Another Girl Gamer Sounds Off
It seems to be a hot topic these days.
As gaming becomes more and more mainstream, girl gamers are starting to emerge and make themselves known. Unsurprisingly, this emergence comes with a wee bit of angst due to how female players are often treated...especially online. And lately, a new article at Kotaku focused on an anonymous - or not so anonymous as the case may be - girl gamer named Arianna Reiche. You should read up on what she has to say but here's the leading quote:
"…we shouldn't be having to hide online, and this is unfair. I should be able to tell people I'm female and not expect crazy to come out of it."
It's a topic we've addressed before but we'll just let this sound-off speak for itself. The question is, will the situation ever change? Will male gamers ever grow up? Or are some girl gamers blowing things just a tad out of proportion?
Well, as is the case with most any complex answer, we imagine it's a combination of multiple factors.
Tags: games industry, girl gamers, female gamers
3/17/2011 10:15:58 PM Ben Dutka
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Comments (82 posts)
PasteNuggs
Thursday, March 17, 2011 @ 10:41:08 PM
Jawknee
Thursday, March 17, 2011 @ 10:47:35 PM
PasteNuggs
Thursday, March 17, 2011 @ 10:52:50 PM
Karosso
Thursday, March 17, 2011 @ 11:00:22 PM
On an out-of-topic note, do you or any of the old-timers and by that I mean on this site ;) have any recommendations, as far as early PS3 games are concerned? I had my friend buy a PS3 after playing Uncharted 2 for 8 hours straight at my place and want him to start with some of the earlier titles. I will lend him HS and Uncharted 1, anything else I might recommend from the really early days? Thanks in advance!
Jawknee
Thursday, March 17, 2011 @ 11:03:45 PM
Karosso
Thursday, March 17, 2011 @ 11:09:31 PM
Jawknee
Thursday, March 17, 2011 @ 11:18:38 PM
BikerSaint
Thursday, March 17, 2011 @ 11:20:48 PM
Jed
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 3:07:47 AM
Resistance: FOM is about as early as you can get for good exclusives. I would also reccomend Motorstorm too. I really liked Burnout Paradise and Assassins Creed if they haven't already played those on 360. Right now I cant think of much more than the others already reccomended.
Way to help the PS3 cause!!!
Karosso
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 8:05:28 AM
AcHiLLiA
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 11:33:32 AM
Last edited by AcHiLLiA on 3/18/2011 11:35:06 AM
GuernicaReborn
Thursday, March 17, 2011 @ 10:46:23 PM
Reply
Shiva369
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 11:18:20 PM
Neo_Aeon666
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 12:25:35 PM
Heck why dont we guys start whining because girls get more free stuff, attention and an automatic *like* status from the majority of the crowd huh. THATS SO UNFAIR FOR ME. -_-''
Im still sorry for the ones who dont want attention but there is also some guys who want attention and dont get it. They both are a minority and we are not whining so girls shouldnt whine either and just live with it. Guys will get over it at some point as the number of girls increase but if they take radical actions against guys in games it will just make us pissed and next thing you know there will be WoW servers GIRLS ONLY BOYS ONLY and the likes... LOL
Last edited by Neo_Aeon666 on 3/20/2011 12:28:21 PM
akmdpc
Thursday, March 17, 2011 @ 11:03:57 PM
Reply
Jawknee
Thursday, March 17, 2011 @ 11:10:39 PM
akmdpc
Thursday, March 17, 2011 @ 11:17:38 PM
Jawknee
Thursday, March 17, 2011 @ 11:19:33 PM
The X Factor 9
Thursday, March 17, 2011 @ 11:04:21 PM
Reply
BIGRED15
Thursday, March 17, 2011 @ 11:21:59 PM
Reply
Jawknee
Thursday, March 17, 2011 @ 11:30:48 PM
Underdog15
Thursday, March 17, 2011 @ 11:35:23 PM
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What I do know, is this:
As I've mentioned before, I'm a youth advisor for a youth organization and do employment counseling. Most of the youth I work with have no focus, are motivated mostly by media devices, don't grasp basic concepts about self-respect or respect for others... you know... your typical (on average) teenager!
Problem is, I'm about 25, and some of these teenagers on my case load are OLDER than me. I meet on a daily basis the types that would harass girls online, and often, in public.
Anyways, as Ben said, there's a huge number of combinations of factors that contribute to this. In fact, the reason WHY people behave this way is almost unique to each and every individual. So we'd never solve that issue in a thread like this.
In the end, it works like this:
Every idiot and their mom NEEDZES a mic to spread nothing but filth and idiocy. Most (I said MOST, not all) people who are at least moderately intelligent, only want a mic for when playing with folks on their friends list. Otherwise, they usually don't use it... because you end up muting everyone...
So often, I believe it just SEEMS like guys are idiots. In a game of 12 people, 3-6 might be using mics... and they're the ones that are rude to women. I'm willing to bet there are a TON of quality guys online... You just don't hear them cause they rarely use their mics.
Anyways, that's my 2 cents on this.
/rant/
Jawknee
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 12:14:59 AM
faraga
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 2:23:17 AM
Veitsknight
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 10:37:14 AM
Clamedeus
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 7:14:34 PM
(Back when i was playing MW2 this girl went completely off at me swearing at me and calling me a P***y Lol)
It's funny though, because i was running around rushing people killing everyone. And after the game, this guy comes up and is trying to say i was camping in a corner when i completely out smarted him on choke points and line of sights and faster reflexes. They just follow up with mom jokes and end up rage quitting from the lobby, this part was in Black Ops.
Well that's what happened to me, thought i would tell everyone what i experienced. I don't think i ever told you guys about this before when this article came up, and sometimes it's not just the guys either it can be both ways.
Nerull
Thursday, March 17, 2011 @ 11:40:50 PM
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There's no point in hitting on someone who might possibly be in the same time zone as you (likely with as much subtlety as a train wreck). If you can't take losing to a girl, chances are you suck at losing in general.
I don't care for voice chat online anyway since most mic's sound pretty bad.
BikerSaint
Thursday, March 17, 2011 @ 11:42:03 PM
Reply
I started watching her play as we went through the next couple rounds & she was completely amazing taking down foe after foe & completing all the tasks assigned to that match. I actually started following her & trying to back her up on the missions(not that she needed my assistance), & I started finding my own points jumping up by 2000-3000. Just watching her 6, taught me quite a few new tricks for future missions once I get my broke down PS3 repaired in July, along with my KZ3 disc that still stuck in it.
Anyway, since I haven't tried using a mic, we never spoke, but I'll always remember her as being the very best player there I've ever seen in my 66+ hours of KZ.
And some day, I hope to run into her again while playing.
Last edited by BikerSaint on 3/17/2011 11:45:25 PM
Clamedeus
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 1:41:40 AM
BikerSaint
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 11:54:00 PM
I've tried everything to get my KZ3 disc out, including trying the ideas both on YouTube & Google, with the same Fail results.
So as far as I can see it, I'll have to send my PS3 in with the disc still inside & then demand nicely that they also send my disc back safely, wrapped & scratch-free.
But unfortunately, I won't have any extra bucks to do so till my next big check in July.
I'm now without my KZ3 & my PS3 till at least then....ARRGGG!!!!
Last edited by BikerSaint on 3/19/2011 12:06:00 AM
Lawless SXE
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 2:10:03 AM
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Peace.
___________
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 2:41:53 AM
Reply
i stopped playing games online, because your constantly having to put up with the idiots screaming their heads off, or even worse blasting that crappy RMB through my speakers!
i swear i feel like PSN has turned into XBLA!
Jawknee
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 7:21:39 AM
___________
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 8:12:49 AM
Underdog15
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 9:35:49 AM
Jawknee
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 9:58:04 AM
Shiva369
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 11:33:21 PM
Snaaaake
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 3:45:36 AM
snypa_69
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 7:45:34 AM
Underdog15
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 10:14:27 AM
Personally, I wouldn't even dignify it with a response, if I were you. Far better to mute them. I know resorting to mutes all the time isn't any fun, but if it's any consolation, it wouldn't be because you're a girl that you mute so many people... It is because most people are morons and don't deserve to talk to you. I mute people on a very regular basis.
That's why I mute people. They don't deserve my time of day. lol
Last edited by Underdog15 on 3/18/2011 10:15:19 AM
Simcoe
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 10:21:12 AM
FxTales
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 5:12:41 PM
Excelsior1
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 7:31:23 AM
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snypa_69
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 7:54:49 AM
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I do agree that some of the "boys" online are complete tools when they find out that a girl is playing. But I also understand why they try to hit on them. Flirting with girls is good. I do it all the time. In bars, online whats the difference? Least if you meet online you know you have a common interest.
And to finish off........ if all else fails there is always the mute button so you dont need to worry about it at all really. I use mute all the time. I dont speak french or spanish so i mute them. And that is irrelevant of the sex of the person!!
parasitic
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 8:50:18 AM
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I only rarely get 'hate' mail nowadays, it usually starts if I'm online and owning others, perhaps one person over and over again, that person would send me hate mail to do with 'going back to the kitchen/doing ironing', I usually just ignore them. Funny enough, sometimes I get hatemail but then the guys realise I'm a girl and actually apologise and try to be nice to me. Obviously an insult is still an insult, especially if all you were doing is gaming and winning fairly.
I'm not really worried though to play games online and even using a mic if I have to. Hatemail happens rarely, it's nothing to fear. Just go and enjoy gaming as I'm having no problems online being a woman or not.
snypa_69
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 9:32:28 AM
BikerSaint
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 10:22:49 PM
PS3_Mom
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 9:11:41 AM
Reply
snypa_69
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 9:35:08 AM
I think your points are valid tho. I dont like being overshadowed by the jerks your referring to. But there is no way of stopping them :-(
BTW........how old are you?? lolz ;-)
Veitsknight
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 10:43:35 AM
snypa_69
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 10:55:51 AM
coverton341
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 11:28:24 AM
Reply
I think it has a lot to do with the anonymity that online gaming provides. Most of the male gamers that act like complete f--ktards to female gamers would never act like that to a woman's face.
snypa_69
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 11:39:30 AM
Society would be a dark place if it mirrored the way some online gamers behave.
Who screams abuse at another person (male or female, black or white) just because they are better than someone at something?
The internet is a seriously f**ked up place sometimes.
JPBooch
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 11:29:12 AM
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kraygen
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 12:10:53 PM
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A 13 year old boy can't just grow up and stop being a 13 year old boy because he offended a woman.
Maybe if they started playing video games with adult males instead of teen to preteen boys they wouldn't have these issues.
Ershin
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 1:29:59 PM
Reply
Last edited by Ershin on 3/18/2011 1:31:47 PM
RadioHeader
Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 2:50:00 PM
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PharaohJR
Saturday, March 19, 2011 @ 12:20:19 AM
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im guessing that most males in gaming operate the same way as most of my friends.
yuh the shouldnt have to hide there sex but what do they expect when dealing with a bunch of males primary hobby? thats like them wanting to play a game of basketball & not expecting most of the males to disrespect there gender or make sexual attempts.
i dont agree with my bredrens acting the way they do females should be treated with respect online or in person but lets be real its a difference from boys & men, i hope the females understand that.
Kev85
Saturday, March 19, 2011 @ 10:07:35 AM
Reply
Minishmaru
Saturday, March 19, 2011 @ 2:14:46 PM
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PasteNuggs
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Thursday, March 17, 2011 @ 10:34:10 PM
Last edited by PasteNuggs on 3/17/2011 10:38:07 PM