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Female attendance?

Bionic MonkeyBionic Monkey Registered User, ClubPA regular
edited January 2007 in PAX Archive
A few months ago, Khoo told us that PAX '05 had approximatly a 3:1 ration of men to women attending. I was curious if that ratio held this year.

Edit: Good lord, I thought I used English.

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Bionic Monkey on
«13

Posts

  • jieunjieun Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    3:1? Wow, I thought it would be more like 5:1.

    I'm curious too.

    jieun on
  • jenellejenelle Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    I would say whatever it was last year, the ratio of women to men was likely smaller in comparison. Last year I was pretty impressed by how many women there were, whereas this year it seemed to be about the same number but with way more men. I never, ever saw more than two girls in a group, very few solitary women, much more likely was a group of 4-5 guys with a token girlfriend of one of them. Even more likely was a group of 4-5 guys sans females. Not that I'm complaining.

    jenelle on
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  • BrokenAngelBrokenAngel Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    Hey there were like 4 of us at the murder mystery, all in 1 room even! it was amazing!

    BrokenAngel on
    k9mk2carn.pngeleventhdoc2carn.png *Proud Head Girl of Slytherin & Team Red*
  • WazWaz Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    You saw more or less girls depending on where you were. There were lots in the wireless "Lounge", and quite a few playing DDR and Guitar Hero. About 65% of the people at the Girls in Gaming panel were female.

    I think it would be safe to say a good 80% of the girls there were with boyfriends/husbands, and probably 40% of those same girls were just tagging along with no real interest in gaming.

    Waz on
  • ~PAX Girl~~PAX Girl~ Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    Yeah the attendance of women this year did seem more but the male attendace increased as well..9000 to 19000...It was probably 3:1 still this year..but not sure..

    ~PAX Girl~ on
    <insert sig, that i don't want to find, here>
  • SamyelSamyel Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    It's hard to tell which are Girlfriend Gamers and which are Gamer's Girlfriends, if you follow. Most women in gaming tend to date men in gaming.

    Samyel on
    "It is inhumane, in my opinion, to force people who have a genuine medical need for coffee to wait in line behind people who apparently view it as some kind of recreational activity."
  • jennygjennyg Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    I was there with two friends of mine who were brother and sister, so we didn't really fit any of the patterns above....

    Personally, I'm fine with the ratios the way they are, if it continues to mean a con of thousands of people and yet no lines ever at the women's restroom. ;)

    jennyg on
  • SylvanbabeSylvanbabe Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    i think it's nice to bring your significant other along but if they are not interested then they are taking up precious breathing room!

    Sylvanbabe on
    ~Annichka~
  • WazWaz Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    jennyg wrote:
    I was there with two friends of mine who were brother and sister, so we didn't really fit any of the patterns above....

    Personally, I'm fine with the ratios the way they are, if it continues to mean a con of thousands of people and yet no lines ever at the women's restroom. ;)

    I agree.
    The fewer girls who go, the less time I spend waiting to pee.
    @sylvan - Also agreed. It's great when you're talking to another girl at PAX and she knows what you're talking about. It's kind of sad when you're given a forlorn look of misunderstanding and bordom.

    Waz on
  • Moe FwackyMoe Fwacky Right Here, Right Now Drives a BuickModerator mod
    edited September 2006
    Waz wrote:
    jennyg wrote:
    I was there with two friends of mine who were brother and sister, so we didn't really fit any of the patterns above....

    Personally, I'm fine with the ratios the way they are, if it continues to mean a con of thousands of people and yet no lines ever at the women's restroom. ;)

    I agree.
    The fewer girls who go, the less time I spend waiting to pee.
    @sylvan - Also agreed. It's great when you're talking to another girl at PAX and she knows what you're talking about. It's kind of sad when you're given a forlorn look of misunderstanding and bordom.

    Yes, all women at PAX should be gamers, either single or attatched at the hip to other gamers.

    Moe Fwacky on
    E6LkoFK.png

  • Dr. DeezeeDr. Deezee Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    Moe_Fwacky wrote:
    Waz wrote:
    jennyg wrote:
    I was there with two friends of mine who were brother and sister, so we didn't really fit any of the patterns above....

    Personally, I'm fine with the ratios the way they are, if it continues to mean a con of thousands of people and yet no lines ever at the women's restroom. ;)

    I agree.
    The fewer girls who go, the less time I spend waiting to pee.
    @sylvan - Also agreed. It's great when you're talking to another girl at PAX and she knows what you're talking about. It's kind of sad when you're given a forlorn look of misunderstanding and bordom.

    Yes, all women at PAX should be gamers, either single or attatched at the hip to other gamers.
    What about booth babes and cheerleaders? ;)

    Dr. Deezee on
  • LegacyLegacy Stuck Somewhere In Cyberspace The Grid(Seattle)Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited September 2006
    Dr. Deezee wrote:
    Moe_Fwacky wrote:
    Waz wrote:
    jennyg wrote:
    I was there with two friends of mine who were brother and sister, so we didn't really fit any of the patterns above....

    Personally, I'm fine with the ratios the way they are, if it continues to mean a con of thousands of people and yet no lines ever at the women's restroom. ;)

    I agree.
    The fewer girls who go, the less time I spend waiting to pee.
    @sylvan - Also agreed. It's great when you're talking to another girl at PAX and she knows what you're talking about. It's kind of sad when you're given a forlorn look of misunderstanding and bordom.

    Yes, all women at PAX should be gamers, either single or attatched at the hip to other gamers.
    What about booth babes and cheerleaders? ;)

    I personally wouldn't have minded if the Fury girls from E3 were there.

    But I know that's not what PAX is about.

    Legacy on
    Can we get the chemicals in. 'Cause anything's better than this.
  • SamyelSamyel Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    The bathroom thing was fabulous. On Saturday when it was so horribly crowded, taking a bathroom break meant a few minutes in a silent, deserted, and crisply airconditioned space. :D

    I did enjoy a number of random conversations with other gamer girls, but I don't really get this whole "we're the mythical creature of gaming" attitude that kept popping up, especially from the younger, teenage girls. We're not common, but we're not all that uncommon either.

    Having a girl wearing fish-net tights and a cat-ear headband tell me that it's "so great to finally see other girl gamers!" kind of makes me think she lives under a rock. :?

    Samyel on
    "It is inhumane, in my opinion, to force people who have a genuine medical need for coffee to wait in line behind people who apparently view it as some kind of recreational activity."
  • WazWaz Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    I'm kind of worried that for the younger girls, gaming is just something they do to set themselves apart from the "Normal" girls. It's like all those 14 year olds who were converting to paganism a few years back because it gave them a sense of individualism.

    Waz on
  • OfficerOfficer Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    Waz wrote:
    I'm kind of worried that for the younger girls, gaming is just something they do to set themselves apart from the "Normal" girls. It's like all those 14 year olds who were converting to paganism a few years back because it gave them a sense of individualism.

    Yeah, but, like, seriously, I, like, like games and stuff! Not to mention, like, how many boys, like, totally, dig on us gamer chicks! It's, like, totally tight! Also, like, I am, like, a real, like, sweet girl, like, and I, like, can't help, like, being so, like, good at, like, games! Keke ^^, la, laio, rofl!

    Officer on
  • Moe FwackyMoe Fwacky Right Here, Right Now Drives a BuickModerator mod
    edited September 2006
    Waz wrote:
    I'm kind of worried that for the younger girls, gaming is just something they do to set themselves apart from the "Normal" girls. It's like all those 14 year olds who were converting to paganism a few years back because it gave them a sense of individualism.

    I would like to believe that many gamer girls are gamers because they like games. But I fear you may be right, however if that's the case, it'll only last a few years before they stop trying to force themselves to enjoy something they don't. However, if that is their reasoning to begin with and they stick with it because they enjoy it, who are we to say how they got into gaming is wrong. Perhaps their original motives may not have been right, but who are we to judge if they stick by it because they enjoy it.

    Moe Fwacky on
    E6LkoFK.png

  • WazWaz Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    You raise a good point, Moe. I've been playing PC games as long as I can remember (Thanks Dad), but I'd be lying if I told you I got into consoles on my own (thanks ex-boyfriend).

    I love that game developers are finally taking a look at the female demograph and are designing games that are more female friendly.

    What I don't like is the "If it's pink, they'll buy it" mentality.

    Waz on
  • David CoffmanDavid Coffman Registered User, PAX Staff regular
    edited September 2006
    Recruit wrote:
    Yeah, but, like, seriously, I, like, like games and stuff! Not to mention, like, how many boys, like, totally, dig on us gamer chicks! It's, like, totally tight! Also, like, I am, like, a real, like, sweet girl, like, and I, like, can't help, like, being so, like, good at, like, games! Keke ^^, la, laio, rofl!
    This is officially my favorite post on the pax forums.

    David Coffman on
  • BrokenAngelBrokenAngel Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    Waz wrote:
    I'm kind of worried that for the younger girls, gaming is just something they do to set themselves apart from the "Normal" girls. It's like all those 14 year olds who were converting to paganism a few years back because it gave them a sense of individualism.

    Sadly... I agree.

    It's suddenly seem to become the "Look! I'm an individual just like all these people over here!" trend of the moment. Because anything Hot Topic decides to put on a shirt instantly becomes cool and trendy, and suddenly it's quite common to see "old school" gaming shirts on every 14 year old mallrat who has never seen a console in her life but her brothers Xbox.

    Then, there are the even worse "take advantage of the gamer cliche" girls.... They usually end up as very scantily clad cosplayer girls to get attention because they think we all are lonely horny teenage males that will drool over them and make them feel better about themselves. They have no interest in gaming other than which characters outfit will show off more panty shots.

    Now the problem is, sometimes real gamer girls can be mistaken for either of these, or vice versa. (I mean really, I think most girls get an occassional twinge and feel like pretending to be Tifa for a day) But luckily this confusion can easily be avoided by a simple 5 second conversation in most cases. Ask about games, if they answer coherently give them a hug, they deserve it!

    Well not the 14 year old ones... that might get you in trouble...
    Recruit wrote:
    Yeah, but, like, seriously, I, like, like games and stuff! Not to mention, like, how many boys, like, totally, dig on us gamer chicks! It's, like, totally tight! Also, like, I am, like, a real, like, sweet girl, like, and I, like, can't help, like, being so, like, good at, like, games! Keke ^^, la, laio, rofl!

    Baby... I'm so very afraid of you right now o.O

    BrokenAngel on
    k9mk2carn.pngeleventhdoc2carn.png *Proud Head Girl of Slytherin & Team Red*
  • altmannaltmann Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    After last year my wife -who's last game was bubble bobble for NES- said she thought it'd be fun. I showed her all the videos and such and she actually got interested.

    Now if only i could get her to cosplay as Baroness...

    -A

    altmann on
    Imperator of the Gigahorse Jockeys.

    "Oh what a day, what a LOVELY DAY!"

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  • dr_wdr_w Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    I believe pretty strongly that girls aren't terribly into gaming mainly because most games are so singularly and shamelessly marketed at that honeypot demographic, males 14-30. The female mind is just not fascinated at the idea of running around a maze killing things with a gun, which (and let's be honest) pretty much sums up 95% of all games out there ever since Doom. And to be totally honest, that's why I'm not all that into gaming anymore. My will to game non-stop died with the graphic adventure. And yes, there are games out there that have a bit more substance, but you have to search for them, and someone not already into gaming probably won't make the effort. I think the Wii will probably change things a bit.

    Think about the games females like: Tetris, SMB, Kirby, and Zelda (maybe) are ususally the most common 'favorite games' among women. Women are into intellectual challenges and (dare I say it?) 'cute' stuff. Guys? All about the simulation of having more power than they actually do. It's why the demographics of games so closely match those of comic books. Men are all about fantasizing about power. Men, at their most primal, don't enjoy the intellectual challenge of a game so much as the idea that sooner or later they will recieve a power-up that will lessen the challenge. Let's call it the BFG 9000 syndrome. As a man, I will shamelessly admit that the most glorious moment of Doom was receiving the BFG and suddenly being able to clear whole rooms at a time with my giant, pulsing-with-energy, shiny metal phallus-shaped gun, ejaculating enormous green bolts of destruction all over the level.

    Hmm...kinda got off on a rant there. Well at least I got a chance to say 'ejaculate'.

    dr_w on
  • SamyelSamyel Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    dr_w wrote:
    The female mind is just not fascinated at the idea of running around a maze killing things with a gun, which (and let's be honest) pretty much sums up 95% of all games out there ever since Doom.

    I think I'm not the only woman on these forums who will respond with an emphatic "hey!" at this. Yeah, we're the minority among the minority, but we're visible.

    Also, hehe... you said "ejaculate." *snicker*

    Samyel on
    "It is inhumane, in my opinion, to force people who have a genuine medical need for coffee to wait in line behind people who apparently view it as some kind of recreational activity."
  • BrokenAngelBrokenAngel Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    Samyel wrote:
    dr_w wrote:
    The female mind is just not fascinated at the idea of running around a maze killing things with a gun, which (and let's be honest) pretty much sums up 95% of all games out there ever since Doom.

    I think I'm not the only woman on these forums who will respond with an emphatic "hey!" at this. Yeah, we're the minority among the minority, but we're visible.

    Also, hehe... you said "ejaculate." *snicker*

    I concur! I love my semi-automatic phallic symbols as much as the next guy. Us girls just have to position it to rest comfortably and not recoil into our breasts.

    BrokenAngel on
    k9mk2carn.pngeleventhdoc2carn.png *Proud Head Girl of Slytherin & Team Red*
  • NekomimiNekomimi attorney at lawl Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited September 2006
    dr_w wrote:
    The female mind is just not fascinated at the idea of running around a maze killing things with a gun, which (and let's be honest) pretty much sums up 95% of all games out there ever since Doom.

    I'll run around shooting stuff all day if it means I get to spend time with Gordon Freeman. He's so dreamy!

    But it's true. I miss the really good adventure games of the 80s and 90s. And I'm not talking Perils of Rosella, although that was my favorite game when it came out... I mean come on... I was an eight year old girl at the time! What I mean is stuff like Full Throttle and Sam and Max Hit the Road... remember when Lucas Arts made GOOD games that had NOTHING to do with Star Wars??

    I think the well-written adventure game lends itself more to female gamers than FPS games do... however every now and then, a girl does indeed like to grab a BFG and go nuts.

    But this whole girl gamer debate is getting old. I say just let the girl game if she wants to. If she wants to play Dig Dug or Bubble Bobble, fine. If she wants to play DoD, sure. They don't need to be introduced to gaming (contrary to popular belief, we ARE actually intelligent and know what we like and don't like). Perhaps a game, or a genre, but not the concept. I mean, crap... gaming's popular culture.

    But yeah, I'd say 3:1 or 4:1 for the ratio. I wonder if that will grow or shrink next year...

    Nekomimi on
  • gates_apcogates_apco Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    I am female. I considered myself a casual gamer. I do not gravitate towards any one genre and I think I'm the norm. Game Marketers are having trouble making games for us because we do not follow a pattern.

    I've played several PC games starting with Knights Quest and Forgotten Realms and jumping to Need for Speed, Dungeon Siege, Sims, Alice, Halo and Black and White. I have played a few console games but never owned a system (although I’m getting a Playstation to play Guitar Hero this fall). I also play Pen and Paper games (Shadow Run, Cyberpunk, Gurps, etc) and table top games (Magic, Munchkin, Zombies, etc).

    Due to the fact that I have dabbled in every form of gaming I love PAX. It has something for everyone who is interested in gaming. I was not prepared for that. I was interested in everything on the schedule. If marketers want to read the pulse of their consumers they need to may attention to what the trends are at these types of events. I would appreciate if the marketers focused on the demographic “gamer” as a whole and not as male or female. We might see totally different games in the future.

    I know it’s not realistic but one can dream.

    gates_apco on
  • astrog33kastrog33k Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    I was expecting to be totally outnumbered and intimidated at PAX, but I found that although I was outnumberd people were very nice 99% of the time. I agree the empty bathrooms was a nice change. :-P I think my boyfriend actually was reluctant to let me join him when I first told him I thought I'd enjoy it, but I talked him around to it.

    I'm a casual gamer too, and as such I was a little disappointed at the choice of games for the Omegathon, but there were some ameliorating choices, such as Guitar Hero. I usually can't stand FPSs (though I got some time in the PC Free Play room and found that Counter Strike is the only one that doesn't get me nauseous), so a lot of what my gamer friends play simply doesn't interest me.

    I wish gender could be ignored, maybe then it'd end up balancing more, who knows.

    astrog33k on
    "My Limit Break involves a moose, the demon Baphomet, and a Kuiper Belt object. It takes four hours and you can't skip any of the cutscenes." --Pintsize, Questionable Content
  • astrog33kastrog33k Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    BTW, what do gamer's girlfriends who aren't girlfriend gamers *DO* at PAX anyway? I'd be bored out of my skull if I got dragged to say, a typography conference, so I just wouldn't do it.

    astrog33k on
    "My Limit Break involves a moose, the demon Baphomet, and a Kuiper Belt object. It takes four hours and you can't skip any of the cutscenes." --Pintsize, Questionable Content
  • OfficerOfficer Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    astrog33k wrote:
    BTW, what do gamer's girlfriends who aren't girlfriend gamers *DO* at PAX anyway? I'd be bored out of my skull if I got dragged to say, a typography conference, so I just wouldn't do it.

    It's not so much the goings on at the Con, it's the time spent alone in a hotel room, I think, that gets them there. An activity they can do with their boyfriend. Also, I think, they do it so that they can have a little leverage over them. Not at the forefront of their minds, mind you, but I think it is an excellent thing to be able to say, "I went to that goddamn expo thingy, and now that I want to go out for a night, you say no? Dick!" Nothing wrong with a little bit o' leverage. Not to mention, I bet it's just nice to get away from home for a while and spend some time with the person you are currently involved with, in an unfamiliar setting, all joking aside.

    Officer on
  • WazWaz Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    It's always nice to have an extra pair of arms for swag.

    The Girl-Gamer vs Gendernonspecific-Gamer thing is almost exclusively done by girl-gamers. The worst is when you hear "I'm really good, for a girl".

    I don't think the solution is to ignore gender when creating games. Consumers, male and female alike, seem to be fed up with FPS games who's main (only?) sell are their graphics. Everyone is looking for games with more developed characters and intriguing story lines. Girls and boys are just raised differently, and find different things rewarding.

    My male-gamer friends are perfectly content to kill an alien because that's the point of the game. My female-gamer friends want to learn about and rehabilitate the alien, killing it only if it ate her (the game characters) dog/child/lover.

    Waz on
  • OfficerOfficer Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    Waz wrote:
    It's always nice to have an extra pair of arms for swag.

    The Girl-Gamer vs Gendernonspecific-Gamer thing is almost exclusively done by girl-gamers. The worst is when you hear "I'm really good, for a girl".

    I don't think the solution is to ignore gender when creating games. Consumers, male and female alike, seem to be fed up with FPS games who's main (only?) sell are their graphics. Everyone is looking for games with more developed characters and intriguing story lines. Girls and boys are just raised differently, and find different things rewarding.

    My male-gamer friends are perfectly content to kill an alien because that's the point of the game. My female-gamer friends want to learn about and rehabilitate the alien, killing it only if it ate her (the game characters) dog/child/lover.

    As a male gamer, my main goal when I play a game is to just beat it. I love the thrill of confronting the end and telling it I am better than it. Graphics have never been a big deal for me, I've spent the last few months replaying several wonderful PSX titles (Final Fantasy 4/5/6, Chrono Trigger, Legend of Mana, Xenogears) because they really entice my soul and because I can't find anything out there worth playing that I can't deal with in short order. Only a few games a year hook me enough to buy them. After that, I go back to my favorites, which, invariably, are older titles from PSX or SNES or even NES. Games these days, like movies, just seem lesser than the games of yore. I guess it's the "It's Been Done" syndrome. There are a limited number of stories, characters, plots, develeopmental styles and play styles, and once you've seen plenty of them, newer ones, with better graphics never measure up to the way they felt when you first played them. It's kind of sad to be so jaded about the entertainment industries when you're only 20...

    Officer on
  • WazWaz Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    I've noticed that with a lot of guys. The thrill is in finishing the game. Finishing a mediocre game for the sake of winning is like watching a crappy movie just so you can say you managed to sit through it.

    For me, the thrill is playing the game. I want to learn about the characters, and find out what their motivation is. I want a great story line. There's no point in playing a game that doesn't entice you. One of the things that struck a chord with me during the Girls in Gaming panel was when one of the panelists said "Girls will play videogames when there's a videogame worth playing". It's why you more frequently see girls playing JRPGs than RTS, FPS, and games like M:tG, or even board games. I, at least, am in it for the story.

    Waz on
  • OfficerOfficer Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    Waz wrote:
    I've noticed that with a lot of guys. The thrill is in finishing the game. Finishing a mediocre game for the sake of winning is like watching a crappy movie just so you can say you managed to sit through it.

    For me, the thrill is playing the game. I want to learn about the characters, and find out what their motivation is. I want a great story line. There's no point in playing a game that doesn't entice you. One of the things that struck a chord with me during the Girls in Gaming panel was when one of the panelists said "Girls will play videogames when there's a videogame worth playing". It's why you more frequently see girls playing JRPGs than RTS, FPS, and games like M:tG, or even board games. I, at least, am in it for the story.

    Yeah, that's what I get from the games I find replayable. Like when I play a great fighting game, there's no end, really. And playing my favorite RPGs, they are more fun as I get to see more content and find more stuff. I love those games where I always have a different experience every time I hit the "New Game" option. Huzzah for awesome games. Boo on games I beat just for the sake of saying I've finished. Or beat just to move on in the franchise.

    Officer on
  • WazWaz Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    Recruit wrote:
    Or beat just to move on in the franchise.

    Like the later Final Fantasy games?

    Waz on
  • dr_wdr_w Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    I, for one, defintiely enjoy story-driven games far more than level-based baddie-shooters, but are those still 'games'? A game, by definition, is a contest whose objective for the player is to win. Interactive cinematic experiences (Longest Journey and Dreamfall immediately spring to mind) are all about just experiencing as much of the story as you can. Your reward for being a good 'player' isn't necessarily to be victorious, but merely to get an optimal and therefore, the most satisfying experience from the narrative. When the 'game' elements (which can pretty much be boiled down to puzzles, conversations, and combat) are synthesized well enough into the story, the game is very much like a movie, except that the act of being even a little involved with the protagonist's direction makes the experience far more enriching.

    It seems like the issue here is simply that 'video game' is an outdated term; only the 'video' part remains true, as a 'video game' is now simply any computer-aided simulation whose primary purpose is entertainment. We're living in the fuzzy historical zone between TV culture and some new, fully-interactive existence that we can't even fully conceptualize yet. At some point, the movie, the TV show, all 3rd person passive fiction will be gone. It will all revolve around player interaction.

    The porn is gonna totally rule.

    dr_w on
  • WazWaz Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    dr_w wrote:
    I, for one, defintiely enjoy story-driven games far more than level-based baddie-shooters, but are those still 'games'? A game, by definition, is a contest whose objective for the player is to win. Interactive cinematic experiences (Longest Journey and Dreamfall immediately spring to mind) are all about just experiencing as much of the story as you can. Your reward for being a good 'player' isn't necessarily to be victorious, but merely to get an optimal and therefore, the most satisfying experience from the narrative. When the 'game' elements (which can pretty much be boiled down to puzzles, conversations, and combat) are synthesized well enough into the story, the game is very much like a movie, except that the act of being even a little involved with the protagonist's direction makes the experience far more enriching.

    It seems like the issue here is simply that 'video game' is an outdated term; only the 'video' part remains true, as a 'video game' is now simply any computer-aided simulation whose primary purpose is entertainment. We're living in the fuzzy historical zone between TV culture and some new, fully-interactive existence that we can't even fully conceptualize yet. At some point, the movie, the TV show, all 3rd person passive fiction will be gone. It will all revolve around player interaction.

    The porn is gonna totally rule.

    Now, I'm not 100% on this, but I'm pretty sure I love you.

    Waz on
  • OfficerOfficer Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    Waz wrote:
    Recruit wrote:
    Or beat just to move on in the franchise.

    Like the later Final Fantasy games?

    Honestly... Once I got through FFVIII, I was so disenchanted with the games, I played the first disc of FFIX and didn't pick of a single one after that.

    Officer on
  • WazWaz Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    Recruit wrote:
    Waz wrote:
    Recruit wrote:
    Or beat just to move on in the franchise.

    Like the later Final Fantasy games?

    Honestly... Once I got through FFVIII, I was so disenchanted with the games, I played the first disc of FFIX and didn't pick of a single one after that.

    I've decided I'm not going to bother playing past FFVII. I hear one of the newer ones is worth playing, but I'm not sure which one it is. Apparently the main character is happy. Baffling.

    Waz on
  • OfficerOfficer Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    Waz wrote:
    Recruit wrote:
    Waz wrote:
    Recruit wrote:
    Or beat just to move on in the franchise.

    Like the later Final Fantasy games?

    Honestly... Once I got through FFVIII, I was so disenchanted with the games, I played the first disc of FFIX and didn't pick of a single one after that.

    I've decided I'm not going to bother playing past FFVII. I hear one of the newer ones is worth playing, but I'm not sure which one it is. Apparently the main character is happy. Baffling.

    I... really? I guess that's what I get for being a jaded asshole when it comes to playing that series. Once I beat FFVII, the experience was starting it's decline (Peaking at FFVI) and FFVIII just made me hate every one of the characters in that installment, except for Seifer, he was a harsh mo'fo'.

    I played FFIX, like I said, through the first disc, and it didn't do a thing for me. The cartooney style characters were tolerable, the gameplay wasn't altogether similar or too different to the other incarnations of The Fantasy, but the characters weren't compelling, the plot was silly, and the main character... a fucking tail? Come on! And you can read my feelings on FFX and FFX-2 in my sig.

    Officer on
  • dr_wdr_w Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    Waz wrote:
    dr_w wrote:
    I, for one, defintiely enjoy story-driven games far more than level-based baddie-shooters, but are those still 'games'? A game, by definition, is a contest whose objective for the player is to win. Interactive cinematic experiences (Longest Journey and Dreamfall immediately spring to mind) are all about just experiencing as much of the story as you can. Your reward for being a good 'player' isn't necessarily to be victorious, but merely to get an optimal and therefore, the most satisfying experience from the narrative. When the 'game' elements (which can pretty much be boiled down to puzzles, conversations, and combat) are synthesized well enough into the story, the game is very much like a movie, except that the act of being even a little involved with the protagonist's direction makes the experience far more enriching.

    It seems like the issue here is simply that 'video game' is an outdated term; only the 'video' part remains true, as a 'video game' is now simply any computer-aided simulation whose primary purpose is entertainment. We're living in the fuzzy historical zone between TV culture and some new, fully-interactive existence that we can't even fully conceptualize yet. At some point, the movie, the TV show, all 3rd person passive fiction will be gone. It will all revolve around player interaction.

    The porn is gonna totally rule.

    Now, I'm not 100% on this, but I'm pretty sure I love you.

    Chicks dig dudes who dig graphic adventures where you play as a chick. It's a known fact.

    dr_w on
  • SylvanbabeSylvanbabe Registered User regular
    edited September 2006
    Waz wrote:
    dr_w wrote:
    I, for one, defintiely enjoy story-driven games far more than level-based baddie-shooters, but are those still 'games'? A game, by definition, is a contest whose objective for the player is to win. Interactive cinematic experiences (Longest Journey and Dreamfall immediately spring to mind) are all about just experiencing as much of the story as you can. Your reward for being a good 'player' isn't necessarily to be victorious, but merely to get an optimal and therefore, the most satisfying experience from the narrative. When the 'game' elements (which can pretty much be boiled down to puzzles, conversations, and combat) are synthesized well enough into the story, the game is very much like a movie, except that the act of being even a little involved with the protagonist's direction makes the experience far more enriching.

    It seems like the issue here is simply that 'video game' is an outdated term; only the 'video' part remains true, as a 'video game' is now simply any computer-aided simulation whose primary purpose is entertainment. We're living in the fuzzy historical zone between TV culture and some new, fully-interactive existence that we can't even fully conceptualize yet. At some point, the movie, the TV show, all 3rd person passive fiction will be gone. It will all revolve around player interaction.

    The porn is gonna totally rule.

    Now, I'm not 100% on this, but I'm pretty sure I love you.

    Who doesn't love dr wily? he's my hero! he signed my piggy!

    Sylvanbabe on
    ~Annichka~
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