Introduction
Editors Note: the views expressed in the following exchange may not necessarily represent the views of the authors, nor those of TG Publishing. This is a debate in which the aim is to explore two sides of the controversial issue of female gamers, and should be treated as such.
Aaron McKenna: Hey Rob, I'm dropping you a line to see where you stand on the hot-button topic of female gamers. As you know, I've written on the topic before and I am in favor of - or at the very least, not opposed to - the concept of "female gamers". If we face up to facts women in gaming has been something of an odd concept for most of the hobby's history. I was sparked by an editorial written by Kim Rom in his blog, however, in which he quite correctly kicked the current female-gamer archetype squarely in the ass.
"Female gaming", as it exists today on the professional circuit - and in the minds of the policy makers, if not the legions of female MMORPG players - is nothing more than a deluded male fantasy gone wild. It is exploited by females who are somehow "empowering" themselves by offering cam-slut poses as their official clan photos, while then getting their lovely butts handed to them in real matches. Professional female gamers are, in 99 percent of cases, nothing more than a nice pair of breasts who can't really play the game all that well when compared to the male professional gamers. The men are often far from good looking, but make up for it in professional skill.
Similarly, the likes of the "Suicide Girls" are about as "gamer" as my right big toe. Half of these "professional" female gamers and female "empowerment" folks, ala the Suicide Girls, have a website on which they pose half or completely naked while playing videogames. This is enough proof that they're making money off of their assets, not their skills.
I have a newsflash for the gamers out there who think it rather nice and cute that these babes play games: the fact that you think they're rather nice and cute while playing games is the only goddamn reason they get sponsorship to play the games at all. The whole idea of female gamers at present, at least insofar as they are being promoted to make themselves the public image of female gaming, is nothing more than something for geeks to fawn over.
Get me a clan of female gamers who can compete with the best of the professional circuit, and they can pose all they want - though in reality, I'd prefer that they spend more time honing their skills than putting on makeup or taking time out for swimsuit shoots. At the moment, the entire image of female gamers is false, however. No, they can't actually compete with the best of them, and no, I don't care that I'm one of those "oppressive men" putting down those "poor women." All they seem to be doing is keeping themselves down by whipping them out whenever there's a chance for some brief fame or glory.
In the end, arthritis will be what kills off the current crop of professional gamers. As for the female gamers, as it stands, it'll be the first sign of wrinkles.
Aaron
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