 

[The Escapist Staff]

Original Comment by: Hellga Barbarian Princess

Well, I have no interest in bringing women into the gaming world. I'm usually one of the five RL girls on any player-killer server, and it's enormous fun serving the little teenage boys a big dish of eat s**t. It's fun, and unique. However, most girls doesn't like th eadrenaline rush, and they're more interested in playing SimCity or NintenDogs....so let them. I think trying to market DukeNukem to my age & gender group would be a massive flop. First person shooters are for the testosterone crowd, and I think it satisfies a racial urge to go kill things that is inherent. The gathering resources urge for women is better expressed in MMPORGs like WOW.
Anyway, leave chicks out of the PK servers, it makes me and my friends look more badass

 

[The Escapist Staff]

Original Comment by: Eric Trageser

Samus as subverted female empowerment! Insightful! It's gonna seem strange now how the Metroid games are usually treated as "safe" by virtue of a strong female protagonist.