Silicon Sisters Say Game Industry Still Doesn't Understand Women
- Thread starter Andy Chalk
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Actually, they do that on TV too - and it bugs the shit out of me.SouthpawFencer said:
Yes, I realize it's the rating issue - no naked breasts in games (although, with an MA rating, how hypocritical is that? R-rated films can have breasts and can even get away with the occasional penis if the film is artsy enough). It's like how you still can't have nudity on TV (in American anyway) even with a high rating.
... yeah, sorry, not much discussion value. Just felt like bitching about that, since you reminded me about it. ^^;;
"Silicon Sisters' first game, an iPhone released entitled School 26, is a game of "empathy, strategy and relationship building" aimed at girls aged 12 to 16. "
And uhm that all basically boils down to bullying? Like, the game Bully?
And uhm that all basically boils down to bullying? Like, the game Bully?
From what I know of women gamers (being one, and having several other female gamers as friends) I would say that we like games, but we aren't exactly satisfied with games "just the way they are".GeorgW said:
I can like something and still wish it were better. Like... Alfredo pasta. I love Alfredo sauce, but it just isn't as good without grilled chicken on top.
Right now, the games industry feels like Alfredo pasta without chicken. It's good - but it's missing something. I think these guys have a start on that idea.
Generally (from what I've seen) women tend to like RPGs because we have a finer control over the story, and what we tend to chafe at (again, from my perspective) is where the only options the game gives feel... off. Subtlety is one thing, but I don't think it's the only thing - but it would be a nice start.
How can you even make a game "just for woman" its impossible. Some like shooters. Some like shopping and clothes. Others like animals. Saying games dont understand woman is the same as saying games dont understand men. Know game has ever been made with a character i can 100% identify with. None. Im not all muscle and woman friendly sex beast. Most men arnt. An we dont care because its a game. We play it, complete it and move on. We dont look much more into it. Woman ***** that games have woman with thin waists and big boobs. Dont see them bitching that all me are tall and muscle bound tanks?
Games have never been about portraying realistic men and woman. Its a fantasy. The females look sexy, so do the males. No different to looking a magazines at film stars and models. Even their study is retarded and common sense. Most woman like puzzle games, most men like FPS. Really?
What game would they want? A FPS where you play as a woman that persuads all enemies to put down guns and give up? Yeah, and then you get a section of woman gamers saying thats sexist and that woman can shoot as well as any male character can. Its lose lose always.If it was a gay person bitching then what can you do? Have a FPS where he kills people by fucking them up the arse? People are looking to much into this thing, its gaming, its entertainment. Enjoy it for what it is and dont look further than that for deep reasonings.
Games have never been about portraying realistic men and woman. Its a fantasy. The females look sexy, so do the males. No different to looking a magazines at film stars and models. Even their study is retarded and common sense. Most woman like puzzle games, most men like FPS. Really?
What game would they want? A FPS where you play as a woman that persuads all enemies to put down guns and give up? Yeah, and then you get a section of woman gamers saying thats sexist and that woman can shoot as well as any male character can. Its lose lose always.If it was a gay person bitching then what can you do? Have a FPS where he kills people by fucking them up the arse? People are looking to much into this thing, its gaming, its entertainment. Enjoy it for what it is and dont look further than that for deep reasonings.
Their view of what women want seems every bit as stereotypical as what's being made already.
Women are good at persuasion so they'd want to play a game based around that? What people are good at in real life doesn't necessarily translate well to games, men aren't any better at shooting people in real life than women are. Likewise men like to laze around all day and do nothing, but we wouldn't want a game based around that either.
I can think of one thing that would probably appeal to women more, a game with personality. Something that sparks a range of emotions and doesn't get a huge manly boner over killing people. So in other words they'd probably enjoy something like Mass Effect over "Gears of Halo Warfare 2".
Only problem there is that we have this ideology around gaming being a manly thing and are just about mindless killing, so we have a lot of female gamers on the fringe of gaming, sticking with the games that feel familiar too them and are actually marketed towards them.
I could be wrong of course, this is just me speaking from observations and such.
Women are good at persuasion so they'd want to play a game based around that? What people are good at in real life doesn't necessarily translate well to games, men aren't any better at shooting people in real life than women are. Likewise men like to laze around all day and do nothing, but we wouldn't want a game based around that either.
I can think of one thing that would probably appeal to women more, a game with personality. Something that sparks a range of emotions and doesn't get a huge manly boner over killing people. So in other words they'd probably enjoy something like Mass Effect over "Gears of Halo Warfare 2".
Only problem there is that we have this ideology around gaming being a manly thing and are just about mindless killing, so we have a lot of female gamers on the fringe of gaming, sticking with the games that feel familiar too them and are actually marketed towards them.
I could be wrong of course, this is just me speaking from observations and such.
how about women start a game company and women publish their own kind of games so we all get to know exactly what women SAY they want. oh that's right.. because they don't know what they actually want either.. which is part of being a woman.. mistery and all that jazz.
all the girls i know that play videogames enjoy what we boys have just as much, all they'd like is some female leads as far as I've asked them.. still, they love them some ezio auditore/altair and many other male leads.
all the girls i know that play videogames enjoy what we boys have just as much, all they'd like is some female leads as far as I've asked them.. still, they love them some ezio auditore/altair and many other male leads.
Hey. Hey Silicon.
Look at this.
You lose this round.
And I'm pretty sure the vast majority of us girls like the sort of games that are already on the market.
Look at this.
You lose this round.
And I'm pretty sure the vast majority of us girls like the sort of games that are already on the market.
This. Instead of bitching then SS should make a game they think is specific to woman. Thing is, apart from puzzle games, all games are about killing stuff. Whether jumping on things in Mario to shooting things in COD. Its always about limiting enemies and maybe solving puzzles. Doesnt matter who the main person you control is, they have the same goal. Kill everything and get to the end of the level. I really dont understand how you can make this more suitable for woman? Or is it just a matter of having a female character to chose from when you start the game? Because then SS argument would be invalid.The-Epicly-Named-Man said:
That's what I meant with that they have a point. There is still a long way to go in this industry for equality, but I still say that this isn't the way to go. This game may do some things right, but I can't help but feel it's gonna do a lot of things wrong as well. I guess what I'm saying is that I'd like to have more devs like Atlus out there, they're the only ones that get it right.Princess Rose said:
Oh shut the fuck up. All you're doing is enforcing the same fucking stereotypes. You're ASKING them to conform to female stereotypes by making them specifically for women. Just fucking accept that you can play and like the same things that men do, and that they only pander to an AVERAGE. Not an average man, an average gamer who happens to be a man.
I think its about points. Games have always been around killing things and getting points. From Mario to modern day. A lot of woman i know prefer Sims or those game you have to match 4 similiar coloured crystals to get points. So really, woman are catered for in games. They just want something like Gears but without killing people. Dont think that would work, fuck even i think its easier to kill something than to reason and pursuade it to stop killing me.Dexiro said:
Agreed. I hate it when companies think, "oh, women don't want action, they want wii fit, social simulation and cooking games!" it's just downright sexist. As a woman, I find it offensive when companies try to put us all in a box.Jack and Calumon said:
you don't understand me wahh guys are all stereotypical mindless jerks obsessed with blowing things up
yeaaaa, great statement. ok, go ahead, make a game where your friend stabs you in the back so you spend the next 5 years making bitchy comments about it to your other friends and see how many girls buy it
^^ yes, i know that's a sexist generalization. i'm getting pretty bored of being told in basically every commercial that i'm an idiot because i'm male, so it's not like idiotic sexist generalizations are a one-way street.
yeaaaa, great statement. ok, go ahead, make a game where your friend stabs you in the back so you spend the next 5 years making bitchy comments about it to your other friends and see how many girls buy it
^^ yes, i know that's a sexist generalization. i'm getting pretty bored of being told in basically every commercial that i'm an idiot because i'm male, so it's not like idiotic sexist generalizations are a one-way street.
FUCK YOU SILICON SISTERS.
GO BACK TO PLAYING FARMVILLE.
Ugh. I'll admit, I like persuasion, but that doesn't mean I want an entire game around it. Play a stealth-heavy game. Try Deus Ex:HR when it comes out. Or Dishonored. Try Morrowind. Try RPGs, like Lost Odyssey. Try old adventure games, like Longest Journey. Try Beyond Good and Evil. Try Scribblenauts.
There are so many options, don't be foolish and limit yourself like that!
I think that games do need to improve things for the female audience. BUT NOT LIKE THAT. That's disgusting.
GO BACK TO PLAYING FARMVILLE.
Ugh. I'll admit, I like persuasion, but that doesn't mean I want an entire game around it. Play a stealth-heavy game. Try Deus Ex:HR when it comes out. Or Dishonored. Try Morrowind. Try RPGs, like Lost Odyssey. Try old adventure games, like Longest Journey. Try Beyond Good and Evil. Try Scribblenauts.
There are so many options, don't be foolish and limit yourself like that!
I think that games do need to improve things for the female audience. BUT NOT LIKE THAT. That's disgusting.
I don't really have anything to add to the discussion, but I just want to say that the two of you make my day when I read your posts.Jack and Calumon said: