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Nintendo success inspires first ever ‘Girls Guide to Gaming’

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Nintendo success inspires first ever ‘Girls Guide to Gaming’

Publisher of new title criticises ‘old boy’s club’ mentality of the past

Gaming's march into the mainstream has taken another significant step with the release of The Girls’ Guide to Gaming.

Publisher Black Dog Media has told MCV that the new title has only been made possible by the runaway success of Nintendo formats DS and Wii, and has criticised the ‘boys only’ mentality of ther past.

“By marketing the Nintendo DS as a console for the entire family whilst Sony pushed the PSP as the latest new cool ‘boy toy’, the battle between the two was over before it could begin,” said Black Dog’s James Gale.

“Nintendo didn’t want to fight over the same demographic as Sony, so they created a complete new one, a market in which it wasn’t only boys that played games.

“Thus with the release of the seminal Nintendogs opening the flood gates for other publishers to dip their toes in the rather pleasant waters of the games for girls market. Then of course came the Nintendo Wii.”

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Gale added that the industry as a whole has come a long way from the ‘boys only’ mentality of the past.

“The market as a whole had been expanding beyond the male demographic long before the release of the pink Nintendo DS,” added Gale.

“Yet these numbers failed to reach a level to grab the attention of developers thus the ‘boys only’ trends continued. So once again it’s hats off to Nintendo. Without their bravery to push the market away from the old boys’ club, I doubt we would now be part of a fresh marketplace, where female gamers have been given a long overdue voice.”

Bah

posted by Joshua Oct 30, 2007 at 2:31 pm
1
Joshua

Bah! I never encountered a guy or a teenage boy who did not want girls to be playing video games. If a boy was from elementary school, it would be different, they don't want any girls anywhere around them.

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Re: Bah

posted by Charlie Oct 30, 2007 at 4:05 pm
2
Charlie

Why is the cover pink? Not all girls are obsessed with pink.

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Re: Bah

posted by Oct 30, 2007 at 4:27 pm
3

you are forgetting that pink is the marketting colour for girls, just like red is for boys.

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Re: Bah

posted by Jo Oct 30, 2007 at 5:06 pm
4
Jo

While I do like pink (and just received my pink 360 pad today) I can't help but think this is somewhat patronising.

Might have to buy, though; so...pink...

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Pro Girlie gamers

posted by Sooz Oct 30, 2007 at 5:10 pm
5
Sooz

Well I for one am glad that they have finally recognised that girlies do enjoy to play, as much as the boys. Since Nintendogs came out and the WII was released I am hooked - didn't like the excessive amount of shoot 'em ups, strategy and football games that only ever raised their heads previously. I can finally immerse myself in good honest fun that I never had as a kid !!! Good on you for thinking of the market as a whole and giving us girls a look-in.

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Re: Bah

posted by Sooz Oct 30, 2007 at 5:16 pm
6
Sooz

I personally think that pink is pretty cool - have you looked at the fashion in the shops lately - everything is going Pink and black - also, why do you think the DS has come out in pink ! to get girlie attention, not to patronise anyone. I suppose you can only please most of the people some of the time and it's the content that matters not the cover colour - go get 'em black dog.

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game info

posted by April Oct 30, 2007 at 6:41 pm
7
April

I hope that they include some info on fps games and not just focus on nintendogs. I like passive happy games most of the time but sometimes its nice to just take a shotgun to you bf in halo. (with a pretty pink controller of course)

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Re: Bah

posted by AGradePupil Oct 30, 2007 at 6:53 pm
8
AGradePupil

This is admittedly one of the most sexist things I have seen since the 70's. It's appalling to me as a gamer, apart from as as a female, that some people still believe that girls should need a 'guide to ga*****specially one that is so patronisingly different to any generic guides provided for everyone else. We have always had the manuals and guides provided with the equipment, which was not aimed selectively at males or females. If this is the current fashion, designed by whom? Females like myself were probably coding and gaming before these designers were born. Why do we need something to be produced in pink before we are permitted to use it. Intolerable. Joshua you are right, the door to games was always open to girls, it just wasn't painted pink.

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Re: Bah

posted by Oct 31, 2007 at 3:25 pm
9

Probably just introduce girl pads with less buttons too.

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Girls Guide

posted by Craig B Nov 01, 2007 at 11:36 am
10
Craig B

I feel I have to point out why the guide is pink. I don’t think that they are trying to patronise women I believe its because the DS is the fastest selling hand held ever and it just so happens to be PINK. So why not make a guide to accompany the DS? I did a bit of research and the colour pink is rated as the most popular colour for girls and more importantly girls that the guide is targeting at (8 to 16), although I know girls of all ages will love it. If the guide was yellow or black do you believe it would stand out above all the rest of the guides? As for it being called the girls guide to gaming, I believe it’s to embrace and welcome girls to gaming who might have previously seen it as a boys domain. Girls might even have wanted to play but felt that some boys would see it as strange I know I did when I was 12. I would also highlight that the games that it covers are more popular with the girl rather than the average boy who likes his shoot’em-up. At the end of the day its a book not a political statement and I plan to buy my sister one.

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Re: Girls Guide

posted by nate Nov 02, 2007 at 8:02 am
11
nate

Exactly Craig B.

For anyone to take this as shot at girls who play games is just asinine. So what the cover is pink, it's just a good marketing technique. If this were intended for boys, you'd have someone's decapitated head on the cover and that wouldn't be patronizing the boys who are into that kind of games.
Besides, there are girls out there that are just getting into gaming and its for them.

@AGradepupil

Are you kidding me? What, is there somewhere in the book where a girl is beaten by a guy? The most sexist? You must not read much because there are worst things in the world.

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Re: Girls Guide

posted by Programmer Nov 02, 2007 at 3:24 pm
12
Programmer

I understand where you are coming from, but I think it's sad that people don't see the repeating cycles that fashion takes.

We are being manipulated into believing certain gender stereotypes on a regular 10-20 year basis, and you need to be able to look back over several cycles of fashion to be able to recognise this.

Separating out guides aimed at females and making out our gaming needs or potential abilities are so different is actually sexist - even if the intention is benign, or well-meaning. The sad thing is that the target market is too young to recognise it.

If you buy one for your sister, are you really trying to understand her needs? or do you just not know how else to communicate your hobby to her? She may be grateful, or she be embarrassed about it. Only you know how 'tuned' in she is to the latest pointer the fashion wheel.

Sorry to b cynical , but hey!

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Re: Re: Girls Guide

posted by tomka Jul 30, 2008 at 11:11 am
13
tomka

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