Sony Reminds Us: OMG! Girls (Sorry, Girlz) Play Games Too

[Susan Arendt]

If you could actually customize a real lilac PSP like you can on the website, I would totally buy that shit. No joke, I'm dead serious. What? It's cute!

You know, I really think this would've been slightly less obnoxious if they had left off either the "z" or the "too" from the web address -- preferably both. How about "girlslovepsptoo"? It would be really great if someone, somewhere in the marketing world would stop acting like it's some sort of miracle that females enjoy videogames.

 

[Ray De Ation]

See, this is why girls find it so awkward to become proper gamers. Because we get the idea that secretly everyone's taking the piss and thinking, oh girls won't want the same things as guys, lets patronise them, and then comes a company who proves us right.

Basically, this. Its dispiriting to be told your peer group are somehow different from the mainstream.

 

[Joeshie]

A company that tries to pander to specific segments of the population? Color me amazed!

I honestly don't think this is a huge deal. Companies do this with males, blacks, hispanics, and of course, women. It's all about optimizing profits.

 

[Eric the Orange]

The PlayStation was put on the map because it was marketed twords a different demographic than the then traditional gaming one. Just as the Wii is doing now. This is pointed twords the kind of girl who is obsessed with shopping and boys and pop stars like Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers.

But that being said the PSP and PS3 are not particularly "new comer friendly" systems, and as such probably aren't the best place for new gamers to take there first steps. So I don't see any attempts by Sony to expand the gaming user base to be successful.

All that being said, this add is incredibly stereotyped, and any female who doesn't fall into that stereotype will probably be offended by being grouped with those who do.

 

[Harold Donchee]

No words..........just..........

I agree with you. And Vader. This is just.. no.. OMG Liliac. How can Sony make something like this and expect people to still respect the PSP as a handheld game system? No offense to girl gamers but come on..

 

[Simriel]

This is why I love Sony, They are horrible at marketing in such a funny way. Also if nintendo release a Lilac DSi I am buying one. Colin Lieks Purple.

 

[Johnn Johnston]

What is this...

[HEADING=3]ABOMINATION?![/HEADING]

 

[Amazon warrior]

-.-

In other news, I have a DS. It is dark blue (black wasn't out yet when I bought it) and has a protective plastic cover with Escherian moibus ants on it that I bought in Tokyo. I win.

 

[ProfessorLayton]

Hey, I know a marketing strategy that actually DOES work! A fucking PS3 price drop. Why waste money sending these out when you could just drop the price on the PS3. I don't think these are going to sell well at all. Truth be told, not many girls play games and all the girls that I know who play games are not the kind of girls who would buy this.

 

[Anarien]

Basically, this. Its dispiriting to be told your peer group are somehow different from the mainstream.

Yes, this. It's funny though, because I never felt this way growing up as a gamer but it's only in this decade as companies 'discover' there are women playing their games and marketing emerges as specifically women and girl-oriented. All of this plays a part in making some females feel like an other because they enjoy gaming. Sometimes this makes a few feel special for being gamers but that's fed by the same perceptions that feed marketing campaigns like this.

I wouldn't buy a lilac PSP, but I would buy one of those pink DS Lites. Making lilac or pink or other stereotypical girly colors is not a bad thing, it's implying exclusion of other options that's more the issue.

Would be a different ad/site if one had the lilac, one had black, one had silver or white, etc.

 

[Blackadder51]

This is pathetic sony, but if it works good on you

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Personally, I'm hoping for a FTW Green or ROFL Red one.

I'm still holding out for a WTF purple.

 

[Schlorgan]

OHHHHHHHHHH YEAH!

 

[Aesir23]

Four Words: Kill it with fire

I'm a girl and I wouldn't touch that thing or any of those ganes with a 29 1/2 ft pole.

I like my silver PSP and my non-girly games very much, thank you.

 

[mikecoulter]

Am I the only person here who wants one?

No ;D

Oh Sony, why make a divide? I'm pretty sure that 8 year old girls who actually want pink things want something simple, like a pink ohhh I don't know, DS?

But real people, men and women alike, would probably prefer black or white.

 

[Phyroxis]

Hmm.. I.. I just don't understand. Does anyone over the age of 12 actually care about Hannah montana? Hell.. does ANYONE at all care for her?

There are much better ways to market to girls. Don't treat them like they're "OMGZ TURDED."

 

[Falru]

It's not Girlz it's GRLZ everyone knows that.

 

[bob-2000]

That's just... horrible...
this is the average Sony market planning session;
http://donraja.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/monkeys.jpg

 

[tenlong]

No words..........just..........

my words exactly.