[MUD-Dev] games gender bias (Re: Affecting the world)

[Marian Griffith]

On Fri 17 Oct, Jon A. Lambert wrote:
> > [Ola:]
> > > I'm still trying to figure out how one should design a good
> > > singleplayer game for average girls/women.

> This seems rather simple.  Get a team of women together to design it.

This seems rather too simple? Should you not first try to find out
what the girls and women want  from a computer game,  and then try
to find out if there are any girls or women  who actually buy such
things?  Studying past successes and failures might be a good idea
too. Possible do's and don't's...
-Abstract themes seem to do better with girls in general, but this
is not a hard given. Myst did very well and was hardly abstract.
-Games that focus entirely on one subject  do better with boys/men
than do games that have a broader appeal.  This is especially true
if the subject of the game is violent or competitive.
-Games that enforce fast action do in general better with boys and
men. Girls seem to appreciate games that can be played at leisure.

There are no doubt more of such 'rules'.
Marian
--
Yes - at last - You. I Choose you. Out of all the world,
out of all the seeking, I have found you, young sister of
my heart! You are mine and I am yours - and never again
will there be loneliness ...

Rolan Choosing Talia,
Arrows of the Queen, by Mercedes Lackey