DoubleStandard In Gaming? Life Lessons In Tween Games
Tuesday 14 July 2009 @ 12:24 pm | By Sol 20 Comments
Studies show women are the fastest growing gamer demographic. Companies hoping to cash in on this trend continuously pump out all manner of casual titles. In the wild, the proverbial white whale remains elusive. This doesn’t prevent budding teenagers from being targeted like their male counterparts. “Must play” titles have all the characteristics of feeding testosterone driven brains with war scenarios, aggression, and adrenaline inducing virtual violence; often leading to parental concern over the “gamer addict” and mislabeled real world violence supposedly brought on by games. Rated M titles are said to warp the adolescent mind providing a false sense of reality, though I could argue so do social networking titles (WoW, GTA, The Sims).
What then of girl gamers? Wired blogger Tracey John lists “life lessons” learned by tween girls in several DS titles, but the thought provoking question comes by way of Tom Chick(Fidgit): What do videogames teach girls? I’ve included a few of Tracey John’s examples below, but am interested whether you feel these are just trumped up charges similar to how legislators demonize (for the purpose of the post) “guys games”.
Are these titles unintentionally causing emotional/psychological stress in females? And before boys think they are immune, studies do indicate behavioral changes do occur with violent games. I’d also really like to hear from our female fanbase. I can only go so far in my understanding of the ladies.
The Clique: Diss and Make Up
(Warner Bros. Interactive, Aug. 31)
What it’s about: Inspired by the best-selling books, The Clique has the player take on the role of a new student at an all-girls middle school. The goal is to work your way up the social ladder through different cliques (math club, jocks, etc.) using “gossip, fashion and wit” until you finally are able to join the school’s top posse, the Pretty Committee.
What it teaches girls: Ponytails, books and plaid shirts will get you stared at. Better to jump through hoops and pretend to be someone you’re not in an effort to become one of the most popular girls in school, because it beats the hell out of being part of the Ugly Committee.
The Daring Game for Girls
(Majesco, October)
What it’s about: This interactive version of the best-selling how-to hardcovers guides players through the book’s suggested activities: everything from spy missions and cave exploration to Double Dutch and basketball. It also imparts educational facts about famous women in history; players are tested with pop quizzes. The goal is to obtain six merit badges in order to earn an adventure to Africa, the Amazon or Mt. McKinley.
What it teaches girls: Surprisingly, a lot. Like the book, the game offers handy tips and facts as well as non-stereotypically female activities, encouraging girls to seek adventure — not boyfriends or cute clothes, for once. So, of course, no one will actually play it.
Imagine: Detective
(Ubisoft, September)
What it’s about: As an “independent adventurous feminine heroine,” you solve local mysteries armed with your photographic memory, karate skills and “feminine sixth sense.” Then you write about everything on your personal blog, where your goal is to raise traffic and collect cash from sponsors.
What it teaches girls: Girls have a “feminine sixth sense,” so don’t forget: No matter what masculine qualities you have (solving mysteries, karate), you’re still a girl. Which means you can make way more money blogging. (If only this were true.)
My Boyfriend
(THQ, Sept. 14)
What it’s about: Players pick various outfits and make-up while they hang out, exercise and gossip with their friends. But the main object of the game is to create “the love story of your dreams” by choosing from five different guys. Then, players will have to “charm, chat up and chill out” with each different guy to find true love.
What it teaches girls: You are incomplete without a man, or at least a digital replica of one. More specifically, the game instructs that there are only a limited number of potential mates in the world, and the only way to find the right one is to flirt with all of them.
(Copied from Wired)
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Abraham 'Velcor' Duarte
David 'KidKobun' Bruno
Ivan 'Nahu' Lozano
Random J
Definitely important life lessons.
I agree!
Please, all ladies here that play Nazi Zombies or any “testosterone driven” game please raise your hands. I have always found these “girl games” very mind warping for girls, making mindsets for them. I am yet to be the right person to tell what should what a girl should not be or do, so i don’t see how do these games fill up such a role. I hope these things are taken as they are: games.
I agree. Games are games and like anything there is a small subset that “takes it too far”, but I’m interested in the impact if there is any. It’s like when tweens have their role-models as Lady Gaga or Miley Cyrus and parent get all bent out of shape with the short-shorts and what not. Not necessarily the message, but the interpretation.
*raises hand*
Although, I’m not a fan of GTA. It’s disgusting and too violent for my ovaries >.>;;;
:) I can’t stop laughing.
lol xD
Your ovaries need to take it easy
I must admit I suck at games like Left 4 Dead, Half Life, etc, but zombie games are THE SH*T.
God, the only one that seemed decent in that list was the second one. It’s a bit sad that they’re targeting worthless qualities in girls, and while I know that many girls ARE looking for those kinds of games (why, because it’s socially acceptable for a girl to be like that), it’s not something that should be encouraged. At all. Give them a good generic game like Wii Sports or something that won’t rot their brains and make the world spawn more evil conniving bitches. Sheesh.
Where is the line though between “just a game” and taking it too far. On the whole we can say standards have greatly changed from what is/has been socially acceptable. Would it get to a point to where you have a open ended game where you can get points working as a call girl…you’re just being entrepreneurial.
It’s sad that Ubisoft keeps shitting out these ‘imagine’ game series (most of which are ports of japanese budget titles). And NOBODY buys them.
Working in retail, i dread every time a new batch of them come in. Cause they just sit their on the shelf collecting dust.
There is really nothing to figure out here, its all gendered bullshit. I know plenty of women who prefer FPS, RPG and fighting games.
I feel thoroughly offended with this magazine. I never thought of “games for girls/boys” when I bought game magazines. They’re just games. I don’t want anyone telling my (future) girls what games are ok for them to play and which not.
Whoot! *high fives* Well said ;D
Power to the ovaries!!!
Teach them to be educated consumers, just as with general game mags and the bald-white-male space marine games they pitch every month.
In the future all men are bald….
Anyone look at that magazine cover and think it was from the 80s at first? I’m sorry about her whole look from outfit to hair to makeup screams 80s.
So I really don’t see what’s wrong with girly games? It’s not like its making us girls brain dead or anything. Like ya know.
(insert rant here about how completely stupid, pink and girly these games are and how I would never let these things get into any of my future daughter’s hands)
It’s about time we got some recognition and all but this isn’t what I had in mind.
Don’t get me wrong though. I’m still a woman.. I had a pink DS lite and when it broke I got another. Yeah, I play Cooking Mama and yeah, I enjoy it but I also play RE, Castlevania, Silent Hill, and have played if not beaten almost every FF to date. Then again I know some guys who play Cooking Mama and were first in line to get Gardening Mama as they talk about how hot Sheva from RE5 is.
At the same time there are good ‘girl games’ and bad ‘girl games’. I can’t say they’re all crap. The Daring Game for Girls actually surprised me ( haven’t played but read some reviews )
Bottom line..Why do we have to label a game ‘for girls’. We can choose what games we play. Let’s face it, there will never be a Silent hill, RE, FPS tailored to girls. Quite frankly ..I don’t think I’d want to see that. lol
Heh, sorry about that..