GameStop in their infinite wisdom decided to come up with this insulting game display for Games for girls. Containing games like Cooking Mama, Bratz, The Little Mermaid and My Little Pony, this glittering pink mass should really read "Games for little girls who love pink girlie stereotypes and worship Paris Hilton." I wouldn't buy these pieces of crap for my 5-year-old nieces, let alone myself -- OK maybe Cooking Mama, but that's it.
The fact that GameStop feels it necessary to even create such a display just proves that they have no clue about the female gamer market, even the little girl gamer market. I was playing games like Street Fighter 2 Turbo, Mortal Kombat, etc. when I was little and I assume other younger girls play a variety of game types now too. By creating such a display, the game company is trying to put girls into a stereotype that all we like is pink girlie games or platformers. They could have saved their butts by at least putting in some non girlie games like The New Super Mario Bros. or Final Fantasy.
Female gamers don't need to be singled out any more than we already are and we especially don't need a display to tell us which games to buy. Do guy gamers ask for a display to show them which games are for guys only? Where is the display for men that holds games like DOA Volleyball or The Guy Game?
A note to any girl gamer that keeps whining that the gaming industry fails to market games to us: STOP IT! Cause this is the crap they come up with.
If I ever see a display like this pop up in a Canadian EB Games location, I'll take a match to the damn thing!
I'll show the boys what girls can do! Where's my chainsaw?
[Via The Right Trigger ]
Faith's right, though ... this is pretty damn stupid of GameStop. I can't imagine how many female gamers they're pissing off by pulling this little stunt. Hell, the DS is something that's meant to rope in non gamers/girl gamers and they're not using crap like MLP to do it.
I also think its pretty shitty passing judgement with regards to what constitutes a "Girl Gamer", pretty fucking elitist of you and sure to turn many girls off games faster than any instore display.
Now what I find hilarious:
1.) They're calling Cooking Mama a game just for girls. Doesn't this seem a little sexist? It's a game about cooking so it must be for girls. I'm not saying I'm offended or anything, (I'm a guy, first off) nor do I think anyone else will get offended, I'm just surprised they would do this, seems like in our era of extreme PC they would have opted not to place it in there.
2.) Super Princess Peach is nowhere to be found. Not only is it a game aimed at girls, but unlike most of these games it's actually good. I guess maybe too good to be put with the rest of these, haha.
Boy, Super Princess Peach sure makes for an awkward buy, huh fellas? I'm not the only one, right? oh god.
What, play the shitty videogames that they'd never touch?
Way to set us back a decade, GameStop.
What, play the shitty videogames that they'd never touch?
Way to set us back a decade, GameStop.
As for the whole "Bratz" thing, it's merely an evolution of Barbie. Barbie has become downright conservative; she's dumped Ken and working for herself to buy the pink dream house and Corvette. Young girls today aren't interested in that sort of thing, Bratz is flashier and more modern. Thirty years ago, feminists would have been against Barbie, but I bet today they wish their daughters would want Barbie as a role model instead of some of the popular icons young girls look to.
You can see some models made by me and my wife here:
http://mjr-blayne.livejournal.com/13306.html
So, encouraged by this purchase, I also got Bratz: Rock Starz, but it was a mediocre... forget it - crappy adventure based on a Bratz movie of the same name (wait for your brain to cool!), and, yes, promoting consumerism, snobism and 'looks are more important than deeds' lifestyle in general.
So, really - did all of you play those games you detest just seeing them on the shelf?
Jesus these games are for little girls, if you can't understand that you're thick, complaining about something as silly as this hurts girl gamers reputations far far more than a silly little pink stand.
Why is there a girl gamers stand? because it's much harder to find games that appeal to little girls, if you could use common sense for ten seconds you would realize most games appeal to little boys. I could hand a copy of halo to a 7 year old boy and he would love it just as much as a licensed toy story game. Probably not going to see a lot of 7 year old girls playing Halo. Does that mean none do? Of course not, Plenty of girls enjoy those types of games but you're missing the fact these games are licensed and produced to appeal to little girls and that is why the sell so well. They sell much better than other games when it comes to purchases made for young girls. That is why they have this stand. They aren't stereotyping per-se. They just know far more than you when it comes to marketing and what little girls want. They have the sales numbers they have decades of research and data, if little girls wanted army games I guarantee you there would be a girl gamers stand full of army games, but it simply isn't true.
Girl gamers are the minority and because of that companies cater to them by providing what is helpful suggestions for a good part of the minority. Will all young girls want to play those games? no, but the majority of them would. Remember stereotypes are partially true.
I find it ridiculous so many people are complaining about this, if you can't understand it you're just too thick. The Bloggers like you give girl gamers a horrible name. Grow up and grow some common sense.
Oh, and why the boys toy section? Well where else is there to put them? They can't be put anywhere else in the store. With video games you have 3 demographics primarily. Young boys, young girls, and everyone else. Young boys will usually play any game in the 'everyone else' section. Young girls on the other hand primarily buy these 'stereotyped' video games more so than the others. The results? These games get put into their own section along with each other and labeled games 4 girls (read young girl games). Does it mean thats the only games they would like? No. All it is, is putting together all the best selling types of games for that demographic.
Who the fuck cares how singled out you feel?
Fuck you.
Right on.
I think you were able to word yourself in short much better than I was able to in my blog, by keeping the equality in your post.
And for all of the people who post ridiculous, eloquently-lacking BS on your site, ignore them and all their incompetent banter. You're obviously a very intelligent person with a well-spoken opinion.
I digg you. :)