Girls Don’t Like Players
I was reading though this article that covered a study that found that 2/3 of college students play video games, consisting of 82% of males, as well as 59% of females. More significantly, the study showed that less than 1/4 of gamers play with members of the opposite sex. Further findings seem to reflect those discovered in the study I discussed in my previous entry, where it was shown that men prefer “challenging” games while women prefer games that are “fun”.
This all makes sense to me. However, I don’t think that it’s from lack of effort on the men’s part. Just about anything that a guy can do with a girl, the guy’s going to be up for. Hell, some may consider it foreplay.
From my experience, it’s usually the women that are hesitant to engage with the men. The women that I’ve spoken with (my girlfriend included) have all given me the same reasons why they don’t like playing games with guys: Guys tend to be overly aggressive. Guys are often condescending. And then there’s the showboating. This makes for far less an entertaining exercise between the sexes.
I think this comes down to attitude. Men usually approach a game intent on achieving an objective. Whether it be completing a level or defeating an opponent. Women typically play a game for the experience. To assume the roles of the characters through a story. Or goof around with their friends in a rhythm game or one of the Wii’s many physical party games. Something mentioned in David Sirlin‘s book: If you bring two people entering the same gaming environment with two different agendas for the experience, then it ceases to be a game. Not only do things fall apart in the game’s environment, but it also forms a wedge between the two people.
So here’s a tip, fellas… If you want to increase your chances of getting laid, learn some DDR.
