:: Netwoman ::

:: Saturday, January 28, 2006 ::

Gendered Game Play in the UK
From Boing Boing
BBC report on UK gamers from 6-65

BBC Creative Research and Development have just released a stellar research report on gamers' habits in the UK -- how people from six to 65 play, what they play, why they play, and how they got to playing. It's a real eye-opener -- and chock full of stats-candy in sweet charts.

Contrary to popular belief, the gender split between gamers is fairly even across all age groups. Although female gamers never overtake their male counterpart, the figures are particularly even in the youngest and oldest gaming groups. Between the ages of 16-35 the ratio of males to females is slightly higher, but the stereotype of a large gender gap in gamers - in any age group - is untrue.

Females and males do however display some different preferences in gaming categories. Simulations and MMOGs perform equally well with males and females, while RPGs and Strategy fare only marginally better with males. Females then show strong approval for Music/Dance, Puzzles/Board/Quiz, and Classic games. Males show strong approval for Action- Adventure, Racing, Sports, and First Person Shooters. Simula- tions and MMOGs seem to be key to attracting audiences of both genders equally: Sports and Shooting category games generally hold the lowest appeal for females, although it should be noted that this doesn't mean they have no appeal: 12% of females play First Person Shooters.

PDF HERE

:: Netwoman 11:10 PM [+] ::
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The Sky Hasn't Fallen
Internet doesn't destroy relationships, a new study finds, it strengthens them:
By JILL MAHONEY
Thursday, January 26, 2006 Posted at 5:31 AM EST
From Thursday's Globe and Mail

The initial warnings about the Internet's creep into modern lives were dire: Communities would crumble because people would be chained to their computers.

But a new study by Canadian researchers suggests the Web actually expands and strengthens relationships.

"The Internet is adding on to community rather than destroying it," said Barry Wellman, a sociology professor at the University of Toronto who co-wrote the report. "There were a huge number of people running around saying the sky was falling a few years ago. What we found is the sky isn't falling, that life is going on and quite happily."

The study, which was released yesterday, examined Americans' Internet habits and found that computer users have larger social networks than non-users. And, perhaps surprisingly, people who use e-mail actually have more phone and face-to-face contact with their friends, families and associates.

"The current generation of e-mail users is communicating much more often than recent generations and possibly more often than any previous generation since people huddled in caves with only conversation to pass the nights away," says the study, which was funded by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

Heavy e-mail users have more than twice as much land-line phone contact within their social networks and three times as much cellular phone contact than people who do not use e-mail, according to the report.

"E-mail supplements, rather than replaces, the communication people have with people who are very close to them -- as well as . . . with those not so close," the report says in noting e-mail's key role in maintaining ties between acquaintances.

Prof. Wellman, who was asked by the Pew organization to get involved with the research, said the conclusions are "highly similar to what we'd find with Canadians."

The reason e-mail breeds increased communication, the report suggests, could be because, as the old maxim goes, one thing simply leads to another.

For example, an e-mail exchange between colleagues about a complex issue might spark a phone call to continue the discussion. Or friends could use e-mail to arrange a night at the movies.

"There's an ecology of media and they all fit together," Prof. Wellman said.

E-mail -- which is the Internet's most popular application -- has long been extolled for helping far-flung friends and relatives stay in touch because it is convenient, inexpensive, unobtrusive and fits seamlessly into busy modern lives.

While social networks were once geographically based -- people's lives revolved around local friends, neighbours and co-workers -- they are now much more dispersed. (The report looked at other Internet applications, including instant messaging, weblogs and webcams.)

Take Jeffrey Boase, a University of Toronto doctoral student in sociology who also co-wrote the report. Most mornings, Mr. Boase talks to his girlfriend in Japan by webcam.

The pair, who met three years ago in Kyoto, were initially friends but their romance heated up over e-mail. Their relationship became serious during a fall visit and is now sustained by long webcam conversations.

"It's interesting -- we started with e-mail when we didn't know each other as well and then the more we got to know each other, we moved to the more rich form of communication," he said.

However, the report, which is primarily based on the findings of a telephone survey of 2,200 American adults done in February and March of 2004, also found the "great bulk of ties" nurtured by the Internet were among people living in the same city, Prof. Wellman said.

"That's where our lives are. We still are physical beings, we're not just computer bits. We're still atoms, we still have physical needs," he said.

But despite the Internet's deep reach, the survey found that the most common mode of communication remains the land-line telephone and personal interaction.

The study also found that Internet users are more likely than non-users to get help from their contacts.

As well, nearly one-third of adult Americans said the Internet had played a key role in dealing with at least one recent major life decision.

Go HERE for the Pew report

:: Netwoman 10:39 PM [+] ::
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Ignoring Women's Right to Choose - Canadian Politics
Mr. Harper characterizes a women's right to choose as a polar extreme - Women demand clarity and assurances

January 20, 2006
OTTAWA - Women's groups are asking Stephen Harper immediately and unequivocally to assure the women of Canada that , should he become Prime Minister, he would actively defend a woman's right to choose.

In an interview with Kevin Newman of Global when asked if he would support a woman's right to choose, Mr. Harper replied, "I've always said my views on the abortion issue are complex, I don't fall into any of the neat polar extremes on this issue". When pressed to explain his views he replied. "No I don't need to because I'm not proceeding with an abortion agenda."

In light of the pressure that Mr. Harper would face as Prime Minister to restrict access to abortion", said Bonnie Diamond of the National Association of Women and the Law, "women know that this is a serious election issue. We urgently ask Mr. Harper to clearly assure us that he will stand up for women's fundamental right to choose".

"It is not good enough to say I don't want abortion to be debated in the next Parliament", added Charlotte Thibault of the Feminist Alliance for International Action. Mr. Harper cannot stop a private members bill when Conservative Party policy makes it clear that members will be given free votes on issues of conscience. Based on the 98 ridings held by Conservatives in the last House of Commons, 70 (71%) of Conservative candidates are against a woman's right to choose. Just 5 (5%) count themselves as pro-choice and the remaining 23 (24%) are not talking. A private members bill would not have to originate from the Conservative caucus.

Beyond legislation there are many administrative powers available to a Prime Minister that can severely restrict access to abortion. For example, a woman's access to abortion could be impacted by the appointment of anti-choice Ministers, anti-choice senior public servants, anti-choice judges, defunding of services and groups that uphold pro-choice policy, or failure to ensure delivery of abortion services by the provinces and territories can severely impact on women's access to abortion. It is important to women that Mr Harper assures us he will not take steps in such a direction.

Mr. Harper, women of Canada are asking you to clearly state now that you will uphold women's right to abortion.

For more information, contact Laila Malik, CWE Coordinator coordinator@cwe-cef.ca, 613.241.7570 ext 22

:: Netwoman 12:24 PM [+] ::
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underworld evolution
Originally uploaded by Netwoman.

Women Who Inspire Me (Part 2) - Female Action Heroes
Ever since I was a child, I have found women in popular culture who have inspired me. One of my earliest female action heroes was Wonder Woman, played by Linda Carter in the television show. Wonder Woman was smart, pretty, tough and sexy and I really dug her invisible plane. Among some of my other inspiring women on television shows included Charlie's Angels, The Bionic Woman, Police Woman (Angie Dikinson), Maude, and others...granted, they're not all super heroes - but independent and kick ass women in some form or another.

The last few years, we've seen many more female heroes on the big screen - in part thanks to the Tomb Raider success in 2001. But before Angelina pointed her pistols so to speak, we have Buffy to thank, along with GI Jane and we can't forget Xena. Yes, I'm a fan of them all, and it's almost impossible to remember them all (but of course, I remember Thelma & Louise in 1991).

Some of the more notables for me include X-Men characters Rogue, Mystique & Storm, Catwoman (meow!), Resident Evil, Elektra, Aeon Flux, Underworld (1 & 2), and coming soon UltraViolet.

Why do these women inspire me? For many of the reasons I've already listed; they're strong, independent, athletic, fetishy, assertive and sexy - similar to the reasons why I play the female video game characters that I do. Granted, they have their character flaws and maybe they are too sexualized for some feminist comfort levels - but it works for me. The personal is the political, and I can identify (for the most part) with these character creations. I no longer have to fantasize about what a female Rambo (1982) would look like, or try and position myself within the character & body of Arnold Swartzenegger (pre political days!). I have different fantasy figures now in the new millenium - the female action hero; the (usually) mutant, creative, intelligent fighting machines with eccentric gadgetries that make my techno-vibes tingle. These 'Violent Femmes' are a different type of Female Icon. But why now?

I'm thinking there is some connection to the fact that marketers have recently discovered the purchasing power of women. While said tongue-in-cheek, media articles about the untapped market of women - for video games, for tech gadgets, for pop culture consumption and more are surfacing regularly...where have they been? Did they wake up one day and realize that women do more in their leisure time then cross-stitch? No. Really, it's all about the Benjamins baby - Uhh, uh-huh, yeah.

So while companies are collecting and counting my hard earned graduate student wages, I'll be happily watching Ultra Violet, gaming with Aeon Flux, practicing my martial arts with Uma and vampire slaying with Selene in the Underworld! w00t!

:: Netwoman 10:11 PM [+] ::
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The Women's Health Matters Resource Database
...is a searchable bilingual database of women's health resources. It provides women with information about where to find women's health resources to support their health-care decision-making.

Purpose of the Survey
We are currently conducting an online survey of user satisfaction with the Women's Health Matters Resource Database. Your participation in this survey will help to ensure that the database is relevant to the health information needs of Canadian women.

Survey
The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Your name will be entered into a draw for a $50.00 Chapters/Indigo gift card. You must complete the entire questionnaire to be eligible for the draw.

Participant Confidentiality
All survey responses are anonymous. We will keep your name and email address confidential and not share it with anyone else. You will not be identified in published reports on this survey.

To Participate go HERE

:: Netwoman 9:26 AM [+] ::
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Gendered Marketing
Microsoft ad technology tries to tell men from women
BLOOMBERG
Sunday, Jan 15, 2006,Page 11

Microsoft Corp may soon be able to tell whether an Internet search query comes from a man or a woman.

The feature may help advertisers make search-related pitches more relevant to their intended audiences, said Jed Nahum, a Microsoft director of product management.

Microsoft, the world's largest software company, is developing advertising technologies to bolster its MSN Internet unit and fight Google Inc and Yahoo! Inc for a larger share of the online ad market. The new features are being developed at a Microsoft research lab in Beijing, Nahum said.

"There's a confidence interval around one's gender," Nahum said in a telephone interview. "Advertisers can start to tailor their message based on those estimates. Using the new technology, Microsoft will be able to tell, for example, that someone searching for the term `Dodge Caravan' is more likely to be female than someone searching for `Dodge' alone."

Microsoft plans to include the feature in its search and advertising software in the next year.

Microsoft, lagging Google and Yahoo in share of Internet searches, said in a statement that more than 50 researchers are working on about 40 advertising projects at the Beijing center.

The company demonstrated the technologies on Friday at its headquarters in Redmond, Washington, Nahum said.

Another feature may allow people to request more information on products featured in movies or on television. Viewers of Sex and the City, for example, could click on clothes worn by the actresses, Nahum said. That will require more advanced digital television networks and will take longer to develop, he said.

"It adds an element of trackability to product placement that hadn't been there before," Nahum said.

Microsoft needs to find new revenue sources after sales grew 8 percent last year, the slowest ever. Chief executive Steve Ballmer, 49, said in December he's focused on making advertising one of Microsoft's fastest-growing businesses.

Shares of Microsoft rose 5 cents to US$27.19 at 4pm New York time in NASDAQ Stock Market composite trading. They declined 2.1 percent last year.

Microsoft also is testing a new version of its adCenter product, which allows companies to buy ads linked to Internet search results. The tests are being conducted in Singapore and France. Microsoft currently uses technology from Sunnyvale, California-based Yahoo to link ads to search results.

This should be interesting. I'd like to see how they operationalize their gendered information seeking patterns and key word choices, but it sounds like something that might work. But, not all men will only use 'dodge' and not all women will use 'dadge caravan'. They might be going down a narrow path here if they don't consider things like number of years online because the more experience you have using search engines, the more you learn which key words work the best and in what combinations. So we have a skill issue here, contingent not only upon number of years using the internet, but also literacy and skills. The should thinking about language barriers too, especially if english isn't the first language.

Anyway, did you notice that they referred to an idea that I previsouly discussed - the clickable televiosn program. Yeah, that's it - I'm heading over to Microsoft. I think we could get along quite nice.

:: Netwoman 10:34 PM [+] ::
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
"Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see".
The Measure of a Man, 1958

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and while we don't have this memorial day in Canada, many Canadians pay tribute anyway. While Dr. King has been touted by some as sexist or anti-feminist, we must remember the historical point at which the civil rights movement took place:

We must learn to distinguish between the transient, time-bound details in some of Martin Luther King's advice and the permanent sources of ethical value that informed his leadership.

Dr. King advocated to eradicate racism in the United States. His speeches and writings remind us of a dark time in American history that was laden with hatred, intolerance and unacceptance of racial diversity.

At this point in Western history, we can say that many changes have transpired in the last 35-40 years, but we have a long way to go. We need to remember and respect this day as a reminder of where we have been, where we are, and where were are heading. Therefore, I think we need to draw upon some of Dr. King's insights and continue to strive for social equity for everyone.

The above quote is a perfect example of the systemic issues that (still) face many minorities. We are constrained by numerous institutions that seek to marginalize and silence through the guise of invisibility. We need to recognize these constraining structures in society and strive to continue what was started in the 1960's. "We are not makers of history. We are made by history" (From Strength to Love, 1963), and therefore we must look to the past, we must remember the past so that we can create a healthy future for our children consisting of love, respect and acceptance.

"We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people" (From Letter from Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963). Silence is not golden - it's deadly, and we must continue to take a stand.

:: Netwoman 10:48 AM [+] ::
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Social Affordances & Constraints of Mobile Technology
There is no denying the social affordances of mobile/cell phones. You can be reached any time, anywhere - and you can easily orchestrate your day, navigating through the schedules of friends and family with this little gadget in your hands. It's hard not to notice the amount of people walking, sitting on the bus, driving in their cars, or sitting on the porch using their cell phone - audio and text messages or games, whatever their weapon of choice is.

But what about the constraints? I don't mean things like drivers in car accidents and that type of thing, but I mean - what are we missing while we're chatting, planning, gaming and socializing in our own invisble sphere we think is private space?

We can say that mobile technology keeps us networked with our social networks, whether strong or weak ties or whether immediate communities or far-flung ones so forth. But what we don't get is the immediate experience of our surroundings. We sometimes miss the local in the context of our mobile/global technology.

I was thinking about this the other day when I was walking from a class I had just taught. Now let me say first, I am a person that will generally talk to anyone. I will strike up a conversation about anything. But mostly, it's the quirky things that happen to you in a day that you want to talk about or share with the person who saw/experienced it too. Quirky things happen all the time, and I usually have a thought or comment to make - either to myself or others around me.

What I've been noticing lately is that no one is listening. It's not that they wouldn't want to, but everyone is so attached to their phone and engaging in some shared virtual space, that they're missing the local experience. So, at this particular time something strange happened, and about three people saw this strangeness; I made a comment - which I might say was entertaining - but all three people were on their cell phones, oblivious to my blathering.

Now usually this shared moment among strangers envokes some sense of togetherness and community - even camaraderie. It's a moment where two complete strangers share a commonality they can talk about, even if only for a minute or two, and then go about their day. So while we might be maintainingour existing social networks, we might be losing something in the immediate local.

:: Netwoman 11:27 PM [+] ::
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Takeout Taking Over U.S. Households
More people are getting take-out then before - no surprise. I'm a big fan of the BBQ chicken you can get. Move over Mabel Microwave, here comes Theresa Take-Out!

Although most Americans eat their evening meal at home, only one in three actually makes it from scratch, as takeout and convenience foods are becoming increasingly common on the dinner table.

A new study of trends in U.S. food consumption shows made-from-scratch dinners have dropped 7% over the last two years and now account for only 32% of evening dinners.

Meanwhile, Americans are now more likely to order takeout from a restaurant than be seated there. Researchers found the average American ate 80 meals at restaurants in 2005 and took home 57 of them, compared with only 33 takeout meals 20 years ago.

:: Netwoman 11:12 PM [+] ::
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OII Summer Doctoral Programme - 2006
15th-29th July 2006, Oxford

Following on from the success of the 2005 Programme held in Beijing, the Oxford Internet Institute (OII) will hold its fourth Summer Doctoral Programme (SDP) in Oxford from 15th-29th July 2006.

As in previous years, the Programme will bring together students from around the world to study with leading academics in the field of Internet Studies and to share and discuss their research. The Programme is designed both to stretch the thinking of all students on a range of issues central to the work of the Institute through seminars and lectures and to provide valuable advice and support for students' own research. Its aim is to enhance the quality and significance of students' thesis research and to establish a peer network of excellent young researchers.
Programme Outline

The Programme will be conducted and organised by the Oxford Internet Institute in collaboration with faculty from the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School. Although details of the teaching programme have yet to be finalised, it is likely that the 2006 programme will be broadly similar to previous years' Programmes with daily research seminars and panel sessions given by leading academics including the OII's own faculty and Fellows from the Berkman Center. Students will have the opportunity to present their research to their peers in informal seminars and there will also be scope for break-out sessions where groups can focus more narrowly on research questions of mutual interest.

This is a great program folks - do try and apply. I went the first year and really enjoyed myself.

:: Netwoman 1:05 PM [+] ::
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Women & Blogging - Part 100
Christine Hurt talks about the recent events at a conference regarding 'the woman question' in the Blogosphere:

For our readers who were not lucky enough to attend Friday's "Blogging: Scholarship or Distraction?" panel (or who were lucky enough to leave early), you missed quite a surreal free-for-all at the end of the Q&A session. The preceding panel was great, with Larry Solum speaking bullishly on blogging, but more importantly on broader technological advances such as SSRN, Bepress, and Google, Vic Fleischer speaking optimistically, but cautiously, and Randy Barnett expressing the (qualified) view that blogging was good for senior scholars, dangerous for junior scholars. (Paul Caron has an outline of all three remarks here.)

However, during the end of the Q&A session, the topic turned to women and blogging, beginning with the question "Why aren't more women blogging," which led to questions such as "Why aren't any women on this panel?," "What does Christine do with her children?" and then, "What do these men on the panel do with their children?" (Only one person on the panel had children, and they are grown, so that question was poorly researched.) This panel will be podcast at some point, so I will go back and listen to see if I actually heard what I thought I heard.

She's frustrated - so Check out Christine's response to the reoccuring question - I want to comment, but have to get back to my thesis!!

:: Netwoman 10:44 AM [+] ::
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Shock Columnist needs Shock Therapy
The war on terror is the real women's issue
Feminists whine about life in the West but they won't fight the bigger battle by MARK STEYN

What's got Canadian feminist women and men pissed off and offended? Check out what looks like a book review (or started off as one), but is more of an anti-feminist editorial piece on women and feminism in today's society in Macleans Magazine.

What it is:
It's repulsive. It's unfair. It's totally incorrect. It's anti-feminist. It's bad journalism. It's some disenchanted, mysogynist dude venting.

What it isn't:
It's not an academic book review. It's not objective. It's not proofread. It's just wrong!

This is a perfect example of why feminism isn't dead:

What patriarchal dragons are left for feminists to slay? Well, according to Rachel Smolkin in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Women make up only 1.3 per cent of plumbers, pipe fitters and steamfitters . . ." Golly. Maybe laying pipe is something that particularly appeals to boys, and maybe girls would rather be the hotshot lawyers who sue the contractor for not hiring enough female plumbers: in America, after all, 60 per cent of college graduates are now women. Both sets of statistics come from Kate O'Beirne's rollicking polemic Women Who Make the World Worse, and, whether or not you agree with the title, it's hard to argue that feminism hasn't won pretty much every battle in every sphere of modern Western life -- not least the academy. It's not just that 60 per cent of graduates are female but that the 40 per cent who aren't exist in a thoroughly feminized culture.

AND...

That's a Gloria Steinem line, of course. These days Gloria is -- what? 83? 112? -- and still looks fabulously hot, but, like The Feminism of Doria Gray, it's her ideology that's gotten all wrinkled and saggy. In their peculiarly reductive definition of "women's issues," older Western feminists sound squaresville and younger ones sound kooky.

No folks, feminism isn't dead - there's much more work to be done by third wave feminists - there's much more soul searching needed by those who claim not be femininists. Canada always appears to be this liberal-minded, left leaning democracy - where queers can marry, smoke pot and download music from the internet. Shame on you Macleans magazine for posting such an offensive piece. Yes, we all have a right to freedom of speech, but if those opinions are hurtful, offensive and ideologically laden with patriarchal garbage, then present it as such - an opinion piece - or not! Do we need to hear this anger and hatred?

As I often tell my students, we need to be aware of how our opinions or worldview might be offensive and hurtful to others, therefore we have to think before we speak. Clearly, this writer meant to 'shock' readers into responding, and perhaps this is exactly what modern feminists need - shock treatment of what the opinions of some Canadians really are. What if this editorial had a different spin? - Black Canadians need to stop complaining about racism - it's a racialized culture! or how about this - Queer marriages responsible for the decline of morals and values in Canadian society - it's a queer culture. This just wouldn't happen (well, maybe the negative perspective on gay & lesbian marriages - as Stephen Harper wants to revisit this/challenge this if he's elected!). Sexism and mysogny is not a hate crime - yet.

And what exactly is a feminized culture? Is fighting for your rights? Is it advocating for equal pay for equal work? Is it advocating to eradicate social inequalities? No. To Steyn, a feminized culture is a culture of women who bitch and whine. That's what it really boils down to again - the bitching women who can't seem to stop complaining, and always want more. Indeed, it seems that Steyn is the bitter complainer, arguing that his (right-wing) social position should no longer be challenged. If this is what Canadian politics represent, than I don't want it, and with the Canadian election coming up on the 23rd of January (again), Canadians need to think very carefully about who they want representing them and their viewpoints. Sigh.

Not all feminists are women and it's not just women who are offended by these perspectives. Martin Dufresne does a lot of work in this area, along with many other feminist men.

:: Netwoman 9:28 AM [+] ::
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WANTED: FEMALE COMPUTER-SCIENCE STUDENTS

Join a live, online discussion with Claudia Morrell, the executive director of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County's Center for Women and Information Technology, about how to encourage more women to pursue computer-science degrees, on Thursday, January 12th at 1 p.m., U.S. Eastern time.

Info is available HERE - Also see the recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education!

:: Netwoman 11:38 AM [+] ::
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xianghua2
Originally uploaded by Netwoman.

Reclaiming Virtual Spaces in Video Game Play
My son received Soul Calibur 3 as a gift for Christmas, and it's been a favourite past time since. There are many reasons why I think this game is fabulous: 1)The story lines are mildly entertaining 2) you can have multiple players, which makes for a fun family night 3) The characters are very cool! I always play female characters if I have the option - I rarely play males - and the selection of female characters is awesome; strong, quick, smart and sometimes evil. One of my favourite characters is Chai Xianghua, a 20 year old woman from Peking weilding a Chinese Sword. She's fun, she's fiesty and she kicks butt! She's not overtly sexual, but she doesn't hide it either.

One of my favourite features of this game is the character creation section. Here is where I feel quite empowered and liberted - I can create my own character with whatever appearance and personality I choose. I can choose conventional notions of sex, gender, race, age and ability OR I can totally contest and blur the conventions creating my own virtual being free from ideological prejudices (or so I like to think). My character - who I named 'Rogue' - can be scantily clad dancer or a gladitor clad in armor - or even a lovely Kimono. She can be African American or she can be a lovely shade of lavendar with silver hair.

I really enjoy this game and what is has to offer. I love playing a character I created, and a character I can change depending on my mood. It becomes almost a part of your personality.

I do have some suggestions for a future edition of Soul Calibur.

Dear Namco:

Here is my suggestion for a future Soul Calibur game. Soul Calibur X
-You can have the option of playing online is versus mode and gain points or make a tournament mode out of this. You could also have a story line mode that you could do online where characters cross paths to get to the end of their story.
-You can have the option of doing a story mode for a character you create. Maybe these are bits and pieces of other stories or you could choose a story type.
-You could also use your own character online in battles against others characters they created.

I have some more suggestions, but at this time if you are interested in hiring me for consulting work, you can reach me at the email noted on this blog.

Sincerely,

Netwoman
GAmeR GuRL

There you have it. If you can find any time in your busy schedules and need to vent - play this game.

:: Netwoman 7:10 PM [+] ::
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A New Year! Reflections and Projections...

And so, another year is done and we start again. Today is always a day of reflection for me; I think about what I accomplished this year, nice things that I did or good things that happened to me. I try not think about where I thought would be this time last year. My years are always busy and interesting with lots of ups and downs, this is life.

Others are likely doing the same - the time of reflection, the setting of goals and the initial game plan for the coming year. I came across Game Girl Advance's Five Biggest Trends of 2005. Here's a synopsis;

1.) Sex and Games
2.) Wireless Online Gaming
3.) There's Room for the Both Of Us
4.) Console Indie Development
5.) Gamers Fight Back against Critics

This led to think about what changes we might see in 2006 in regards to gaming practices and research (among other technological innovations or changes). In particular, I think that 2006 will be the year of the Video Game;

1) We will see academic Video Game research increase and peek to create a 'boom'
2) We will see more and more women of all ages purchasing more gaming gear and playing more video games
3) We will see more and more women and girls offering their commentary on existing games and contributing to the design of new games that are diverse and innovative
4) We will see that 2006 will be the year of the Female Gamer

Some of this is already going on. For example, in January 2004, Stevie Case wrote an article about women in gaming:

For years the stereotype of the hardcore computer gamer has persisted: young men, isolated, clicking away on their mice in dark basements and odiferous dorm rooms. However, as games have evolved, so have the players. The doors to the world of gaming have been torn down by a surprisingly diverse and unexpected group. Gaming, once thought to be the domain of men, has become a widely accepted social activity, attracting record numbers of women to the hobby.

Aleah Tierney wrote an article about What Women Want:

As a female gamer, I'm a stranger in a strange land. I play in a male-created virtual space.
Male video game characters embody the fantasy of what men want to be. Female characters represent the fantasy women men want. But I have my own desires, and most games fall far short of fulfilling them.
Characters like Tomb Raider's Lara Croft allow women gamers to get tough and "play the lead." While their presence is a positive step toward female inclusion, there's something about the gargantuan breasts and the tiny clothes that leave real women cold. Believe me, women gamers feel frustrated and excluded.

Henry Jenkins writes about "Reality Bytes: Eight Myths About Video Games Debunked" and notes:

Almost no girls play computer games.
Historically, the video game market has been predominantly male. However, the percentage of women playing games has steadily increased over the past decade. Women now slightly outnumber men playing Web-based games. Spurred by the belief that games were an important gateway into other kinds of digital literacy, efforts were made in the mid-90s to build games that appealed to girls. More recent games such as The Sims were huge crossover successes that attracted many women who had never played games before. Given the historic imbalance in the game market (and among people working inside the game industry), the presence of sexist stereotyping in games is hardly surprising. Yet it's also important to note that female game characters are often portrayed as powerful and independent. In his book Killing Monsters, Gerard Jones argues that young girls often build upon these representations of strong women warriors as a means of building up their self confidence in confronting challenges in their everyday lives.

Women take a shine to video games in Alfred Hermida's article:

A consultation paper on women in gaming, prepared for the UK games trade body Elspa, highlights how women are increasingly interested in video games.
Traditionally, games have been aimed at men, but researcher Aleks Krotoski found that the situation is changing.
"The technology has got to a point that the product that is being made is more interesting to women," she said.
"More women than ever before are playing games."

Madison at Tekkalogue writes:

Yesterday, Clarinda Merripen of Cyberlore spoke at the Boston Postmortem. She had a lot to say about women and games - to an audience of almost all male game developers. "Women are the new powerhouse", she said, quoting sales statistics from Fast Company. Apparently, women purchase 66% of all home computer equipment in the U.S!
She accused the game industry of alienating women by their marketing campaigns. As an example, she mentioned the absolutely ridiculous Gameboyd Advance SP ad - the one with the guy and his girlfriend in bed. She is sleeping, while he is playing his gameboy in the dark. It practically spells out "women - this isn't for you" (and worse - guys would rather play with their gameboy than with you!). Clarinda asks the industry to reinvent their image. If Nike could get women to wear sports shoes, why can't the game industry get women to play games?

Beth Winegarner asks are Video games--a girl thing?

When game developer Sheri Graner Ray attended her first Game Developers Conference in 1992, she was one of just a handful of women at the event.
When she delivered a talk on women and games that year, "they said, 'Why are we even bothering to listen to you? Girls don't play games.'"
Fast-forward 13 years. Ray says she was told that about 1,000 women attended the 2005 Game Developers Conference, representing 10 percent of those present. Ray, who has devoted her career to making games--and the industry--friendlier to women, can take such progress personally. In 1993, the year after her first GDC, she held a GDC women's roundtable that became the seed for her volunteer organization, Girls in Games.

Designing Women Focus on Video Games By Sandy Kobrin:

A small band of female video-game designers and savants banded together last week to tempt and help more women into the industry. More female designers, they reason, will leaven the powerful medium's sex-toy portrayal of women.
According to a 2000 industry report, less than 30 percent of the people who play Nintendo and Sony Play Station and computer games are female.
The explanation, say some analysts, can be traced to gender trends in the industry employment.
"Take a look at most design teams," said Henry Jenkins, director of Comparative Media Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a leading authority on video games in this country. "It's a bunch of men sitting around designing the games that they want to play and by and large they have."
Only 10 percent to 15 percent of those in the International Game Developers Association are women, according to Jason Della Rocca, program director for the San Francisco-based trade group. And few are executives. Most are in areas such as graphics, not product creation.

Digital Games Research Association or DiGRA "is the association for academics and professionals who research digital games and associated phenomena. It encourages high-quality research on games, and promotes collaboration and dissemination of work by its members."

Also WomenGamers.com because Women do play!

There are many other media articles that have surfaced over the last two years about women and gaming. I think in 2006 we will see and hear much more about this, particularly in regards my own demographic 25-45. It should be interesting!

:: Netwoman 3:05 PM [+] ::
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