Girls, guns and games

Many thanks to Katie for turning me onto this week's The Escapist, an online video gaming magazine (e-zine?) that puts video games and society until a cultural criticism microscope. This week's issue focuses on women and video games -- not just the gravity-defying tits and unrealistic proportions, but the entire culture.

I've ranted before in the past about how irritated I get when other players in online games (such as City of Heroes) get all concerned about whether or not I'm a man or a woman behind the keyboard. To me, it's a non-issue. It doesn't matter who's behind the keyboard as long as they get the job done and don't kill me in the process.

But there's alot of fun stuff in The Escapist that I recommend people, not just gamers, check out. Whitney Butt's article that girls don't exist on the Internet except as girlfriends, wives or mothers is hysterical. I've never had that happen, but I've never had a reason to tell other players (who didn't know me in real life) that I was a woman. I don't doubt that they wouldn't believe it, or they'd start slagging off about how I must be a fat-ass (well, that is kinda true) with no life. To me, that's more of a reflection of that player's own life, but I'm kinda cruel like that.

I also agree with the basic assertion that there are more women gamers than people believe. It's just that we're not addressed or seen as "real gamers." Just because I play like shit on a first-person shooter, doesn't mean that I can't wax your ass in World of Warcraft (Who got to the chest first at Gurubashi Area her first try? What up FOOLS!).

In short, allow me to summarize my thoughts from a PVP shirt (damn I wish I owned that shirt now:

I am woman, see me game. You and I are much the same.
I can roleplay, I can frag. I can PK while you lag.
I can strafe, jump, and snipe. And no, you're not my type.
This is one shrew you can not tame.
I am woman, see me game.