Actually, while I wouldn't use the word "hiding" - this is exactly true. Women have been about a third of gamers...not recently, not the past few years...but for the past few DECADES - since the 1970s when it all started. Its only a big deal because for some reason someone decided to pay attention and came up with numbers they weren't expecting - and that someone happened to have a media tie.

For those of us who have been paying attention, this is not news. In fact, this is most decidedly "olds" :p And that 50% number probably does come from the "casuals" who play Farmville or Angry Birds or Words with Friends exclusively. So, 30-40% you could call a "real" gamer, and 10-20% "casual" out of the women demographic. Does that make any insecure people here feel better, knowing that the numbers they didn't know about previously haven't changed much over the years?

And, it's not that these women stopped or "went away" in the 90s, but they discovered it was smarter to keep quiet about their gender. Nothing ruined a good multiplayer session of DOOM (or a MUD gathering) more than guys finding out a player was female - let the boob and p***y questions and comments fire at will! This still holds true in everything from Black Ops to Warcraft from what I've seen. Yes, methods of reporting abuse have gotten better, but the problem isn't the moderators/hosts/admins, the problem is that these freakin d-bags feel entitled apparently. By the way, most of those players who claim not to have a headset or mic today? Yeah, odds are they are a female player who has gotten burned a few too many times - not for being a bad gamer - but for being female. I do the best I can with reporting abuse, but I'm only one person. Either way, regardless if you're in my WoW dungeon group or I see you on the streets and you tell someone to "kill themselves", or that you want to "rape them" I WILL report you and do my best to get you banned and/or reported to the proper authorities. The only difference is that *I* can reach your dumb ass if you're stupid enough to do it on the streets....


So here's a scenario:
The important women in your life - they've all been playing videogames, been playing for years now, for them it's not a big deal so they don't talk about it much. Your gf liked RE4 especially, but was irritated beyond belief at the how the whole "protect the presidents daughter" thing played. Your pregnant sister likes WoW and belongs to an all female guild. She isn't great, but she does ok and has fun (key words there, having fun..) Your mother loved the old school zork-ish and adventure/puzzle games that she used to play before being a mom kept her busy 24/7. Now, the kids are old enough that she's got some time for hobbies again and a friend of hers tells her about Tales of Monkey island, and Mechnarium, and of course the Kings Quest/Quest for Glory stuff here on GoG. So, she signs up for GoG, downloads a few games and loves them. She mentions GoG to your sister, who mentions it to your gf, and they find various games they like. Your sister liked Oddworld, your gf loved Planescape and The Witcher...

Now, here are my questions:

1) Which of them are "hardcore" and which are "casual"?

2) While looking for more game recommendations, they find this thread. They have just been told that their opinions are not important, that they will change games in a way that will ruin them for "everyone", and that "feminism" (the notion that women are people too) is stupid. Verbal abuse online is to be expected JUST BECAUSE they are women. What do you say to them? Do you need to defend your comments here?

For those who don't know what feminism is, though they think they do, a bonus question:
3) Your sister and her husband work full time jobs, but not all of their days off are the same and your sister needs to get some things done before the baby is due. You and she decide to run some errands and go get lunch. As you are walking down the street, your sister is catcalled by men on the street. "Whore" "Slut", and various comments about her anatomy are yelled after her. After all, even though your sister is married its obvious she's had sex since she's pregnant. Remember just a few short decades ago THIS WAS COMMON - and in some places it still happens (pregnant or not). Pregnant women were expected to stay home, although a short walk around sunset in the neighborhood with the husband was considered "socially ok". Would you do anything about it, or does she deserve this?

I realize that a lot of the posters here are too young to have seen how things were, and there are stories from before my time that are even worse. So, for those that still don't get it, I'd recommend you at least read a book or take a class on feminism or even just talk to your mom/grandmother/aunt before you bash it. Just a thought.