Hey Girls :) what got you into gaming?

[AvAngelAvA]

I've been wondering this for awhile and noticed there wasn't a thread on the topic so I decided to go ahead and make one! To all my fellow female gamers out there, what got you started in gaming? Have any specific games had a big influence on you and your gaming preferences? Also, what are your opinions on the current gaming environment for women? Are you encouraged by the increasing number of girl gamers out there? What about developers making games more tailored to females, do you think they're hitting the mark? or just stereotyping?

============
First, I'll write about my own gaming experiences. I got started in gaming when I was very young. I have two older brothers (6 and 8 years) so I grew up watching them play and it was only a matter of time before I wanted to grab a controller, too. My first console that I really played a lot on was the Nintendo 64, Perfect Dark being my favorite game. We went through all the later generations and I now own a 360 and a Wii (I'll get a PS3 someday...).

I feel very encouraged by the increasing numbers of female gamers out there. Whether they're just the casual, play split screen with friends kind... or the intense, XBL gaming marathon type. It's all great.

I've only recently started playing on XBL (as I was living with dial-up before) and overall it's been very fun. There's nothing more amusing than beating some guys, then when they hear me speak they'd rather think I was a 9 year old boy than a girl.. XD I do get frustrated playing the MMORPG Guild Wars, though. Because some people just refuse to believe that a girl would actually play a game like that. N there's not much I can do (or would be willing to do, lol) to prove myself otherwise. Too bad guys can use female avatars too, cuz it'd be realllyyy simple if your gender was your chars gender, end of story.. lol /shrug


Alright, well I look forward to hearing what you all have to say!!!
-Angela

 

[kupokitty]

When my brain was capable of intelligent thought, I discovered my mom's Nintendo, which sparked an interest in things that move on a screen. Then I got an N64 and played Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Banjo-Kazooie, which led me to be like "Woah. These worlds look AMAAAAZING." And then I wanted to work for Nintendo...which is not what I am doing now, unfortunately. ;-;

The idea of creating an awesome work of art in which people can wander around just sounded so appealing, so I decided that I should play a lot of games and learn what makes the good games good.

I'm studying for my future career after I finish up my contract. Seriously. >.>


As for games that are tailored for females/girls would probably play....I think SquareEnix has the right idea. Good stories coupled with amazing graphics and interesting control setups that don't really require you to be a trained killer with supreme button-mashing skills. They seem to have a pretty sizeable female fan base.


I don't see how you could tweak games MORE to get more females to play. There's only so much you can change before things get tacky and retarded...like those Barbie games that my sister liked to rent when we were little... I hate Barbie and all her stupid friends.


I've never known many female gamers, so I haven't really been affected by them at all.

 

[AvAngelAvA]

When my brain was capable of intelligent thought, I discovered my mom's Nintendo, which sparked an interest in things that move on a screen. Then I got an N64 and played Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Banjo-Kazooie, which led me to be like "Woah. These worlds look AMAAAAZING." And then I wanted to work for Nintendo...which is not what I am doing now, unfortunately. ;-;

The idea of creating an awesome work of art in which people can wander around just sounded so appealing, so I decided that I should play a lot of games and learn what makes the good games good.

I'm studying for my future career after I finish up my contract. Seriously. >.>


As for games that are tailored for females/girls would probably play....I think SquareEnix has the right idea. Good stories coupled with amazing graphics and interesting control setups that don't really require you to be a trained killer with supreme button-mashing skills. They seem to have a pretty sizeable female fan base.


I don't see how you could tweak games MORE to get more females to play. There's only so much you can change before things get tacky and retarded...like those Barbie games that my sister liked to rent when we were little... I hate Barbie and all her stupid friends.


I've never known many female gamers, so I haven't really been affected by them at all.

Lol yeah, I was hardcore into becoming a video game designer for a long time. I realized though, that to really get anywhere in the business you kind of have to live in a big city like NY, Los Angeles, or Seattle... and I'm kind of a small town girl. So now I'm working to become a high school teacher

I agree, SquareEnix does do a fantastic job. I find myself drawn to the stories and characters in video games more than anything else, so obviously games like DA, Mass Effect, and Final Fantasy are some of my favorites.

Your Barbie thing made me lol I know exactly the type of games you're talking about, and I agree that the developers don't really need to do much to make girls want to play (and that if they try too hard, it'll only turn girls off to the games). Those of us that are already gamers like the same things the guys do, and those of us who are just starting out usually begin gaming with things like Rock Band or mini games on the Wii. I always love having the option to play as a female character and, being a girl, I get excited about a lot of customization. Armor colors, facial details, and character demeanor are all great little additions. Don't get me wrong tho, I'd pick an awesome game with no customization over the opposite any day.

 

[kupokitty]

Lol yeah, I was hardcore into becoming a video game designer for a long time. I realized though, that to really get anywhere in the business you kind of have to live in a big city like NY, Los Angeles, or Seattle... and I'm kind of a small town girl. So now I'm working to become a high school teacher

I'm too stubborn to accept that "oh I'm from a small town so I can't do this" thing. D:<

 

[AvAngelAvA]

I'm too stubborn to accept that "oh I'm from a small town so I can't do this" thing. D:<

Ohhhhhhh, lol no, that's not what I meant. I mean that I prefer living in a small town, country setting. I've been to New York and DC, and I can't imagine living in a crazy place like that... it'd wear me down in a month. I'll stick to just vacationing there ik I could make it in the industry if I tried..

 

[RoxyRoo]

My first experience with gamin was a mixture of Duck Hunt at a friend's house and Mortal Kombat in the arcade area of Skate Land. >.> but I didn't really get into it until my family finally got us a N64. GoldenEye, baby. That was it for me. That and Star Fox, anyway. After the 64, I played mostly RPGs for the PS2, like Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy. I first played Halo 1 at a LAN party at my middle school. It was fun, but I didn't know there was a whole storyline to it. Later on I got to play Halo 2 and I was really into it by Halo 3 came out. I wish i could call myself a gamer, but I just haven't played enough games to feel worthy of that title. It's probably my lack of funds and my lack of multiple game platforms.

 

[almostanangel851]

When i was a little girl.. one of the first thing i really asked for.. is.. well.. an atari.. I thought it was the most awesome thing ever.. I got pretty much addicted to video games ever sense.. I think i prob. own most of the gaming platforms at one point or another.. what really got me into shooters was counter stike.. man.. i used to play that for hourssss on my pc... then i got addcited to wow... and when i got my first copy of halo... it was love at first site.. <3 ahh.. i am a werid chick.. born a gamer i guess.

 

[Russian 2112]

I've been to New York and DC, and I can't imagine living in a crazy place like that... it'd wear me down in a month.

Los Angeles here. We think the same way of you :O I can't imagine living in a small town. There's always something to do here. Me and my friends go out everyday and do something different, but what is there to do in a small town with like 1 house per block and only one mall? :/ The only reason I can think of to move to a small town is the price of houses. In my city, The cheapest 1 bedroom house you would ever find is $600,000+.

 

[rumble]

Need for Speed II (yes.. II.. and yes, it was the best one ) and X-Wing vs Tie Fighter on the PC were the first two games I can remember playing religiously. Then came X-Wing Alliance and Rogue Squadron. At the time, the kids in my family were given a choice between either getting a console or continuing to play the games we already had on PC - we chose the PC. I'll admit to leading them down a faulty path as the oldest. xD. It wasn't till my little brother got an X-Box for Christmas one year that I switched over to console gaming, and even then, I'll be the first to admit I'm not all that good. I also have a competitive streak a mile wide that I have to keep curbed down sometimes to just have fun. It's a running joke that I only get pistol or melee kills on sniper maps (yep, I'm that n00b). I finally actually broke down and bought a 360 last fall, but only played it off and on. I'll get okay in FPS's if I stick with them for a little while, but usually get distracted on other projects and lose interest for months at a time. Because of that, I'm hesitant to actually call myself a Gamer. To me, that implies a skill level that I may or may not have depending on the day and/or the game and/or the level of caffeine in my system.

The games I've enjoyed most on the Xbox has been parts of the Halo series, Mass Effect, Red Dead Redemption, Bioshock if I ever get through it, Fable, and some of the Elder Scrolls (especially Morrowind). Dragon's Age was pretty good but semi disappointing. I played Star Wars Galaxies for about a year before it started getting repetative. Couldn't stand Guild Wars - too many numbskulls running around.

I was a very imaginative and curious tyke so anything that would open that up was something I'd get into - games were one way to see new worlds and plots. Fragging things and making large explosives were major bonuses. Flying YT-1300's didn't hurt. I guess what keeps me playing them is the different universes each game opens up - the good games are really just interactive movies (usually with better writing than what is found in the theaters). Mass Effect 2 and even Halo Reach are good, recent examples.

As far as the current gaming environment, I have noticed alot more chicks playing Halo than before I took a year's hiatus. Ran into a few last night - and they were good players. I've watched my little brother and sister play enough to spot 'em when I see 'em. I think there has been a mental shift somewhere along the way - where chicks don't feel the need to have a pink (and light purple!) Spartan with the 'girlest' gamer tag and symbol possible just to prove they're a woman to the guys they were playing with. And if someone on here does that, no offense lol. It's only an observation. Honestly, half the time those folks didn't even have a mic on so there was a fair chance they were actually guys. Never can tell on the internet lol. And if someone choses those colors because they truly like them, that's cool too. After being on the internet though for so long, it's sort of easy to flesh out who's the real gamer/geek chick and who's posing for whatever given reason. Usually by the K/D at the end of the match haha. Not always though. That's what has been cool that I noticed the last few times I've been playing Halo online though - definitely noticing chicks being themselves and just playing, kicking butt, and having fun.

Personally, I never gave a frak though about trying to make the toon look feminine. In fact, my avatars are usually the bulkiest looking alien I could possibly have (call it the Chewbacca effect). I will be that Elite with the girly scream. My NPC's are gonna be Krogan and Turian. I look at 'human' all day. I want to see something different when I'm playing a game. And truth be told, when I was a teen, I revolted against the MMO tactics alot of female toons (also possibly played by guys, granted) took in trying to snatch money and loot from guys. I didn't want to be buggered with random PM's and remaining anonymous in that way was just easier to enjoy the game. Getting to play a female Trandoshan (lizard race) in Galaxies was awesome, though. Made her look like a dino and it was on xD.

In terms of how the industry may have changed, alot of times, the races I wanted to play didn't have a female variant or penalized women (Morrowind - yes, I want to be a Dark Elf. No, I don't want to be a mage. I want to wear heavy armor, weild axes until I get a flame-covered sword, and smack the living crap out of stuff.. and that meant the character had to be male or face stiff penalties right out of the gate). That's definitely been something that has changed over the last few years. In my opinion, I think that is the only real thing the gaming industry needed to do, and continue to do, for female gamers. Just give us kickass female characters that look semi-realistic and handle themselves realistically within the game. That's all I really need to play a female character. And it's really the same process they would use to build a male character anyways, as proven by Halo Reach. Same lines, same actions. Truth be told though, I'll play whatever tickles my fancy in any given game. And if it's a good game, I'll play it a few more times with other characters of different races and sexes to see what the storyline differences are.

Mass Effect is the first game that I played that actually let the players chose if they wanted to be male or female without any majorly noticeable changes to the game play. The dialogs were the same, the actions were the same, there weren't penalties, and it wasn't annoying to play a female character. Female Sheppard in ME1 did run kinda like a non-athletic girl though and considering she was supposed to be military.. that did irk me xD. I wanted her to be Starbuck, dang it, and overall she could be. I carried that character through into ME2 and she's my 'good guy' character. My 'bad guy' character looks like Dr House. Hilarity insues at every cutscene with that toon. Every. Single. Cutscene. I digress though, and this post may have gotten too long somewhere along the way.

 

[I am Fuzzy Bear]

Need for Speed II (yes.. II.. and yes, it was the best one ) and X-Wing vs Tie Fighter on the PC were the first two games I can remember playing religiously. Then came X-Wing Alliance and Rogue Squadron. At the time, the kids in my family were given a choice between either getting a console or continuing to play the games we already had on PC - we chose the PC. I'll admit to leading them down a faulty path as the oldest. xD. It wasn't till my little brother got an X-Box for Christmas one year that I switched over to console gaming, and even then, I'll be the first to admit I'm not all that good. I also have a competitive streak a mile wide that I have to keep curbed down sometimes to just have fun. It's a running joke that I only get pistol or melee kills on sniper maps (yep, I'm that n00b). I finally actually broke down and bought a 360 last fall, but only played it off and on. I'll get okay in FPS's if I stick with them for a little while, but usually get distracted on other projects and lose interest for months at a time. Because of that, I'm hesitant to actually call myself a Gamer. To me, that implies a skill level that I may or may not have depending on the day and/or the game and/or the level of caffeine in my system.

The games I've enjoyed most on the Xbox has been parts of the Halo series, Mass Effect, Red Dead Redemption, Bioshock if I ever get through it, Fable, and some of the Elder Scrolls (especially Morrowind). Dragon's Age was pretty good but semi disappointing. I played Star Wars Galaxies for about a year before it started getting repetative. Couldn't stand Guild Wars - too many numbskulls running around.

I was a very imaginative and curious tyke so anything that would open that up was something I'd get into - games were one way to see new worlds and plots. Fragging things and making large explosives were major bonuses. Flying YT-1300's didn't hurt. I guess what keeps me playing them is the different universes each game opens up - the good games are really just interactive movies (usually with better writing than what is found in the theaters). Mass Effect 2 and even Halo Reach are good, recent examples.

As far as the current gaming environment, I have noticed alot more chicks playing Halo than before I took a year's hiatus. Ran into a few last night - and they were good players. I've watched my little brother and sister play enough to spot 'em when I see 'em. I think there has been a mental shift somewhere along the way - where chicks don't feel the need to have a pink (and light purple!) Spartan with the 'girlest' gamer tag and symbol possible just to prove they're a woman to the guys they were playing with. And if someone on here does that, no offense lol. It's only an observation. Honestly, half the time those folks didn't even have a mic on so there was a fair chance they were actually guys. Never can tell on the internet lol. And if someone choses those colors because they truly like them, that's cool too. After being on the internet though for so long, it's sort of easy to flesh out who's the real gamer/geek chick and who's posing for whatever given reason. Usually by the K/D at the end of the match haha. Not always though. That's what has been cool that I noticed the last few times I've been playing Halo online though - definitely noticing chicks being themselves and just playing, kicking butt, and having fun.

Personally, I never gave a frak though about trying to make the toon look feminine. In fact, my avatars are usually the bulkiest looking alien I could possibly have (call it the Chewbacca effect). I will be that Elite with the girly scream. My NPC's are gonna be Krogan and Turian. I look at 'human' all day. I want to see something different when I'm playing a game. And truth be told, when I was a teen, I revolted against the MMO tactics alot of female toons (also possibly played by guys, granted) took in trying to snatch money and loot from guys. I didn't want to be buggered with random PM's and remaining anonymous in that way was just easier to enjoy the game. Getting to play a female Trandoshan (lizard race) in Galaxies was awesome, though. Made her look like a dino and it was on xD.

In terms of how the industry may have changed, alot of times, the races I wanted to play didn't have a female variant or penalized women (Morrowind - yes, I want to be a Dark Elf. No, I don't want to be a mage. I want to wear heavy armor, weild axes until I get a flame-covered sword, and smack the living crap out of stuff.. and that meant the character had to be male or face stiff penalties right out of the gate). That's definitely been something that has changed over the last few years. In my opinion, I think that is the only real thing the gaming industry needed to do, and continue to do, for female gamers. Just give us kickass female characters that look semi-realistic and handle themselves realistically within the game. That's all I really need to play a female character. And it's really the same process they would use to build a male character anyways, as proven by Halo Reach. Same lines, same actions. Truth be told though, I'll play whatever tickles my fancy in any given game. And if it's a good game, I'll play it a few more times with other characters of different races and sexes to see what the storyline differences are.

Mass Effect is the first game that I played that actually let the players chose if they wanted to be male or female without any majorly noticeable changes to the game play. The dialogs were the same, the actions were the same, there weren't penalties, and it wasn't annoying to play a female character. Female Sheppard in ME1 did run kinda like a non-athletic girl though and considering she was supposed to be military.. that did irk me xD. I wanted her to be Starbuck, dang it, and overall she could be. I carried that character through into ME2 and she's my 'good guy' character. My 'bad guy' character looks like Dr House. Hilarity insues at every cutscene with that toon. Every. Single. Cutscene. I digress though, and this post may have gotten too long somewhere along the way.

TL;DR


I STILL HAVE MY X-WING ALLIANCE!!!!! I. LOVE. THAT. GAME. I also play Star Wars Galaxies!!!! Dude its gotten better recently. You should come back. What server were you on?

 

[Skullcandy Girl]

Atari 7800 + Big BIrds Egg hunt, ahh I was 4

It was on since then!

 

[rumble]

Fuzzy - awesome! Alliance will be the game I'll forever compare any other flight game too. xD.

As far as Galaxies, I was on Starsider at first, then flipped to Flurry for the better PVP. Right now, my main laptop overheats every half hour or so with only internet use, so I have to wait till I can snag a better computer. I want to pick up a good gaming computer in prep for SWTOR. How has Galaxies gotten better?

 

[Soul Drinker]

Hmm..I remember playing sonic and banjo kazooie at friend's houses. And some pokemon games. We didn't own a console of our own until an original xbox when i was in 7th grade. Halo was the first ever video game we owned, lol.

 

[RFPnoodle]

For the longest time I never had a system as a kid (or at least it felt like a long time). I would always have to play at daycare or on friends' systems. It wasn't really any particular game that got me loving video games, it was just a natural fit I guess. But when I got my first system, a playstation, my favorite game for the longest time was Crash Bandicoot 2. So I'd say platformers in general got me into gaming. I expanded my horizons to RPGs, puzzle games, and eventually FPSs.

One thing that has frustrated me for a long time is the idea that females simply do not play video games. Or that we are few and far between. In my head I've been a gamer most of my life, so I hate being considered a "female gamer" or "girl gamer" as if that was something different than a regular kind of gamer. And a lot of the games that are blatantly tailored toward girls I shudder at, but I shudder at a lot of toys aimed like pink laser beams at girls. They are so...limiting.

Another thing that frustrates me is live play. Because of the inherent sense of anonymity in online gaming, much like on the internet, gamers who are female get a lot of crap from people who think they can get away with it or think it's funny. Like getting asked questions such as, "are you hot?" (as if that's some legitimate way to measure a person's worth) or having purposely sexist remarks thrown at oneself, such as "shouldn't you be in the kitchen?" That kind of immature crap really bothers me, which is honestly one reason I avoid playing online (that, and I am broke).

Like anything, gaming is affected by sexism, but I won't make this rant longer unless necessary

PLUS gaming is a multi-million-dollar industry, which means sexism thrives in it. C'est la vie.

And I could keep going, trust me, I have a lot to say on the subject, but that's just me. Soooo yeah.

 

[I am Fuzzy Bear]

Fuzzy - awesome! Alliance will be the game I'll forever compare any other flight game too. xD.

As far as Galaxies, I was on Starsider at first, then flipped to Flurry for the better PVP. Right now, my main laptop overheats every half hour or so with only internet use, so I have to wait till I can snag a better computer. I want to pick up a good gaming computer in prep for SWTOR. How has Galaxies gotten better?

YESSSSS!!!!!!!!

I always compare Alliance to every other flight game and none of them are as awesome.

I AM ON STARSIDER!!!!!!!! SWEET!!!!!!! The last PvP event I went to was pretty sweet becasue it was a Imperial Player Fleet versus the Rebel Player Fleet and us Imperials kicked some butt. It was awesome. They did a engeneer trader update and now the droids are pretty sweet. They have this SWG Card game out now and that give some of the most BA loot ever. You can have like a jedi temple house and even a freaking AT-AT house. You should try it. At least go to their website again.

 

[rumble]

I can't get sucked back in lol! Not till I get bored with Reach. And finish armor.

Starsider was great for the space action. Flurry sucked until the server merges happened and we got some of the Starsider people trying to set matches up. I remember when jedi temples went live.. don't remember AT-AT's. And I'm gonna store that bit of information in the back of my head where it won't make me wanna play again lol. Gotta be saving up for a computer to play SWTOR at the end of the year.

RFP, I know what ya mean. I haven't run into it bad recently, but my reaction to it depends on how cranky I am. Same with rude loudmouths. Actually, they annoy me worse. At the end of the day though, I never let them ruin my game. That's what the mute button is for. Btw, excellent covey costumes!

 

[I am Fuzzy Bear]

I can't get sucked back in lol! Not till I get bored with Reach. And finish armor.

Starsider was great for the space action. Flurry sucked until the server merges happened and we got some of the Starsider people trying to set matches up. I remember when jedi temples went live.. don't remember AT-AT's. And I'm gonna store that bit of information in the back of my head where it won't make me wanna play again lol. Gotta be saving up for a computer to play SWTOR at the end of the year.

Thats a good point. I actually stopped playing when school got back started again. That being said, when does SWTOR come out?

 

[Achilla137]

My brother and I are 11 years apart, and I started gaming when I was 6, him being 17. My mom would force him to babysit me and instead of me watching rugrats, I'd watch him play on his Sega Genesis. It wasn't long until I started playing with him and I've been hooked ever since. I still have that Sega, as well as an N64 and 360. I used to have the SNES, but unfortunately when I was at a sleepover my mom sold it at the garage sale. It had the duo game where it was Duck Hunt and Mario in one, as well as jaws a well over 30 other games with mint condition controllers. Guess how much she sold it for? $25 for EVERYTHING!! To this day I still haven't forgiven her, and never will. At least on my N64 I still have James Bond Golden Eye, StarFox, and Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I also have the First Gameboy, a Gameboy color, and Gameboy Advance. After that I lost track of all the gameboys. I play a lot of PC games, which I also get that whole 'you're just a 9 year old boy' thing, but even if I was, it'd still be pretty sad for some guy to lose to a kid, right? I live to game, and if I don't have access to a laptop or game console, I will be bored, and I know from experience.

Power to the girls that play and don't take **** from stereotyping guys!

 

[rumble]

Thats a good point. I actually stopped playing when school got back started again. That being said, when does SWTOR come out?

Last I heard, it was going to be released first quarter next year. Not sure if they've nailed down a date or pushed it back again though.

 

[erveii]

Los Angeles here. We think the same way of you :O I can't imagine living in a small town. There's always something to do here. Me and my friends go out everyday and do something different, but what is there to do in a small town with like 1 house per block and only one mall? :/ The only reason I can think of to move to a small town is the price of houses. In my city, The cheapest 1 bedroom house you would ever find is $600,000+.

lol in my city with that amount of money you can get a giant house with 6 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, garage for 5 cars, with 5 cars XD. a lot of yard back & front a giant pool and in the best part of town, even on the beach