Do not get me wrong, I wholeheartedly welcome our X-chromosome-abundant counterparts into the fold. With all the console manufacturers chasing expanded markets, we keep hearing statistics trumpeting the ascendancy of Venus, such as more women than men own game consoles. While I'm not so sure of the statistical accuracy of the survey, I really do think more women gamers is both rad and awesome. This phenomenon allows me to get my girlfriend Zelda:PH as a present, and then steal it from her when she's not looking.

However. Do you ever get the feeling that you have gone from being the player to being the played?

Without naming names or pointing pointers, some of the cblogs are starting to give me an icky feeling. A sort of "stealth marketing" vibe, which is perhaps an inevitable side effect of Dtoids's explosive growth. And I think I detect a whiff of estrogen behind it all...

Hardcore gamers are still, I feel, predominantly male. I determine hardcoreness not by genre, but by two quick questions.
1) Can you quickly name five video game publishers who have not manufactured a console?
2) Do you have Dtoid or any other gaming blog bookmarked?

And who better to prey on these core males, duping them into creating ad traffic, than the uncommon core female? I get a little suspicious when I see a girl gamer's avatar that shows said girl doing something cutesy/extreme/defiant. Because such a picture could be accompanied by the caption "I've been sniffing Krazy Glue and the tube is stuck to my nose, HAAALLPPPP!" and guys would nonetheless click it. It's a reflex.

If you are a woman, and you have used your face or part of it in your avatar, that alone certainly does not imply fraudulent shenanigans. Clearly Dtoid staff and regulars prove that there are many honest face-possessing girl gamers out there. But: if behind that face lies a posting/commenting history that reads like a stealth marketing campaign, then anything is fair game. Including a little old-fashioned Internet Matlockery.


[Image credit: Riser Glen]