Get Back In Your Box, Women!
Gotta love the Daily Mail spin on today’s press release about gamers based on a survey commissioned by Dorito’s.
MCV:
A new study has found that women who play online games prefer their gaming sessions to taking a bath, shopping, working out – and having sex.
The survey of 2,052 people was commissioned by Doritos and found that 49 per cent of women play online games, almost matching the 50 per cent of men that game online.
Of these female online gamers, 84 per cent said they enjoy their gaming sessions, compared to just 70 per cent who enjoy sex. 62 per cent enjoy working out, 71 per cent enjoy shopping and 75 per cent enjoy having a bath.
And nearly one in five female gamers (17 per cent) admitted they play online games in bed.
James Batchelor – Survey: Women love gaming more than sex
And the Daily Mail’s interpretation. Obviously I have cherry picked quote for maximum outrage:
The study, carried out by Doritos, found that while 50 per cent of men readily admit to frequent online gaming, a surprising 49 per cent of women confess that they too are addicted to Internet games…
…Revealingly, the study showed that not only are women just as keen on gaming as men – but that the majority would rather spend time playing on their gadgets than having sex……Worryingly, one in five even admitted to regularly gaming in bed. And no, that is not a euphemism.
Men may shake their heads despairingly at this – after all, all but the most devoted male computer game enthusiast would down tools for a session in the marital bed – but what is perhaps more staggering is the news that female gamers would rather play online games than go shopping.
Now that really IS an addiction.
Deborah Arthurs – Women play computer games just as much as men – and they prefer gaming to sex, survey reveals
If it’s more appealing than shopping, there is clearly something wrong with these women.
What Was I Thinking? 
So do you women have to go to gaming speakeasys? Do you hide your Nintendo DSs in the laundry pile and play them when your husbands go out and earn money for you to treat yourselves to a new iron?
Seriously, I imagine every Daily Mail journalist is an 80 year old Conservative or something.
James
15 July, 2011 at 5:57 pm
We do! US female gamers are allowed to talk to each other on the Internet so it seems like we’re much more accepted than we really are. In reality, as soon as you create a female Mii on your 3DS it activates a hidden mode that seeks out the nearest oven and attaches itself with a 4-foot chain.
Weefz
16 July, 2011 at 10:30 am
If I had stumbled across this article, I would have been severely pissed off. I’m mad enough just having read that second quote that you included. I would like to kick the writer in the shin for the “more staggering is the news that female gamers would rather play online games than go shopping” line alone. Whomever put this together (I’m looking at you, Doritos) clearly doesn’t know any female gamers.
Shanno
16 July, 2011 at 4:47 am
It’s appalling, isn’t it Shanno? I really can’t stand these papers that have to sensationalise everything. “Enjoying” becomes “addicted” and of course there’s no greater aspiration in life for women than to go shopping.
Weefz
16 July, 2011 at 10:25 am