What women want

[Leah]

Hey there

I'm really big on extensive customization of characters. I like to have a character that looks unique. Options are key: hair style/color, skin color, piercings, facial/body structure, etc. I would like to be able to make my characters proportions more, er, normal sized haha. It just seems like a lot of games go for the big breasted/bootied woman. Nothing wrong with that but I would just like the option to go more mini.

I played EQ2 for a while and with their customization it seemed like a lot of the hairstyles are pretty elaborate, but there weren't many decent generic/simple ones, so I saw a lot of people with the same hairstyles. I mean I liked the elaborate ones, I just think there should be more options in that regard. Also I would like to see things in game to change the appearance of the character, like hair stylists/barbers.

I'd love to be able to have a nice selection of casual clothing to wear around town and things like clothing shops. Clothing could even be tied to the Diplomacy sphere in this game. I'd also like to see lots of different types of armor, especially armor that makes you look like the class you play. I usually play a Bard type character, but in the games I've played I just look like all the other melee-type chain wearers. I'd like to see some sort of armor dying, not neon colors but not just drab colors, a nice happy medium.

Even for things like houses and mounts, I'd love to have lots of customization options. I like playing decorator when I'm not adventuring, and I like having living spaces that don't look so drab (like the freeport houses in EQ2, granted they were the 'evil' side but who says evil can't live in style? haha).

In the games I've played it didn't seem like there were many social things to do in the cities. I'd like to see tavern-type areas where characters can interact, maybe even play some Texas Hold'Em (although that might mess with the game rating haha) or dice games.

A bunch of customization options are nice but even more important than that is gameplay. I don't want a free ride to the level cap, but I'd like to be able to log on and say "today I'm going to do x" and be able to get it done. Obviously not everything should be easily accessible like that (ex: epic type quests, which I hope they put something like that in, with a good class-specific item, which goes with the customization haha. side note: EQ2 had really in depth quests called heritage quests, I'd like to see something like that in a game, like "mini" epic quests) but I don't like to get on a game and just sit there looking for something to do. I play erratically sometimes, like some days I'll have only an hour or two to play whereas on other days I'll be on from morning to evening. I'd like to be able to either solo or group without feeling like i'm wasting my time (with either a slow xp or quest advancement or just plain boring sit and camp spawns all the time). I guess what I'm looking for here is, again, options, have the sit and camp spawns xp, or dungeon crawls with the decent loot at the end, or a solo area, group quests, solo quests, epic quests, etc.

And the endgame/stuff to do at the cap. I love raiding when it doesn't take hours to get started. I know that a lot of times it's the raid party's fault for not getting moving fast enough so maybe that's more where my dislike is, but if the designers can make raids as efficient as possible then great haha. I'd also like a nice selection of loot in the end game, but I don't want to see there just be one great end-all-be-all weapon or armor set for each class, because then everyone looks the same.

There's also PvP, which isn't my main focus but still adds flavor to a game. What about things like PvP tournaments in towns, that people can bet on and watch. Just to facilitate a community in game.

I guess to summarize that big outpouring of thought up there : I like options. I'd like to see developers take an aspect of the game (character customization, group gameplay, solo gameplay, quests, raids, pvp) and expand on it as much as possible. I like a game that caters to both casual and hardcore gamers. One that emphasizes risk vs. reward for the powergamers but understands that those aren't the only people who play. Last but not least, a server community that has many ways to interact.

And to echo what Meegaan said, I'd like to see a sophisticated game. I'm not over 21 but I can appreciate a deeper game over something that attracts all the kids...I get bored easily in those games. I don't really want to get bored with Vanguard.

cheers

[Arctic_Slicer]

I read that article as well and honestly I thought it was a pretty weak especially considering Sony released stats a couple of years ago about video game demographics which listed how many people who played video games alone, how many were in various age groups as well as the sex of the gamers. According to Sony 39% of all video gamers in the world are of the female sex. This information has been availble and honestly I am actually certain I saw another article in "Newsweek" which actually made reference to the results I am talking about. The article we are discussing here was pretty much garbage because the lack of research behind it was painfully obvious. Also if 39% of video gamers are female then that's a clear indication that most women who play games are already content with how video games are turning out.

While there have been some games made with a woman in mind most of them did extreamly poorly. This may be an indication that most women who are interested in interactive media such as video games may not have the same affinity to the sterotypes that generally go into the games made for women. Anyway it certainally seems there is a healty woman population playing games so I really don't see why many companies would really be worried about how many women play video games or how they can get them to play video games.

On a somewhat releated note I read an article in "Comic Buyer's Guide" about how many comic publishers are wondering if movies help comic sells, or if Manga readers will turn into traditional comic buyers. It went into lots of detail about why it's important and why not knowing hurts but it also made of a point by saying "Obey the chromium rule of marketing: sell to the audence you have, not the one you don't." That is advice that pretty much any industry should remember, the video game industry included. If you have a loyal customer base that is already making you money it is a good idea to stick with them instead of risk losing money and customers by changing you product to appeal to wider audeinces.

[Pirotess]

A single companies demographics from a single game in one genre is no where near indicative of the full picture. I would highly doubt 39% of all gamers are female. In fact I'd go so far as to say thats not even close to accurate.

[Amoonsinas]

My hubby and I are one of the six "couples" in our guild. So, there's quite a bit of couples in WoW. I agree with Pirotess though. I do know that there is far less females then 39% playing in my server's capacity.

[Arctic_Slicer]

The stats are based on Video games in general and not MMPOGs specifically neither was the article in question. Also the stats are based internationally and not a reflection of any specific continent or country. These stats are based upon all of Sony's customers for all of their games worldwide. Those 90 milGilion ps2s they sold most certainally sent back alot of information about who is playing their games. Given the size of Sony's customer base their stats should be among some of the most accurate and valid in the industry.

A game like "World of Warcraft" is really a bad example to use to say that women don't play games. In the United States there aren't alot of women playing that game but that is more likely to do to how Blizzard makes most of their subscribers off of teenage boys rather than women. Of course in South Korea the number of men and women who play MMPOGs is more or less equal. Of course Sony probabally doens't have much for numbers from South Korea mostly because of the trade embargo between Japan and South Korea which was in effect until 2004. If anything the low female population is really only a problem in the United States and Canada which is ceasing to be a problem pretty quickly.

[Pirotess]

Originally Posted by Arctic_Slicer

A game like "World of Warcraft" is really a bad example to use to say that women don't play games. In the United States there aren't alot of women playing that game but that is more likely to do to how Blizzard makes most of their subscribers off of teenage boys rather than women. Of course in South Korea the number of men and women who play MMPOGs is more or less equal. Of course Sony probabally doens't have much for numbers from South Korea mostly because of the trade embargo between Japan and South Korea which was in effect until 2004.

Thank you for supporting my point...multiple times. You just illustrated what Im trying to say. No one companies stats are going to be indicative of the true world picture on gaming demographics. Thirty-nine percent is high, I'd buy 25-30% maybe and completely agree that that number is rising as broadband penetrates the average U.S. and Canadian households.

[Arctic_Slicer]

Originally Posted by Pirotess

Thank you for supporting my point...multiple times. You just illustrated what Im trying to say. No one companies stats are going to be indicative of the true world picture on gaming demographics. Thirty-nine percent is high, I'd buy 25-30% maybe and completely agree that that number is rising as broadband penetrates the average U.S. and Canadian households.

It certainally is true that one set of results does not equal perfect but it is a fact that many articles from many magazines have refered to these stats as they come from a fairly creditable source. As I said before I really don't think it's so much that women are looking for something different in there games so much as women looking for games. In the United States at least it seems many women veiw gaming as some sort of "taboo" or think it's a waste of time. It's not so much that there are not games to fit their style they just don't want to associated with the "gamers". Of course in countries like South Korea and Japan that isn't a problem because most people like their games. It's a different culture to be sure but many of the games they are playing are the same games the rest of us are playing. In both cases the women didn't need the developers to make special games for women. They simply built the game and the women went out and started playing it. Case in point one of my managers at work is a crazy "Legend of Zelda" fan and she openly admits that she has every game in the series and is always talking about the next game she is looking to buy or about the latest game she just bought or whatever and she must be like 50 years old. Of course even the most anti-gaming women such as my mom can enjoy video games as well. I remember 15 years ago right after I got my Nintendo one of the games she got was "Burai Fighter", a shooter type game. Let me tell you my mom, my Aunt, my cousin, and everyone else who played the game became crazily addicted to it and all of them went to beat the game on every difficulty including the hidden ultimate level. Pretty good for someone who now goes on and on about how I waste too much time playing video games and how they rot my brain.

[Pirotess]

I agree that there is a certain cultural taboo about gaming in America. Thankfully I think that taboo is quickly disappearing as more and more young women who grew up with Coleco's, Atari's and Commodor 64's in their homes of which they had no interest in, introduce their children to the newest console systems of today. Many times just that brief introduction to such a vastly richer experience than the consoles of yesteryear is all it takes. I honestly credit console systems with the decay of that taboo more than PC systems. They have a much higher penetration rate in US households due to their pricepoint and encourage people to share them whereas the personal computer by its very nature does not. In my opinion, 10-15 years from now the taboo will be all but gone from the american society.

[Aredhel]

I'm not so sure it's really "taboo" as much as misinformation and abuse! And, I guess, if you wanted to put all that in one lump sum, you could!

I remember my husband telling me he was going to get our son a Nintendo for christmas. I was NOT happy in the least! And honestly, I still rue the day that thing came in here. What little family time we had together was gone!

Since then, our son is one of the best gamers out there. On teams and the whole thing! He's GOOD, but he often puts that in front of other things he should be doing, even tho we try to get him to quit, or flat turn off the connection! He comes by it honestly, tho.

He introduced me to EQ when my husband was playing UO. He wanted SO much for Mom to find something she was interested in, and I finally relented and sat down. Now, I'm not a real out-going person irl...I'd rather stay in the kitchen during a party, sitting on a counter in a corner than have to mingle, so what I found was a way I could communicate with people and not have to deal with them in person. And, if it got too much, I could walk off!

So, the whole family has a gamer slant now, but our daughter has pretty much quit. She's more into the social aspect of being a teen. Of course, My Space and Xanga are the big thing, along with 50 IM windows open at all times! (ok...maybe 30!!)

What I have discovered with online gaming, tho, is what is being spoken of in the news more now: Good socializing, good communication skills (as long as you don't let them use LeeT speak ... a taboo in my guild!), hand-eye coordination, dexterity, mind excercise. And for another group of our population, those impaired or without mobility to get out and do things, it's a whole new world! Some doctors have used it as therapy to relearn things or movement. It's pretty neat to watch someone progress that way!

Anywho....like I said, I'm not so sure it's really a taboo, but the more people find out and really understand, and the more the game companies quit trying to go for shock value, gaming will be better received and even tried! As far as the addiction thingy, that's up to all of us to help with, just like we do with anything else!

That's a whole nuther topic, tho!

[RiKohran]

Yes, I would like to see more in the way of character costumization hairstyles/color etc. now I haven't played to many mmo's to date but in all of them i know your are still kind of loced into a general body type personally i would like the opion of makeing my character obese I mean i know it's fantasy but even in fantasy novels not everyone has the body of a Greek god other then that I think you got everything else