8 Year Old Girl Puts Boys to Shame

[Atari]

Christalynne is showing the boys just what it means to be beaten by a girl. This extraordinary 8-year-old Quake 4 player even took first prize in the Fatal1ty Shootout at QuakeCon 2005 by attaining the highest score against the pro star. Miss Video Game has the story.

Christalynne’s mother, Leanne, was once part of the all-female development team Artemis software and all female gaming clan QGirlz. Even her younger brother (who is 7) is an avid gamer and is Christalynne’s best friend and primary opponent. The two play games together for 3-5 hours on weekdays and more on the weekends. Unfortunately their playtime is restricted to indoor games because both children suffer from photodermatosis, a rare allergy to sunlight.

[Calisto]

A big woot to Christalynne

but who puts their 8 yr old daughter up on a site that has one person who calls herself 'sluts4every1' and barely dressed teens and young adults??

[Gaia]

Wow, congrats to her.

but who puts their 8 yr old daughter up on a site that has one person who calls herself 'sluts4every1' and barely dressed teens and young adults??

Didn't know that, but yeah I agree.

[Fayt]

Don't let that blond-haired, blue-eyed face of a cherub fool ya... that little girl willl pwn your @$$! I can't help but wonder how much of this was "strongly encouraged" by her parents, though.

As to the kinds of ads on the site... It's probably a free web-host, where you have no control over the ads? At least, that's what I choose to believe...

[Calisto]

not the ads, Fayt, the contestants. There is no way I'd put my 8 yr old on a site like that, no matter what s/he has done.

[Castaras]

My mum wouldn't let me at that age, and I don't think I'd want to go on it...


BUT SEE BOYS? GIRLS KICK A$$! (Poor donkey)

[Lilie]

Unfortunatly the contest is open to all female types not just gamers, and would not allow my daughter to join because she wasn't old enough. They did however interview her so that people could see that a positive role model for female gaming is needed due to the younger generation of gamers.

We hoped by doing the interview it would help getting the votes to real gamers not the floozies in the contest. And if you are judging the site based on the names, well everywhere on the internet is that way, if anything it is a learning experience of what not to do.

[J'Dai]

When asked if other kids her age respect the fact that she plays so many video games that are marketed towards adults Christalynne replied, “They think it is cool I get to play what their Dad plays.”

I'm not sure this is a good idea, either. I'm all about gender equity in the games, but I have to question how appropriate it is for kids to be playing games that are adult in nature. I'm not a parent, nor do I play a lot of those games, but I wonder all the same if this is right.

[Riggers]

To be fair, Miss Videogame does send out mixed messages. On one hand, it pushes the whole gaming angle, saying that the contestants will be playing games, that gaming ability is the key, and that it wants female gamers to be treated as equals. On the other hand, it also asks for photographs, asks for guys to be judges, offers a trip to the beach, and says that if you can still apply if you're not a gamer. So amongst the contestants you've genuine gamers, girls who just want to launch their modelling careers, girls who just want attention, a bunch that probably fall into several of the above catergories.

The misson statement says something about showcasing female gaming talent and finding 'marketable' female gamers. This rubs me up the wrong way, because no such effort is made in regular gaming contests. You don't have to go through a 'Hot or Not' process to play at Quakecon. I appreciate that Christalynne's mother was trying to bring the focus back on to gaming. but really...I think the whole 'Miss Videogame' project is a lost cause. If they wanted the gaming community to take it halfway seriously, they should have made gaming skills the main focus, or at the very least removed any entries that featured excessive cleavage/cheesecake poses/women in their underwear.

Congrats to lil' Starbuck though, those are what I believe are called in the trade 'Mad Skillz'!

[Kynn]

When asked if other kids her age respect the fact that she plays so many video games that are marketed towards adults Christalynne replied, “They think it is cool I get to play what their Dad plays.”

I'm not sure this is a good idea, either. I'm all about gender equity in the games, but I have to question how appropriate it is for kids to be playing games that are adult in nature. I'm not a parent, nor do I play a lot of those games, but I wonder all the same if this is right.

As a parent, and a gamer, I'd say that what the child plays is up to the child's parent....no one else. What is appropriate for one person at a given age is not necessarily appropriate for another. I'm going to guess the kid was referring to Q4, not things like Playboy Mansion and other "adult" titles.

[Calisto]

Lilie, I was judging the site based on the names, the pictures and the bios of the contestants. At best, as Riggers pointed out, they should be screening the contestants and letting either gender be judges.

As for using the interview to attract the real gamers, imho it's a wonderful idea but I wouldn't be willing to use my 8 yr old to do that. I don't mean this to state that I think you're a bad parent for doing it, I wouldn't do that. I just mean that I worry when I see something like this being a parent and having been a part of the gaming community for many years.

And I'm agreed with Kynn. My 8 yr old plays Halo and Quake and CoD and SWAT4. Some people think he's too young for those games, but he's a pretty sensible kid for his age. He knows it's all pretend and not real. We know when he's had too much and limit his time playing. He knows that if there are any curses said in the game that he doesn't repeat them himself. My boys have grown up gaming and we've used that as a tool to try to teach them things such as fair play, perseverance (I may have spelled that wrong, still on first cup of coffee), reality vs unreality, etc.

Lilie, I think your little girl is great. I can understand wanting to get her accomplishments out there but please reconsider using a venue such as MVG to do so

[Flex]

I spent Quite awhile trying to teach The big C how to cuss Calisto and he didnt budge....I mean not cuss in a bad way .... you know only if he doesnt think he'le get caught or if he doesnt like someone in game or if he loses.

[Calisto]

Flex

Actually it was kinda cute when at about 2ish, Stripe taught him how to say jackass. Even then, he didn't go on and on with it, said it a couple of times at the time and never did again

[Flex]

Stripe the man cracks me up....C seems to have more manners than Stripe and I combined....thats if you ever want to combine us,just make sure theres a bomb shelter near by.

[Calisto]

Flex:
thats if you ever want to combine us,just make sure theres a bomb shelter near by.

Now there is a scary thought