Girl gamers: They're out there.

I'm sick and tired of gaming being referred to as a "guy thing". It's not. It used to be, but not anymore. Gaming companies are a bit slow on the uptake, though, at least western ones. The marketing is still aimed at the "boys will be boys" market, and unfortunately a huge portion of what makes the face of gaming today, like Modern Warfare 2, is made to lure 15 year old boys and repel anyone without the Y chromosome.


But saying gaming is a boys club is a far cry from the truth. I know there's girl gamers out there. I've met them, talked to them, played with them, hanged out with them and distributed righteous ownage to them. And, on occasion, got owned by them. Hard. Just like every boy is not necessarily a gamer (marketing behemoths like the aforementioned Modern Warfare 2 and WoW excluded), not every girl is a gamer (as I learned the hard way, when I got a copy of Myst for my first girlfriend for our two-month anniversary). The reason the percentage of girls is lower is nothing but the marketing's fault. Advertise it as a boy's thing, you'll get mostly boys, and girl gamers will be portrayed like the rarest of Pokemons. And that myth little boys who can't get laid, bimbos and ignorant non-gamers make up? The one that says that if a girl or a boy plays videogames he/she's ugly and/or immature and/or weird, doubly so for girls? It's bullshit. Let's break that myth down and make it cry.


Oh, what's that, you want some proof? Happy to oblige. I've gathered some actual, factual girl gamers from various walks of life, ages and cultures for a little anonymous free-for-all interview. Enjoy.

Hey girls. How old are you, again?


The Queen: 26


Ember329: 19


Chicks: 23


Gamergirlsrule: 21


Lilith: 24


Nvonhelvete: 23


Soleil: 24


Elven Vampire: 20


And when did you start gaming?


Q: I've played computer since the beginning of the 90's when my father bought his first PC.


E: Around 10 years ago.


C:  [When I was] 3 years old.


G: Around the age of four, clicking randomly at minesweeper, having no idea what I'm supposed to do! haha :P I just remember my sister having a Windows 3.1 computer and letting me mess about! I guess the more serious gaming started around the age of 5-6 playing Mario and other games on my NES :D I later had a PlayStation and was addicted to the Crash Bandicoot series.


L: [Since I was] 10?


N: I believe I was about 11. 


S: I don't really remember. I always played games! First in PS and then in the PC. But I started to play more when I was 22 and it was WoW.


V: Properly 1,5 year ago.


How were you intoduced to it? Was it through friends, a sibling or...?


Q: My father introduced me to the computer. The computer had Norton commander, and I learned quicly how to find the computergames on NC.


E: I properly started gaming when PS1 came out, I read and heard everywhere about it, so we bought a family console.


C: Dad had an Atari, but the only game I remember playing was Centipede.


G: My dad bought me a console and It’s been a long-term love affair ever since.


L: Just bought it to play with my brother.


N: I actually won first prize in a competition- that prize being a Playstation.


S: My dad is a PlayStation fan :)


V: Friends & family mostly.


What is it that drew you to gaming?


Q: I loved to be in a fantasy world where I could be anything from an elite athlete attending the Olympic games to a green rabbit shooting turtles trying to save his loved one.


E: I always loved playing games, even when I was 5 years old and played interactive games on the PC. It's a way to have fun, escape reality, makes you more creative.


C: Something for me and dad to do together.


G: What draws anyone to gaming? It's a fun way to escape, to pass time and stimulate the brain, well for the most part you're thinking of strategies or what to do next. I love strategy games. You can compete or try and beat your score. Or you want to find out what's next. Usually I find myself just trying to pass a level to find out what the next one's like! Other times, depending on the game, I want to beat my score or beat someone else's. So it keeps drawing me back to the game in one way or another. Graphics can also have an effect, depending on the type of game, or music. There are some really awesome scores, especially in Halo or the FF [Final Fantasy] series.


L: Killing my time, bonding with my brother, and then got stuck. 


N: I always enjoyed playing on the Megadrive that was at the local youth club I used to go to, and after getting my very own console, I was well and truly hooked. 


S: First it's that you get distracted from problems and responsibilities. Than it is up to the game. For example I love WoW because it is a new world! I love the story I love the characters and I also love that I need to play with other players. You always have company. You need to cooperate and last but not least hey people it is fun!!!


V: The action, the fun, no idea to be honest...I always found it interesting but never had the chance to embrace gaming as a whole.


How often would you say you just sit down to play a game under normal circumstances?


Q: Once or twice a day. 


E: On a daily basis.


C: Every single day without fail.


G: That's a hard question to answer. If I'm loaded with school projects and other priorities then I'll find myself not gaming at all during that week or month, though I do find myself playing flash games during classes! :P They can be just as addicting. But usually gaming happens in spare time when I have less work. Two weeks ago my spring break started and I took a few days off to rest from school and on one day I played for 15 hours straight with some friends!! :O


L: 5 days per week.


N: It would be strange for me to not sit down at least once a day (usually of an evening after I return from work) and play a game... Usually about two or three times on my free days. Nothing better than starting the day with a cup of coffee and some Xbox! :D It's an excellent form of escapism, which is one of my main motivations for gaming so frequently.  


S: When I am home and have no work to do or I do not have any inspiration to draw I play!


V: Wellllll...studying and gaming isn't the best combo ever but for now let's say once per week...if I feel that I have time to spare :<


What's your favourite gaming system of choice?


Q: Definitely the PC.


E:  PS2.


C: PC, 360 to a lesser extent.


G: Right now I use my PC. Though I do like consoles, and have a preference for the Xbox, there's something about sitting in front of a tv with a joystick! But I guess I'd say PC as you can download games for free [Naughty naughty! - Korn] and no need to buy an extra console. Upgrade it and you get all the latest games as well!


L: PS3.


N: It would have to be my 360. My PS2 served me well for many years, until I decided that I simply had to switch to a next gen console in order to get some decent games to play. So I got my Elite, and it has been a good friend to me through some difficult times. :)


S: I like to play games in my PC most of the time! But when I have company at home and they like gaming too I don't have problem to play in the Ps! We play a lot with my friends on the PS for example Buzz!!! 


V: Xbox 360.


How about your favourite game?


Q: StarCraft II is my favourite. The runner-ups are FlatOut 1 & 2, BF Vietnam, Baldurs Gate 2, Sims 3 (yes that one too).


E: Spyro 3, as it's the game that got me into gaming.


C: Starcraft 2 atm, ever Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee, game series Mortal Kombat.


G: I like to think I don't have a favorite game. But my most overplayed and definitely one I'd recommend would have to be Deus Ex. The sequel [Invisible War] was terrible though, so I wouldn't recommend that, I do hope the new one (Human Revolution) coming out this summer doesn't follow its path.


L: Mortal Kombat and WoW.


N: You're asking me to pick just one?! At the moment I literally have to force myself to stop playing Dragon Age 2- I adore the world, and the way you have the power to choose what happens in your game (relatively speaking). The characters and the way they interact with each other is great fun. But last year I was addicted to Mass Effect 2, and the year before that it was The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Left 4 Dead. In my PS2 days I very much enjoyed Silent Hill 2. (Nothing is more disgusting and creepy than the first time you clap eyes on Pyramid Head!)


S: World of Warcraft!! It's a weird relationship I hate it because I love to play many hours!


V: Damn...How about games...? 


Are there gaming moments you hold close at heart?


Q: I have a lot of funny gaming moments with FlatOut 2 - especially crashing moments are fun when you're watching.


E: The first time I logged in WoW [World of Warcraft], the time I beat my first game ever, and when I finished Crisis Core.


C: Definately. All the gaming memories with my Dad and my little sister are really meaningful to me, also there's a lot of fun times that I've had with friends gaming, the LANs and Guitar Hero tournaments I've been to are fantastic memories.


G: Nothing in particular, usually if I beat a guy at a game and he's pissed off about it. Feels kinda nice. :P I remember beating my friend on his console at a racing game. I don't even own a console or play racing games. So it was cool watching him all pissed off about it! Killed his ego right there! Never asked me to play with him again!


L: Everytime I kick Shao Kahn's ass, or when I am leveling up.


N: Many! Particularly my early memories of playing Gran Turismo and not settling for anything less than 1st place- I was known to sit for three hours in 1st position during an endurance race, only to get overtaken on the last stretch... And so I would sit there for a further three hours redoing the race to get that all important trophy. :D I enjoy laughing out loud because of the party banter on Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age 2; getting jumpy over the slightest thing in Silent Hill (SH2.. The apartment blocks.. Eddie throwing up in the bathroom.. Yeah. I thought it was a monster. I crapped myself. I felt foolish afterwards); late night gaming sessions of Left 4 Dead on Xbox Live, and during my time as a student, co-op on Marvel Ultimate Alliance (if nothing else, I got to play as Thor. :D ) I also remember having a dream which told me how to solve a puzzle on Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation that had been bothering me enormously. Handy!


S: Yes I have shared many nice moments in the game!


V: I'm not an experienced gamer so...not sure...I have some "special" moments but I dont think they are worth mentioning.


Do you know of other girl gamers or do you feel like you're part of an endangered species?


Q: I know of a few girl gamers - but they aren't as good as me (not to brag). I guess I'm just more interested in mastering games than they are - so my answer is yes, I'm endangered...


E: I don't know many of them personally but I'm sure there are plenty out there.


C: A few, they don't tend to stick around. We are by no means an endangered species, but I just personally don't know an awful lot of girl gamers.


G: I do know girls that play games, usually I'd meet them online during gaming sessions. In real life I know a few, not as much as I'd like. I do know lots of girls that play simple flash games like on Facebook but that's not what I consider real gaming. Farmville, are you kidding? Though I have to say I've noticed more and more girls going into gaming, or at least being open about it, maybe they felt like it would have a negative impact on them [talking about gaming].


L: I do know other girls, not many though.


N: I have heard of these creatures, yes... I've chatted to a couple of girl gamers, although I truly think we are few and far between. I usually have to resort to the boys if I want to talk about a game, rather than turning to my closest girl gamer.


S: No, I do know a lot of girls gamers!


V: No to be honest...A proper gamer girl no...But I met some "gamer" girls...Who are faking it...It's like you are a natural blonde, with white skin and green eyes and get a fake spray tan and you end up orange...:/ That type of fake.


Do you feel your social life ever suffers from your gaming hobby?


Q: Nope.  I think it's a choice whether you want it to suffer or not. When I sit infront of the computer, I'm not interested in socializing in real life. It's my way of "taking a break" from the real world. But I won't let the computer become an excuse for not attending real social events e.g. 


E: Not really, I'm carefully combining both.


C: Gaming is social! :)  The games I play are all multiplayer games, I rarely play a single player game. The social aspect of online gaming is one of the reasons I enjoy it. My RL social life doesn't suffer, I do go out with friends and stuff sometimes. At the moment I'm pretty broke and unemployed though so gaming is a big social thing for me ^^


G: No. I was never really a social person to begin with, I spent most of high school in my bedroom doing my own things, not really caring for going out. Now I've met more people that are into the same things as me which is nice, but I do have time for going out, time for school and gaming. Try to balance it all out. I think it's more my gaming that suffers because I don't want to keep avoiding my friends if I have too much school work so I go out with them in spare time rather than gaming.


L: Not really, I play with my friends.


N: That is suggesting I have a social life! :D :D I work a lot, and don't really have many friends to socialise with.. I've always spent a lot of time by myself, and turned to games to compensate for the lack of company from real people.


S: Well there was a time it suffered. But when I realized it I got everything under control again!


V: NAAAAAAAH!! I wish it was to be honest.


Who is your favourite female character in a game and why?


Q: I don't think there are many awesome female characters. The only one I can think of is Sarah Kerrigan, because she's independent and got all the equipment I want.


E: I'll have to go with Bayonetta. She can be sexy and badass at the same time. She has a really strong character and amazing personality, not being the typical girl character.


C: Does GLaDOS count? She's not anatomically female but I think she counts! :D She really made Portal for me. I mean the gameplay and design of that game were stellar, but without GLaDOS it would have been nothing! :)


G: Probably Aeris Gainsborough. Though short lived in the game (FFVII), she had a pretty big impact on me, especially after her death. I vowed to kill Sephiroth and kept going back to play!


L: I like Sindel in MK9 coz she is hard core.


N: In all honesty, I don't much like the female characters in the games I have played, either because they're annoying (Ashley in Resident Evil 4, anyone?!) or because there aren't any of any importance. I enjoyed DA:O's Morrigan and DA2's Isabela for the humour, and obviously Ms. Croft for being a female character who can pull her own weight, but other than that, I tend to overlook the female characters.


S: I love my character [in World of Warcraft] the most! :) After all we 've spent so many hours together!


V: Why are you doing this to me??? UGH!! Lemme thinkkkk...90% of the times I fall in love with the male characters of a game... >_> Not sure ...I didn't find a character that made me like her that much and I could relate to her ... :/ THEREFORE I must get and finish more games  x<


Do you feel women are accurately portrayed in games as a whole?


Q: It's alright. 


E: Women in gaming, as well as in other media, are often portrayed as the "damsel in distress", being there looking cute or sexy, only waiting for the male protagonist to save them. This is not entirely true in our days, as games with female protagonists are created, even though the women are still portrayed as really attractive.


C: Well the first thing that springs to mind is the major boobage in fighting games lol. No women look like that! hahaha I reckon that women aren't portrayed realistically at all in games, as the general target audience for games are 20-something males, so they have to appeal to that audience :) They don't look like real women do, very rarely.


G: In general no, they're usually a little over done to attract male attention. But I like how in some games such as Final Fantasy, Tifa Lockhart, may at first appear as a sex object, but in reality her character is really complex and she has a strong will and is very driven, helping Cloud overcome his enemies.


L: No, huge boobs, tiny waists, abs, 6 feet tall? Wtf?


N: As I said in the previous answer, I tend to disregard a lot of female characters either because they're not instrumental to the story-lines of the games I play, or because they are infuriating. As long as there is an awesome plot, and perhaps a hot guy or two, I am happy. The portrayal of women in games rarely crosses my mind. 


S: It's not like I 've played many games with female characters. Bottom line, though, yeah, I think so.


V: NOPE! But...Whatever...Games most of the time show how our society works and is, it is like mocking it... Meh but neither are men! 

If you had the power to make a non-gamer girl try just one game to introduce her to the hobby, which one would you choose and why?


Q:  I'd prolly start out with the Sims 3 - I have a theory, that it's easier to play when its so close to reality (except for the language) and therefore easier to find out newcomers.


E:  I think a platform game could be ideal, maybe an old school Spyro or Crash game.


C:  I'd probably choose something like Guitar Hero or Dance Dance Revolution, something that doesn't feel like 'gaming' in the traditional sense...I'm into competitive gaming, but you can't start a non-gamer off there. So I'd pick something fun and put it on easy mode :D


G: Honestly, if she's a non gamer, chance is she sees gaming in the wrong light, and I wouldn't introduce her to a shooter or something dark and violent. I'd rather go for something silly or cute, such as a simple flash game that isn't complicated or depending on what she's like, something complex and stimulating. I find that when I meet gamer girls, they prefer complex games rather than simple ones. An easy example would be the comparison between WoW and AO [Anarchy Online]. WoW has great graphics, I'll admit that, but I find it too simple and it doesn't motivate me. But AO on the other hand, which I love playing, is way more complicated and I find people try to play the game and get confused and quit. But if you stick through it's really a great game and has far more features, though less graphically advanced!


L: Final Fantasy, any of them, they have a nice storyline and the movies are cool as well.


N: If this non-gamer girl was someone like my sister, then probably anything that could be played with a group of friends, like Guitar Hero or Singstar. A non-gamer girl is potentially going to have the idea that gaming is highly anti-social, which would discourage them from even picking up a game. Guitar Hero/Singstar/Lips etc. all enable you to get involved with a game, yet maintain that social aspect. 


S: First game it comes to mind is of course WoW because it's the game I like the most. But seeing it logically the best thing to do is to introduce a girl to a game suited to her tastes :P


V: Bayonetta  ahahaha -cough-  I guess because its fun, sexy, has a good plot and then a bitchslap, em...Not sure...I find it pretty "light"...then she could move on to other games like.....Dragon Age :D woohoo!! alistair and hawke <3 -cough- rpg genre in general, choosing and customizing everything.


Thanks for your time, girls!


G: No problem :P

So there you have it, folks. They really do exist, and they can be as varied and as passionate about gaming as we can. And they love gaming in spite of it being marketed as a boy's world from the start. Heck, one of them was actually gaming while answering these questions, while another one did so while working on a videogame project. Also, they are not in any way close to the nerd stereotype non-gamers like to perpetuate: they do have lives. One of them is the mother of an adorable baby girl and loves to go on horseback riding. Three of them that I know of are HAWT and some of the most interesting people I know. Another studied psychology and is now studying to become an actress (and yes, she's cute as a button). Another likes to go on walkabouts. One of them is studying fine arts, and one of them already has and is working as a graphics designer.


Stop treating them like creatures of myth, go out there and pwn them.

Or get pwned by them. In the nuts.