Posted Aug 21, 2006 at 12:33PM by Kyle M. Listed in: Nintendo DS, Wii, PlayStation 3, PSP, Xbox 360 Tags: Electronic Arts, Sony, Paris, PS2, Edinburgh
Ó

Pink PS2


David Gardner, chief operating officer of games publishing giant Electronic Arts, has lashed out at the games industry for "failing women" at a conference in Edinburgh. Gardner said "We have all been talking about this for a long, long time." EA's own research has found that 40% of teenage girls played video games versus 90% of teenage boys and most girls lost interest in games within a year.


He also said that women are somewhat an undiscovered market and that if EA cracked the problem they "could add a billion dollars to its sales." Mr Gardner said one of the biggest problems was that the content aimed at women gamers was not appealing. "They don't want 'pink games. Thy are not trying to play girly games where Paris Hilton and Britney Spears go shopping and put make-up on. Those kind of things have not been that successful."


As you may know, Sony have just announced the Pink PSP and PS2 for European gamers. If EA's David Gardner is correct, their new move into the female gaming market will fail. If EA's figures are correct, this undiscovered market could double the gaming economy, boosting sales for all. Let's see how Sony's pink additions to their console line-up go when they are released; the PSP in October and PS2 in November.




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51 Comments


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   by newbie (Unregistered) - 2006-08-21
 » Pink PS2?

Pink PS2 WTF. 1st post

   by op (Unregistered) - 2006-08-21
 » doy

A pink PS2! Sony doesn't know what the hell they need to do. What the game industry needs to do to appeal to women is stop objectifying them in video games! it's as simple as that. Girls don't want to see girls in games that have giant breasts, tiny waists and small brains. They don't want hentai-like games where a bunch of girls are playing volleyball in bikinis and saying cute things like "I don't know how to read." Also, characters like Lara Croft isn't a female role model (hell, she isn't a role model period). If you want a female Indian Jones then make her look like a female Indian Jones. Don't give her unrealistic measurements. She's an archeologist: she should have dirt under her fingernails and not wear makeup when she's in some f_cking island.

This is the same reason many girls don't read comic books. The exact same reason. I'm glad a giant like EA is actually being vocal about this but Sony's pink PS2 is just a slap in the face of any progressive thinking this kind of dialog is opening up.

   by Tooplex - 2006-08-21
 » WTF

Wtf is this peice of crap it looks barf inducing sick i nearly had to go to the bathroom after seeing that bull crap what the hell is sony doing i sgree with op!

   by Rehevkor - 2006-08-21
 » They just dont get it

The industry needs games where the female characters aren't there only to be looked at or rescued. Nor does it need supermasculine heroines who are basically men in pretty wrappers. In other words, we need some real women in games. Get it straight, fools!

   by Bearmon (Unregistered) - 2006-08-21
 » Stupid girls!

Hahahah!

They are dumbasses..they would copy Britney Spears and go shopping and put make-up on. No wonders, they are lesbians and love for Birtney Spears. *ROLL EYES*

   by iNCREDiPiNOY - 2006-08-21
 » I sent this news to QJ!

How come they didn't post my initial? Huh? Why?

   by Flamekebab (Unregistered) - 2006-08-21
 » #2

Arguably, Lara Croft is a positive role model. She's both independent and strong. I agree though regarding unrealistic measurements!

My girlfriend plays Half-life 2, hell, she's the one who's so desperate to buy Episode 1 (she's just managed to lose her Steam password, d'oh!).

I think the game industry needs to pull in various psychologists to analyse the "problem". I'd certainly enjoy to see more girls playing games!

   by DM (Unregistered) - 2006-08-21
 » We need more female heroes like Aya Brea

Someone like an actual woman who has weaknesses and problems and isn't invincible, but is still a badass at the same time.

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   by PSP Admin (Unregistered) - 2006-08-21
 » to iNCREDiPiNOY

This news is BBC's property. You sent it to QJ, big deal. You didn't right it or interview the EA officials. Now just by forwarding news here from other news sites you think you should get 2 minutes of fame??

   by Destroyer77 (Unregistered) - 2006-08-21
 » Can't blam 'em for trying

But I don't think that women are going to get a videogame system because of the color and ONLY the color of the system. The games MIGHT play a part in it... but who knows.

   by lilfibs - 2006-08-21

hey if sony wants to have a pinks ps2 and psp let them gay stuff like that usually sells to people that think pink is sweet personally i think they should have just made a white ps2 to go along with the white psp

   by Hunter (Unregistered) - 2006-08-21
 » Dont worry Girls

Nintendo is coming out With the Wii and its gonna rock you.


Wii will get girls adults and anyone els who isent a gamer and make them into a gamer ^_^.

   by .A.J. - 2006-08-21
 » WNBA 07??

How about EA starts by putting out some womens sports games. WNBA '07 with Lisa Leslie on the cover. I know there is a womens tackle football (not futbol) league here in the U.S. Womens soccer (futbol) seems to be growing in popularity here as well. How about some LPGA '07 with Anika Sorenstam or Pat Hurst on the cover.

Like most guys I enjoy looking at females, but I don't understand the gaming industries attempt to sell sexy video game characters to kids. Most of the females I've seen in games don't look realistic. Maybe it's just me but women in real life who are surgically enhanced with huge breasts and fake noses and lips just are not attractive. I live in a city full of that garbage and they all look like wannabe porn stars. That is sad, to me.

Don't get me wrong, plastic surgery does have its bennifits. I have had many plastic surgery operations due to an incident that ripped my face open (and shattered part of my scull) when I was young. Thanks to plastic surgery and the age at which the incident occured, few people can even tell that anything ever even happened to me.

It's just that the entirety of entertainment is too caught up in selling something that is free, sex.

   by op (Unregistered) - 2006-08-21
 » .

I gotta agree with you, Hunter. Wii is looking to be a major player in the gaming market when it comes out. Literally the next step of gaming that'll get _everyone_ to have fun playing games. I get excited just thinking about playing WarioWare on Wii, and my whole family would have fun with that. It's gonna be badass.

   by Deany (Unregistered) - 2006-08-21
 » Wow - a pink one

All my missus needs now is a hairdrying course that works with an eyetoy type device, a chicflick on UMD, a barbie game and a fluffy pink case - and hey - she'll really feel the sexual stereotyping coming together nicely!!!

All we need now is a yellow one for the chinese people and we have a full set - no offence meant...but it really annoys me.....

SONY - STOP PI$$ING ABOUT WITH GIMMICKS AND RELEASE SOMETHING WORTHWHILE FOR EVERYONE

   by Strangler (Unregistered) - 2006-08-21
 » re

females are too "cool" and too "mature" to play video games.

   by r3quiem - 2006-08-21

I argee with #2!!
Look at the way women are portrayed in many fighting and action games. Images like those are viewed as nothing more than grotesque and shallow to many well-mannered females. and then what does Sony do? they produce a pink system telling all the women of the world to come and play these games! Not even including the fact that women are being singled out by these things. This seems to be nothing but a crappy attempt to make more money on Sony's part. Great job on weakening my support for you Sony


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   by anonymous stranger (Unregistered) - 2006-08-21
 » Yo

2. » doy

A pink PS2! Sony doesn't know what the hell they need to do. What the game industry needs to do to appeal to women is stop objectifying them in video games! it's as simple as that. Girls don't want to see girls in games that have giant breasts, tiny waists and small brains. They don't want hentai-like games where a bunch of girls are playing volleyball in bikinis and saying cute things like "I don't know how to read." Also, characters like Lara Croft isn't a female role model (hell, she isn't a role model period). If you want a female Indian Jones then make her look like a female Indian Jones. Don't give her unrealistic measurements. She's an archeologist: she should have dirt under her fingernails and not wear makeup when she's in some f_cking island.

This is the same reason many girls don't read comic books. The exact same reason. I'm glad a giant like EA is actually being vocal about this but Sony's pink PS2 is just a slap in the face of any progressive thinking this kind of dialog is opening up.

by op (Unregistered), at Aug 21, 2006 at 12:48PM

yo, girls could just ignore those games, I've seen barbie games, but never thought "oh those dumbasses made those stupid games", I simply ignore it, what they need to do is to make some game that are compatible to girls, not taking away "boy games"

fluff likes pink right? fluff would like this! lol just a thought

15. » Wow - a pink one

All my missus needs now is a hairdrying course that works with an eyetoy type device, a chicflick on UMD, a barbie game and a fluffy pink case - and hey - she'll really feel the sexual stereotyping coming together nicely!!!

All we need now is a yellow one for the chinese people and we have a full set - no offence meant...but it really annoys me.....

SONY - STOP PI$$ING ABOUT WITH GIMMICKS AND RELEASE SOMETHING WORTHWHILE FOR EVERYONE

by Deany (Unregistered), at Aug 21, 2006 at 02:49PM

OH YEAH ... and gee where's the white ones for americans? we all been using "black" PS2 and PSPs...

lol just a joke, no offence

   by MisterBeefy (Unregistered) - 2006-08-21
 » Eerf.

I haven o problem with pink, aside from the fact it looks incredibly tacky.

   by op (Unregistered) - 2006-08-21

anonymous stranger: you're missing the big picture. In order for all women to feel comfortable in the gaming environment the whole industry needs to change. Women are pretty much excluded from the whole industry. Look at E3. The only contribution given to women ("booth babes") there are as speechless eye candy - as if that's all they have to offer. It's pretty much a boys' club with all the trinkets and pleasures straight guys would want. But E3 isn't suppose to be a boys' club, it's suppose to be a trade show but as you can see its been very male exclusive.

For this to change women need to feel like they're welcomed, not like they're freaks who need their own pink PS2. Like anything else the color doesn't matter, it's the content. And if that content is nothing but CGI girls in skimpy outfits fighting some giant panda bear, then it's only going to alienate them further.

   by 2.6 (Unregistered) - 2006-08-21
 » PINK HA

gay dudes are gonna buy more of those pink systems than girls.
the only female i know that buys things that are pink also likes kitty bags and *****, japan will have a hayday though...
Im surprized that it doesn't have a hello kitty picture on it too... couse thats what girls like right?? NOPE

   by hush404 - 2006-08-21
 » wow

The problem the industry has is that they think of female gamers as a seperate entity from male games. Both male and female gamers all enjoy different types of games, be they RPG, FPS or a simple puzzle game, there are games to fit everyone's taste, there's no need to "think about making games specificially for females".

Perhaps the problem with the industry is games like DOA beach volly ball or rumble roses, games that use the ol sex to draw in more male gamers and at the same time turning of some percetage of female gamers.

   by rolly poly (Unregistered) - 2006-08-21
 » thats really funny

kinda odd, EA bashing the industry...

spend millions on making games for girls, or buy exclusive rights to a few sports leagues.... i know which one EA chose.

i'm sure i don't have to tell everyone, money follows money. if there was that much money in girl games, they'd be all over the place.

besides most girls enjoy doing things that wouldn't translate well into games. ie: "Hello Kitty : socializing evolved", "BoyBand May Sing", "Super Smash Bros: MakeUp", etc....


practice what ya preach, fools...

   by Rehevkor - 2006-08-21
 » A good example

I throw this example around a lot, but it's not hard to see why it seems relevant every time a discussion arises regarding the direction of the gaming industry. Have a look at the E3 tech demo video for the PS3 game "Heavy Rain" (http://www.playmagazine.com/index.php?fuseaction=SiteMain.showGamePage&Game_ID=267).

This is the kind of female lead I can respect in a video game. The actress' performance makes the character much more real and interesting than your typical over-endowed, depthless, and boring digital heroine. This is exactly the sort of thing I meant by my previous comment about putting "real women" in games.

The video also demonstrates how expressing the depth of human character can improve the plot of a game by leaps and bounds. The character's emotional genesis from the opening of the video to the conclusion is much more powerful and compelling than the flat one-liners turned out by most game writers.

   by rolly poly (Unregistered) - 2006-08-21
 » reply

"Perhaps the problem with the industry is games like DOA beach volly ball or rumble roses, games that use the ol sex to draw in more male gamers and at the same time turning of some percetage of female gamers."

if a girl can't get past the fact that their character looks better than they ever will (as most guys have), they miss out on a truely entertaining experience. their loss not ours...

all things sold have target demographics. seeing barbie and spongebob games doesn't turn me off to the games i want to play.

i've been hearing the same tired crap about girls and gaming for over a decade.

if you build it they will come... the devs need to get off their asses and make girl games. but then again investors don't like new things they like "sure things".

   by Dude!!! (Unregistered) - 2006-08-21
 » Dude!!!

Ok, guys is not sony its EA..... Sony is just following EA (i think) Pink PSP????? now thats not normal, the black PSP its fine...

   by EdgEy - 2006-08-21

Heh amen roly poly. I haven't heard anyone here complaining the fighters in tekken don't look like fat nerdy 40 year olds.

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   by The Pierced Weirdo - 2006-08-21
 » Ugh...

First off. This is pretty much a double post. They are just expanding on the post right before this one. Maybe waiting a day or so before stating the same thing they just posted. Do they filter these posts?

Secondly. Most of the "girls" I know who are old enough to either play a PSP/PS2 or buy their own would never even touch a pink one. Especially that shade. It's disgusting.

   by Gay (Unregistered) - 2006-08-21
 » Nice...but norhing for

Some people meaning that the pink ps2 & psp is the ideal console for gay gamers like me, but thats not true, real gays like me prefer the black consoles. I think its an attempt to sell these systems to girls.

   by Shyez - 2006-08-21
 » Wow

Its cool that EA is supporting females in gaming. I'm female and I love games and gaming systems and all that stuff. But what I don't like so much in the gaming industry is all the disrespect towards women in games for example like GTA, hentai games and fighting games with girls with big boobs. Don't get me wrong, I love these games, its just that they get a bit offensive. So yeah I'm glad EA is thinking about coming out with games that appear to females but also to males too. I agree with some of you guys are saying that games should have real females and not fake ones.



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