Ask The GameGirls: Volume 7

May. 30 6:36 PM by The Game Girls

This week we discuss what type of gamer we like being called..and no we don't mean "Casual" or "Hardcore". This weeks question is from FatFace:

Do female gamers prefer to be called "girl gamers" or to just been known as regular gamers? I myself refer to anyone that play games as gamers but I just wanted know is it significant to do so or not?

Well we hope that this answers your question FatFace.

I used to, and still do, prefer to be called a girl gamer. It's completely baseless to attach the negative stigma that's been associated with it within the last year. I hate the fact those called "girl gamers" now are typically considered to be attention whores. I associate the term girl gamer with women who aren't afraid to make themselves heard in a male dominated field, I get images in my head of Rosie the Riveter and the slogan "We can do it!" I'm proud of my gender and the fact we have some strong feminine role models in the field of gaming to encourage younger girls to play. This is the turning point, we are the pioneers, and I am proud to be a freakin' girl gamer.

I honestly don't care whether I am called a "girl gamer" or a "gamer. Most of the time, guys will usually call you a girl gamer. Due to the fact that your usually one of a few that they know. While other girls just call you a gamer, especially girl gamers, because you are one too. It's just an added prefix, and is a natural add on when being talked to. Since it is a male dominated area it's obvious that a gamer would be a guy, but girls are slowly becoming more and more frequent. Although I do not think the "girl gamer" tag will ever go away. But honestly that doesn't really bother me. I AM A GIRL, I AM A GAMER, and I am PROUD to be both!!

Honestly I could care less what the term for me as a gamer is. I don't game for others, I don't game for the attention, I do it for me because it's something I enjoy and love. So the term that is attached to it means nothing to me. The one thing that really annoys me are girls who like to take the world of gaming and try to turn it into a womans rights crusade, they like to complain about how girls are portrayed in games, or complain about how girl gamers are treated so terribly (I call bullshit) and they complain about being called a "girl gamer". Games are supposed to be fun, they aren't meant to be manipulated into some girl power rally. It's all a pathetic cry for attention. If a chick was into gaming because it's something she was truly passionate about then I do not believe the term "girl gamer" should effect her at all.

Gamer, Girl Gamer, Noob Gamer, Casual Gamer, Nerdy Gamer, Geeky Gamer, Regular Gamer, Pro Gamer... I don't really care what I'm called! All I know is that I like video games, I enjoy playing them casually. I'm just a gamer. There shouldn't really be a significant title to it. It's just a hobby, gamers are gamers. We all share the same passion for gaming. Girl, or guy! It's not really significant, FatFace. At least for me. Just call me a fellow gamer. :)

Whether it be with my friends, my family, or even my podcast, I'm the token gamer girl. I can only speak for myself and I honestly don't care what I'm considered. I am a girl and a gamer. There are many females in the gaming industry who feel that separating gamers and girl gamers is derogatory. Understandably so, if 'gamer' means male then there is a still a stereotype that girls just don't play. I think the term girl gamer is a marketing ploy, and a damn good one. You see all types of sites and people using the girl gaming gimmick to get hits. To an extent we at GameGirl do it, obviously we aren't a gimmick but the idea is the same. I'm cute, knowledgeable and I actually play and because of all three of those things I have gotten so many opportunities. I write for this site, host a podcast, and more partly because I am considered a girl gamer. So sure I'm just a normal gamer like you, but I also where mascara, paint my toes, and will try on 90 things before I decide what to wear, so that's why I don't care when 'girl' is tacked onto 'gamer'. You can just call me Nikole though.

I personally do not care for the term girl at all. It not only implies youth or immaturity but it qualifies (or in some cases, disqualifies) me on the basis of my gender. With that said, I think we female gamers have embraced the term in the same way many other minorities have retaken certain words. I will keep it brief, I prefer to be recognized as a gamer but being a "girl" gamer isn't so bad.

Oh the age old question...to put it simply I don't mind at all being called a "Girl Gamer". Why should I? I am a female who loves video games. When I first started getting into online gaming I will say it used to bother me getting called a "Girl Gamer" because most females have taken it to the extreme to get attention...a.k.a. Attention Whores. But as I have slowly gotten to know a lot of awesome gamers---of all genders---I have come to realize that the term isn't that significant and shouldn't bother me. I am fine with being called a "Girl Gamer" because it doesn't affect how I play video games =]

Got a question of your own for the GameGirls? Send an email to them at Tips4GameGirl@gmail.com. Your question may appear in the next segment!

Comments

Great answers. =)

Why is it that every "Ask the GameGirls" segment features a question about girls in gaming, gamer girls, how does it feel to be a girl gamer, how to get your girl to play games with you, etc?

Is that all people are asking or what?

Yes that is pretty much all people are asking but that is not surprising since the site is a full female staff. If people don't send us questions dealing with other topics then questions like these are chosen. If you have a question about anything we have asked everyone to send it to us but most want to know questions about female gamers ..go figure lol

I have a question for you GG's. I think another member of MKDR (clan) already made it. Since you are kind of a group would you team against us MKDR in some matches. MKDR already played against GP staff. So it would be great to play against you. choose the day and the game(s)...

i have a question

if you went to prove Murphys Law but failed does that mean you proved it?

I love nikoles last line

As we all know there's so many more adults into video games these days because they played them as kids in their generation. But as far as I recall, kids of both genders were crazy about video games. I think most girls just grew out of them during the 90s. When I was a kid girls had as many video games as boys, but usually when 3D games became the mainstream most of them had become adults and grown out of them. That's why the concept of a girl who plays video games seems rare. I keep trying to convince my friends there's more out there, hell I've seen girls that look like Beyonce whip out a Nintendo DS. I think if alot of guys including myself would just make the effort to ask, then it probably wouldn't seem rare enough to really come up with a label. The only labels in my book are hardcore, casual and psuedo gamer.

I want to become a girl gamer. How do I go about this?

We need more girls to play games, i find it great getting my butt kicked by a girl. =)

not trying to be an ass or nething, just trying to be my humorous self...... would you call a transexual gamer a girl-boy gamer or what? How do we go about classifying them.

also on the more serious note I think it strengthens a group when you classify them... You can say "hey we are girls who play games".. or you can say "we are Girl Gamers". It has a greater positive impact I think.