Girls and Gaming

I get so fed up with the stigma that girls don't play video games, and when they do, it's things like "The Adventures of Cookies and Cream."

Recently I revisited an old arcade I used to go to as a kid. They had many of the same old school games, and a few updated versions of the old games. Soul Calibur was a favorite of mine. So I walk towards where Soul Calibur was and there was a big group of guys hanging around, playing that arcade game. I put my coin on the edge of the screen to save my spot for the next game, and they start the heckling.

I'm a little thing, shorter than all of them, blonde, and kind of reserved in a group of people I've just met. So imagine how angry (internally) I got when they were like, "oh shit, she thinks she can play-! We'll see what happens!" I was playing against the current winner of the last few rounds and he was using big machoman Nightmare, and I pull in with Xianghua, got more crap for it, and beat the guy in two minutes. I played for a few rounds and left. I guess I just had the desire to show off that girls really can play as well as guys.

I just wish that every times I walked into a GameStop or EB Games that I wouldn't get asked what kind of gift I was shopping for, as if I was only there to get a present for my boyfriend or husband or brother.

Yes, I shop at Forever 21 and play videogames too.

Mari wrote:and I pull in with Xianghua, got more crap for it, and beat the guy in two minutes.

i'm not too good at the game, i guess i just don't play it enough. I know there are gamer girls, just not that many that are out in the open it would seem to me.
I've seen a few at some places occasianlly. i've mostly seen them play fighting games or DDR (if I do see any) ....mmm...i guess that's usually the main games in an arcade anyway x.x

TheMightyWidget wrote:

Mari wrote:and I pull in with Xianghua, got more crap for it, and beat the guy in two minutes.

i'm not too good at the game, i guess i just don't play it enough. I know there are gamer girls, just not that many that are out in the open it would seem to me.
I've seen a few at some places occasianlly. i've mostly seen them play fighting games or DDR (if I do see any) ....mmm...i guess that's usually the main games in an arcade anyway x.x

Funniest thing is I can dance but I can't play DDR that well

But I suppose instead of trying to raise the banner of Female Videogamer-hood, I'm just... venting I don't know any girls who don't play videogames, come to think of it. We might all be closet cases, but I feel that guys should know that

Mari wrote:

But I suppose instead of trying to raise the banner of Female Videogamer-hood, I'm just... venting I don't know any girls who don't play videogames, come to think of it. We might all be closet cases, but I feel that guys should know that

I don't think it is the case that female gamers are "closet cases". Many of my female college & high school classmates played video games. Many of them were better than me. In fact, I was introduced to my all time favorite video game "Xenogears" by a girl.

It is horrible that you are treated as you describe at game stores.

Raise the banner of Female Videogamer-hood! It just might effect a change in the behavior of employees at these stores.