ahem.

anyway, i guess what i mean is that more girls = more sims games, by and large, just as more “guys” (meaning, you know, white hats, chiefs, et al) = more sports games. games are already mainstream, and i do count a fair bit of young girls playing gba’s on the subway (5 to 10 yrs old, lets say) so in 8 to 10 years that cohort may have some sort of effect on title advertising and distribution. the whole games are for nerds thing is so 1996.

i’m not sure whom nintendogs should be blamed on though. (the most depraved software title ever created, makes those KKK shooters seem edutaintional)

Though I do have a pretty fucking incredible ass. Seriously, it’s my pride and joy. Next to my hair, of course.

I was really only using her name instead of “Female Journalist X Who Stoops to Showing Some Skin to Gain Attention”

…you know… all this talk actually gives me a great idea….

I really think its time Hawkins starts showing off some leg!

A little six pack action…. maybe even the full monty….
Matt’s combined gaming eloquence and debonair semblance could turn this controversy on its head and take things up to 11!

Giving female gamers who echo the sentiments of pretty much every other “typical” game journalist extra attention is bad. I guess that’s what it boils down to. This wouldn’t be such a problem if more females were willing to try their hand at writing an article or two. I know they’re out there. Apparently, people like Chobot cast an intimidating shadow.

dhex — I would imagine that having a larger, more multi-gender audience would help to diversify game creation and entrance into the mainstream. Katamari Damashii, perhaps…? Plus, I agree with Matt in that development of a larger appreciation for games is most always better.

Job — You would think that more of the “mass market” would stop and listen to what people like Tina Wood had to say if, well, they had MORE to say. If you take a look at her blog, you can see that there is very little in the way of actual content.

Matt — Found them! You drop the mediocre scores. You drop them fucking HARDCORE.

Hey guys, I suggest you check out another great (and semi-relevant) article by Jane Pinckard right here. Good stuff, that.

PS, I hope my HTML tags work.

This is really heating up.

Just stopped by to get my fix and I see a heated debate.

Give it five or six more years…. and things will reach more of an equilibrium.

Sure it’ll still be a male dominated marketplace, but its not like there’s anything we should be immediately concerned about like ROE V. WADE.

The way i see it… people are going to play what they enjoy. Whether they have a penis, have a vagina, are gay, straight, bi, whatever——-
as long as they enjoy the experience.

In the coming years, as the marketplace continues to equal out in so many different age, racial, and sexual demographics, the journalism (and product) will eventually have to more accurately reflect each consumer.

For now, while the industry is so male dominated, its a perfectly understaindble choice for Ms. Tina Wood to (sadly) pimp her bellybutton in hopes of swaying the mass market (of male gamers) to STOP… look… and hopefully… hear what she has to say.

It sucks… but… hey … she’s cool with it. If I were a female (into gaming), I’d be a little offended at first thought that some hussy is strutting her stuff just to get attention… but honestly… her other choice is unfortunately not very viable.

Six years from now… when there are more females buying… I hope to high heaven that it doesnt have to be this way. Maybe then we won’t see so many Tina Woods showing skin just to catch the eye… because she’ll already represent a big enough audience of consumers that can relate to her on a more personal level.

Is it scaring female journalist from jumping onto the game journalism scene NOW as it is?
Most likely, Yes.
Who would they be preaching to right now?
Mostly men.

In six years will the market equal out enough to let more female journalists have a connection with a demographic that doesnt involve showing some leg?
Most likely…. if more women continue to buy product.

….let’s hope for the future.

By the way, it’s good to see you come back to insert credit after the “crash” (as I like to call it)–I always have enjoyed reading what you have to say there.

Miss Chobot does have a large collection of fans, doesn?t she?

I know it’s pretty ridiculous to waste time criticizing a person like Chobot, since in a small way it only empowers her; she’s obviously only in this for the attention, and I’m only contributing to it. But its rather difficult to keep my mouth closed knowing that anyone who’s created a fan base purely because said person is “hot” and pontificates about Worlds of Warcraft.

Perhaps if she was at least a decent writer who has something to say, I wouldn’t be critical, but just do a search for an article of hers, or better yet an interview, and you’ll know why she gets under my skin so much.

Yes, she has fans to say the least, but there’s also plenty of folks who can’t stand her, and these folks even have whole blogs dedicated to spewing the hate.

And yes, there are women out there who can play games and can write, very well might I add, and we need more. Its just that the very concerned side of me is afraid that high profile crap like Chobot only scares them away from seriously pursuing it, such as how I know many women who would be more interested in gaming today if not for a boyfriend or other close acquaintance from their past who helped to paint a negative picture for all of gaming.

AND SPEAKING OF GMR, YOU CAN’T FIND ME CUZ YOU CAN’T FIND THE MAGAZINE CUZ THEY NO LONGER MAKE IT

Don’t ask me why all the web versions of all my reviews has a different author listed. I mentioned it to my editor at the time but nothing was done, and I really haven’t pursued it.

And dhex, why should more women play games? What makes them so special? I wish I could give some profound answer, but the only thing I can really think of right now is, why not? I’m certain that a good deal of women out there would like video games if they had the chance. If you like something, you want as many people as possible to give it a spin, and considering that women make up roughly 50% of the human populace (give or take), and that many haven’t given “one of the greatest forms of entertainment and human expression” a chance, I would like to see the audience grow.