A topic that particularly got me thinking was that of the notion of a ‘gamer’. Talking about this in our tutorial, Mark put it rather simply, and very accurately, that self-identification is really what makes a gamer. It has since crossed my mind that video games are generally made to suit a male-dominated audience, and therefore this would make it harder for girls to identify as ‘gamers’ than the average male. Wouldn’t you agree that it probably takes more courage for a girl to admit she’s a gamer than a guy? Typical FPS games such as Halo and Counter-Strike lend themselves more readily to a 'macho male' stereotype yet in reality a sizeable amount of people who play these games are female. According to a survey conducted by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), 40% of gamers are female. What I found interesting was that the statistics in this survey also showed that women above the age of 18 make up a larger percentage of gamers than boys under the age of 17. With stats like these, I am certain that there must be many females closet-gamers amongst us. At present, it must be difficult for females to identify with this notion of a 'gamer' given the masculine connotations that come with such a label.
Only games such as Farmville and The Sims, that are undeniably laughed at in hardcore gaming circles, are commonly associated with females.
However, in saying this, the male associations with the word 'gamer' are valid. Games are made predominantly by men, to appeal to males, and therefore lend themselves to the creation of a male stereotype. And in all honestly, there are definitely more male gamers than females.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that the term 'gamer' is, as jmckenna also said, a 'fluctuating concept'. It cannot be defined by words, rather it is defined by the player who chooses to associate themselves as a 'gamer'.
I must say, I am no gamer. But power to those of you out there who are.
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