Unlike comic books, video games have succeeded in marketing themselves to the population at large, while remaining a guy oriented activity that doesn’t involve any physical activity. What makes games stick with guys is part of what makes action figures, sports cars and football work for them. It’s a cool thing to do and there’s always more to look forward. Release of new material is frequent and there is a constant race to update to new contents and challenges. Video games makers have cornered the male market perfectly, but still neglect the other half of their potential targets, women.
There are no reasons why video games should attract more men than women. Women like to play games as much as men. Some even specialize in mind games, but that’s another topic! The basics of any game are that one does not know the outcome and gamble on the future based on skill and intuition. Skill and intuition are something women generally don't lack.
If you go to your neighbourhood casino, you will find as many women as men. Women at work waste as much time as men playing games and cards instead of being productive. So why is it that the traditional video game appeals less to women than men? The fact that women generally have less spare time than men, because, we guys, still won’t share all the household chores, won’t be enough to explain why they play games less often.
Women are a complex and interesting market and here are some things one should look at when designing a game for them. Looks, context, game play, marketing and influence. My bet is if game developers understand how to make their games better and more appealing to women, they will succeed in making them better overall for guys too. So if we understand what women want, perhaps we’ll all have better titles to play with!
Desperate Housewives The Game
Polish the Looks
How a video game look can either break or sell. For women, this is more important. While guys will probably buy version three of a game they already own, because of a few added gimmicks or to try the new feature of a brand-new console, most women, will want more value than the coolness factor. If they have to sit in front of a monitor for hours, it better be worth their time. So attention to visual details is more important for women. They will notice the pixilated backgrounds. Good design and layout is important. The game design has to make sense as a whole.
Social Context and Networking
Women are chatty and like to interact with others. They are more prone to gossips too! Hey don’t sue me, scientists said so! Games are more fun when played with others. If game developers can figure out a way to add more interactions with other players in their games, they stand a chance of attracting more female players. The interactions’ options provided don’t have to be focused on competitive elements like top scores or trashing your opponent, as if often seen in many titles. If there is a way for many players to collaborate on a single objective, it’s certain that it will appeal to women.
Don’t Make It Girly
When looking at the crop of games for little girls, it’s amazing how much of the stuff has a Barbie feel. It’s all pink with characters with big eyes and eyelashes and fancy designers cartoon jeans. Just because a game is principally for a female audience, it doesn’t have to be over saturated with pastels and fuchsia colours. Don’t make the game play girly either. Let’s get out of stereotypes and make games that challenge all.
Avoid Marketing As Geeky Game
My Little Pony The Game
Everything from game packages to the advertising often only speaks to men. Marketers are convinced that women won’t play a war game. I’m not sure.
Hire More Women Creators and Developers
Although it’s not a given, adding more women to game development will through their influence and participation, help make the game appealing to women. Fortunately, more women are entering the video game industry and occupy positions, not just in management and marketing, but in the actual design and development of titles.
Having more women playing games is not a noble aim. Video games are after all entertainment venues that are not crucial to people’s lives. However, too many women who would like to play games often find limited appeal with existing titles. Hopefully, video game companies will heed more attention to this large and untapped potential market.
why dont they make games better games for women, i want naked guys and guys wearing practically nothing. i want more action like females dominating men .
This article is complete crap. Coming from a writer's standpoint, not only is it badly written, but the author lacks a convincing argument. It is filled with contraditions and is basically shallow and uninteresting.
However, I do not make blatant comments without illustrating how a piece can be improved. Firstly, by targeting women as a whole, the writer (probably unintentionally) succumbs to Huge stereotyping. Which I especially find amusing when said writer says, "let's get out of the stereotypes."
Women are chatty? Prone to gossip? Look, man... do you Really believe everything a scientist tells you? If you were to believe everything you read, you'd also have to believe that the earth is flat, that the KKK is in the right and that the Texas Chainsaw Massacre actually happened.
My advice to you is to back up your opinions with interesting facts, quotes and other materials. The key to a gripping piece of nonfiction (opinion based or no) is to use all elements of narration and description to draw in your audience. You have the basis for a good article here, but it's extremely underdeveloped.
My favorite computer game is Age of Empires II. I've always liked my Gameboy, because I can take it anywhere I want. I would much rather talk to myself instead of some people I know.
I read this article thinking that it would be a refreshing insight into the world of video games and video entertainment. Instead, I was reminded that video games and comic books are just another "penises only" club. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go read the latest issue of Spawn...
Just some side information for those who don't know who Sophia is. Last year, when this article was first posted, a feminist gamers' Web site made a big deal about this article. One of their arguments was that because I used images of My Little Pony and Desperate Housewives, I was saying that women should play only such games. They were so pent up on calling me a male chauvinist, that they didn't see the irony of why I used these images in the first place.
Now, a year after, some of the proponents from that Web site are back and repeat the exact same arguments they posted on their site last year. We can expect a deluge of comments from like-minded readers in a short while.
I will not defend the article, as I think it speaks for itself and the average reader is smart enough to make up their mind on whether I'm an evil male chauvinist or not.
But of note, please notice how the KKK was already mentioned in the comments above and used as a comparison...
I'm surprised you're pushing the KKK comment. I mean, I would have just mentioned how a game like Age of Empires II is a management-based RPG somewhat similar to The Sims franchise, in that you are creating and running the lives of its characters, and that girls and women prefer to play those types of games.
I would have even pointed out that the main reason girls or women that play games like Halo would be because of the social aspect of the multiplayer.
You know Eli, I'm glad that you're an editor at the Bin, and that I'm not the only one to call the shots.
As much as I like to stay above the fray and not get involved in petty fights, stuff like that can happen. So if you think I crossed a line here, thanks for letting me know, and I'll try to do better in the future.
