Gamers around the globe come together to play games with one another, or perhaps they play solo. I am a Gamer, a Gamer Girl. I was raised with video games; PlayStation and Nintendo. While I had moments of normalcy (i.e. playing outside), I preferred reading books and playing video games. I remember hours spent with my siblings playing the Tony Hawk Games, Crash Bandicoot, and Street Fighter, while my mother poured the Legend of Zelda into my heart. Though I attempted (by attempted... I mean failed) to embrace PC gaming as I grew older, I couldn't grasp it as easily as I had with my consoles. Now, as an adult, I am plagued with stereotypes of gamers and who we are or are not.
1. Appearance
Though the individual pictured above is beautiful... we do not all look like this. We are literally average people that come from various walks of life, experiences, and preferences. Based on appearance, I could pass off as someone coined as "preppy" just because of the clothes I like to wear. Physical appearance and gaming are NOT synonymous. Stop listening to society, they have no idea what gamers are anymore if they're basing us purely on our appearance.
2. Gaming Ability
We have all been there, at the beginning of our gaming careers as a newb. (Newb is essentially a new gamer or an inexperienced one. Newb... Newbie... same thing). We essentially have all walked into gaming the same way, inexperienced, unknowingly how excellent we could become. My ability to game is based on years of experience and actually taking the time to learn the games I enjoyed playing, not an association with my gender. Most of us are like this. We each hone our gaming skills with what we love to play, and flourish.
3. Types of Games
There's this major stereotype about us that states we only play a certain type of game.... Yes, I have played the Sims. My childhood wasn't lived under a rock, but that doesn't mean that's the only game that I excel at. I love all of the Legend of Zelda's, Skyrim, Fable, Assassin's Creed, Kingdom of Alamar, and so on. I can also play Call Of Duty and Battlefield, although they're not something I typically enjoy participating in. The point here is that just because there are individuals that like playing certain genres of games doesn't justify being devalued on their ability to play.
4. Console Vs. PC
Overall there's a sort of understanding between PC and Console gamers. Do they secretly think that one is better than the other? I have no idea. I do know that as a gamer, I have the right to decide which is better for me. I tried to PC game... the only thing I accomplished was iSpy games, Putt-Putt Saves the Zoo, the Jump Start Series, and Gabriel Knight. Though I prefer my consoles over my PC, that doesn't make the experience for someone else unfavorable. Stop trying to put everyone into tiny boxes and let's just game collectively.
5. Intelligence
I am not sure why this needs to be said, but apparently, it does. Our ability to retain and obtain new information about various games, new/improved systems, the best PC gaming computers, the appropriate software to do basically anything, etc. Each of us has the knowledge to school you. Do I think that there has been a progression in the gaming community regarding female players? Sure. However, we are still plagued by a vast population that male players are superior to us. Unlikely, as each gamer comes equipped with their own knowledge and information regarding what it is they truly love to play.
The point is no longer what we want as females, but what we need as gamers. Respect what we know because gamers are gamers no matter what their specialty lies in or where their gender lies. (*Sidenote* We would LOVE it if you stopped sexualizing us.)
