The subject of video games and its target audience seems to have become very convoluted over the years. Although still mainly a "guy thing", more and more females are getting into gaming. A lot more than when the first Ataris, Colecos, and Nintendo Entertainment Systems became popular.
According to the research group NPD, 44% of US-based gamers are female*. That's a huge jump. It's also a spit in the face of the Michigan State University study** from July that said women have less time to game than men do. Despite that, it does seem like I run into more women my age that play games in some form than I did about ten years ago, and frankly I'm impressed (not to mention ecstatic.)
I grew up with my dad and my brother, so I was surrounded by testosterone and lots of 'guy' things which included video games, womanizing, horror movies, and grunge music. I enjoyed every second of it and I'm certainly aware of how much interacting with my brother and his friends shaped me into the open-minded 25-year-old I am today.
And today, I am not only an independent and opinionated young woman, but I'm also a girl who likes video games and comic books. I also came from the days of Nintendo Power and Captain N, both predominately targeted at boys. So what's the purpose of this introduction? It's proof.
Proof that a girl who has grown up with barely a trace of girlyness in her surroundings, having been subjected to Playboys, GI Joes and Legos can not only still be a woman, but can still really enjoy video games for what they are with or without proper marketing towards my particular gender. And not only that, but I can also point out the flaws and mistakes that game developers are making in their attempts to reach out to the fairer sex without complaining about the lack of female characters in games or longing for pastel-coloured consoles.
What I am going to offer here in the relaxed atmosphere of the blogosphere is just my opinions and thoughts on games in a way that anyone can enjoy without feeling alienated. Think of it as a place to come to when there aren't enough curse words or name-calling on other blogs, and don't be afraid to speak up.
*http://www.edge-online.com/news/npd-44-per-cent-of-current-gen-console-users-are-female
**http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-girls-unlike-boys-are-too-busy-to-game/
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