Q: How do you respond to the criticism that separate girl games serve only to reinforce limiting gender stereotypes and polarized play patterns?
A: This is an interesting question and one I'm asked often.
Males and females have different entertainment criteria. The movie industry is probably the best example of products that exploit these differences. Ever heard of a "chick flick?"
Television has figured it out as well. First with the "daytime programming" of soap operas and talk shows and now there is even a full channel dedicated to women’s entertainment, "Lifetime Television for Women.
And the book industry has long known this as well. Heck, I wish I had thought of Harlequin romance books!
So, the other entertainment media have discovered that there are different entertainment criteria for males and females and have provided entertainment for both. Of course, there are also a lot that cross over and that’s fine too.
So, no, I do not think that good computer-based entertainment that is designed to appeal to women will perpetuate stereotypes nor cause harm to girls today. In fact, I think we must recognize that females do have different entertainment criteria and then produce good quality stuff that meets it. We have to overcome the idea that entertainment that appeals to women is somehow "wrong" or "inferior" because it is different from traditional male entertainment. And we also have to overcome the desire to produce what we think they *should* like and instead provide what they *do* like.
Now, while I do believe a market exists for gender neutral game development, I do not believe that games for girls should be a stepping stone to gender neutral gaming nor passed over for developing gender neutral games. I believe girls games have an artistic and commercial validity all their own.
First, I prefer the term "gender inclusive" because there are no gender neutral people, but there can be games which include elements which appeal to both genders, thus "gender inclusive."
Second, to accept as valid traditional market games and gender inclusive games, but to deny validity to female oriented games is certainly unbalanced and inconsistent logically. In other words, if Madden NFL Football is acceptable and should exist, then female games should also exist…..and I don’t see Madden NFL Football being gender inclusive any time soon!
Q: What factors do you think contribute to the gender gap in gaming (the fact that more boys play computer games than girls)?
A: Because up until recently the market has provided little to no titles which appeal to female entertainment criteria. In plain words…there hasn’t been anything out there for girls. Not only hasn’t there been anything out there for girls, a lot of what is out there actually pushes girls away from games, from the game design itself to the physical layout of the retail stores that sell computer games!
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