WARNING: This post contains nothing.Originally Posted by Jeremy
WARNING: This post contains nothing.
Fixed for you.
Not only that, but it's common sense that all statistics are not necessarily accurate. In this case, however, the statistics will be based on not only surveys, but actual, hard data like how many of the people who show up to gaming expos are male, etc. It will come from more than a simple survey.
University can teach you a lot of things, but common sense is not necessarily one of them.
CEO of the Institution for People Against People Complaining About People Who Complain About Videogames.
You have to take certain statistics with a pinch of salt, statistics do work very well, alas they do not work with everything.Not only that, but it's common sense that all statistics are not necessarily accurate. In this case, however, the statistics will be based on not only surveys, but actual, hard data like how many of the people who show up to gaming expos are male, etc. It will come from more than a simple survey.
University can teach you a lot of things, but common sense is not necessarily one of them.
Finding the average cost of abatement when you have 10 coal factories producing X amount of carbon emissions each is easier to turn into a statistic, then asking 500 people out of the worlds population if they game or not.
[Treads carefully, so as not to be accused of being a dude]
You see this as a chicken and egg problem, are games marketed at guys because mostly guys play games or do mostly guys play games because they are marketed at guys.
Azimuth says "games are marketed at guys" like it's a statement that applies to every game ever but I think when you look at it this isn't really the case. Back when games were stick figures and midi sounds to even hear of a women 'gamer' was something that just didn't happen. There is nothing particularly male orientated about Dungeons and Dragon's since you are in complete control of the stories, so why didn't more women play that?
You could probably think of a least a 100 different games with no particular male bias or agenda and ask the same question, why don't women play those games?
So for me marketing is always going to be a question of money, and how to use it more efficiently. No-one is going to market a game towards women 'just to be fair' if women are unlikely to buy the game anyway, so they would rather go full tilt for their core demographic. Although there is definitely a side argument to be had here with regards to how the whole 'sex appeal' rubbish doesn't actually work the way the marketing people think it does. (It seems people remember the ads more for the T/A than the actual products)
You always have to ask 'is marketing the sole market force' and the answer would be no. Just because a game is marketed at one group doesn't stop people from other groups being interested in and purchasing the product. Look at women's soccer, it gets almost no TV coverage outside of the Olympics and maybe the World Cups and it's becoming a really huge sport because women who want to play do regardless of what's showing on tele.
Like most things with money however, the best and often only way to effect change is to speak with your wallet. Shouting about how you want to be marketed to isn't going to hold much water, you instead of to go out buy the products and show companies that you are a big enough piece of the pie to be worth considering.
I would love more female gamers and respect the ones that already play and always endeavour to treat them in the same fashion I would anyone else.
Imagine if they started calling Hard mode 'Pasty Nerd Mode.' I'm guessing there would have been quite a furore over that.
Or 'Basement Virgin Mode.' Everyone looooves that stereotype.
Last edited by Graal; 15-08-2012 at 10:21 PM.
CEO of the Institution for People Against People Complaining About People Who Complain About Videogames.
Wow this is so funny! Will actually make me buy the game because can clearly see the developers have a sense of humor.
People need to chill out and see the joke for what it is...a joke...geesh!
I actually think this is quite a good marketing strategy. I think the stereotypical "gamer" has changed. It is now young adult males, mostly, who have girlfriends or are married not just the guys who live in their parents basement.
This is aimed at those setups. Like I'm thinking: "Hmmm it would be nice if my wife would play a pc game with me then I spend time with her and get to play games...what wait this has a girlfriend mode and is a cooperative game...hmmmm..."
Also lowers the barrier for entry for the wife/girlfriend if they see this mode and think well it is made for me so maybe I can give this a go.
Anyway my 2 cents
Wow.
CEO of the Institution for People Against People Complaining About People Who Complain About Videogames.
This sums up this entire "girlfriend mode" argument.Wow.
I'm sure it SO easy to ignore sexism when it doesn't affect you, huh?
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