Girlfriend-Friendly

I’ve heard this saying a few times regarding different topics. But when it comes to gaming we all know that it’s a bit harder to convince females of the fun that can be had seemingly sitting on your bum doing nothing. Girlfriend-Friendly obviously describes games that girls would be interested in so what are they. Nintendogs? Cooking Mama? The Sims? any one of those games is a perfectly good choice but when there is so much more to gaming than domestics and fuzzy animals why not recommend a bit of Bioshock, Oblivion or Devil May Cry too.

I expect you’ve come across the interview with the awesome Epic Games designer Cliffy B stating that Gears of War 2 is going to be more Girlfriend-Friendly. That’s cool right?! female characters are going to be strong, positive role-models with a realistic physique. The gameplay will feature the choice for second players (possibly more we hope) to drop-in drop-out of the action with no effect on the first players game. The difficulty settings can be changed for each player in the same game with health and weapon damage adjustments for each setting.

So y’know I’m more than glad that they’re considering what is wanted by females and trying to entice more ladies into gaming, they seem to be on the right track too! Gears of War can do no wrong in my eyes I would play it time and time again even if a bikini-clad bimbo tagged along in every scene following Marcus spouting crap like oooh your weapon is soooo big it would still be one of the most effing awesome games ever created!

Bearing in mind that I am pregnant at the mo and possibly a bit more prickly than usual, I feel the need to express how it’s niggling at me a bit how Girlfriend-Friendly is suggesting that all girlfriends want to play the game on Casual or the new easier than Casual setting (Effortless?) while our boyfriends battle through the Locust Hoarde on Insane. I don’t want to come across as a crazy ranting feminist, Epic are genius and Gears of War is amazing but I think my point is valid, check my Gamerscore, I pwn’d Raam on insane without the help of my man, who may I add actually got me to do it for him on his profile.

I’m not really too peeved about it though, maybe it wouldn’t be so catchy to just be called Non Gamer-Friendly. It does leave us girls open to more piss-taking but we’re used to that. Girlfriend-Friendly is gimmicky and pretty clever and I bet it works. I just hope it doesn’t alienate any girlfriends, wives and single ladies who can already kick ass at Gears of War.