Respect in Virtual Man's World

[Atari]

In professional competitions and vast online communities, groups of female gamers are demanding respect from game makers and challenging the assumption that video games are the domain of geeky boys in dark basements. Boston.com has the story.

"Girl gamers tend to get a lot of attention because we tend to be the minority," Romine said. "By virtue of being a novelty we usually got a bit of attention." At the same time, however, the Frag Dolls have been criticized by some in the industry for reinforcing sexual stereotypes because their members are all young and pretty. But Romine and others said those criticisms simply reinforce the prevailing notion that women who play video games can't be feminine. "People have a stereotype that gamers in general are ugly and huge and have glasses. It's not how it is anymore," said Louise Thomsen, 26, a member of the Scandinavian team Les Seules.