Are Girl Gamers Underestimated?

by SodaHead Gaming Posted 2012/06/19 13:00:00

Related Topics: Games, Girl Gamers, katie williams, Aisha Taylor, E3

616 votes
Read all 337 opinions
Lightning Report View Results and Demographics + View Demographics

Loading Demographics... Click an icon to see demographic results Display unknown and private
	Yes	498 votes	81%
	No	118 votes	19%

E3 wrapped up last weekend, and it wasn't long before actress and Ubisoft host Aisha Taylor was inundated with hate mail accusing her of not being a real gamer. She fired back on Facebook, arguing that she has been a gamer all her life, and could probably beat a lot of the offending guys on Halo. This week, Kotaku writer Katie Williams expressed similar frustrations with her time at E3.

In an opinion article titled "So What If I'm A Woman? Let Me Play The Damn Game," Williams recalls how she was "guided towards the Facebook games," and walked through the simplest first-person shooter mechanics as if she couldn't possibly have a clue how to work them. She calls the experience a "hurtful underestimation of my capabilities, both as a journalist and as a gamer." Do you think girl gamers are underestimated, or did Taylor and Williams just have some bad experiences?

+24

Add a comment above

kyle 2012/06/19 16:45:46

Yes

+13

>> See Replies

More polls by SodaHead Gaming

Soot Th... to alex 2012/06/19 19:16:53

Orly what games????

reply
alex to Soot Th... 2012/06/20 00:38:30

Any and all

reply
Soot Th... to alex 2012/06/20 19:32:26 (edited)
Aquaduck 2012/06/19 17:28:02

Yes

Apparently so :P

reply
Torchy 2012/06/19 17:27:09 (edited)

Yes

+4
There are girls who are like "Yeah, I play Mario Kart...omg, I'm such a geek!" while the world rolls its eyes. However, there are a lot of girls who will pwn you in any game and gleefully chuckle as they teabag your corpse.

I fall somewhere in the middle (some games I rule at, others, not so much), but I hate being regarded as some bimbo who doesn't know how to work a controller. It doesn't seem to matter what I do, it happens and while I don't find it "hurtful," persay, I do find it an annoyance that makes me want to beat someone with my keyboard. I once broke up with a guy 'cause he wouldn't let me touch his PS3 over his theory that "girls don't like that stuff." So, it's not just Taylor and Williams. Girl gamers, despite our increasing numbers, are still severely underestimated.

reply
imsmarter 2012/06/19 17:21:47

Yes

6222 kills in black ops and people still call me powder puff. -___-

reply
chamchamgal 2012/06/19 17:12:17

Yes

+3

reply
Redfeather to chamcha... 2012/06/19 17:48:41

+1
Hell Yeah For Hyrule

reply
Soot Th... to chamcha... 2012/06/19 19:18:56

Good to know that im not the onlyone who neglects to shower for just ONE MOAR LEVAL!

reply
RoyDMercer - IFOTFD 2012/06/19 17:11:40

Yes

+3

reply
Melizmatic to RoyDMer... 2012/06/19 17:28:48

+1
Its true.

reply
Soot Th... to RoyDMer... 2012/06/19 19:19:12

+1
Saddly yes.

reply
artistheweapon 2012/06/19 17:08:09 (edited)

Yes

+1
But not by any fault of a particular group, but more society. The stereotypical "gamer" is a heavy man in his 30's to 40's living in his mothers basement. As such, the prospect of a young woman playing games goes entirely against that stereotype, and it seems rare or improbable. it could also be lent to the fact that a girls social norm isnt to sit around playing games, and so they dont. Lack of projection of their video game past leads men to suspect that it is simply nonexsitant. As a girl gamer, i say lets break that social norm.

reply
Metalingus67 2012/06/19 16:49:23

Yes

+2
I have two daughters ages 16 and 19 that can play most anything better than adult friends of mine. Im talking experienced gamers too not people that don't know games. GIRL GAMERS ROCK!!!

reply
jake 2012/06/19 16:48:20

No

+2
I don't think they are at all. In fact a lot of them are even better than guys. They just choose to spend their time differently. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE LADIES, THEY WILL KICK YOUR ASS!

reply
kyle 2012/06/19 16:45:46

Yes

+13

reply
Melizmatic to kyle 2012/06/19 17:09:17

+5
*lmao!

Get 'em, girls...

"Sammich! Sammich!"

reply
*Mahoga... to Melizmatic 2012/06/19 23:12:37

+4
lol

reply
Katheri... to kyle 2012/06/20 09:24:22
Imogene 2012/06/19 16:43:31
KB 2012/06/19 16:42:22

Yes

I play games that aren't girly, and I like to play and buy some games directed towards men like Lollipop Chainsaw. And if you use YouTube check out The RPGMinx, ParasiteEve20007 etc. for really great girl gamers.

reply
BattleBunnys 2012/06/19 16:41:19 (edited)

No

+1
I say no as a gamer girl myself. I love gaming but MOST (note that I did not say all) girls play video games for attention. Here's a conversation I had with a friend:

Her: "Alyx, we should game together. We can play Call of Duty!"

Me: "I don't like shooters, kiddo."

Her: "We can play Black Ops."

Me:"... That's Call of Duty. I only like RPGS"

Her: "We can play MODERN WARFARE!" *Another friend and I crack up*

Her:"Okay, then we'll play Dragon Age(my favorite game)... but I get to be the Dragon!

reply
imsmarter to BattleB... 2012/06/19 17:24:46

+1
*facepalm*

reply
alex to BattleB... 2012/06/19 17:35:51

+1
Lmao!

reply
twitchtip to BattleB... 2012/09/21 02:39:30

i think you may need some smarter friends...

reply
BattleB... to twitchtip 2012/09/21 03:02:56

Some make for amusing conversation ;-)

reply
twitchtip to BattleB... 2012/10/19 03:42:01
Chris 2012/06/19 16:37:44 (edited)

Yes

I've come across some decent girl players.

reply
Soot Th... to Chris 2012/06/19 19:21:29

Scarry meat tube fest.

reply
brunyon 2012/06/19 16:34:55

No

when they stop trying to act like special little snowflakes because they place video games maybe they will have an easier time.

reply
Midnite12 to brunyon 2012/06/19 17:49:03

+3
Not all of them act like that.

reply
brunyon to Midnite12 2012/06/19 20:08:04

+1
True, but enough do.

reply
twitchtip to brunyon 2012/09/21 02:41:08

i hate the name exchange, when you play a few rounds with ppl... im no damn snoflake. but its hard not to notice i have a girl name.

reply
Nekosarethebest 2012/06/19 16:34:16

Yes

Yup....

reply
Maiko 2012/06/19 16:31:19

Yes

+2
Yes we do. Some, not all guys, are still convinced that "gaming" is a guy's "thing" and also think that females can't handle it or keep up with them. Which is bull! Many of us chicks can run circles around guy gamers. Perhaps that is what bothers them the most.

reply
JCLadybug 2012/06/19 16:30:10

Yes

I read her full article, and honestly, I don't see why she didn't just take the dang keyboard and show them that she knew what she was doing. She complains that the PR guys took over, but in the first instance she just let them (she was dumbfounded at their reaction...but still....find your voice)....and after the first time why didn't she insist on playing? Sure there was a lot of sexism there...but try to overcome it not just sit back and take it. I'm sure she could remain professional while still insisting on playing.

reply
☂cinderella.dress.in.yellow☂ 2012/06/19 16:05:49

Yes

+1
whats wrong girl gamers do you think we all like shopping

reply
Sinister Ken Doll™ 2012/06/19 16:05:00

No

+2
women can do a lot of stuff guys can; that's pretty much been drilled into my brain since kindergarten, yet i still don't understand why both men and other women keep shortchanging them

reply
Melizmatic to Siniste... 2012/06/19 17:10:12 (edited)

+1
Because prejudging folks is much easier than actually USING one's brain...

reply
ashdragon88 2012/06/19 16:04:28

Yes

+1
Eh, sometimes. I have had a lot of surprised comments and looks when people find out I'm a gamer but hateful comments are few and far between these days and when you do its usually coming from 12 year old boys who don't know any better, till you whoop on them a little anyhow lol.

reply