The problem with “girlfriend mode”, according to a girlfriend
WARNING: This post contains opinions.
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The problem with “girlfriend mode”, according to a girlfriend
WARNING: This post contains opinions.
Since we are being childish I will join in:
WARNING THIS POST CONTAINS AN OPINION... MINE.
I'll start off by quoting something I said on Monday when this little snippet burst forth from the internet.
While I can see what Tarryn is trying to get to, for me, its still a hell of a stretch.Quote:
Originally Posted by OmegaFenix
And if you had all of this majority fill out a pole asking if they played games with their significant others and if so did they suck the majority would answer "yes", like the Stereotype of Gamers being nerdy virgin boys who are either super lanky or fat, wear glasses &/or Braces and have little nerdy orgasm over new games, it is part of the culture and it stems from the early day of gaming when social outcast where the gaming majority the assumption that the majority of girlfrieds suck at gaming comes from fact and is, if anything, at best a generalisation and at worst a stereotype. Now however the stereotype is slowly being broken, Nerdy/Geeky is "cool" (if I can use that word) now and we have entire, popular, tv shoes and movies exclusively about geeks/nerds & just like this stereotype slowly being lifted as gaming and nerd culture becomes increasingly mainstream so too will the stereotype of girls or girlfriend sucking at games. Because that is what this is (in my opinion) a stereotype more than an "ism".Quote:
Statistically, of course, straight males do make up the majority of the gamer demographic...
I am not saying there isn't sexism in games and that we as a community shouldn't fight it with all that is in us but what we absolutely should NOT do grab our our pitchforks and light our torches to march on the castle everytime someone says something that isn't "politically correct".
If you want to fight sexism stand up against games that objectify women, speak out on advertising and marketing campaigns like the DOA/Tekken swimsuit pre-order bonuses. Lambasting a Designer for using a term that, IMO, quite adequately describes to anyone who hears it what it should to is bordering on petty and at worst turns a true and just cause into the very feminist boogeyman from under who's shadow you are trying to crawl.
Why most guys don't really get it, according to a guy.
The most important bit:
Check your privilege, guys.Quote:
Commenting on this, however, I am already in a pretty luxurious position. I’m a dude. Nobody is ever going to assume that, if I am sitting on a couch with a woman playing Xbox, she is the better player. Nobody is going to think that I need to have a mechanism put in just for me so that I can play with her. Nobody, if I go to a convention or games event with a woman, is going to assume that I am tagging along. I’m the default setting, and frankly it’s awesome.
And if you are a guy, anywhere from 16 to 30 something, and happen to let slip to the girl you are currently chatting up in a bar that you are a huge gamer/nerd then you will either get laughed at, friend zoned or openly mock. When I mention to my female co-workers, who range in age from 21 to 33 + that I game only 1 told me about how she loves Call of Duty on the Wii the rest normally talk about how their boyfriends play. So the sword cuts both ways.Quote:
Originally Posted by Azimuth
Oh, and I'm sure that has nothing to do with the fact that gaming is marketed almost exclusively to straight males, and consequently alienating to most women.
You don't see the forest for the trees, OmegaFenix.
Also:
I can't take anybody who actually uses this phrase seriously.Quote:
friend zoned
I think it has more to do with the stereotype that has long dogged the male gamer but since you are determined the head there; yes gaming is marketed almost exclusively at straight males, because the gaming industry has taking up the mantel of old world "all boys club" no, its because currently, while the it is slowly changing, the vast majority of gamers are straight hetro males however this is a fact that is slowly changing, we are seeing proper female character in games not just Taki's or Lara Crofts we are getting same sex relationship option, NPC's who openly express their homosexuality and protagonist that no longer fall into the white, squared jawed, Caucasian. These things happen because people, gamers of all sexes, sexualities, races and religions stand up and speak out again these issues, there will always be that vocal minority that try and hold it back but as we can clearly see its not working, we, as a culture, ARE moving forward. What you are doing in 2 separate articles, scratch that, opinion pieces is turn something that was said off hand into a some giant over arching sexist undertone which, I am sorry, you will never convince me it is.Quote:
Originally Posted by Azimuth
When a real issue arises I will gladly lead the charge with you, but this is silly to the points of absurdity.
Thats your choice.Quote:
Originally Posted by Azimuth
Well now is your chance, go tell them how to make the game equally appealing for ALL woman.Quote:
Originally Posted by Azimuth
It's not that games don't appeal to women, it's that the marketing is targeted at men. There's a difference.Quote:
Originally Posted by hideinlight
I'm sorry but statics are a bunch of F****** Shit. Period. I study statistics as part of my BA and this is what I gathered from it all.Quote:
Statistically, of course, straight males do make up the majority of the gamer demographic...
They can be bent and twisted to what ever outcome you want, it all depends on how you collect the data - which is NEVER done correctly. It's always done to get the results you want. If I wanted to get a good result about gaming I will ask people in stores centred around gaming, giving me the results I want. Also asking 1000 random people in the street, do you game does not generate a accurate statistic, 999 of them could say no and 1 yes, then the statistic shows:
"1 in every 1000 people play Video games".
"There are three kinds of lies - lies, damned lies, and statistics." - Mark Twain
:P
That said, though, I think it's reasonable to assume that males make up the majority of gamers. I don't think it's a particularly large majority, though. There are plenty of female gamers out there, and the perception that there aren't is just another aspect of that 15-year old "no girls on the internet" meme that persists (no) thanks to the same people who still think Chuck Norris jokes are funny.