This week I wanted to talk about something important to me. Lately I've been hearing a lot about women in the gaming industry and women gamers and I want to settle some issues I have. This is overall going to be a vent post with constructive ideas about what we can do as a community. If you're interesting in having a conversation about it - feel free to leave a polite and rational comment below. If you just want to hate on me and everything I am saying you will be ignored because you are proving my point.
I will note: everything I say has obvious exceptions so don't think everything I'm saying applies to every situation.
First of all, as a women who plays video games, I think that this whole issue is pretty ridiculous. Women do not have weaker mental abilities than men and it's important to know that. Sure, more men are prominent players in video games but I don't think that's necessarily because they aren't as good or smart enough. I think it's because women get a lot of crap and there aren't many girls as serious about gaming as guys. That's fine! But why is it okay to attack girls because of that? I can see why girls stray away from video games - it's because they don't get a warm welcome when they try them.
Next, I think that women get a lot of stereotypes thrown at them as "girl gamers". I have no issue with this term at all. I don't personally refer to myself this way (I don't like to refer to myself as anything...) but there's nothing wrong with it if you do. I do think that sometimes this is a prime example of giving in to a stereotype. I've played COD online.. I know what happens as soon as you speak. Those idiot 14-yr-old boys go, "KILL THE GIRL" and then laugh at you and tell you that you suck at video games when you don't make a single kill because you were being slaughtered the entire game. I'm just trying to enjoy a game! Why is it okay to ruin my experience with the game? COD has a huge male market because of that situation.
I have a short story about a situation I was in a couple of days ago with a guy. I was at Starbucks. My girl friend and I are standing waiting for our drinks and playing LoZ on our LoZ 3DS's when a guy from across the room comes up to us and asks, "What are the 3 pieces of the triforce?" So I tell him, feeling a little affronted not only by his quiz that was obviously an attempt to embarrass us, but by the fact that a dude walked up to us in a store in a demanding sort of way. (Caveat: I wasn't afraid of him, it was just a little weird.) He then goes on to say that he has never played Legend of Zelda but he wanted to make sure we knew what it was because one time he ran into a girl with a LoZ shirt on and he asked her about it and she said she only bought the shirt because it looked cool. Which, I find annoying as well but how does that make it okay for him to bombard every girl to make sure they're really gamers?
So I simply said, "Well I guess I should be the one asking you random questions about the game then, huh? Seeing as I've played all of them." I gave no attitude and suffered a smile at him so that he knew I was messing with him.
He kinda stuttered a moment and said, "Well I know everything about pokemon. That's the only game I play."
Now, you know that I play pokemon as well already, so of course I told him that, as well as mentioned that he should branch out to other games as well. He quickly changed the subject and I quickly ended the conversation.
It's obvious why I'm annoyed by this, right? Because a guy who has never touched a LoZ game insists on bothering girls with trivia to prove that they don't know anything about gaming. It's insulting that I have to prove myself.
So here's my ultimate advice, do what you do because you love it, not because you're trying to prove something. Be proud of what you love and don't be embarrassed about the fact that you didn't enjoy Half Life 2. There's nothing wrong with being true to yourself and don't let the metaphorical and actual man get you down. Ladies! Be strong! Be brave! But be yourself.
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