Games! Games! Games!

When I originally wrote about how closely politics and video games resemble one another, I didn’t expect to get the sort of responses that I did get. It leads me to believe that the subject of women and video games still has a lot of room for exploration. However, that’s for another time, another place and another project. What I wanted to put the spotlight on was how, even in a medium who’s prime interest is making more money, women are summarily dismissed as a valid market.

As Elayne pointed out in the comments of the original post, it isn’t only video games. Every ‘hobby’ that is primarily made up of males is riddled by the very same prejudices and irritations. What makes video games special and unique is that they generate a great deal of money - in the billions - that other hobby industries tend to not get nearly as close to. While any type of hobby can gain by attracting more women, Video Games have a *huge* amount to game. Capitalism, as we’re told time and time again, is supposed to even out the playing field. If video game makers really do want that extra money (and there’s a lot to be had), then they will learn and adapt and make products that appeal to both genders. However, with rare exception, they don’t.