Compromises in gaming? No thanks!
OPINION
Game designer Sheri Graner Ray spoke at the Sex in Video Games conference last week. Apart from being a game developer, she is also the author of the book Gender Inclusive Game Design: Expanding the Market. I'm taking a slightly provocative
Game designer Sheri Graner Ray spoke at the Sex in Video Games conference last week. Apart from being a game developer, she is also author of the book Gender Inclusive Game Design: Expanding the Market.
I'll admit to not having read her work but if it is along the same lines as her keynote speech on the conference, it should be an interesting (yet misguiding) read. In her speech, ms Graner Ray said that around 10% of gamers are women and that for most women, games are like bad boyfriends: They're too involved in their own masculinity to actually understand what the woman wants (That's a generalisation, I sense a history of bad boyfriends here). She also notes that game heroines typically look the same, look too erotic and are too scantily clad.
While men are often depicted in similar fashions, you don't usually see them dressed in erotic clothing and sexy poses. Ms Graner Ray also said that women don't like playing characters that look like sex objects, are not interested in flashy graphics but are looking for an emotional experience. Game developers should aim to give women a deeper experience with its characters and create an emotional bond with them. Female players need more than just action to stay involved.
Hmmm....
In other words, heroines are too sexy and talented and they make women feel uncomfortable with themselves, make them feel less of a woman. Whenever someone starts saying stuff like this, I start to worry. I start to worry because I see gaming watering down to please 'the other half.
Facts:
- Tomb Raider sold well because of Lara Croft and because it was a good game.
- The movie Star Wars: Episode II is considered the worst in the series. The only conclusion we can make as to the cause of this, is that the movie was made to tailor to women as well as men. (The movie was a love story, not a Star Wars epic).
- The Sims got a lot of women gaming. This supports Sheri's viewpoint completely. But... Only a fraction of the women who played The Sims actually remained interested in gaming after they had enough of it.
So, what to do with this speech? I agree that 'most' women are not interested in Command & Conquer, Doom 3 and GTA: San Andreas but is that because they aren't tailored to women?
Personally I think that most women just don't see the point of gaming so what use is it to tailor games to them? It is a time waster and they rather socialize outside of games. I know several women who play games and none of them are as passionate about it as the male gamers I know. They'll occasionally pick up a game and almost always because they are looking over the shoulder of their (male) partner and see something that attracted them. Even then, it's rarely for very long.
The truth of the matter is that women are from Venus and men are from Mars. Men like Sports, Formula 1, Star Wars, Sex, the Color Black. Women like Shopping, Broadway shows, Desperate Housewives, Romance, the Color Pink. There are area's that our interests overlap and obviously there are crossovers in all of the above categories but in the end, we're different. Why should we try and force women into liking videogames? And what will be the cost of that?
Should male characters in videogames suddenly go for a sexy pose? I'm sorry but I'll pass on that game if you don't mind (Although most men would probably not recognize a male sexy pose if it hit them in the face). What about dressing heroines in rags? It won't stop me playing the game but yes, I'll admit, I will like playing with a hot looking chick better than a 300 pound hippo with zits all over her face.
My closing statement is this; If we start adapting games to women gamers, we're watering down the very concept of gaming. Games will become bland, unattractive and colorless. The result? You'll get a handful of women who will play more games but you'll lose a good number of male gamers in the process. Star Wars: Episode II proves my point: Some women liked it better than the average Star Wars movie (which is male oriented), but most still didn't. Most males didn't like the movie at all.
So, stop this silly crusade to force games to become more attractive to women. Make games specifically targeted at women, make games specifically targeted at men. When we like each others games, we'll play together, when we don't, we each have something we can enjoy!
Almost every other industry already knows that with some things, you cannot please both sexes with a single product (perfume, television, magazines). We're just different creatures, each with their own wants and needs. Don't throw us all in the same bag, it just doesn't work.
Oh and to the ladies that have problems with heroines are too talented and beautiful, I'd like to say this: Just because the men in the games are practically Gods and have more muscle than the average bull, it doesn't make -me- feel any less of a man.