one2dredd
Tribe of Judah Aion Chapter Leader
Lol the greatest Thread ever!!!
Playing Female Characters
- Thread starter MaidMirawyn
- Start date
MaidMirawyn
New Member
It's been ages since we've discussed women and gaming! Does this mean everyone is finally getting used to the fact that women game? And that they can be good at it?
I stumbled across an interesting article today at the Deseret News. The article—"Gifts for Gamers"—is a buying guide to video games for the 2009 Christmas season. But hidden in the fifth paragraph is an interesting bit of info: There are more women gamers than there are guys seventeen and younger who game.
There are still more male video gamers than female (over sixty percent male, according to their calculations), but everyone always thinks of games as a teenage boy's hobby. But according to the Deseret News' statistics, those guys only make up eighteen percent of the video game market.
Read that again: eighteen percent. It's incredible!
Granted, only thirty-four percent of gamers are women, and that includes all age brackets. But that's one third of the market! ONE THIRD! And if only eighteen percent of video gamers are males under the age of eighteen, that leaves forty-eight percent of gamers unaccounted for.
So it confirms two things I've noticed myself. First, more women are gaming than ever before. Second, more and more of those who play video games are not giving them up when they graduate to the grown-up world.
I fall in both categories, so of course I think it's pretty cool.
I stumbled across an interesting article today at the Deseret News. The article—"Gifts for Gamers"—is a buying guide to video games for the 2009 Christmas season. But hidden in the fifth paragraph is an interesting bit of info: There are more women gamers than there are guys seventeen and younger who game.
There are still more male video gamers than female (over sixty percent male, according to their calculations), but everyone always thinks of games as a teenage boy's hobby. But according to the Deseret News' statistics, those guys only make up eighteen percent of the video game market.
Read that again: eighteen percent. It's incredible!
Granted, only thirty-four percent of gamers are women, and that includes all age brackets. But that's one third of the market! ONE THIRD! And if only eighteen percent of video gamers are males under the age of eighteen, that leaves forty-eight percent of gamers unaccounted for.
So it confirms two things I've noticed myself. First, more women are gaming than ever before. Second, more and more of those who play video games are not giving them up when they graduate to the grown-up world.
I fall in both categories, so of course I think it's pretty cool.
Abba San
Legacy of Elijah [LoE] - Proud Grandfather
Amen, Sister! It is pretty cool.
Aleron
Eh?
Interesting info. The more women the better. Civility and intelligence reign when women gamers abound.
And for the record, I create female characters to ferry my stuffs from pre to post. I don't know why. My drunkard, Aleron Balendin, however, is always very happy to see her arrive in Ascalon City loaded with ale. xD
And for the record, I create female characters to ferry my stuffs from pre to post. I don't know why. My drunkard, Aleron Balendin, however, is always very happy to see her arrive in Ascalon City loaded with ale. xD
Stc95
Tribe of Judah Guild Wars Chapter Leader
Hey! I'm a statistic! =D
Like you touched on Dea, the stereotype is that teenage boys/young adults (college) are the main players of video games. Yet the games these days generally depict a strong masculine hero, or if its a female hero, they are not the "norm" woman (IE. Laura Croft). Also, I'm interested to know what is considered a "gamer." Is it someone who plays a video game on a semi-regular basis? What kind of game? Are we talking like serious CoD/WoW game or more like barbie mansion game? With that in mind, I feel that there are much more "male" gamers that we (the citizens of the online genre) encounter because I feel that once you go online, its crossing a line that distinguishes you from casual gaming (ie. Rockband, and other such games). I'm sure I could elaborate more and make things clearer, but I've got to live up to my statistic
Elader Arkon
Helped Tek test a thing
heh, I'm still getting used to the fact that I no longer fit into the teen demographic but rather the middle aged one...
MaidMirawyn
New Member
Well, a lot of female gamers "hide" their identity online, too.
MaidMirawyn
New Member
And that's the recurring question. What does it take to count as a gamer? What criteria do you have to fulfill to earn the tag?
Is it board games? Card games? Does poker count? Does it have to be video games? Console or computer? Shooter, strategy, or RPG?
Or do you have to play a traditional RPG? Does an indie game count more than D&D? Or do you have to play D&D, the grandaddy of them all, to really earn the cred?
And what about LARPs?
You laugh, but how many times have you heard someone claim that someone else isn't a "real gamer!"
Brydon
Legacy of Elijah Officer
Okay, I know I'm coming REAALY late to the discussion, but I started a female Nec because the males looked skeevy. When that turned out not so wierd, I came to realize that it's more about creating a fun hero than trying to project myself.
Here's my thought:
1. I know there's complaints about the skimpiness of some of the female costumes. But I do think that props are in order in that I think GW also has some really good and decent choices too. Unlike a lot of games, you do have the OPTION of finding tasteful female chars.
2. I have a tiny beef with the un-skimpiness of some of the male costumes. Here I have a strapping warrior, and he's dressed like a potbelly stove! The male eles are practically in business suits and the rangers are wearing coats.
I mean I don't need to be Tarzan, but it wouldn't hurt to have some more options to show off those biceps and abs every now and again. (Half the fun of GW is that for a few hours a week I'm skinny and buff!)
It's kind of a weird form of sexism in video games. "You can be a girl or a guy!" "That's not a guy, that's a robot!" "How about this?" "Nope, that's an alien."
Maybe that's just me.
Here's my thought:
1. I know there's complaints about the skimpiness of some of the female costumes. But I do think that props are in order in that I think GW also has some really good and decent choices too. Unlike a lot of games, you do have the OPTION of finding tasteful female chars.
2. I have a tiny beef with the un-skimpiness of some of the male costumes. Here I have a strapping warrior, and he's dressed like a potbelly stove! The male eles are practically in business suits and the rangers are wearing coats.
I mean I don't need to be Tarzan, but it wouldn't hurt to have some more options to show off those biceps and abs every now and again. (Half the fun of GW is that for a few hours a week I'm skinny and buff!)
It's kind of a weird form of sexism in video games. "You can be a girl or a guy!" "That's not a guy, that's a robot!" "How about this?" "Nope, that's an alien."
Maybe that's just me.
Prophet Elhanan
New Member
I don't have any female chars on my account. Not because I'm against guys playing as them but because I am kind of sick of seeing so many on every box and advertisement. Its obvious why they do it, sex sells, but I'm an old school gamer and really want to be "in the game". My wife has all female chars and its kind of cool the two of us running around killing stuff. For me, it would ruin it if I were to play as a chick, but you know what ever makes you happy. It is just fantasy land anyway. If you payed for it be what you like...heck soon we will be seeing lady Charr (I use the term lightly...evil Charr pig dogs... 'cough')
-Proph.
-Proph.