Actually, this history could easily have started sometime between 1977 and 1982 instead of 1995. I can remember some girls playing Pong when it first came out. But I can't recall a single girl ever playing an Atari 2600 game, not at the stores and not in anyone's house, much less Intellivision. To be honest, I don't recall there being any association between "loser" and "videogame" until 1983. For the most part, girls really weren't even aware that they existed until then.
21 comments:
You might like to copy the (hotlinked?) picture for future reference just in case of it being deleted or relocated in the future.
To anyone not familiar with the connection, look up when Big Bang Theory premiered, then reference 2006 and 2007 in that pic.
"But I can't recall a single girl ever playing an Atari 2600 game..."
Neither can I. They were off gossiping, experimenting with clothes and make-up, or whatever. Some of them were still into the Smurfs and Strawberry Shortcake.
Yeah, I don't remember girls playing computer games in the 8-bit days unless it was as an excuse to hang out with a guy they were after. As you say, it wasn't that they thought games were for losers, but that games were something boys did that they weren't at all interested in, like playing with army men or catching frogs in the creek.
In the arcades, the one game girls would play sometimes was Centipede. Always figured that must have something to do with the fact that it used a ball control instead of a joystick.
Funny.. on our army base in Heilbronn, Germany in the mid-80s, the bowling alley's arcade was a decent size and always packed on weekends. I don't remember girls playing at all, even though they were there.
Waiting for us guys to wake up and discover we liked girls, I guess.
Nice graphic.
I'm not a gamer but do recall the early stuff, pong and pacman and so forth. Beyond competitive urge, story lines etc, it's easy to understand why males like games, esp the fast-paced ones. They put me into a kind of trance where I can STOP thinking and instead instead rely on hand-eye reactions w full concentration. It's v relaxing and calming, and I can see why over a long period it could get habitual. Zoning out from the inanity of modern life. Perhaps this is esp true with younger guys, as in New Amerika kids aren't allowed outside without a police escort. When I was young, our hand-eye and physical needs were met via participation in athletics and other outside activities.
As a male gamer (that's simply my favourite hobby), I've found the "true" girl gamers are the ones who don't run around screaming, "HAI BOYZ, GURRRRRL HERE PLAYING WITH UU"" and such.
There are, and always have been a decent amount of girls who honestly liked playing games. They usually do ALL they can to try and not let on (or at least not bring it up) that they're female. They also play a lot more games than just online ones. The ones I've met (and fucked), just enjoy playing them and talking about it, just the same as they do with reading and the rest.
Whereas the "GURRRRL Gamer" type we see lately seem to only play online games, and the most popular ones (Call of Duty etc), and immediately bring up the point that they're female, and try to stir up the attention, trying to get all the boys fighting over them and so on, using voice chat and immediately trying to build their ring of orbiters.
I've seen so many gaming groups destroyed by two girls who start fighting because they think one is hotter and getting more attention than the other, and all their orbiter white knight blokes lining up to defend them, causing more rifts in what was previously just a group of guys who got together (in person or online) after work, to relax and chill out with a few beers while gaming. Shit happens there just like the rest of real life I guess.
The trope very much exists of "the girl who plays CoD on her brother's Xbox to call herself a gamer, so she can immediately insert herself into a group of guys (who would otherwise be doing something else) so she can focus attention back on herself". Again just like real life, most of the guys she isn't even bothered about fucking (though you can guarantee she will have some of them drive across the country, or fly over from another! for her), she just wants the attention.
Gaming isn't really that important, it would be the same with anything else. As soon as something gets popular and starts capturing a lot of male time and attention, girls will throw themselves at it to reclaim that attention back for her, then try and change it so it focuses to her own wishes.
The ones who truly enjoy it as a hobby well, they're just gamers.
As to the whole change in attitude thing, what grates me is the girls walking around with "NERD" or "GEEK" printed on their skimpy T-shirts in huge letters, yet most of those would be bullying the girls they'd normally label that, if it wasn't so "hip" to be so nowadays.
Also I presume the change in attitude was when gaming became more "mainstream", and the "alphas" started to game too, not just the "nerds". The girls weren't bothered when the alphas were out playing football or something, (and they could be cheerleaders or whatever to get close to them), but as soon as the alphas started staying in some nights and gaming too, they suddenly want in.
Apologies for the triple post, (wish we could Edit on here), but this is the sort of bollocks with the T-shirts I'm on about:
http://picture-cdn.wheretoget.it/nvhxlj-l-610x610-t-shirt-girl-wow-geek-shirts-cross-shoes-black-highwaisted-shorts-bordeaux-shorts-swimwear-underwear-jewels.jpg
And:
http://i01.i.aliimg.com/wsphoto/v0/1838275171_4/Spring-2014-new-t-shirt-women-Geek-Print-Grey-Black-girl-T-shirt-Crop-top-grey.jpg
Yeah the Mario diagram that whole thing is written on is from 1985. A more concise listing would read :
1977-1982 "What is your dork brother and his friends doing?" "Don't know, it's boring and who cares".
1983-1988 Only younger sisters ever cared to play to make their brothers mad. Arcades were cool...to meet boys.
1988-1996 "lol look at the losers"
1996 "what is that it looks interesting? Oh its another Nintendo? Loser!!"
1997-1999 "lol look at the losers"
1999-2005 "why are all the boys, college guys, and young men playing these games. Don't they know I'm here? Losers"
2006 "get a job, loser"
2007 "wait can that thing play movies and get on the internet?"
2008 "Can I do myspace on that thing?" "I'm a gamer too since all the men under thirty are here all the time too!!"
2009 - Don't care as everything stopped making any sense. ME
"I can't recall a single girl ever playing an Atari 2600 game"
---------------------
I can actually.
But it was nothing like today though.
And they sure as hell couldn't protest that the games were sexist (like they do today) just because we were better at them.
No one would listen back then.
Perhaps the change began to occur when young women realized that an increasingly large percentage of the attractive young men would rather play video games than spend time with them.
I had a couple of female cousins who owned Ataris when I was a kid. One of them had some kind of game in which you could mix and match outfits on Strawberry Shortcake characters.
And then in high school I had a girlfriend who liked to play Sonic the Hedgehog because she thought he was "adorable", but she never made it past the second stage.
"1983-1988 Only younger sisters ever cared to play to make their brothers mad. Arcades were cool...to meet boys"
Yep I bartended a pizza place during college, early eighties. The mini arcade was ten feet from the bartop. Little alcove full of post adolescent boys intent on the screens, with a gaggle of girls ranged behind them. No savannahs nearby but same idea.
"One of them had some kind of game in which you could mix and match outfits on Strawberry Shortcake characters."
--------------------------------
Oh, I remember that video.
What a laugh!
Let's see....
It's still up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jrsKB4g8s0
"Perhaps the change began to occur when young women realized that an increasingly large percentage of the attractive young men would rather play video games than spend time with them."
--------------------------------------
You bet!
Also let's not forget that video game tech is the platform for VR sex.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JtyTXilA3s
Don't think for one minute that females aren't aware of this.
But you can bet that all the accusations of sexism and misogyny in video games emerged when they (collectively) began to quietly acknowledge that men are usually better at them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErveR9qYyHc
But you can bet that all the accusations of sexism and misogyny in video games emerged when they (collectively) began to quietly acknowledge that men are usually better at them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErveR9qYyHc
As someone with domestic violence practice, I must comment on this: if you are ever faced with this behavior get this psycho girlfriend out of the house and out of your life, Take the video to the police, say that you fear for your life due to her violent behavior and threats, ask for a temporary restraining order (TRO) requiring her to stay away from you. Box her stuff up and let her family come pick it up. And then watch your back. Every day.
Believe me, gentlemen, if you dump her, the girl in this video is the type who will weep copiously, lie, even bruise or cut herself and then go to the police and accuse you. And if she is the first one who gets to the police, you are screwed even if you HAVE the tape. They HATE to admit mistakes.
This is classic psycho female-on-male domestic violence. Do not attempt to (heaven help you!) dump her until you have laid the proper foundation by applying for a TRO. Let them serve her with the order and escort her out.
Hadley, nope that's a bitch that has zero fear off her neutered eunuch. I read this type of stuff all the time. Restraining orders, photos and videos to police, witnesses. Are you a dam woman? If you need to go the gay route, analyze your life. What would a man do? Or more specifically, would this be happening to a real man?? Of course not.
Why do you think that is? Because a woman WANTS to be with a real man. And a real man would never let this shit happen. I love my wife and we've been married for 6 years now, but there are many things that she knows if she goes too far, I have not one grain of shit stopping me from physically restraining her. It's perception fellows. If your woman knows that you will stomp her if she oversteps, then you are only going to find yourself with proper women. The crazies will go away on their own or never go out with you. These freaks know who to look for. And by your own posts, you are clearly their "type".
Put another way, this envelopes all of the West, especially the men. I can't do xyz that needs to be done or said because I might lose my cush office job, or friends might look at me funny, or I might get gasp arrested for something minor. Well, guess what? That is life snowflakes. We are called to stand up for ourselves and our loved ones from time to time and the consequences of doing this honorably cannot be your chief concern. Others who see this high character in you will be fearful of testing that resolve.
Everyone in the world right now is laughing at us and taking whatever they can from us as they know nothing will happen to them. Liberals are basically political cuckolds. But in many ways so are RINOs. Perhaps especially. You were given proper values, a Christian faith, and a love of your people by your families yet you still cannot be bothered to fight for them. And like a crazy women, the "others" will walk all over you without remorse or conscience while you cry in the corner about fairness.
"And then in high school I had a girlfriend who liked to play Sonic the Hedgehog because she thought he was "adorable", but she never made it past the second stage."
WHAT?!
How do you fail at that past elementary school?
Scratch that, hwo do you fail at that past kindergarden?
Eh... that girl in the Xbox video is easy enough to fix. You text or call her, once to tell her: "I will speak to you again WHEN you pay me for my damaged property and apologize like a responsible human being. Do not contact me until said recompense is IN HAND. And the dictionary can help you with that word "recompense".
Although my ex-GF did tell me she wanted to play Halo Multiplayer against me. I told her "No, you really don't."
I explained I know those maps inside out and I've played MP for years. But... she insisted.
So I raped her, repeatedly. Until she gave up.
Then we happily went back to playing campaign. I really miss those cheap Friday night dates. Frozen pizzas in front of Meerkat Manor on Animal Planet. Then Halo or its sequels on campaign til we got bored. Then... dessert.
@ Tommy
Well I probably should have said second zone, not second stage. She was able to beat the first Robotnik, but that was it.
Post a Comment
NO ANONYMOUS COMMENTS.