So I got this email the other night:
?I was reading on a website called BattlePony (www.forums.battlepony.tk) here is the link to the direct article. http://forums.battlepony.tk/viewtopic.php?p=1008#1008?This is where I found out GMR’s doubt that females play videogames alot. Well I am a female gamer from Empire Arcadia and we have?a division for female gamers, and we all play games. I have pictuers that I want to send and I remember you from GNG last month so I sent them to both you and the email that the other GNG guy left… check out our gaming site, and you will see more than just me playing games, you will see a whole bunch of other females playing as well. Hope I get to make it on the Next GMR. Thanks for your time.?
Well I would assume that most are able to recognize the statement from GMR as a joke. But still, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to clear up any misconceptions. The truth is that more and more females are embracing video games as a form of entertainment than ever before. Though at this point, from my point of view, the stereotype that it’s only for guys is starting to slowly seep away, and may no longer exist in a few years time if things stay the course. Now, I’m not saying that one should ever ignore a problem to make it go away, but again, as video games become mainstream, the numbers of women who play games will increase and it won’t be anything to write home about. For example, I personally know just as many girls as I do guys who enjoy Tekken 3, but they never make a big deal out of it. And they prefer if no one else did as well, and I can totally understand.
It’s bit of a double-edged sword really; whenever anyone does an article on how to “get your girlfriend to play video games” for example, it can serve as an informative piece, but often the tone and sentiments (and accompanying pictures of some bimbo model who’s holding the controller wrong anyways) are often condescending, and even counterproductive, by pointing out to a stigma that may not even exist. Okay, so most girls are not “gamers.” So what? Is that something that should upset people? If more females want to be part of a club that encourages horrendous social skills, blind love and affection towards big giant Japanese companies, and lack of psychical activity, then by all means, the door is open.
But anyway, I’m eager to see what GMR gets in response. And I’m not saying this since I write for them, but I’m confident that the pics, and the girls in them, will be treated with respect and not paraded around like objects. BTW, here’s the pic that the person sent me:
And the funny thing is, I don’t remember the girl and I always remember girls from any gaming event.
In other video game happenings, there’s tons of talk going on, from the expected (the upcoming DS and the slew of high profile releases that set for release in the coming weeks… some are even calling 2004 the new 1998, which was when the first Metal Gear Solid and Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, among other ultra-high quality softs, were released) to the ridiculous (stupid rumors constantly pop up regarding PSTwo… Okay, so it can’t play Final Fantasy XI, but blue disc PS2 games? And the need for totally different memory cards? Where the fuck do people get such info?). But the only that’s really noteworthy is this announcement of a “Dreamcast on a chip.”
After the success of the Genesis 3, there were rumors that a similar, stripped down budget version of the Dreamcast might come out, so perhaps this is the first step. I really hope it’s true because I’ve been meaning to get a new DC for a while now; I’ve been lucky, but I’ve had numerous friends (as well as heard for countless online) have some strange problems related to the system, from not being able to read certain games out of the blue, or controller ports dying.
Also, here’s yet another crazy mass gaming collection for sale, which actually tops the last one…
This one is pretty noteworthy for the sheer variety of systems, many of which most casual gamers are totally unfamiliar with, such as the Panasonic Q (which is the GameCube/DVD player… it’s the silver box on the lower right), the Pippin (the Mac OS based game system which was a total bomb, on the upper left), the FM Towns Marty, an Amiga 32, a PC FX, a Super Grafix, a N64 with the Bulky Drive, a PS2 with the external hard drive (which I always liked the look of), and even a Phillips CD-i. Hell, there’s even a top loading NES (I’m still kicking myself for not getting one… it was between that and a game back in the day, so why the fuck did I choose Lethal Enforcers for the Genesis?). Then there’s the insane amount of games for sales. including some arcade boards, and good ones at that. I’d kill to have my own Virtua Fighter 1 at home.
And finally, yesterday was the wedding day for my friend and coworker Steve. There’s not an awful lot to say other than the whole thing was short and sweet, which seriously, all wedding ceremonies should be. It was a renaissance themed affair (though from this pic, it sorta looks like he’s a pirate) and that may sound dumb to most folks (and even I had my reservations upon hearing about it) but everyone, from the bride and groom, to the parents and close friends, were totally into the spirit of things, and were there to have fun, as well as not take themselves too seriously, which again, is how people should handle the occasion. Heck, I may even doing something non-traditional for my own wedding when the day comes. So congrats to Steve and his new bride Kathy!!!
