Comments on: Poll Results: Harder Being a Guy or Girl Gamer

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 24 May 2010 13:06:08 +0000

I am convinced. My original primes was poorly thought out. Good points all around.

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 24 May 2010 13:05:19 +0000

I like what you’re saying here. While I may see “50% support each gender” and extrapolate that to “everyone has equal support”, you bring up good points that not only is anti-female sentiment more intrusive, but more targeted, which means even if it’s the same volume (which still isn’t proven) that it could well be more offensive and hurtful. The fact that you illustrate of guys “helping” who probably view themselves as pro-girl in this debate, also displays another layer of why I shouldn’t assume that “I think girls have it harder” doesn’t equal “I’m not a douche to girls”

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 24 May 2010 12:59:22 +0000

P.S. This is my favorite XKCD of all time (http://xkcd.com/386/), so I feel you on “I’m way too angry on this misc guy being stupid” I do it too, so be all the angry you want. I like the points you make, and barely noticed the angry tortilla wrap.

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 24 May 2010 12:51:10 +0000

I’m not married to the idea. That’s why I suggested further study.

And of course I admit anecdotal evidence is pretty worthless. It’s anecdotal evidence. I was just relating what my personal experience has been. Hell, the note about anecdotal evidence was specifically so that everyone knew that’s what I was doing, not trying to hold it up as some sort of gospel.

Although, my google searches come out significantly different than yours.
Wow Guild “guys only” gets me 5000 hits
Wow Guild “girls only” nets me 15000

By: I've seen both sides of it

I've seen both sides of it — Mon, 24 May 2010 07:30:12 +0000

I feel that guys have it harder.

We are looked down upon by most of the opposite sex for playing video games.

Girls are worshiped by most of the opposite sex for playing video games.

Girls may have it harder in-game than guys, but most of life happens outside of video games.

By: J

Fri, 21 May 2010 19:18:55 +0000

Solution, everyone! If/when you become a parent, raise your daughters to have some involvement in gaming. Try to influence your nieces as well. In a few generations, we can reduce the number of jerks that discriminate against gamer girls as they will have a much more difficult time getting a date as a larger % of the dating pool will have a hobby they abhor. Thus, those males will have a harder time reproducing which reduces the number of children they can pass their bad attitude onto. We may not reap the benefit, but we will make the world a better place. Also, raise the young gamer boys to use soap. That is another part of the world we must change.

By: SirR4T

SirR4T — Fri, 21 May 2010 17:40:57 +0000

All i have to say is congrats on completing the Plants vs. Zombies! now you can concentrate on getting the golden trophy

By: Chimy

Chimy — Fri, 21 May 2010 17:31:11 +0000

I voted with guys having it harder, and I’m a guy.

I think the word ‘harder’ might be subjective, though. If harder means more difficult fitting into a female social circle, then yes, I can see the other side of things and that girls probably would have a tougher time. If ‘harder’ applies to your ability to find a date with the opposite gender without downplaying gaming like it’s some kind of baggage, then I stand my my original conclusion. I think both difficulties stem from the fact that female gamers are a minority.

That being said, the former problem is solved by picking your social circle differently. The latter means you have to change your dating selection criteria and/or deal with the long term problem of wife/girlfriend aggro. I mitigate wife aggro on a daily basis.

By: Aldea

Aldea — Fri, 21 May 2010 17:20:03 +0000

As a woman who plays WoW, I know that there are players out there with terrible attitudes about women, because I and some of my female guildmates have run into them. The crap they pull runs the gamut, from ostensibly “nice” things like giving us presents or insisting on “helping” us with leveling, to ignoring our strategies in raids while listening to the same thing from a guy, to outright bashing us for being women. My friends and I are lucky; we have a guild that won’t put up with anyone being a jerk to anyone else for any reason. But I’ve seen enough stuff happen that I know an all-female guild is providing the same kind of safe space as an LGBT guild provides for that community: it’s a place to be safe from some very real issues that exist in the gaming world at large.

This is certainly not to say that all guys who game are terrible. I know a bunch of great guys in WoW. That the good guys exist does not, sadly, cancel out the vicious minority who can make gaming life stop being fun for a girl.

By: Aldea

Aldea — Fri, 21 May 2010 17:11:48 +0000

MMOs are “female-dominated”? That’s news to me. There may (or may not) be a higher percentage of women playing MMOs than playing FPSs, but I don’t think there are any major titles with a playerbase of over 50% women.