Women wanted, but not understood
Tuesday, 10th May 2005
A UK university [Derby] is trying to get women to apply for a computer games programming degree…. making a special effort to persuade women that solitary hours in front of a computer screen can be good for their career prospects.
Acting programme leader, lecturer John Sear, said: “Girls do want to play games but no-one is making games for them.”
He said there had been some attempts to make, as it were, “pink” games specifically for girls, but with limited success. So summer schools were one idea to let young women see what was available - and that programming did not have to be all about “boys’ toys”.
So, let me get this straight… in order to make games programming more inclusive, less about “boys’ toys”, and generally more appealling you’re going to tell me that I can’t play with the boys, that I need my own games (specifically made and marketed for me) and that sitting in the dark on my own is good for my career!!??? No wonder there aren’t any games for girls, if the people at the top think this is in any way appealling.
Rich:
Sitting in the dark on one’s own with a computer isn’t appealing?! That’s crazy talk!
Tuesday 10th, May 2005
at 7:04 pm
Elly:
It’s more that telling me it’s good for my career isn’t going to make it any more appealing … she types from her computer on her own in a darkened room….
Tuesday 10th, May 2005
at 8:37 pm
Fatty:
What are these “women” things anyway?
Thursday 12th, May 2005
at 11:01 am
Sara:
I believe that the point he was trying to get across was that games are marketed at the men and that to get more women interested in gaming, to show them that gaming is not just for men that female games do have to be produced.
I love my games and have been told i’m not the normal girl gamer, but i think many women do just see the violent games as they get the most coverage and these do not appeal to them.
Secondly, the comment to sitting along in the dark, that is not how they would show it. The programming industry is being told that it is very socialable and that you work in a team. No where was it mentioned that they would sit along in a darkened room by themselves.
Thursday 18th, August 2005
at 9:07 pm
Elly:
I completely agree that there should be more inclusion in the gaming world, and that the consistent stream of violent games is not the way to do this, however, the industry’s current track record with, what the article refers to as, “pink games” is not great.
And my mention of “solitary hours in front of a computer screen [being] good for their career prospects.” was a quote from the article.
Saturday 1st, October 2005
at 4:18 pm