Video Games Don't Understand Women, Says Women Game Designer

[Zeus]

A veteran women game designer who goes by the name of Sheri Graner Ray comments that most video games are like a 'bad boyfriend'. They're too involved with a males world to even begin to scratch the surface with women. She says women in video games are displayed with characteristics showing their ready for some hard core lovin', with large red lips, partially open mouths and 'bedrooom' eyes.



Video game companies that truly want to market to female gamers will provide a way for players to become acquainted with their characters, Ray said, even allowing for an emotional attachment to develop. She suggested that some games could feature an interview section in the tradition of magazines like Seventeen and Tiger Beat, which run photos of teen idols alongside short Q&A sections that reveal casual details: hobbies, tastes and quirks.

In the long run, Ray said, female gamers need more than just action to stay involved, and to illustrate her point, she told of a seminar at which she watched a 13-year-old girl excel at a popular game. Instead of continuing to advance to higher levels, the girl soon got bored and quit playing.


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[ameer1367]

it's becouse games are mostely made by males and is played mostly by males.

and a male designer would abviously design things from hes dreams!! soo.

and a male player would like to play in his dream.

[Prachanda]

They portray a chauvinistic role for women. A game can be designed by a male without being chauvinistic...

[S41N7]

AHH... The age old Lara debate has re-surfaced...

[deluxe]

yeah, Barbie Horse Adventures was totally made for guys.

[Souzar]

Who is responsible for that pic of Lara? I mean come on, at least use the 3D face mesh from the latest tomb raider, that old one really does look crappy.

[Reset]

Im sure a small percentage of guys buy games with hot chicks for not so great reasons such as being intimidated by real women or just really horny teenagers.

But really I dont understand the double standard, just because the female game characther has a perfect body, that means theres something sexcist, how? almost all gameing hero's have perfect bodys (there heros for petes sake)
look at the male characthers in games. (they all seem to be pretty fit dont they, not like sam fisher isnt in tights). admitittly some games take certain privilages with the camera angles for female characthers. I guess this is true especially in cinematics. As for the characthers themselves I dont see the problem.

I dont know. Really I dont see anything in games that defers from what is seen on TV daily. Many Many standard Television programs are much worse than the games dont you think?

Oh yeah, what I wanted to say mostley is the fact is Tomb Raider legends is a kick ass game and was a joy to play. I would of thought many women would have liked the fact that a Women was taking on the demons and and Indiana Jones type stuff. (if it was a dude wouldnt have been a rip on indy).
guys like to be Snake in metal gear because hes a pretty cool dude right. I mean would the game be as popular if he was a a completley unfit slob and what not. Im not sure but I doubt it. males cant live up to the male characthers in games, so why should females be upset the cant live up to theres.

Im really not trying to be shovenistic. I do see how things can be misinterpeted. I do see problems, but those seem to be problems in society, I dont see how attacks can be aimed at games which seems to try and control the situation more than any other media.

In the article, she seems to be upset that male game designers cant make games that connect emotionally with women. Isnt that an age old problem. women are from venus, and men are from mars right. Im sure that its not impossible for a male programmer, but it is true that the proven maket share is Men so far. Im gonna stereo type and say that lots of women seem to love Dr. Mario and tetris. Wheres the emotional attatchement in those games. My mom loved kings quest and adventure games a lot though. I can definatley see emotional value that she was talking there. Maybe console developers should look into the seemingly lost adventure story games. I can actually see quite a few women enjoying Oblivian, if they could get over a few of the intitial action and stealth parts and get in the midst of the story. but what do I know? Im just a guy.

[Azariel Z]

Men are simpler creatures, thus the game's script are pretty simple :D for us , directed to a simple public :) , women ( generalizing ) would love more drama and "emotion" inside the game, than " you messed with my car, we must run". Or, " yeah dude, stealth that that money , and I relese your friend without a scratch, or maybe only one or two " .
Also think the more "impulssive" customers through games are male in big %, women tend to think twice before buying something that is not needed on a first sight. So, in a war for selling, games would focuse to sell more to compulssive teenagers and violence addicted market :D , there you go, tons of beat them all, shoot them all, pass that level after you kill that guy, etcetcetc..
A game with without violence and big dramatic content wouldn't attrack the big markets,( Male ) at first, so is more about an adminsitrative desition, and restricting the market to a high % solid profit. Well then, but things to be changing , many new possibilities are coming out, to recatch those who didn't find any empathy on the last generation of games, and /or platform :)

[Retroboy]

to be honest it has nothing to do with anything at all.

just typical of a woman, they find something to moan about.

no offence to women gamers, but do you actually care about what the women look like???? i dont jeeze i have a life and a real girl friend to look at and actually get to do things to:p .

women in games are made to look like this because most game designers/coders are geeks who happily sit 24/7 making games, and barely see the day of light.

the other BIG reason why games have as youd say Sit hot women is because if a game had fat over weight women that look worse than a cows backside, who'd buy the game.

its advertising, would you buy lynx deodrant if you sprayed it at you was a fat ugly chick magnet.............no

would you buy a fast car to take a fat minger for a ride.............no

everybody uses the human sex impulse to advertise and sell, you may not class it as sex but its there, when you pic up a magazine with a semi naked chick, do you simply ignor it and read the editorial...........no you actually look at the image, all men do and this is why women are made like this in games, to attract your attention.

same goes for women, but they might be too slow to realise this, but how many games can you say have fat over weight ugly men (im not gay btw) but you dont, they all are either built like a **** house or tall and slim, apart from GTA SA, you never get games with the main player been fat.