GGL Wire

For years now, many have complained that the main reason more people aren’t playing videogames is that it is not marketed toward them. While this may, in fact, be partially true there are also other factors that go into why our culture reacts to the gaming pastime as it does.

Back in the early days of gaming (we are talking about the hay day of the arcades) women were just as much a part of the gaming scene as their male counterpart. Not only were the women more involved, but parents and grandparents as well. Gaming was a natural form of entertainment and the arcade was the hot place to hang out after school or a long day at the office. One only needs to throw in a copy of Tron and watch through the first few scenes at “Flynn’s” to get a somewhat realistic feel of how gaming use to be in the golden days.

Even way back then – before fake boobs and bikini bodies – sex was used to sell video games. Due to sexual limitations in the society, we didn’t see women half naked playing Ms. Pac-man, however they were there for a purpose. Attractive women are eye candy and draw attention like no other. These were the days when women were a very active part in the gaming community… and you didn’t hear them complaining about the advertising.

As the years went by, America’s chastity belt loosened dramatically. We started seeing more skin, not only in our videogames, but also in our movies, music videos, and magazines. Playboy bunnies were no longer wearing one piece suits. They were barely wearing anything anymore. It was the new sexual revolution and America had a lot of catching up to do.

As with everything else, art imitates life. While the movies, music and magazines were starting to show the shift in culture, so were our videogames. More games were beginning to surface that played off of the male fantasy of sex, drugs and rock and roll.

Now, think back to your youth. What games are the first to pop into your memory? Was it Leisure Suit Larry? How about Lara Croft? While there will always be the exception, my bet is that most of you would come back with titles like Pong, Pac-Man, Mario, Paperboy, Zelda, Duck Hunt and Sonic.  We didn’t need a gorgeous babe dressed as princess peach licking the Nintendo 64 to help us decide on our purchase. We didn’t need some Chippendale-esque male model replacing his g-string with an Intellivision controller. It was all about gameplay and that is what really attracted the boys and girls.

Poll your friends and ask them how many of them use to play Mario. How about Pac man, Sonic or maybe even Myst? These games were simple, fun and easy to pick up and just go with. It wasn’t until the dawn of oversexed and over violent games that many casual gamers started dropping off the radar of many gaming companies.  Publishers began to see a shift in who was playing/purchasing these games and started making more games and more explicit advertising targeted at these gamers. 

Just like in the school yard, there were always a handful of girls who could pwn any of the boys in kickball. If you looked at the overall class, however, you would find the majority of girls on the swings, playing jump rope, or simply sitting in groups talking.  The sporty, violent and more active games have just never been as appealing to the average female. You will also note that mom and dad don’t go to the park to play touch football. They will go to eat a meal or sit and watch the kids play and reminisce about their younger years.

Psychology classes talk of nature vs. nurture. Are we born with these traits or are they taught to us by our parents? Most girls are handed a Barbie doll when they are young and the boys a truck. We are taught that being sweet and pretty is the way to get a head and boys it’s about being aggressive and dominant. So, how does this end up playing out in our gaming world?

Perhaps it’s not about the Marketing. Maybe it’s simply in how we are all brought up and how our minds and interests change in time. I have mentioned it before – girls and boys play games differently. Girls have a tendency to be more strategic and boys more aggressive while playing an FPS. Girls will jump at the chance to solve a puzzle in a game while many boys will get frustrated after a while and give up. Sure, these are stereotypes. There will always be the exception to the rule. I believe, however, that taking a serious look at these stereotypes and embracing them instead of trying to change them will be the key to our gaming success.

The majority of popular Japanese gaming consists of easy simplistic games that EVERYONE enjoys playing.  This is the reason – I believe – a much more diversified demographic partakes in the gaming hobby.  It is not shoot em up, oversexed violence.  It is Mario, Pokemon, DDR, BrainAge… games all ages and genders can relate to.  I’m not saying that oversexed/violent games don’t have their place or that ONLY the hardcore kids will play them.  Just like the girls in the school yard, there are always women who are just as interested in fragging the crap out of their opponent as there are women who are more interested in challenging their opponent to a racing game. There will always be the cool parents who get out on that field and score some touch downs.

Our times are changing dramatically. Our movies, music and gaming are beginning to adapt to the way that we live our lives and what we perceive is pushing the limits. Will this new sexual and violent entertainment world affect how we purchase our games?  Or is it really… not about the marketing.