Only Girls Allowed
May. 8
Les Sueles
WARNING: This is a rant but I would also really like to know your views on the topic.
Lately I have been noticing more and more "All-Female" communities and competitive gaming teams pop up, which is not a bad thing at all. But what has been annoying me the most lately is the slow rising of "Female Only" Gaming Tournaments. Now I have nothing against competing in tournaments, hell I used to compete in them myself--I wasn't very good mainly due to the fact I never had the time to practice. Some of you might be thinking "Well why does this bother you so much?", the answer to that is simple -- I hate the "Segregation" we are creating between the female gamers and the male gamers. Yes females have fought for a long time to get recognized in the gaming community through not only their skill but their knowledge on games and the Industry. But what do tournaments have to do with anything?
They have nothing and yet everything to do with what we have striven to accomplish in the community, acceptance. I live by the philosophy that I am a GAMER and my sex has nothing to do with that., it doesn't make my knowledge of gaming better or worse than any other gamer. But the honest to god truth of the matter is that guys are better competitors than we are. This isn't to say that we can't "Hang With The Boys" so to speak, but there has yet to be an ALL-Female team to make the Pro-Bracket in a Major League Gaming event. Thats not to say these ladies aren't good..they could be great players but they are just lacking that "it" thing that so many all male teams in the top brackets seem to have.
Now you may be wondering --what does all this have to do with the topic at hand? Well what does winning an all female tournament going to prove? Nothing. At least not to the huge mass that is the competitive gaming community. Now why doesn't it matter? Simply put: You beat other girls. That is not a big accomplishment, some may find that it is but the sad truth is that its not. Its that way for all kinds of sports: there is always a Ying to the Yang. But not in E-Sports. Why is that? Because females HAVE the ability to win tournaments against the guys. This has been proven through the famous FragDolls, the Les Sueles, the PMS Clan and even the Co-Ed Team Genuwine, who placed in the Top 16 last year which made Smiley and Xena the first two girls to EVER place in the Pro Bracket in Halo 2.
My main thing is why separate the sexes? This will only cause more issues within the community because you are basically telling the guys: You can't join this tournament unless you have a vagina. Ladies if you truly want to show that you can do just as good in a tournament as the guys then play in tournaments against both females AND males, if you happen to do well trust me the guys will compliment you. Some will even show you some tips on how to get your shot off just right in Halo or teach you how to dodge those oncoming bullets. Just don't try and do the same thing you complain that guys do in video games to you: Discriminate. Sorry for the crazy rant but it ticks me off to see Female Only tournaments because its like we take one step forward and then go 10 steps back with things like this.
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Comments
Yeah I agree with you, this does kind of defeat the purpose of the tournament. (which I'm guessing is to show that females are just as good as males and are serious about gaming as well.)
Perhaps we c\should create not only GamePro-sponsored GameGirl.com team, but perhaps an all female competition as well?
female gamers pssshhhtttt............
This is a bad idea!
Female-only tournaments are a good marketing tool and could attract women that don't want to be part of a male dominated scene. Those are the only pluses.
The negatives are numerous. For example, it reinforces the stereotype that women can't compete on an even playing field. Also, to be the best you have to play with the best. If you don't mix it up with all challangers your skills will never develop to their full potential.
taking the easy way out playin with all females WEAK !!!!! you want to be treated equal get your ass whooped on an equal playing field with us MEN!!!! lolz j/p but fa real i don't like the whole female only thing i've never heard of a guy only tour.
Why can't we be friends?
This seems to happen whenever woman make ground in anything traditionally male. The first wave of woman are brave and very idealistic; they just want to be treated equally and rightful so. Once they earn enough respect and acceptance, though, there seems to be a second wave that are interested but aren't confident or comfortable enough to always be surrounded by mostly men and so they start having events and whatnot for "girls only."
I agree... its not a good thing. Women in general need to learn if they are going to break down gender barriers, they need to stop separating themselves.
OK I agree w/ u once I lost 2 a Girl in a game
I didnt kare my friends kept on rubbing it in.
Generally speaking, the video games that are usually played in tournaments are the ones that test mental skills such as reaction time, hand-eye coordination, immediate observation, problem solving under stress and/or spatial relations.
Not a single one of these skills rely on your nether region.
I thought it was normal for them to have men and women seperated in tournaments, unless it's a doubles team type of game where each team gets a guy and a girl.
i've never been serious about gaming nor have i been in a tornament i just chillz and play...best way to win btw, anyway they should have tournaments! and just that anyone can enter you don't even have to be human.
butz i wonder if i guy ever faked being a girl to enter a girl only tournament? lol
and finally i'd likez to say i do have friends who are girls and can beat me on RTS well all they do is play RTS seriously like 3hours a day! i'm glad i can beat them on FPS and the like but RTS in my domain grrr! i shall haz revenage...i thinkz i haz lost my chill
This may sound harsh to some, but the whole female only (or male only if there are any) tournaments thing really is kind of like the "separate but equal" thing- as long as they are separated, one will always be "better"...
I completely agree. These are the same girls that are the ones bitching and moaning about how they are treated so differently b/c they are a female gamers. They want to be treated the same but they join a "females only" club, sorry but that is VERY elementary school. They don't see they are the cause of their own seperation.
You know, why do (most) girls gotta bitch so much? They bitch about porn, they bitch at action/scary movies, they bitch about sexy girls in magazines, now they are bitching about being a gamer. Man.
These girls need to be taught that they should be gaming because they love it, b/c it's their passion. Not b/c they have some womans right movement to start.
Since when have we reverted back to children, having the boys side and the girls side? Time to step up...
I think any group needs to be careful to not completely segregate themselves from the big picture. This includes females in gaming. I certainly think there's nothing wrong with female groups.. it's great for self-identity, but these groups need to be careful that they are not separating themselves from the rest of gamers completely. Personally, as a male, I don't think about race and gender often when it comes to the people I game with.. I like to think of us all as gamers first. While I love reading articles from the female perspective, I guess I am against all-female tournaments.
lol its ok Kezins I am completely against all-female tournaments. Its retarded and only makes matters worse because it enhances the segregation issue. Even though our site is about the female perspective on games and the industry we try to gear our articles to all gamers.
I have no problems with it. It's putting gaming in the same category as a sports competition. There's girls teams, guys teams, co-ed teams. If you choose to compete in girls only, then go for it. You can still go compete in the co-ed tournys as well.
I don't see the big deal???
The main issue I have with it is that I don't see guys out there making Guy Only Tournaments. Why? Because they like competition, whether its guys or girls. The difference that E-Sports has from regular sports is that you don't have to be physically fit to play video games, EVERYONE is on the same playing field.
In theory, everyone from your five-year-old cousin to Fatal1ty is on the same playing field in video game competition. That means girls SHOULD be in the pro brackets, but why aren't they? She said it: they aren't as competitive. Guys spend hours, days, weeks doing nothing but practicing and figuring out their moves. Ask any girl to sit in one chair for a week and see how long she can go without a shower.
This time around, the girls aren't competing with the boys, but it's not because they physically can't, it's because they aren't putting in the work. You see this in all sorts of non-physical games. What's the ratio of male to female chess Grandmasters? How many female Scrabble champions have there been? Heck, they've even separated males and females in POKER.
Video games isn't the first time this has happened. If the girls want to hang with the boys, then the boys will have them. But if they're going to pitch a fit that they can't beat the boys because they aren't working hard enough, well then sorry. You can't have your cake and eat it too.
Thank you West! You put in better words what I was trying to express =]
Mandy_ Today at 6:16:15 AM filter this thread show all reply I have no problems with it. It's putting gaming in the same category as a sports competition. There's girls teams, guys teams, co-ed teams. If you choose to compete in girls only, then go for it. You can still go compete in the co-ed tournys as well.
I don't see the big deal???
^^ Your post doesn't even make sense. Most teams are all boys. Where did I say you have to share? Pretty much every other competition in anything has female, male and mixed divisions. Why should gaming be any different?
And you know if an "all boy" tournament was made, there would be girls bitching about not being involved. However, having a "all girl" tournament is ok and the boys can't bitch.
Good rant Miz_Calamity
We stilll live in a sexist segregated world. It's slowly evolving but hopefully in the future people shouldn't underestimate the female gamer. For the guys tournaments girls should crossdress as a boy and guys should crossdress as girls to play in the segregated tournaments. Sex shouldn't matter in the gaming world. Good article btw =)
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