SteveWinwood
Member
I actually hate all terms.
The term 'girl gamer'
- Thread starter sploatee
- Start date
OldAsUrSock
Banned
Those two are golden.
What has the League community come to?this
NekoFever
Member
"I play games..."
Or just "play" around here, since the context makes it obvious.
But if you'll excuse me, I'm off to do some booking on my Kindle.
Pocky4Th3Win
Member
My wifes profile is pretty barren but she's a true "girl gamer". ^_^
Kinda find it hot.
Kinda find it hot.
ChiliManiac
Banned
I'm male, and certainly not a feminist(but this explanation will be) but girl gamer seems to be one of those elitist terms to garner attention and make ones self seem more special. The idea that, there has to be a title in order for girls to game is the assumption that gaming is strictly a masculine activity and in order to be a part of it one has to join the club. Gaming is inclusive, and is for everybody and everyone. It is universal. Saying I'm a gamer, is different than saying I play games and I think that's part of the problem is how we view our selves. Though, I do believe the terms girl gamer is wrong.
Karsticles
Member
Double the irritation. "Gamer" is bad enough already.
ElectricBlue187
Member
I think of it the same way I think of a guy on OK Cupid saying "yes I'm a nice guy. Yes. I exist. I love to cook for girls and I'm so good at knitting" there's no reason for you to bring it up other than to say that you are different from the norm and therefore worthy of attention. These days though, I think it's no longer weird to see women playing COD so I only ever see the girl gamer thing on Twitch where it still gets interest due to the webcam
My wifes profile is pretty barren but she's a true "girl gamer". ^_^
Kinda find it hot.
I dubbed thee Waifu Gamer!
LapinAgile
Member
They both represent the same idea though. Yes everyone plays games, not everyone obsesses over framerates, changes in the staff of a developer, pixel-counting, meltdowns over "betrayltons" when a game goes multiplatform. The term exists because there is a group that is represented by it, if you dislike it I will provide an alternative... "Joystick Commandoz" or "Button Gluttons" p'raps? I don't think cinephile is a derogative term, nor is gamer unless you carry your own prejudice with it.
OT As far as the "girl gamer" classification, that carries the presumption that games are primarily a male driven pursuit. I know a lot of girls who play games who feel no need to distinguish themselves, some do. With the ubiquity of let's plays, twitch and monetizing gameplay have created a niche for them that is most likely lucrative. We can argue semantics all day as to how this promotes or effects the medium but if I put Guy Gamer on my twitch it is not going to draw any more views. Which is why I am prototyping , Gamer Cats... don't try to steal my thunder GAF, it is going to completely rule the internet.
I thought someone might raise this. I thought about this too. My response is more (self-quoting here, sorry):
I think the reason it winds me up though is that it kind of denigrates the art a bit. It gives me the impression that it's making a show of "look I'm doing a male hobby and I have boobies! Come at me boys!"
To summarise - by identifying yourself as a girl gamer, you seem (to me at least) to be affirming that games are a male 'thing'. And that perception makes me a bit sad.
Be interested to hear what you have to say.
See above.
I agree with this, women aren't a rarity in video games anymore, especially with mainstream titles like COD and LoL.
I like this version even more
I like this. It applies to everyone really.
TheLostBigBoss
Banned
This comic always comes to mind:
Unacceptable.
ChiliManiac
Banned
I think now even the public is aware to such things, better frame rates more ppi ect. The public is becoming aware of what technical terms we use and are associated with gaming. This is one term we probably brought on our self though, when gamer was derogatory we wore it with pride. Now, it's undermining what gaming actually is.
"Tell me how much you played Left 4 Dead 2"My wifes profile is pretty barren but she's a true "girl gamer". ^_^
Kinda find it hot.
"uh... about 326 hours"
"aww nice, nice. Quick borderlands, how much of borderlands?"
"149 hours"
"Yees!! With the DLC?"
"Yeah, sure"
"OHH YYYEEEEEESSSSSSS"
mcz117chief
Member
Women have a different viewpoints than men, so naturally, seeing a game from a women's perspective is something rather fresh and new for most people. That is why I find women let's plays and other gameplays more interesting.
Giant, raging, indifference.
It's a minority, so distinguishing themselves is logical. It's also a specific type of person streaming as a girl gamer and they're attracting a specific type of attention by advertising as such.
Leave them to it if it's not relevant to your interests, at least you know what not to click on and view.
It's a minority, so distinguishing themselves is logical. It's also a specific type of person streaming as a girl gamer and they're attracting a specific type of attention by advertising as such.
Leave them to it if it's not relevant to your interests, at least you know what not to click on and view.
Pocky4Th3Win
Member
You forgot the last part... I then ask her to marry me.
I don't get why girl gamer is such a controversial term. If a girl wants to be recognized as one then let her. Especially since if you don't explicitely say otherwise most people will assume you are male.
I don't really see the issue with "attention seeking" either. There's really no lack of people looking for attention on the internet, regardless of gender. Learn to filter them out instead of dismissing every girl/woman that would like to be adressed as "she".
I don't really see the issue with "attention seeking" either. There's really no lack of people looking for attention on the internet, regardless of gender. Learn to filter them out instead of dismissing every girl/woman that would like to be adressed as "she".
You've got it reversed. The "women don't play games" people came first. Try to look at it from the other perspective for a moment. Constantly hearing from people you're talking to that you aren't real, that games are a male hobby, that any girl who says she's a girl is actually a guy, etc, etc gets incredibly old. It comes up all the time. Even in sexism in games discussion you have people spouting it as a defense for games being the way they are. "Because gaming is a male-dominated hobby and they're catering to the market." "Girls just play Facebook games." and so on.
By default, games are considered a male "thing." So maybe it isn't completely insane for some girls to push back against this mentality. To make it known that they do exist, that they are there playing these games.
LowParry
Member
Eh the term just sounds literal I guess. Though I do think it's funny when the wife beats people in Tekken, once in a while she'll get an angry message and her response is usually "Don't be mad you lost to a girl". Hell, now that I think on it, I think she's clocked in close to 700+ hours with that game. And another 150 with FFXHD.
Some Nobody
Junior Member
Had never thought about this, but yeah. This is actually pretty fair.
I already explained why. Literally no one else does that. Book worms, comic book geeks, otaku, whatever. Some people actually try to find something to name themselves.
But there's a really strange trend lately to try to push away from the term "gamer", as if doing so will automatically disassociate you from all the negative stereotypes.
I like this version even more
I have never met the girl on the left. I know so many of the girl on the right. The swearing is super accurate.
...Come to that, I may have been introduced to this strip by a girl I know...
Wut
I just don't like how the way the term "cinephile" sounds compared to "film buff" due to pretension. I don't shy away from using the term "gamer," either...but way to paint me as something else entirely without a shred of a clue!
I'm a woman and I play video games. I'm also in my thirties. I'm well aware of feeling like I don't exist (that's why I joined GAF). I can understand what you are saying, but it feels less like a push-back to me and more a sop to that stereotype you outline. Surely the better push-back is just to be there and play the games.
ElectricBlue187
Member
What do you think of "ludophile" in lieu of "hardcore gamer"
KojiKnight
Member
Me and my wife play games all of the time... Sometimes together, sometimes seperately. She's never referred to herself as a "gamer girl" and I don't think anyone else has either...
For one, she's a woman not a girl... so that automatically comes off as insulting (I know I'd be upset if someone referred to me as a "boy gamer")
For two, a special label for "girls" just ends up becoming an insult or used to segregate other people... it's just dumb.
For one, she's a woman not a girl... so that automatically comes off as insulting (I know I'd be upset if someone referred to me as a "boy gamer")
For two, a special label for "girls" just ends up becoming an insult or used to segregate other people... it's just dumb.
blame space
Banned
I am a huge gamer. I game.
Haunted
Member
movie buff?
bookworm?
car enthusiast?
audiophile?
The term "gamer" for someone whose #1 hobby is playing games is actually... not that weird.
Dre_G_Writer
Member
a girl playing a game aint even rare no more, like half of those streams on the PS4 are women.
On the real though, I think it goes deeper than that.
We gotta remember man, it's been said by women, that women are more emotional than males.
There are some females friends I used to know who were pretty attractive women, but their self-esteam was pretty low. Doing things that would probably hurt them in the long run just for validation from another.
Going online and getting the attention from a lot of people from the opposite gender can been seen as a confidence booster. It can flatter a woman, and it give them a great feeling to know that someone is giving them attention, to know they they matter, to know that someone actually CARES about them.
I can only imagine what those folk are going through. It could be a number of things that particular person could be going through.
Some people are going through some pretty heavy emotional shit, breaking up with boyfriend, finding out guy she liked for years doesn't like her, getting bullied in school, non-popular and no friends, non-caring/abusive parents, so getting lots of attention so easily by going online and broadcasting yourself, it can turn those negative emotions around.
They probably just want to feel loved, even if it is just a superficial love of having strangers being interested in watching and communicating them.
It could be a number of reasons as to why people want that attention, for all we know, that person could be one bad stream away from suicide.
So it used to make me mad about the term but when you start to think beyond that, you start to wonder, what is going on in that person's life that they feel the need to crave attention like that, then, I get sad for that person.
OR
they could just want views to get that twitch advertisement money .
On the real though, I think it goes deeper than that.
We gotta remember man, it's been said by women, that women are more emotional than males.
There are some females friends I used to know who were pretty attractive women, but their self-esteam was pretty low. Doing things that would probably hurt them in the long run just for validation from another.
Going online and getting the attention from a lot of people from the opposite gender can been seen as a confidence booster. It can flatter a woman, and it give them a great feeling to know that someone is giving them attention, to know they they matter, to know that someone actually CARES about them.
I can only imagine what those folk are going through. It could be a number of things that particular person could be going through.
Some people are going through some pretty heavy emotional shit, breaking up with boyfriend, finding out guy she liked for years doesn't like her, getting bullied in school, non-popular and no friends, non-caring/abusive parents, so getting lots of attention so easily by going online and broadcasting yourself, it can turn those negative emotions around.
They probably just want to feel loved, even if it is just a superficial love of having strangers being interested in watching and communicating them.
It could be a number of reasons as to why people want that attention, for all we know, that person could be one bad stream away from suicide.
So it used to make me mad about the term but when you start to think beyond that, you start to wonder, what is going on in that person's life that they feel the need to crave attention like that, then, I get sad for that person.
OR
they could just want views to get that twitch advertisement money .
Storm Chamber
Banned
ChawlieTheFair
pip pip cheerio you slags!
My wifes profile is pretty barren but she's a true "girl gamer". ^_^
Kinda find it hot.
if she doesn't put more hours in to civ 5 you two might need to have a talk...
j/k
SneakyStephan
Banned
this
what is it with people putting their face on their stream
A friend linked me his dark souls 2 stream a few days ago and also had his face on it in the corner (and I gave him a lot of shit for it)
Why put your face on the stream, noone wants to see your face, people want to see the game.
We're on the same page here. It's been a while since I've read any feminist literature but I'm sure that 'girl' has a sub-text of infantilisation - a bit like how the "Gamer Gurl" cartoon posted in this thread a few times shows a child-like doll for men to play with.
Wow, SimpGamer69! Thanks for the $400 donation. For those just tuning in, my Amazon Wishlist is to the right of the donation button. I wouldn't be able to do this without your support.
Nah man, you need the face cam to see the rage and frustration. That is half the enjoyment.
I think it's a bit sad things like this happen. From what I've seen there's a bit of a stigma in general for people to be seen as someone who plays a lot of games, and that only gets amplified for females. My sisters and a lot of other females I know don't really put down or mention gaming as one of their hobbies. It's not that they are ashamed of it, it's just it can lead to a lot of inquiring and unnecessary regurgitating of why they play games that they can't be bothered with, so they just omit the fact altogether.
It doesn't help that the Internet is what it is either. Anonymity and/or lack of being held accountable for anything you do can turn people into being completely derogatory to other people. It can be bad enough male to male, but I imagine some of the insults and comments can be more vile towards a female. And even people who don't insult others can go a complete other direction that's less than desirable.
So you get a lot of women not bothering or actively making sure not to show their gender to avoid all that stuff. However this just permeates the illusion that games are for males and it becomes a continuing cycle.
SenorArdilla
Member
Haunted
Member
wat
If I just want to see the game, I'll play it myself or load up one of the billion gameplay videos on Youtube. If I watch a stream, I don't just want to see the game, I want to see what the streaming personality does in the game, I want to see the reactions and hear the commentary.
A stream without a facecam is a stream that has to work much harder to hold my attention. Chances are, I'll just tune in to someone else that does have a facecam instead.
It depends on whether you're trying to participate in gaming communities or if you're just trying to play games. Being there and playing the games doesn't stop people from saying the dismissive/disrespectful/sometimes hateful things they say on a daily basis. Watching guys discuss women in gaming communities often leads to me being incredibly depressed. It's why I don't pop up in these kinds of threads as much lately as I used to. I might not go around calling myself a "GIRL GAMER" and using the language expressed in the OP, but I can see why some people would choose to do so, and it would be super great if we weren't in a situation where anybody felt the need to do it in the first place.
Like I said earlier, this doesn't apply to everyone. And it clearly doesn't apply to you. Some of these "girl gamers" are definitely doing it for attention. The kinds of streams we see on Twitch make that evident. But it doesn't apply to all of them, and issuing a blanket generalization is silly.
Ultimadrago
Member
"Gamer" on a whole has become a term I've come to dislike or, at least, don't care for.
Amazing.
Amazing.
That's not really true. The most popular streamers are those that also put their webcam in the corner - there's a reason why there are popular streamers - because of the person streaming, not just because of the game they're streaming. They often interact with their audience - and a webcam stream only adds to that.
There's a lot more to the popularity of streaming than just the ability to stream the game.
Love Deterrence
Member
I like this version even more
Nothing makes my D softer than the chick on the left. No need to be Shin Megoomi Tensay hardcore, but I can't accept that level of casul scum.
