Game on Girl

Hi All –

I am headed to Seattle this weekend to attend my first gaming conference, PAX 10! I am very interested in one panel about gamer girls – here is the description:

Friday, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM, Unicorn Theatre
The Myth of the Gamer Girl: True Demographic or Anthropological Hooha?

“Whether it’s just a single gal at home or an entire crew like the Frag Dolls & PMS clan, there are definitely hardcore gamers out there of the female variety. That said, is there something unique about women who play games? This panel will explore the myth of the gamer girl to settle the question once and for all: are there attributes that game designers and publishers need to consider to appeal to the women, or is it all just a bunch of hogwash that the marketing team is selling? Come listen to an expert panel of women who are confirmed passionate gamers of both the video and table top variety. We will be providing cards at the beginning of the panel on which the audience can submit questions or discussion topics to ensure no stone is unturned in our quest for truth!”

Needless to say, I think the “myth” isn’t a myth at all! As for if there is something different about women gamers, I think THAT might be the myth. I read an article recently where a 15 year old gamer was quoted as saying, “There aren’t girl games and boy games, there are good games and bad games.” From what I’ve heard in your interviews, I think y’all might agree.

What do you guys think???

Game on!
Regina

You know how when you’re in a group, and someone says “We should get together on Friday night and blah blah blah.”
And someone says “Oh, I can’t — that’s my scrapbooking night,” or “Oh, I have bowling then.”
And everyone understands and approves?
I dream of a day when I can say “I can’t — I have a raid that night” and no one gives me the “oh you poor, addicted girl” look.

And that is what it means to be a gamer.

~Wen

My first thought about that question was, “Well, someone who plays role playing games.” and then it was, “Well a person that enjoys playing various types of games, like video games and role playing games, or board games, I suppose,” and then I thought, “No, how do I define that word.”

And I define at as me. I am a gamer.

~ Moonkitten

i personally consider a gamer someone who FULLY enjoys a game and plays it to the fullest extent that particular person can play it. like, for example: Bioshock. a person can just go on that game, shoot everything, skip through the story line and get to the end and be done with it.

a true gamer researches the game’s meaning, plays the whole thing, gets all the radios, or at least tries to, watches the storyline, takes in all the work in the graphics and finds things normal people would not.

~ Beatyunadorned ~

Hi All –

Just a quick note. I am working on a chapter of the dissertation right now that is going to go out for publication in two weeks. (Woot!) I will start doing interviews once again when the article is on its way to the publisher to be peer reviewed.

Right now I’ve done about 15 interviews and am looking to do about 10 more. I can’t believe how quickly it’s gone! So if you sent me an email and haven’t heard from me, don’t worry – I am still making my way through more than 80 emails I have left. But if you want to remind me of your interest, send me another email here.

Thanks and game on!
Regina

I think that women, just as much as men, want to be a part of some kind of adventure. They want to be part of some sort of heroic event. And I think all women are like that but I think that so often women are immediately steered into “your adventure is motherhood.” And it happens so early that I think it is confusing why there is a drive for adventure in women. But when I read science fiction and I think about those types of female warrior roles, I get excited, I get energized and I think, “I wanna play that kind of role” and I just don’t think that’s portrayed as an option for women when they are young. That, “You can be part of a hero team, you can be part of an adventure.”

~PinkGeek

“Even in video games that are targeted to women or young women, the girls are frilly or pretty and even if they’re supposed to be a strong, bad-ass character, they’re often still light, sexy, vampy, any minute now this metal brassier is going to fall off kind of characters.”

~ Zoe

So I’ve been mulling this idea over for some time and have even posted on this topic once before. I struggle with using “girl gamer” because I fear the “girl” is either disparaging or makes a large part of the population I am trying to represent feel disrespected in some way. I am *much* more comfortable with the term “gamer girl,” I think because it seems a nice switch of the phrase, putting the gamer part first. But I am not sure if all the connotations of “girl” (young, inexperienced, frivolous, etc.) are removed from that term.

So what do YOU think? I’d love to hear some feedback from the group I’m writing about.

Game On.
Regina

Hi All –

I am not sure if anyone is still reading this page but I am back to doing interviews again! Yay! I have learned my lesson – one of those that I will probably spend my entire life relearning: balance is the key. I am going to be taking it slow now, doing only one interview a week, so that I can keep up with the rest of my schedule and not work myself into a hole. Well, that is the hope at least.

Also, I am still doing text interviews – if you would like to do an interview that way (on your own time, in your own words, and without me having to transcribe) just drop me an email here.

Thanks and GAME ON!
Regina

Hi All –

Just a quick update. I am in the middle of the end of semester rush – papers to grade and papers to write – and so I am not doing any Skype interviews right now. I am still doing text interviews and even set up a Survey Monkey site. I’ve sent a few people the URL but I am not sure I am going to continue to use that format for gathering information. (I am going to wait to see what a few more responses look like before I decide.)

But I am doing text/email interviews and if you’re interested in that just let me know!

Thanks!
Game on!
Regina