Comments on: “Games for Girls” Reprinted

By: voice of reason

voice of reason — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:10:55 +0000

I hope Pokemon is OK for an EXTREMELY ‘girly’ person to like without being…childish…..*sigh*

By: Jade Reporting » September 22

Jade Reporting » September 22 — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 05:59:32 +0000

[...] “Games for Girls” Reprinted [...]

By: Programmer

Programmer — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 02:01:28 +0000

Hmm… Interesting. I’m an independent game developer and have been entertaining the possiblility of trying to create a game that would appeal to girls (and hopefully guys as well). Although games like Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon reach across the gender gap and are quality games (actually, Animal Crossing is in my gamecube right now), they’re actually pretty simple, low budget games with basic gameplay. How are game developers (who are mostly male) supposed to create AAA quality, nuanced, deep games for girls? What are girls looking for in a game? Most games are just derived from basic gameplay types, or several gameplay types combined – what kinds of gameplay to girls like? Platforming? Strategy? Simulation? Shooting? What matters most? It’s tough for us guys to see into a girl’s psyche (really tough, but that’s a different subject). What kind of high quality game would girls be interested in?

By: Anne Packrat

Anne Packrat — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:06:19 +0000

I didn’t work there that often, only when I was lucky, otherwise I was stationed in the “Imaginarium” or “Girls.” (SO MUCH PINK….) I also was the Pokemon Gym Leader and the “toyologist” or toy demonstrator.

I did have one woman come in during the height of the Pokemon craze and ask for the Pokemon game for Playstation. I told her she must be thinking of Digimon and showed it to her. She said, no, I was wrong and it was definiately Pokemon and I’d better show her the Pokemon Playstation game right away. I explained that Pokemon was a Nintendo property and would only ever appear on a Nintendo console, but she reiterated that it was Pokemon and it was on Playstation.

Eventually I told her we were out and she walked away in a huff.

By: Bonnie Ruberg

Bonnie Ruberg — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 16:25:24 +0000

Thanks, Anne. I’m glad *somebody* in retail is fighting the good fight.

I’m curious what it was like to work in the game section of Toys R Us. On the one hand, it’d imagine it could get pretty frustrating (for above mentioned reasons), but as a gamer part of me has always liked the idea of being surrounded by games all day long….

Any colorful stories?

By: Anne Packrat

Anne Packrat — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 03:46:54 +0000

When I worked at Toys R Us in the video game section I tried to steer parents away from buying games like that for their girls. Instead I suggested Rhapsody and The Adventures of Miss Tronbone.

I also had to steer a parent away from buying the M-rated South Park N64 game for their 6-year-old, but that’s another matter entirely.