Boy vs. Girl or Both

Hi again all game fans, sorry for the delay in the new blog, been on a little vacation time. So hope all of you had a good Christmas and have an awesome 2012!


Ever thought of a game that would be good for your better half? Well as the title suggests, what game will be worth both genders playing?


Let's look at what games can suite both...No wait, lets think about this one first before we get ourselves into trouble. First off, the day of only guys playing games and girls just watching are long long gone, according to an article in Economist not so long ago, the split between male and female gamers in 52% male and 48% female, not too shabby, considering the stereotype of gaming is still looked at as only a guys world. But before we get off track and start looking at stats and all the analytical details of gaming for the gender and then making it a full gender war, let's rather look at the different things each of the other would want to see in the games they play.


This I do understand is a big topic, and I am only writing from my opinion as well as the games I have played and what others have told me. 


Let's begin....


Boy vs. Girl or Both. Looking at the title, it's difficult to break down, but this is the basis of it. The other day I was playing Crysis 2, not a bad game at all, but I found my girlfriend watching and slowly becoming interested in the game, but she also lost interest a lot of the time. So I started thinking, what would make your better half want to watch you play? 


Well, quite a few things probably, and I think it is safe to say most of the time would be action, but I have also noticed when I have watched others, as a spectator you want to see different twists etc. am I getting of f the topic, no. What this is coming down to is, do guys enjoy watching girls play and vica versa. The answer is...........I have no idea, but what I do know from my side is that it's always fun to watch others play and try to get past levels that maybe you could not, or your girlfriend asking for help on a level, or you boyfriend, don't worry girls, I know you can play hardcore too!


You might be asking now, where does this leave us, and you haven't told us anything about what is better. Well there is know better. Boy vs. Girl, it's a argument that will go on forever, and as gaming gets bigger and better, it will just make the question harder. What we can say is, Girls are on the up and up and the guys better watch out!


This weeks blog is short and sweet and by no means a full story but, I think it has given you something to think about next time you the spectator!




Next Week: Game Awesomeness - What makes it Awesome!

What game and why....So many Choices?

Well, well....quite a bold heading if I do say so. "What games and why?"  before we get to looking at different games and everything that comes with that, lets start off by looking at what you want as a gamer. Remember when this blog started we were looking at gaming from a different perspective, lets call it "Gaming for Dummies"

So is "What game and why?" a stupid question, no, far from it. Ask yourself - "Why did I buy a gaming console?" Easy question right, not necessarily.  Obviously you want to game otherwise you wouldn't be here reading this; but did you get the gaming "weapon" for casual or for serious gaming? By answering this you will ultimately find yourself answering the the question what game and why?

So how to answer? Same way to answer do you prefer blonde or brunette, it all comes down to your own preference, but here are a few things that I think you could look out for, and maybe guide you a bit on the type of game and why!

1. Think about how long you would like to play for - I'm not talking about replay-value, that will come later, what I mean is, literally, how long do you want to play for i.e. a casual game where you can pick up when ever and still enjoy where you left off from, or a game where, the moment you start, and after case of energy drinks, tempo chocolate bars and 5 minute "gamer" naps, you clock it! You choose!
2. Change in tempo - huh, what! What is this tempo thing? What I mean is, are you looking for a game that moves fast then slow, then fast again, or Slow, fast, slow fast OR fassssssssssst all the time?
3. Type of Genre - Easy to decide...Ummm no, you may have a favourite now but do not be surprised when you try a demo of a game that is completely different and you think this is the best thing ever! Give all games a chance.
4. Length of the game - We all love games that can take you hours to finish, but we also get frustrated with games that just don't end, and once you have killed the final boss or saved the hot blonde or prince I suppose, from the castle, (brunettes for a change please!) you still have so much more to do just to get to that 70% completion on the game scale, which in turn makes you feel you never really finished it which in turn leaves you feeling an emptiness inside and the game developers laughing!
5. Complicated or Simple - Simple right? yes and no. Often you want a game you can pick up and jump right in, blow the crap out of everything in site and feel like you are Chuck Norris on steroids; or there are those times when you take your time to learn every spell and combo that not even Mr. Miyagi and Merlin combined, could teach you! Think about this one, it will make a big difference in your gaming!
6. Replay-Value - Well this is probably one of the big ones. The argument that has been plaguing gamers since PACMAN and Mario, which had awesome reply value by the way. When you think of this, think about why and when will you play it again; is it because you just love getting all the collectibles because they are really decent for a change, or for those gaming scores which puts you ahead of others. The argument that you will have on this one in your head can go on for hours, but it does not have to be - Ask yourself (a) Will you pick it up in 6 months (b) Do you want to jam with your friends either co-op or multi-player (c) Can you trade it or sell it easily (not as always as easy as you think). There are many other things to consider but these questions come to my mind when thinking about the replay value! Give this some time and dedication.

As I said in the beginning, we are looking at gaming from a different side of things, and we want to start off the gaming experience as nice as possible, this is not surgery people and playing games is what you are here to do!

Until Next week - Merry Christmas Everyone!

Next Week - Boy vs. Girl or Both!

Follow on Twitter @Dan_Constandse 

A Different Perspective!

So here we go, first Blog and first experience! looking at this, this is not that different than buying your first game and trying it out for the first time. So where are we going with this Blog and many others to come?


Well, we have all read game reviews and all at one point or another agreed or disagreed with the author of the review, and I think most of the time we like to agree with the reviewer, and most of the time they are not really that bad. I think we must remember that the author who is writing, is writing from his or her perspective and what the game entails and how it plays etc.


I personally don't think so - It's all good and well to write about the game, after all that's what we want to hear, but I think we could also go deeper into the game, not psychologically or deep meaningful, life-fulfilling banter, no! What I mean is looking at the game from a different angle, like little things that can bug you while playing, or is this a game you would really push hard for your friend to buy just so you can play co-op or multi- player, or something your better half would like to play. 


I admit all reviews have these little things involved when we read reviews on games, so maybe you might say "ah this guy has no clue and screw him, I'm gonna read other reviews" By all means do it, the more reviews there are the more it becomes clear what games are good and others are, well....just plain bad!


We are going to look at the little things that as a gamer you think of well playing but never know what to do with those thoughts...well this is the place to do it!


So let's get started. Things might change, things might move, but hey lets Kick the Tires and Light the Fires!