A question to our openly female racketboy members?

[Evildeadmanwalking77]

Good Luck lisalover1! Do what you have to do, you're happiness is what's most important.

As for female characters in games, it depends on the games. Streets of Rage for example, granted I didn't jump on choosing Blaze first but I did use her from time to time. With games like that I also like to play through the game using each character to beat it. Tournament fighters like Mortal kombat, Street fighter etc, same thing. I'll try to use all characters to beat the game. Of course I have my personal favorites in these games but I choose that based on the character's abilities and style and not based on gender. I loved the moment in Metroid for NES when it is revealed that character was female! Defining and brilliant moment. Nobody saw it coming and I will always remember it. It was just something new and really seemed to shake things up a bit, basically pave the way for females in video games. My favorite female character's in games: Princess Toadstool (SMB 2), Sonya (MK), Samus Aran, Blaze (Streets of Rage), and Jill Valentine (resident evil).

[Ivo]

Although I think this is improving, I still run into this stereotype a lot. Just yesterday I was waiting for class to start and was playing Phantasy Star 3 on my retrogen and a friend told me, "You are such a boy!" I was a little hurt by that.

Just curious, this was another girl, right?

It seems that Girls can be very mean to other girls. Actually boys and girls can be very mean, in general. What I mean is that I think that kind of teasing (particularly involving gender roles) is typically done by same-gendered people as the "victim". In this case it does not seem too mean actually, but coming from a friend it could still sting.

In general, there will be people who will like you for you who are. In particular, girl gamers are actually quite appreciated (overly so, it seems!)

It is important to be confident in your individuality. Whatever that individuality is.

Ivo.

[PixelPixii]

Although I think this is improving, I still run into this stereotype a lot. Just yesterday I was waiting for class to start and was playing Phantasy Star 3 on my retrogen and a friend told me, "You are such a boy!" I was a little hurt by that.

Just curious, this was another girl, right?

It seems that Girls can be very mean to other girls. Actually boys and girls can be very mean, in general. What I mean is that I think that kind of teasing (particularly involving gender roles) is typically done by same-gendered people as the "victim". In this case it does not seem too mean actually, but coming from a friend it could still sting.

In general, there will be people who will like you for you who are. In particular, girl gamers are actually quite appreciated (overly so, it seems!)

It is important to be confident in your individuality. Whatever that individuality is.

Ivo.

It was another girl, but I mean that it goes to show how just because I like video games, it somehow makes me "boyish." She was not being mean, I just am trying to say that it is sad that the stereotype is still around. I have not gotten this from girls only.

I am very confident about being a gamer girl. I don't hide it from anyone and when I go on dates and am asked what my hobbies are I tell them. That way, if they are really opposed to it, they can find someone else. LOL

[J T]

It was another girl, but I mean that it goes to show how just because I like video games, it somehow makes me "boyish." She was not being mean, I just am trying to say that it is sad that the stereotype is still around. I have not gotten this from girls only.

From the article I original posted:

"A 2006 statistic from the Consumer Electronics Association revealed that women ages 25-34 were out-playing men in "casual" (non-console) games by 30%. Three years later, a Nielsen report would find that women over age 25 make up the largest constituency of gamers in the United States. And in the UK, women have been projected as made up 48% of World of Warcraft players."

Well they were wrong then, weren't they?

[cookie monster]

As a girl gamer i find everyone here has been very kind and helpful. I find there are alot of ignorant ppl in this world that judge you for no other reason than to make them self feel better. I think this is pathetic cause innocent people get hurt in the process you should never have to feel ashamed of who you are or what you like

[Czernobog]

I'm a guy, but I honestly usually prefer to play online games with girls. Guys (this seems to be more true online for some reason in my experience) tend to be so competitive that they get angry and the negative attitude can often make the experience suffer.

Most of the girls I play online with choose to remain anonymous because they want to actually play and enjoy the game instead of having anonymous players try to impress them with their "el33tn3ss," and then throw insecurity-induced insults when the girls don't act all "girly" towards them.

I play games to have fun, not to be the best. Quite frankly, I really don't care whether I win or lose, and this attitude seems more prevalent in the girls I know than the guys. Obviously this doesn't hold true for everyone, but it's been common in my experience.

@lisalover: It was very brave of you to share with us and I'm sure you can always find support and open ears here in the forums.

[Hatta]

Just yesterday I was waiting for class to start and was playing Phantasy Star 3 on my retrogen and a friend told me, "You are such a boy!"

Correct response: "You are such a cunt!"

From the article I original posted:

"A 2006 statistic from the Consumer Electronics Association revealed that women ages 25-34 were out-playing men in "casual" (non-console) games by 30%. Three years later, a Nielsen report would find that women over age 25 make up the largest constituency of gamers in the United States. And in the UK, women have been projected as made up 48% of World of Warcraft players."

Sounds like the stereotype is true. Women have shitty taste in games.

[Inazuma]

I'm a guy, but I honestly usually prefer to play online games with girls. Guys (this seems to be more true online for some reason in my experience) tend to be so competitive that they get angry and the negative attitude can often make the experience suffer.

Most of the girls I play online with choose to remain anonymous because they want to actually play and enjoy the game instead of having anonymous players try to impress them with their "el33tn3ss," and then throw insecurity-induced insults when the girls don't act all "girly" towards them.

I play games to have fun, not to be the best. Quite frankly, I really don't care whether I win or lose, and this attitude seems more prevalent in the girls I know than the guys. Obviously this doesn't hold true for everyone, but it's been common in my experience.

@lisalover: It was very brave of you to share with us and I'm sure you can always find support and open ears here in the forums.

That's a nice way of saying girls aren't good at video games. I certainly believe they have the ability to become the best at a game but like you mentioned, most of them choose to play for fun, rather than try to win.

Genders aside, I strongly agree that people who play to win do not get along with people who play for fun. The two groups aren't playing by the same set of rules, so one group views the other as "cheaters" and gets upset.

Snaking in Mario Kart is a great example of this.

[GSZX1337]

Snaking in Mario Kart is a great example of this.

Snaking is bullshit.

[CFFJR]

Snaking in Mario Kart is a great example of this.

Snaking is bullshit.

What's funny is that, anywhere else on the internet, this would be the start of a flame war.

Which proves Inazuma's point nicely I think.