Are Ubisoft perpetuating gender issues within gaming and does this cause problems for the female gamer or actually help. It's a long convoluted question, but a very relevant one given the recent spate of Ubisoft developed and published titles that are specifically aimed at a gender specific market.
As female gamers it raises hackles to see another 'Raises a Baby' title, a bit like hearing a male gamer say 'get back in the kitchen bitch', because titles with such engendered negativity piss us off. That said it could also be argued - to play devils advocate a moment - that these titles actually aid the female gamer by introducing a new age group of female gamers that will be playing more mature titles in another 6 to 10 years.
Perhaps that's the thing, perhaps these lame ass titles Ubisoft are releasing of late will indeed hook in a new generation of female gamers, but to what end? When a gaming schedule release list has titles like: "Imagine: Baby club" and "Imagine: Dream Wedding" listed specifically under "Girl's Sim" and titles like: "Jake Power Fireman" and "Jake Power Policeman" listed specifically under "Boy's Sim" it's really not that difficult to see the problems this can perpetuate. The assumption would be that girls do not become fire fighters or policemen, they merely are only interested in marriage and popping out babies.
One wonders whether girl sim "Imagine: Wife" and boys sim "Imagine Bread Winner" are also in the pipeline. How ironic that these titles should be labeled the "Games For Everyone" series.
Some other examples sure to get the feminists blood boiling: For the girls.... Imagine Babies, Imagine Happy Cooking, Imagine Fashion Designer (though on the upside there is Imagine Pet Vet, so at least this is more academic in nature). Maybe this explains why Ubisoft appear to have no interest in supporting the female gamer demographic?
1 comment:
I have to say I despize those raining baby titles and I do think they don't help us older female gamers get taken seriously.
Every time I see that rack in the game store I want to rip it down or tell the clerk to put the games with all the rest rather than making us a visual minority in the god damn game store!
Post a Comment