Topic: Why is gaming mostly a guy thing?

I know plenty of girl gamers.

I think it's just an empty stereotype left over from the 80s and 90s when computing was hard to do and required technical knowledge to use. With the way the games and tech industries and markets are changing, women are getting more and more into games. They're far more accessible to everyone than they once were, and that's why we get more women playing than ever before.

EDIT: However, I've been pleasantly surprised by the number of girls I've talked to who have played NES games like Super Mario and remember them fondly. I was also talking to an Australian friend of a friend a few months back and she mentioned that she loved Worms Armageddon. I love to hear those sorts of things!

Females can be good at games, too. When I was playing a round of Mario Superstar Baseball with my mom, she creamed me by 25 to 5

Sorry, but a lot really has to be said about this. It really has. First and foremost, why is gaming becoming a sexist topic? There are millions of female gamers out there who don't need to be dominated by male gamers. Like me. Secondly, I don't want anybody thinking any gender of gamers is better than the other. Males are as good as females, and vice versa.

So, why must gaming be recognised as a 'guy thing'? It's like saying 'reading' is a girl thing, and I know plenty of boys out there who are serious when it comes to books. I don't need to prove to any guy how good a gamer I am when it comes to this.

This might just become a 'Battle of the Sexes' thing if care is not taken. And we'll gun each other down in The Conduit or something. It isn't going to be pretty, I can assure you. So, lay off and agree gaming is a unisex hobby. I want to hear you say it.

I'd pick up both. I'm a technophiliac and a bookworm. What else is to say? I kind of think this has something to do with the interests of boys - sorry, but I must ask, do a majority of you read regularly? Seriously, sticking your nose into your handheld or gluing your eyes to your home video game console isn't healthy.

Believe me, working at GameStop has made it clear just how many female gamers there really are out there. Only problem for me is: They're always already with some guy. You really don't see very many SINGLE female gamers in GameStop.

One time recently, I asked a couple if they needed help with anything. They assumed I was talking to the guy, who simply replied that SHE'S the gamer, not him. Way to break a stereotype!

And no, I don't really read much. Doesn't keep my attention well enough, and my ADD mind wanders.

I usually only read about videogames. If I want a gripping story I'll just watch a movie. Books without any pictures always kinda bored me. Short attention span I guess. I've never been much of a reader unless it's something I'm interested in. I hope I didn't offend any possible girl gamers out there. That wasn't my intention.

You'd be surprised how many girls actually play games. Ever hear of Gamerchix?

My friend (whos a girl) always plays videogames. Heck, maybe she plays more games then I even do.

The point it, gender doesn't matter. Its about doing what you like to do.

The girls at my school (most anyway) think video games are stupid (I personally disagree) so that could be a reason why.

Until women are legally able to drive, they can't get to videogame stores themselves to buy games, hence why you only see them with men. Once women get the right to vote that'll probably change.

hahaha nice one... I'm not sexist AT ALL but one thing is true: most of the time someone makes me want to get out of my car and scream obscenities at them because they are a menace to drivers everywhere... they're girls.

@rustythekid: funny, most of the time someone makes me want to get out of my car and scream obscenities at them... they're male. usually it's idiots on their cell phones.

Most girls I know don't think video games are stupid, but most also don't think they are amazing.

It's funny, most of the time someone makes me want to get out of my car, they're not there.

And then I realize I'm still in the parking lot.

@Swerd: Look what you did!

Actually, I think it's probably got more to do with the social stigma about girls and gaming that's obviously still an issue, otherwise this thread wouldn't exist. I had a female coworker at GameStop who complained some customers would ignore her and only talk to male employees, as if to say they didn't trust her to know her stuff (which she does). And of course, the uncouth ogling morons don't help, though I think they're really far more online than in stores (not that this would necessarily stop a wary woman from shopping alone just in case).

Or maybe I just have really crappy luck with girls, I dunno. My manager likes hiring girls, and I have yet to see ONE sane AND single gamer girl work there over my two+ years of employment.

Why the heck is this becoming a 'Battle of the Sexes' thing like I said?

1. There are male and female drivers who are not worthy of owning a driving license, let alone being allowed behind a steering wheel, not to mention on an actual road. There is an equal percentage of bad male and female drivers each on the tar.

2. Single gamer girl? What does that have to do with anything? What's the difference between a married female gamer, an engaged female gamer in a relationship and a single female gamer? How does that change anything? I am not seeing the point here!

3. SOMEBODY TELL ME WHO THE DICKENS TRIED TO TELL ME GAMING IS A GUY THING IN THE FIRST PLACE! Look what it's led up to!

All this coming from a kid girl gamer trying to put things in order. You all must be ashamed of yourselves. And I mean that.

@GameLord: Granted, I got a bit off-topic with my single/not single ranting. It has nothing to do with how many girl gamers there are PERIOD, but is an off-shoot for my own purposes.

The stigma against girl gamers started well before you were even born. Difficult to say why, really. Always thought it was pretty stupid, myself, but it was at least somewhat based in fact, as video games really WERE a male-dominated market once. Know-it-all boys were often prejudiced against girls who gamed, assuming they were no good for illogical reasons, basically to boost their own egos. By all rights, it SHOULD now be a non-issue. Obviously, that's not the case.

@Stuffgamer1 - No harm done.

If this has been going on for some time, then things are obviously not getting better since that past few years.

Believe it or not, playing a complex strategy/fps game or even programming a game is not too "technical" for our tiny female brains as a couple of you have implied. For the most part, devs are guys (though this is changing as women are more competitive in science and math now than they were in the 70's when the game industry began), so they make what they like. This often results in games that everyone loves (Mario, Tetris, LBP, Pong, etc).

However, most girls won't be interested in a game marketed solely on a hot girl with large boobs or a super jacked guy allowing us to pretend we have larger peens. These aren't a turn off if the game is fun, but if all there is in the commercial is the stereotypical FPS character and some explosions, it's probably not going to make a lot of females part with their hard earned money. I also can't see any reason why little boys would not like Petz or Babiez or Imagining as much as little girls. I know many pet owning men and fathers, teachers, and "pet doctors" after all. However, they are, for whatever bs reason, only marketed to girls.

I know I'd get extra crap for being a noob and a chick for online FPS games (best watch out if we're playing Goldeneye though). Even if I was good, if I wasn't the absolute best in every match - many random groups would still want to dump me at the first mistake, just because I was a girl, so obviously I suck. I'm not sure how I can get good without playing multiplayer and getting flamed intensively until I get to that point. I honestly don't care what random dudes online think of me, so why bother with the experience if it won't be fun? Even if I was a dude, I probably wouldn't want to put up with playing with the ultra hardcore online. I'd imagine I'd still like to go outside occasionally, making it impossible to get to the level some people online are. When I get back home, I'll probably play some on my BF's PS3 tho. Friend matches (esp. local) ftw.

There are more female gamers than you think, although you don't see them admit it that often due to various stigmas.

What's worth a laugh is letting one of my female co-workers play Modern Warfare 2 online while chatting with the headset (she has a bubbly voice that guys always respond to). Two things happen: either she has to deal with a-holes making obscene comments to her or my account gets bombarded with dozens of friend requests from guys too shy to say much of anything to her.

@Token Girl: I see no reason little boys can't like Petz as it is (and, in fact, some do). Babyz, I'm not so sure of...that kind of play has ALWAYS been dominated by females, even with old-fashioned toys. Boys just have different interests, generally speaking. Sure, there can be middle ground stuff like Mario or teddy bears, but there ARE extreme ends that have existed through the history of play. As for Imagine; it's on Ubisoft for marketing it exclusively to girls. A similar series that actually had boys involved somewhere might do okay...they just don't seem too keen to give it a try. They probably figure boys are fine with what's already available, which in all honesty, is probably true.

Unfortunely, it's hard to avoid being mocked for playing something that's VIEWED as being "for girls." Yes, I played Cooking Mama...so what?

I also COMPLETELY agree with you about online gaming; I can't be bothered to put up with random trash-talking a-holes. I'll either play with friends or not at all.