Alright. So I get home from the day job and curl up with a nice beer, turn on my kick ass TV and lappie and prepare to get in some game time and check what's been going on in the game world while I was away from it, and what do I find? I find this article about the most retarded EB Games/Gamestop display I've ever seen.
First off, "Games For Girls" my ass. That display just proves that they really just don't "get it" when it comes to marketing games to girls. I think it's because up until now when so many females are getting hot and heavy into gaming that the marketing of video games has been too easy. I have no doubt that there are some marketing departments in the various game development houses that say things like, "...if it has some character titties, put it on the cover scantily clad in torn clothing, maybe a quick panty shot in the printed ads for magazines, and we'll have a new best seller on our hands boys!" I'm not being cynical here, I really believe conversations like this happen, today, even though we are in the year 2006. I know that sex sells... and does it very well. That, I don't care about. But if flashing the T&A is the only creativity that you can come up with to use as the linchpin of your marketing campaign, I fully understand why companies have a hard time figuring out how to create and market their products to girls.
Tits alone will not our money get... at least not mine. If I wasn't so damn tired I'd now rant about how Gamestop really needs to pull their heads out of their asses and realize that "Games for Kids" are not the same as "Games For Girls." Many females who are raging gamers will classify themselves as "girl gamers" or "gamer girls" even if they are not in the pre-teen or teenage age group. I for one am nearly 30 as Pandalicious will be quick to tell you, and I classify myself as a girl gamer, so that "Games for Girls" artwork and subsequent game display offend the HELL out of me. If I wasn't nearly out of beer, and in need of a foot massage, I'd go on to say that it's oversights like this that hinder growth in the girl gaming community because it drives home to many of us that we are outsiders looking in when it comes to being thought of by those in the industry... and no one like to think that they don't matter to people that make the products or items that they love.
But, I'm out of beer, and my feet are killing me, so I'll save that rant for another night.
First off, "Games For Girls" my ass. That display just proves that they really just don't "get it" when it comes to marketing games to girls. I think it's because up until now when so many females are getting hot and heavy into gaming that the marketing of video games has been too easy. I have no doubt that there are some marketing departments in the various game development houses that say things like, "...if it has some character titties, put it on the cover scantily clad in torn clothing, maybe a quick panty shot in the printed ads for magazines, and we'll have a new best seller on our hands boys!" I'm not being cynical here, I really believe conversations like this happen, today, even though we are in the year 2006. I know that sex sells... and does it very well. That, I don't care about. But if flashing the T&A is the only creativity that you can come up with to use as the linchpin of your marketing campaign, I fully understand why companies have a hard time figuring out how to create and market their products to girls.Tits alone will not our money get... at least not mine. If I wasn't so damn tired I'd now rant about how Gamestop really needs to pull their heads out of their asses and realize that "Games for Kids" are not the same as "Games For Girls." Many females who are raging gamers will classify themselves as "girl gamers" or "gamer girls" even if they are not in the pre-teen or teenage age group. I for one am nearly 30 as Pandalicious will be quick to tell you, and I classify myself as a girl gamer, so that "Games for Girls" artwork and subsequent game display offend the HELL out of me. If I wasn't nearly out of beer, and in need of a foot massage, I'd go on to say that it's oversights like this that hinder growth in the girl gaming community because it drives home to many of us that we are outsiders looking in when it comes to being thought of by those in the industry... and no one like to think that they don't matter to people that make the products or items that they love.
But, I'm out of beer, and my feet are killing me, so I'll save that rant for another night.
Labels: Games, Gamestop, magazine, Ninjasistah, Pandalicious, Videogames
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