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On Sex and Video Games
“I don’t understand how boys can play on and on and on,” my hometown friend said as we drove home from seeing a movie over Christmas Break. I laughed at her and asked her why. She said that she just couldn’t understand it; girls don’t play video games…at least not that much.
I wasn’t insulted. I’ve never known her to play video games except Goldeneye in multiplayer mode. And even then, I always beat her. But I do play video games. When I was in elementary school, I’d come home to my Sega Genesis and games like Sonic the Hedgehog and Disney’s Aladdin. We owned a Nintendo 64 (possibly the best system I ever had) and along with it Mario Party 2, Mario Kart, and several Pokémon games, including Pokémon Snapshot. After earning $250 from a garage sale, I immediately went to Best Buy for a PlayStation 2 (back when they still cost $200) and Final Fantasy X. And from there it was the Final Fantasy games, Kingdom Hearts, Midnight Club, Super Smash Brothers, Guitar Hero, Dance Dance Revolution, and more.
Granted, I never had many guy friends in high school, and the ones I did have were all homosexual. So when I came to college and befriended my current clique, I was mildly surprised at how much they played video games. Didn’t they have anything better to do? Can someone really waste away in front of a television set, playing games on the Wii or, like some of them, watching others play games? Even after nearly two years, I still believe the answer is “no,” but I could be sorely mistaken.
The two men I know who play video games the most are Bob and Steve, good friends of mine from down the hall. When I asked how many hours per week they estimate they play video games, I received surprising answers. Steve told me 8 hours, which honestly seemed a little short because almost every time I pass his room he’s glued to the TV with a controller in his hand. Bob, on the other hand, averages 14 hours. Why? “Because they’re fun,” he said, “or there’s nothing much better to do.” They’re also easily accessible, considering all he has to do is get on the Internet and go to addictinggames.com to find a piece of mindless entertainment.
I wanted to laugh when Steve answered. He claimed it was not only because they’re fun, but also for the “same reason people spend time reading.” Video games allow people to immerse themselves in a world unlike our own, whether it’s killing zombies in Left 4 Dead or saving the world from Dr. Wily in Mega Man.
As I listened, I found that I agreed. I mean, it would be slightly hypocritical of me to judge someone poorly because of his addiction to video games. After buying that PlayStation 2 and Final Fantasy X, I played that video game straight from 8 in the morning to 4 the next morning and only left my room to eat and shower…for an entire week! Who am I to criticize men for doing the same?
But still, that was back in junior high school. What is it that compels men to play video games constantly even into their twenties?
Even after talking to Bob and Steve, and using myself as a reference, I don’t understand why there’s a difference—or if one exists at all. Both men will admit that they see more men than women play video games, but neither seem to put any stock in this. Bob, who prefers multiplayer games, will play with almost anyone who is willing to play, boy or girl. Steve prefers to play with friends over strangers, even if they suck. And both admit that a fellow gamer being a girl doesn’t make a difference to them.
For speculation’s sake, both believe that how each sex thinks affects their preferred gaming genre. So while men tend to lean toward action and fighting games, women seem to prefer the RPG (role-playing game) like a Final Fantasy. Strange, since both Bob and Steve agree that their favorite game genre is the RPG. Could there be a biological difference in the brain that contributes to each sex’s gaming fixation?
As Bob says, yes, it’s possible. But he isn’t an expert in brain chemistry and biological differences between the sexes. And neither am I, though from what I’ve seen there seems to be a difference in how men and women act. This could be a reason for why men seem to play video games more often.
That doesn’t mean women don’t play video games. I’m exhibit A. And that doesn’t mean that women can’t play as well as men do. I’m not exhibit A in this case. I’ve seen men that, quite frankly, just can’t play video games. And I’ve seen women that, quite frankly, are better than most of the men I’ve seen. But there does seem to be a correlation between the sex and the game genre. Of course, this could easily be explained by the amount of time spent on a given game. Someone who plays more often is clearly going to be better than someone who’s never played.
All in all—and to end a rant that seems to be getting nowhere now—I still am unable to explain to my friend why is it men play video games so much. And I don’t quite understand why. Honestly, I don’t think there’s a difference other than the personalities of people. We may come to understand in time. Although, I doubt I’ll ever understand why men seem to enjoy watching people play video games. That logic just escapes me completely.