This week's Ask The GameGirls question comes from MyLittlePwnie. She writes:
Take into light all the "Imagine (insert girl dominated profession here)" games that Ubisoft has been pumping out for the DS and the Wii these past few years. These games are clearly directed to female gamers at a young age, and promote jobs and lifestyles that are, for the most part, female dominated. Now we also begin to see Sony get into the ring for this fight with their Girls Play Too campaign featuring the new Lilac Hannah Montana PSP bundle. So, GameGirls, my question to you is this... Do you think this is helping or hurting the next generation of gamers? Will it shape a generation in which females are the majority? Is it insulting? When we were young I don't recall being segregated like this. Games were games, and they were geared towards youth in general. Thanks in advance for your time, and your thoughts.
Sincerely,
MyLittlePwnie
Excellent question! It's one I ask myself frequently and I'm torn on the subject. On the one hand I'm definitely put off by such games, and I don't agree with such heavily segregation between the genders. But on the other side of the argument, companies are just marketing towards an untapped audience. These games could potentially lead young girls into playing more serious and involving games and act as a gateway to get them interested. While I personally find them offensive, I know that they're not meant to be appealing to women such as myself that already know what they like. We live in a different age where kids are much more heavily influenced by media instead of forming their own opinions on what they like. So to answer your question, I don't like trends at all. To market so specifically feels like it's trying to force young girls into a stereotype. However my more optimistic side likes to think it might help a few girls here and there open their minds to better games.
Very good question, MyLittlePwnie. When I was growing up, I actually had a different experience. Back then they had Barbie fashion and other games that were geared towards girls, just as much as there were Legos and games that captured the male demographic. There has been nothing to show that the increasing number of girl gamers was due to the past marketing of their interests so I can only guess that simply appealing to the females likes and dislikes doesn't mean that they will eventually become a majority, but they will be aware.
Great question MyLittlePwnie. Ubisoft and the other companies must be doing something right because little girls buy the games all the time. I've watched many little girls come in to buy them. However, my personal preference is I think the games are stupid. I've checked out one of the Imagine games and found it uninspiring. It was boring, I had it in my DS for less than 10 minutes. Other games such as Barbie, Hannah Montanna, etc., I don't have an issue with. They are based on something. Look at Ghostbusters or G.I. Joe, they both started the same way. My biggest thing is just don't force games on people. Girls like what they like, and just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I want to have a babysitting game. Just make things for everyone please.
What are some of your game suggestions?
Got a question of your own for the GameGirls? Send an email to them at Tips4GameGirl@gmail.com. Your question may appear in the next segment!!
