Response: This paper comments on multiple occassions about the teams focus on engaging girls and making the experience "girl friendly." I think it is important to not that there is a difference between non-violent and girl friendly. Sonic the Hedgehog was/is a non-violent game, but I would not necessarilly consider it girl friendly. Of course, by making a comment about creating a "girl friendly" environment can lead to the exploitation of stereotypes. Girls are not all glitz, glamour, and pink too toos.
This search has opened a door to a whole new world. Yes, girls do play video games and stereotypes of girl gamers are just that, stereotypes. This young lady explores video games and girls in a fun way, while there is no scientific content there is lots of personality and real opinions. Or as she says, "my little rant about girls and gaming."
The bigger intrigue here is that this is considered a Vlog (another new tech term to me). This young lady and many many other young people have an entire YouTube Station where they stream live and interact across the globe. YouNow is an entire subculture and Leda appears to be star in that world.
There is so much I could say here about her, the content, the format, and its relevance to this course. However, an introduction to this world through a link to this video will suffice for now. I'm going to check out a few more of her videos. She is personable, bubbly, knowledgable on gaming, and just a real treat. The giggles and high pitch of her voice can be annoying and what's with the whole "anime look." I know there is a word for it, yet another video subculture.
Enjoy!
I like how your video link makes fun of the stereotype of girl gamers. It was a very cute video; however, when I tried to click on the link in your blog, the video isn't embedded correctly and I couldn't play it. I had to go to your link that sent me to Youtube.
ReplyDeleteI agree that you shouldn't focus on making games "girl friendly". Girls like regular games just like boys do. However, I appreciate that they do consider that aspect of gaming.
I love the YouTube "vlog" of the girl making fun of video game stereotypes. What an awesome young lady she is!
ReplyDeleteCute video! Welcome to Vlogs. There are some interesting people on the Internets. :)
ReplyDeleteAt some point in the article, it said something about the only good playable female characters were in boys' games. I was trying to think of female dominant video games. The only thing that popped into my head was Lara Croft. It is important that girls have the same opportunities and considerations when creating games.
Jane,
ReplyDeleteYour post was very different than any of the others I have read (actually everyone's posting is different because we all get something different out of readings). But anyhow, I like that you brought up YouTube and vlogging. I have been uploading videos on YT since 2010, and I love it. It totally levels the playing field for video creators and people that just like sharing what they see in their lives. It is a way for people to connect to others much more personally than TV, allowing you to interact through commenting and subscribing to anyone on YT. As opposed to TV, which you have to pay for and watch commercials, YT is free and you can find virtually any video or topic you could possibly think of. Its so amazing. And its going to be around for a long time, and I think like gaming, define the "digital generation." You can get YouTube anywhere on anything that connects to the internet, and decide WHAT you want to watch and WHEN. The whole advent of YT is really an amazing advancement in entertainment, and its going to keep getting bigger. Like you said, many young people are into vlogging and this girl is into gaming, there is a niche and micro-niche for EVERYTHING!! (My preference happens to be redneck videos, lol!) And pertaining to "girl gaming," I see it mostly as applicable to younger girls, because as girls get older they are not going to be drawn to cute little doll games and such. As a girl, I loved playing Sonic and Mario, and I don't believe they are gender-driven really. Great post!
Thanks for posting this Vlog! I really like how YouTube is giving youth a voice! It is now much harder for older genration to oppress younger genrations with overly simplistic generaliziations. I think it is very educative for teacher and patents to watch these vlogs to learn how articulate, creative and self actualized many young people are when provided with opportunity to express themselves.
ReplyDeleteI liked the quote you chose and really enjoyed the video you posted. Engaging girls takes so much more than glitz, glamor, and pink. Some girls even like violence in their video games. As for your video… I don’t know where to start. It was a great video and really hit home the point you were trying to make. I’m so glad you shared this video because it one of those that make someone think. I hadn’t heard of Vlogs before but I like the idea of youth sharing their voice. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteMy younger sister is an avid gamer so there are definitely games that appeal to women, although I think that I had something to do with it because I have pretty much always been into gaming. She is a teacher so I guess that it is helpful to be able to relate to her students. The vlog supports your ideas well.
ReplyDelete