> At 09:52 13.03.96 -0600, Alex wrote:
>
> >At any rate, I would find any effort to do "girl video games" sort of
> >offensive. What would they be about? Some kind of daring, high-speed
> >embroidery race? ;) I'd rather see efforts to understand -- and perhaps
> >reduce -- gender differences in our society, rather than exploit them for
> >profit, thereby validating and solidifying them. But exactly how you'd do
> >that in the case of video games, I don't know.
>
> just in case: i'm not really concerned about stupid(?) game-makers not
> being able to earn money on the female market segment that was just my
> smartass way of asking the question i guess... the real problem is of
> course that computer technology is dominated by males (hell, the
> percentage of girls/women) takin a higher education in computer
> science here in good, old social democratic .no is actually going
> DOWN!), and that video/computer games has been/are a major entry point
> for young people to the world of computers... so, one part of the
> answer to the question "how do we get more females into computers/
> computer science/well paid and important jobs using computers?" could
> maybe perhaps be "introducing more girls to computers at an early
> age, by getting them to play games on the damn things!" and i said
> ONE part of the answer....
One of the answers is write games - the ones you would like... No - it is
not personal and no teven a challenge. But it is one of the answers...
I'm not at all sure I (or for that thing - most of the males on this
planet) could come up with something like that. I mean anything more than
a game where the main character is a female. :(
>
> as to "why should we care if girls learn to use computers?" i guess
> the answers would be along the lines of
> a) because it's fair?
In the terms of equal possibilities it should be considered a high
priority... At least I haven't seen much views on women and the
information society.
> b) because it would make a better society?
It would certainly make the part of the society involved in computer
business much more healthier (I mean not only the engineers, designers,
programmers but also users and others).
> c) because it would make better technology?
Something I am sure about... Yes, it may be something else, but a little
more is needed in there. A little more ideas, much more different ideas -
the multitude of designs/different approaches/etc. would be very positive
(a lot of women at times tend to be more creative than a lot of men :)).
> or something like that.....
>
> and or course, as a man i would love to find games that could appeal to
> something else than my urge to-go-out-and-kill-things-for-supper-and-
> defend-my-male-honors. and i would like my child/children(?) to be able
> to find video games about something else than destroying giant robots....
>
Hard to say or suggest - as I come to think of it, I'm absolutely unable
to answer a question like that. I can't suggest a thing about what I
could say for sure any woman should like it.
Sander
> any good games around, btw? of the not-so-much-hack'n'slash-and-maybe-
> even-a-little-brain type of thing?
>
> have a nice day :-)
>
> tb
>
>
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