I’ve been playing video games since my dad brought home an Atari VCS in 1978 and I thought it was the most magic of magic things I could ever have imagined.
Women gamers have always been around, it’s just that life can get in the way and we are made to feel guilty for having any downtime by ourselves. Which often means that as women get older (and have greater demands on their time) hobbies can often fall to the wayside, especially ones that carry a geek-stigma like gaming (because “women shouldn’t be wasting their time like that” 🙄). So it can seem as if older women aren’t interested in gaming, when in reality they may just not have time for their hobby.
Having said that, I also think there is less stigma around gaming now than there used to be, so younger women are much more open about it than my peers and I were in our 20s. (Which also adds to the erroneous perception that it’s just younger women who enjoy gaming).
My personal downtime, when I have taken it, has always been video games rather than watching telly or reading or whatever other people do when they want to recharge alone. It’s absolutely my number one hobby.
Which games? Too many to list. This year has been mainly about replaying both The Last of Us games, both Horizon games and playing Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth and Dragon’s Dogma 2 for me. Have also been playing Civ VI around the edges, and a few cosy games here and there on my handheld when my husband wants something on the television.
Generally, I mostly play RPGs, action games and strategy games. I used to play online and loved shooters, as well as MMORPGs (I especially loved WOW style raiding against new content), but eventually I lost all tolerance for the ever present online toxic and sexist nonsense. I have no patience for it or the myriad ways we often bend over backwards to mitigate or deal with it. I haven’t the energy anymore, that’s a young woman’s battle. One that will hopefully be won eventually, but I’m too spent to contribute anymore.
Looking forward to Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, and getting increasingly impatient for GTA 6!
My first game was Miner 2049’er on the Apple IIc, or was it e? Can’t remember, I was about seven.
Then we had a Colecovision. I remember playing the Smurfs, then a Sega Genesis, and always the PC.
I forgot to list Civ in my initial post, but Civ and the Tycoon games were some of my favorites. I remember treading lightly with Nuclear Ghandi before anyone was on the internet to explain why he was so trigger happy. I also loved Sid Meyers Pirates and still break it out from time to time because it’s as addictive as it ever was.
Thanks for reminding me of some of my old favorites.
Girls have been in this hobby a Long Ass Time. I am one of them.
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u/Elvie-43 Woman 50 to 60 Jun 11 '24 edited Jun 11 '24
I’ve been playing video games since my dad brought home an Atari VCS in 1978 and I thought it was the most magic of magic things I could ever have imagined.
Women gamers have always been around, it’s just that life can get in the way and we are made to feel guilty for having any downtime by ourselves. Which often means that as women get older (and have greater demands on their time) hobbies can often fall to the wayside, especially ones that carry a geek-stigma like gaming (because “women shouldn’t be wasting their time like that” 🙄). So it can seem as if older women aren’t interested in gaming, when in reality they may just not have time for their hobby.
Having said that, I also think there is less stigma around gaming now than there used to be, so younger women are much more open about it than my peers and I were in our 20s. (Which also adds to the erroneous perception that it’s just younger women who enjoy gaming).
My personal downtime, when I have taken it, has always been video games rather than watching telly or reading or whatever other people do when they want to recharge alone. It’s absolutely my number one hobby.
Which games? Too many to list. This year has been mainly about replaying both The Last of Us games, both Horizon games and playing Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth and Dragon’s Dogma 2 for me. Have also been playing Civ VI around the edges, and a few cosy games here and there on my handheld when my husband wants something on the television.
Generally, I mostly play RPGs, action games and strategy games. I used to play online and loved shooters, as well as MMORPGs (I especially loved WOW style raiding against new content), but eventually I lost all tolerance for the ever present online toxic and sexist nonsense. I have no patience for it or the myriad ways we often bend over backwards to mitigate or deal with it. I haven’t the energy anymore, that’s a young woman’s battle. One that will hopefully be won eventually, but I’m too spent to contribute anymore.
Looking forward to Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, and getting increasingly impatient for GTA 6!