Wii girl gamers
Gaming used to be a boys’ club, but girl gamers have come into their own in the last five years or so. In an attempt to make the real big bucks, Nintendo plan to bag a few more girl gamers with their glorious white Wii.
Video games have been a boys’ club for most of their existence. In their two decades of existence, the vast majority of games were created and played by men. Many women can tell stories about the men in their lives wasting a weekend afternoon on the couch playing some game, when they could’ve been out doing something more important. The last few years have seen a new trend of girl gamers, and their presence is changing the field.
What does this mean for the thousands of girl gamers who existed prior to this new marketing push? Not much, really. The same things that appealed to them in previous systems are still there. It willmean something to the thousands of women who always wanted to enjoy video games but never saw the attraction of sitting in front of the telly and mastering all those button combos.
The gameplay in next-generation machines is more active, and more interactive – meaning you can jump around with your friends to control the action, look silly and have a laugh. Besides, going out to have fun can be expensive and troublesome; If you can have a few friends over and play a game, you can enjoy yourselves without all the trouble of getting dressed up & spending money. Or you can play and drink at home, then go out.
Nintendo is taking this new trend and running with it. The new Nintendo Wii is being marketed to “non-traditional” gamers — older people and women. Conventional wisdom in the industry is that women are put off by all the buttons on the gamepads, so they’ve created the Nunchuk and Wii Remote instead. It seems vaguely gender prejudiced on the surface – as if Nintendo were saying, “These controls are so easy, even a girl can use them!” It also seems wrong that gaming companies were unwilling to consider the female gamers until they saw potential to make money from them. Feminism aside, the ploy seems to be working: The US Wii site is brimming with photos of enjoying their Wii, and a recent article in The Scotsmanpoints out the Wii’s popularity with its target market.
Even if the Wii’s ‘woman-friendly’ design is just a marketing ploy, the system itself is quite fun. Having played the Wii myself several times, I had a great time with it and look forward to sharing with both male and female friends. It represents a new way to have fun with your friends, and that’s something we should all embrace. Women and girls alike are the latest targets for the marketing campaigns of the gaming industry — a business that’s both heavily male-dominated and fiercely competitive. They’re in need of some new markets to exploit, and they’re looking right at you, ladies. Feel free to enjoy what they’re offering you, just so long as you make sure it isn’t calling all the shots; otherwise all that’s happening is you being parted with your money by Nintendo or Sony or Microsoft. Make sure you make your voices heard, and that the gaming world doesn’t stay boy-centric for long. said corporate entities. Welcome to the club!
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Comfort. Some nights you have to have some fun with the girls, but don’t feel like getting all done up and going out. So don’t — invite them over for a night of Wii silliness instead. If it’s just you and the girls in your nice comfy apartment, you won’t have to deal with obnoxious strangers or flirty drunken men.
Comfort x 2. If there are some nice men in your circle who you WANT to be drunk & flirty with, just invite them over too. You’ll be able to get to know each other in a more comfortable setting, and you’ll be able to hear each other without shouting like at a bar or club.
Cheap Drinks. The cost of the Wii and a few games might set you back a bit at first, but look at the upside. Once you’ve got one & everyone’s coming over to your place, you’ll save money. Drinking at home is always cheaper than at a club.
Cheap Laughs. While you’re drinking and playing, you’ll get the bonus of laughter, as you watch drunken friends try to win at Super Monkey Ball. Between the alcohol throwing off coordination, and the reactions when drunk people lose at video games, you’re likely to have a fit of giggles.
Exercise. Most of us don’t get enough of it, but with the Wii you’re supposed to. The controls are more interactive, meaning you’ll actually have to jump around and swing the controls like you were really fighting or jumping. You’ll have fun whilst you burn calories, and it’s cheaper than a gym membership.
Decor. The Wii has those sleek lines and sci-fi look that go with the more cutting-edge furnishings. If your home isn’t all that cutting-edge, throw this in front of the TV and give it that sci-fi touch.
