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What Female Gamers Want

Submitted by Jacana on
Forum

Here is an interesting little article:
http://www.gamespy.com/legacy/editorials/females.shtm

"Yes I Code"
As found on AGDC name tag 2002

Submitted by CombatWombat on Tue, 04/05/04 - 6:27 PM Permalink

Ah ok, that guy :)

The "s" on the end of his name threw me. At least, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it [:p]

Submitted by Maitrek on Tue, 04/05/04 - 11:06 PM Permalink

quote:I think people (designers) who are in the mind of "creating games that we like" or just "creating a good game" are missing the point that they are creating the game for *other people*.

I think it depends whether you want to make a game that will enrich a small number of people's lives *alot* (ala The Longest Journey, Grim Fandango) or a game that will mildly entertain a large number of people so they can pass some time between finishing their dinner after work and going to bed. I'm well aware of how to make a very *generally* popular game, but I don't see the point, it's much like making a sequel to something - the creative process involved is completely different, compared to making something designed to engage a smaller more well-defined audience.

It's like manga in japan, all those artists just make up stuff for themselves, but there are *so* many different manga that just about everyone has some form of manga that they like. Rather than creating the one product to fit all, they create a diversity of products.

The problem is, everyone wants to be a 'major' game developer. They want their game reviewed in PC Gamer and they want to have their game played on every multiplayer server around the world. This dream is very quickly being shattered. The huge cost involved in making a computer game is starting to *really* change the shape of the industry, to the point where there will be some 'blockbuster' style developers and some more low-key indy developers that will have their own audience and market.

If these indy developers try to aim too big, and compete with a big-budget commercialised product, they will get crushed! They will spend to much money, be too ambitious, and end up being outclassed by a big-gun developers product anyway. Indy developers will *have* to reduce their costs, and also be extremely selective with their audience because they will need to secure their interest, which means - they will need a small well-defined audience. Like a 'niche' product.

Anyway, you are right, most designers these days pretend to themselves that making a game for 'themself' is enough to please everybody...but that is just a foolish presumption that doesn't line up with their ambition for the success of the game. We can't all make the same level of product and we need to wake up to that.

Submitted by Gordon Ranger on Thu, 01/07/04 - 5:56 AM Permalink

quote:Women ARE different from men

that's the wisest thing i read here.

never forget we have a tens of thousands of history behind us and no civilization can beat that.

men are attracted to competition, violence and logic =>quake, warcraft, grand theft auto

women are attracted to social interactions (talking, relationship stuff, drama, adventures, comparing to other people ...). that's why

i do want to say i'm no macho, but that's how nature works.

Submitted by Gordon Ranger on Fri, 02/07/04 - 11:54 AM Permalink

i just want to say that the sims was a huge hit among girls and even Maxis didn't expect that much. i don't know the actual sales figures but the girls i know LOVE that game. and they always talk about their characters and so on.

girls play quake or other men's game because their boyfriend/brother pushed them to or because there are special circumstances that forced them to (like it's the first time, just want to try, or really bored) whereas you never have to push a girl to play sims.

this is the same reason girls dig romance novels (by the way, romance novels are the 2nd most sold books in the world) so much, although there is no special advertisement for that kind of product.

movies are somehow a more complicated issue because it's not a product you'd enjoy alone. plus other couple of issues i don't have time to explain

just see what girls/women like in REALITY and you'll see a pattern

now, i don't know it's because society tells them to go for that behaviour and they were raised like that, or it's sort of genetic thing, but it's just the way it works, at least in the western world. and i don't think it's going to change, for a long time.

as a conclusion, i think that both gender can enjoy simple fun games, like this game by sega where you throw colored bubbles (sorry, can't remember the name). it's casual, it's simple, and it makes you spend some time when you are a bit bored. the no-big-deal game

but to be really "aroused" by a game, a man or a woman needs more that.

i believe a man would be attracted by fast, violent, competitive sort of game. or logic games

whereas a woman needs more than cold logic, she would be really attracted by a game which focuses on characters and interactivity

for those of you who want to tell the story of this particular girl who likes so much unreal or you sister's friend who loved Civilization, i'd like to say that like every rule, there are exceptions

Submitted by palantir on Fri, 16/07/04 - 5:14 AM Permalink

I started a thread about that article a few weeks back in the Industry and Education forum. [url]http://www.sumea.com.au/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1983[/url] I guess I should have just posted the link in here. [8)]

But anyway, it?s an interesting article, in particular with its statements about how more woman will be coming into the industry in the future, particularly as game development becomes more and more artistic.

Posted by Jacana on
Forum

Here is an interesting little article:
http://www.gamespy.com/legacy/editorials/females.shtm

"Yes I Code"
As found on AGDC name tag 2002


Submitted by CombatWombat on Tue, 04/05/04 - 6:27 PM Permalink

Ah ok, that guy :)

The "s" on the end of his name threw me. At least, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it [:p]

Submitted by Maitrek on Tue, 04/05/04 - 11:06 PM Permalink

quote:I think people (designers) who are in the mind of "creating games that we like" or just "creating a good game" are missing the point that they are creating the game for *other people*.

I think it depends whether you want to make a game that will enrich a small number of people's lives *alot* (ala The Longest Journey, Grim Fandango) or a game that will mildly entertain a large number of people so they can pass some time between finishing their dinner after work and going to bed. I'm well aware of how to make a very *generally* popular game, but I don't see the point, it's much like making a sequel to something - the creative process involved is completely different, compared to making something designed to engage a smaller more well-defined audience.

It's like manga in japan, all those artists just make up stuff for themselves, but there are *so* many different manga that just about everyone has some form of manga that they like. Rather than creating the one product to fit all, they create a diversity of products.

The problem is, everyone wants to be a 'major' game developer. They want their game reviewed in PC Gamer and they want to have their game played on every multiplayer server around the world. This dream is very quickly being shattered. The huge cost involved in making a computer game is starting to *really* change the shape of the industry, to the point where there will be some 'blockbuster' style developers and some more low-key indy developers that will have their own audience and market.

If these indy developers try to aim too big, and compete with a big-budget commercialised product, they will get crushed! They will spend to much money, be too ambitious, and end up being outclassed by a big-gun developers product anyway. Indy developers will *have* to reduce their costs, and also be extremely selective with their audience because they will need to secure their interest, which means - they will need a small well-defined audience. Like a 'niche' product.

Anyway, you are right, most designers these days pretend to themselves that making a game for 'themself' is enough to please everybody...but that is just a foolish presumption that doesn't line up with their ambition for the success of the game. We can't all make the same level of product and we need to wake up to that.

Submitted by Gordon Ranger on Thu, 01/07/04 - 5:56 AM Permalink

quote:Women ARE different from men

that's the wisest thing i read here.

never forget we have a tens of thousands of history behind us and no civilization can beat that.

men are attracted to competition, violence and logic =>quake, warcraft, grand theft auto

women are attracted to social interactions (talking, relationship stuff, drama, adventures, comparing to other people ...). that's why

i do want to say i'm no macho, but that's how nature works.

Submitted by Gordon Ranger on Fri, 02/07/04 - 11:54 AM Permalink

i just want to say that the sims was a huge hit among girls and even Maxis didn't expect that much. i don't know the actual sales figures but the girls i know LOVE that game. and they always talk about their characters and so on.

girls play quake or other men's game because their boyfriend/brother pushed them to or because there are special circumstances that forced them to (like it's the first time, just want to try, or really bored) whereas you never have to push a girl to play sims.

this is the same reason girls dig romance novels (by the way, romance novels are the 2nd most sold books in the world) so much, although there is no special advertisement for that kind of product.

movies are somehow a more complicated issue because it's not a product you'd enjoy alone. plus other couple of issues i don't have time to explain

just see what girls/women like in REALITY and you'll see a pattern

now, i don't know it's because society tells them to go for that behaviour and they were raised like that, or it's sort of genetic thing, but it's just the way it works, at least in the western world. and i don't think it's going to change, for a long time.

as a conclusion, i think that both gender can enjoy simple fun games, like this game by sega where you throw colored bubbles (sorry, can't remember the name). it's casual, it's simple, and it makes you spend some time when you are a bit bored. the no-big-deal game

but to be really "aroused" by a game, a man or a woman needs more that.

i believe a man would be attracted by fast, violent, competitive sort of game. or logic games

whereas a woman needs more than cold logic, she would be really attracted by a game which focuses on characters and interactivity

for those of you who want to tell the story of this particular girl who likes so much unreal or you sister's friend who loved Civilization, i'd like to say that like every rule, there are exceptions

Submitted by palantir on Fri, 16/07/04 - 5:14 AM Permalink

I started a thread about that article a few weeks back in the Industry and Education forum. [url]http://www.sumea.com.au/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1983[/url] I guess I should have just posted the link in here. [8)]

But anyway, it?s an interesting article, in particular with its statements about how more woman will be coming into the industry in the future, particularly as game development becomes more and more artistic.