As a female gamer I'm not usually offended by the way women are represented in games: I can recognize the stereotypes and the context, and it doesn't influence me. Children, on the other hand, probably don't have that level of understanding, and while I don't believe they mimick everything they see on the screen, the underlying attitudes in some games probably have as much influence on them as films and TV do.

www.atypicalgamer.com

I agree that if a developer or commentator is talking bullshit, they should be challenged - isn't that partly the job of a games journalist? But I don't think this article, however funny (and I didn't think it was, really), will do anything to improve their credibility any more than it will shut them up. If it has any effect, I'd think it would be on the relationship between the press and games industry. But that's just my 2c.

Kate
http://www.atypicalgamer.com

Interesting reading, unlike the original article, which struck me as something you might see in a British tabloid, where success is routinely punished by puerile, sarcastic attacks. It's one thing to criticise a piece of work, but belittling the person responsible for that piece of work seems unnecessary. I'm probably being oversensitive. But I'd like to think that a more constructive, even productive relationship between those in the games industry and gamers could develop in future, to the benefit of everyone - the means are certainly there, thanks to the internet media N'Gai mentions. Articles like this aren't going to help promote an atmosphere of openness, though, are they?

Kate Berens
http://www.atypicalgamer.com

@Theo

You're right, Theo. Perhaps "cool" is too subjective a term, though obviously I used the term rather thoughtlessly. What I meant was that it made games feel cool to me; other magazines may have treated games as cool, but they were mostly written in a more juvenile style and didn't treat the subject in a way that interested me. So back when magazines were the only place to read about games, I often felt sidelined and "uncool" about my gaming. Until I discovered Edge, that is.

Thanks for pointing this out.

As for the headline, I can't really take credit for that. But if it got you to read the article, then it's probably doing its job.:) I'm sorry you were disappointed, though.

All best
Kate

Thanks very much, AlexV. You're right it's a slow process, especially as games have been around a relatively short time. Perhaps in twenty years or so there'll be more of a consensus!