Taking two steps forward and one step back is harder than it sounds. Also you look silly.

So I was thinking about how not a lot of girls play video games and why that might be.While its true that there are a lot more female gamers today then there were twenty or even ten years ago, its no stretch to say they probably only make up less than 20% of total gamers. (and unless there are parrots or dolphins out there playing its pretty easy math to figure out the rest are guys.) So I started to think that maybe there was a sociological reason behind it. I mean women and men share lots of common interests. I know girls who are way more into sports than I am. Music and movies for the most part transcend genders. Hell gender itself is starting to get a little fuzzy. So why the stark difference when it comes to video games?

I think it may come down to marketing. Think about all of the great classics of the NES era. There were a few games that I feel were pretty unisex. As in they had not much to do with machismo or violence or babes. Tetris, Pac Man, Super Mario Bros, Donkey Kong, Zelda etc. Those few were the ones probably responsible most of the girls my age who play video games. But take a look at all the other titles from that time. Contra, Battle Toads, Castlevania, Mega Man, Double Dragon, Metal Gear, and on and on. These are all very guy centric games, boy centric really even. Big guns, big tits, evil bosses, and monsters. Its no wonder not to many girls got into them. So what happens is the market sees that more boys play games then girls and the cycle continues. Mortal Combat where ninjas ripped each others spines out. Heavy Metal, a demolition derby with missals. Duke Nukem where you could actually give strippers money, and kill alien pig cops with a B.M.F.G. (big mother fucking gun)How about Dead or Alive which introduced the oh so inventive boob jiggle physics. And of course as guys we ate it up. Yes I liked Dead or Alive, I was fifteen and there were jiggling ninja boobs in my video game. How could I not.

But Where in all this were the girls? Who was representing them? I can't even think of a good game on the NES that was more aimed towards girls than guys. Maybe a terrible Barbie game here and there. The occasional Disney game that were always a controller smashing, hair ripping nightmare. Echo the Dolphin for the Sega Genesis wasn't bad, but not much else comes to mind.

There has never really been a competent game directed at girls until recently. Even then how far can things like Nintendogs or Dance Central go as far as bridging that gap.

Now that I'm writing all this though I'm thinking about what really may be the core problem. What kind of womens interests would translate well into a game? I'm not being sexist as much as just uncreative. What would a game that women like, but guys don't care for, even be about with out being pandering or outright misogynistic? A Sex in the City action adventure? A first person Fashion Designer game? How about a Twilight RPG. (that ones actually not a bad idea really)

Again I'm not trying to be sexist about this. Its just hard to think of things that girls like that would make a good game. Maybe the real problem is that women are unique and complex complex creatures with widely varying tastes and interests. Men on the other hand I guess are just easily amused lizard brained trolls, so its easy to create compelling games for them.

I mean big guns, big tits, evil bosses and monsters? Sounds fun to me.


"I mean just cause I don't wanna war with you, it don't mean go warm up the barbecue. It's like "pardon you" a Sawed off limit, my high noon is a quick little minute. I don't want to spend it sitting with a critic, who simply isn't ever really gonna get it."
-Aesop Rock