Girl Gamer

Hey there, I found this site in my travels in researching girl geeks and the gamer stereotype for an article I wrote. Once I was done, I decided to stay.
I love my WoW, and all things Blizzard (and that creates a bigger nerd stereotype than playing something like COD.)
And I have a good blog on gaming and making a living on being a nerd! runnerakaelizabeth.blopspot.ca

And here is where I want an opinion. I recently wrote an article about girls and the geek/gamer stereotype, and I want input from other girl gamers. Do you think these stereotypes are still there? Check it out and let me know!

http://www.sfygf.com/2012/05/04/girls-games-and-the-geek-stereotype-by-elizabeth-cuffe/

And if I am not allowed to post this kind of stuff here, let me know!! I apologize in advance if I break a rule!

oh the stereotypes still there! i can't count the amount of times i've had guys raging at me saying i'm a 'fat ugly bitch who needs a life' lots of people can not handle girls on games, we still get judged to much

Yes. Not something that can really go though.

Yes they are still stereotypes, but there are still plenty of awesome girl gamers who do fit the "fat, ugly, and socially awkward" stereotype who can whoop ass at gaming. Those of us nerd girls who are fat, or ugly, or awkward, are more than okay with it. We can't all be gorgeous and thin like Felicia Day and the Frag Girls.

But then again, there is another stereotype that all girl gamers are sex kittens, and likes to dress as bikini clad Princess Leia for attention. Platforms such as Maxim perpetuate that idea by having ridiculous girl gamer contests, where men will vote for the sexiest woman. It's all rather silly.

Basically stereotypes will have you believe that girl gamers are fat and ugly, or attention whores.

There was a fantastic panel about this very thing at PAX East this year and the stereotypes are very much alive and well. Here, check it out - http://www.notinthekitchenanymore.com/2012/04/panel-time.html

The panel is long but worth it, especially the "educational film," LOL.

Well, to me "fat and ugly" isn't as bad as a 20+ virgin male loser living in my parents basement and all that entails that. .;D

"Look at some of the armour sets they design for these games. Men get full plate sets that look completely bad ass, and the women with the same sets get bikini armour, barely covering the parts that should be protected. "

First rule of MMO's for female armor: The less it covers the more it protects.

On a serious note, as a guy I have to say those stereotypes are alive and well. That being said, from what I see in my classes as a game design major, and my hours of MMO experience, I agree that they are hardly true.

I also noticed a mention of "attention whores". I know in MMO's that it is rather easy to get that stereotype (both from my experience and a woman's). Fortunately it is easy to tell the "true" girl gamers apart from the attention whores (and guys playing female characters) by the way they dress and gear their characters.

Though I do have to say that the stereotypes seem to come into play a lot less than the "sandwich and kitchen" jokes.

Yeah if it's not looks you're being judged on, it's the fact you're a girl and you "shouldn't be playing video games". My brother has friends online through LoL, Reddit, etc, and he's told me that some hate girls playing games, with no reason other than I assume, feeling violated that we share the same hobbies. Luckily, my brother doesn't agree with them.

"Basically stereotypes will have you believe that girl gamers are fat and ugly, or attention whores."
(To elaborate on the attention whore part, I believe IGN has a best of E3 booth babes part of it's website where you vote for the sexiest... now either get rid of them altogether or at least have some booth beefcakes, lol)

And sadly there isn't an in-between average girl option either. I consider myself as a more tomboy gamer that wears long sleeve tops and jeans. I'm not thin or fat, just average. And while I don't think I'm pretty, people have told me I am (as does my boyfriend everyday). And my hair is short (like Iori from King of Figthers, side fringe too!) because I find it easy to look after xD

Instead of one extreme to another there are also average people, unique people, and so on. I know I'm only wishfully thinking because it's sad the two extremes exist. It's a shame more people don't think of girls who play games without thinking of how they should look like by a set standard. We look how we feel, who we are, and how we act on our tastes and fascinations. :)

(Also, while I'm primarily discussing about how gaming ladies are, I can also add how some guys are stereotyped too, but from my view I don't see it as often as I would for myself. So I won't say that we're the only ones that suffer... but it's more noticable for us at least)

EDIT: has anyone seen this?
http://i.imgur.com/Zr3et.jpg
and read this?
http://www.destructoid.com/talking-to-women-about-videogames-sexy-vs-sexist--212178.phtml

I really hate all those stereotypes you went over in your article. It's the number one reason I let everyone I group with think I'm a guy for as long as I can. I'm really tired of the kitchen jokes and I find it rather insulting when I'm told I'm not a real gamer because I'm female and I don't play in tournaments or get paid. My definition of a real gamer doesn't mean you have to get paid, be hardcore or only like playing FPS,but I guess that's what some people think.

I hate the stigma gamers get in general, but I really hate how it is for girls. I consider myself average. Not fat, not skinny, not ugly or pretty. I'm just a person and I happen to play games. So it offends me when guys think I'm playing WoW to get attention or free stuff. I'm married and have young children to look after, so attention seeking isn't my motivation to play. I want to just chill out and run around in a fantasy world doing things to take a break from my hectic day, and to be perfectly honest, I'm happy to do it alone.

I really don't get all those stereotypes. There are as many good looking as bad looking girl gamers, and saying that all girls who play games are ugly...I don't understand it. Who came up with that? When I go to the local game store and take a look around I see that AT LEAST 1/3 of the people in there are girls, almost ALL good looking ones!

On the other side, we have the sterotype that girl gamers have to be sexy. Honestly, I think that's just wishfull thinking of all the nerdy guys out there, they don't know any better, forgive them ;)
The fact that games are designed to appaeal to the typical male teenager, with sexy curves and all that, is just a byproduct of the public opinion that there are more guy than girl gamers, however wrong that may be. Don't worry, as soon as those game developers notice that their clientele includes just as many girls as guys, it will change. They are fickle like that.

I also don't get those guys that don't want to play with or against girls. Instead of being happy that there are people from the other gender that are just as interested in games as they are, they rage about it? What's that about?
I believe that these guys are just sore losers, and the first thing that comes to there mind when they think about how to rage on you is that you're a girl. I'll freely admit that I'm a sore loser too, I'm competitive like that, but I generally don't rage about it and if I would it would be about your skill and not about the fact that your a girl, just the same as with guys.

Maybe my point of view is not the typical one, but I grew up with two sisters and a brother who all played and are still playing games. Not as excessive as before, but you get the idea. I never learnd about those stereotypes until later, and by then I got my ass kicked often enough to never even consider them^^