When a girl says she plays video games, people automatically think of the lavish dress-up games, “Cooking Mama,” or “Nintendogs.” The thing is, the fact that my gender is female reveals nothing about my sentiment towards video games.
I personally loathe any “girl gamer” sanctions, mainly because being a girl shouldn’t make things any more special than a guy enjoying playing games. Online communities and other social networks like girlgamer.com only makes female gamers seem obnoxious and impervious to any bold actions, without having to huddle together like a bunch of helpless sheep.There shouldn’t be any “gamer girl” because you don’t hear any men saying they’re “gamer guys.” If you play games and like it, leave it at that. Gender identification is unnecessary.
There is nothing more annoying than someone scanning your day’s outfit for any video game novelties, when they discover you’re a gamer. Sure, I may own a Triforce t-shirt, but that doesn’t mean I wear it every single day, just like guys don’t wear their game novelty shirts everyday. So why is that the moment I announce I play video games, I must fashion something related to video games?
One time someone told me, “I don’t look like a gamer.” Now what in the world is that supposed to mean? Is it because my Facebook profile picture isn’t an abhorrent, smutty selfie with a controller right next to my face? Or is it because I don’t have a Street Fighter messenger bag? I really don’t understand the concept of looking like a gamer. People like what they like.
The are some people that speculate that I am one of those spunky, vexing chicks who take pride in playing video games “despite” their gender. While girls like that exist, they only further expect special treatment as well as attention of the fact that they can hold a controller and press buttons.
I don’t understand guys who think video gaming is a vicinity girls can’t step into, or have no idea about. As much as I am excited to purchase a new game, I hate walking into GameStop only to be guided straight to the Nintendo section, where there are many family games. Mario games and Wii Resort can be fun too, but they’ve completely looked over the fact that I came to buy “Assassin’s Creed” or “Dynasty Warriors.”
This wasn’t a common misconception I would get, but I’ve gotten it before, so might as well address it: I don’t own any pink controllers. Apparently it is important to represent your “gamer girl soul” by having these seemingly feminine gaming goods, such as a pink 3DS.
People would think that if normal people don’t understand us, guys who play videogames will understand us. Apparently not. The fact that we like sitting in front of the TV for hours violating the controller doesn’t make it a certainty that we like talking about games all the time. Some guys see video game talk as some sort of flirting mechanism towards a gamer girl, so I am just going to put it out there that calling a gamer girl their “heroine to complete the game” is a complete myth and will not work. Sure, discussing the 64 missions in Final Fantasy XIII can bring on a developed discussion, but that won’t make women want to walk down the virgin road with you.
Finally, all girls who play games do not advertise that they do so! Women who do that only admit there is a significant difference in a female playing video games when there really isn’t. Often times they’re seeking attention or are expecting special treatment, which explains those sad, self-taken, bawdy photos accompanied with game consoles that have gone viral within the gamer community.
