One word for Girl Gamer Magazine: Barf

Lousy move, Nintendo. The company's U.K. arm has released a promotional Girl Gamer magazine to pimp its products, which Geeksugar has posted about, and it makes me want to puke up that steak fajita I had for lunch.

Let's see what's on the cover, underneath that ghastly pink masthead: Cooking Mama, Imagine Babies, and a pink DS Lite. Ick. It sure makes a gal want to go wild with the Manhunt 2 machete.

Not to mention the fact that I haven't seen eyeliner that atrocious since Congresswoman Katherine Harris.

Will it hurt Nintendo's business? Will there be mass protests? Of course not; there are a lot worse things a company could do than put out a Pepto Bismol-hued marketing blitz geared toward teenage girls who like "video games." But come on. I don't need to see this sort of thing when I've just eaten.

[sap335591]

Oh my god what where they thinking!

I could not agree with you more. what are they thinking on their game selection. And the make up is atrocious. They have to be kidding by making a move like that. Like you I want to pull my GOD OF WAR swords and smash it all over their heads. =]

[sap335591]

Oh my god what where they thinking!

I could not agree with you more. what are they thinking on their game selection. And the make up is atrocious. They have to be kidding by making a move like that. Like you I want to pull my GOD OF WAR swords and smash it all over their heads. =]

[JazGalaxy]

Actually it's a really great idea

I can understand and appreciate that there are girl gamers out there who read EGM and Computer Gaming World (Do they still make that magazine?) But the potentially ugly truth of the matter is that there ARE girly girls out there. There ARE girls who buy Barbie. There ARE girls who won't work with anything but pink tools. There ARE girls who feel like they're not dressed unless they're wearing heels, and there ARE girls who won't play Gameboy because it says boy on it. You may not like it, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't have the opportunity to be gamers too.

I think this is one more step of Nintendo redefining what it means to be a "gamer" and I for one enjoy it.

[JazGalaxy]

Actually it's a really great idea

I can understand and appreciate that there are girl gamers out there who read EGM and Computer Gaming World (Do they still make that magazine?) But the potentially ugly truth of the matter is that there ARE girly girls out there. There ARE girls who buy Barbie. There ARE girls who won't work with anything but pink tools. There ARE girls who feel like they're not dressed unless they're wearing heels, and there ARE girls who won't play Gameboy because it says boy on it. You may not like it, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't have the opportunity to be gamers too.

I think this is one more step of Nintendo redefining what it means to be a "gamer" and I for one enjoy it.

[itstheoldindy]

Reply to JazGalaxy

That's an interesting spin to put on it. I would be more inclined to say that they're just trying to open up a new demographic in their market, which is girls who think video games are for boys. If they can sell video games as a fashion accessory like a celphone, and create game subject matter that doesn't make those trapped in gender roles feel uncomfortable, they'll sell them.

Real 'girl gamers' -- girls who like to play with swords and spaceships and fast cars and technological advances, and who don't care that it isn't seen as a ladylike hobby -- still aren't acknowledged by the industry. Those girls, in order to play the games they like, still have to stifle their disgust at the misogyny and physically impossible body types in video games, and learn to put up with abuse from male gamers if they want to be in the gaming community.

I doubt that anyone in the industry will ever come up with anything for real girl gamers, because they're not seen as a big enough demographic to be profitable.

[itstheoldindy]

Clarification...

It just occurred to me that it looks like I'm saying you're only a 'real' gamer if you enjoy games with action and violence. I didn't intend to say that -- there are brilliant games out there that are based on entirely different modes of play, and serious players who are fans of them. (Putting a candle in the window for Spore as we speak.)

I'm not sure if the industry thinks of those as girls' games or not. The advertising for games like The Sims certainly always struck me as refreshingly gender-neutral.

[itstheoldindy]

Reply to JazGalaxy

That's an interesting spin to put on it. I would be more inclined to say that they're just trying to open up a new demographic in their market, which is girls who think video games are for boys. If they can sell video games as a fashion accessory like a celphone, and create game subject matter that doesn't make those trapped in gender roles feel uncomfortable, they'll sell them.

Real 'girl gamers' -- girls who like to play with swords and spaceships and fast cars and technological advances, and who don't care that it isn't seen as a ladylike hobby -- still aren't acknowledged by the industry. Those girls, in order to play the games they like, still have to stifle their disgust at the misogyny and physically impossible body types in video games, and learn to put up with abuse from male gamers if they want to be in the gaming community.

I doubt that anyone in the industry will ever come up with anything for real girl gamers, because they're not seen as a big enough demographic to be profitable.

[itstheoldindy]

Clarification...

It just occurred to me that it looks like I'm saying you're only a 'real' gamer if you enjoy games with action and violence. I didn't intend to say that -- there are brilliant games out there that are based on entirely different modes of play, and serious players who are fans of them. (Putting a candle in the window for Spore as we speak.)

I'm not sure if the industry thinks of those as girls' games or not. The advertising for games like The Sims certainly always struck me as refreshingly gender-neutral.

[FunkeeMonkee21]

i am
a)a girl, and b) a gamer
and i reely like this mag, it gives good reviews, and i no that nintendo make it and so obviously they wouldn't give bad reviews to their own products