FEMALE VIDEO GAME ENTERTAINMENT - APRIL 2010
FemmeFatale
Gamer Girls Break Through
About the Editors
spring 2010
Katrinka Swenson, Editor in Chief A few games Katrinka plays:
O
ne of my best friends and I stayed up all night one summer in elementary school trying to beat the original Spyro because she didn’t have a memory card, so that was my first love. I didn’t get my first console until a few years back, unfortunately, but I wanted to play Spyro again, so I decided to turn the flea market upside down looking for it.
On FemmeFatale: I think the magazine is inspirational to women gamers to help them be proud they are what they are. I don’t believe our voices should be quiet because males have it in their mindset that we can’t do as much damage with a controller as they can, just because our gender. So, enjoy, readers.
Mary Singson, Editor in Chief A few games Mary plays:
M
y parents bought my older brother and I the first Nintendo system when I was 7 years old. Yes, the first. From “Duck Hunt” to “Track and Field,” “Super Mario Bros.” to “1942,” I played. Although I was horrible at them, I played and enjoyed. I play other games now and still struggle through them, but I keep playing and enjoying. And that’s what matters.
On FemmeFatale: This magazine should be a symbol recognizing or uniting gamer girls everywhere. Video games are not just for males anymore. The boundaries for video game sexism should be torn down for females to have a chance in shining within the virtual world. Without a doubt, we ladies play it to win it, too. So, guys, move aside, it’s our turn to shine.
About
FemmeFatale
F
emales are complex creatures, that is what we’ve all been told before. Men and women alike tell us that we are complicated by how our minds work or the unpredictable mood swings we may have every few seconds. But that’s not who we are. I consider females like the cliché phrase: there are two sides to every coin. There’s your everyday girl from next door and then there’s the secret superhero identity that intrigues the males’
“
sides to “ Two every coin
mind and later becomes their every ideal fantasy. Let’s face it. Not a lot of females play video games. So those who do, they’re considered rare mythical creatures. Gamer girls should have better exposure and wear their pride on their sleeves. However, when a female starts playing Modern Warfare 2: Call of Duty or Battlefield: Bad Company 2, males begin to adore her for the first-time around, but then hyperventilate or complain in disbelief that a “girl” can play them in their
(supposedly) own turf, let alone accept the fact that she can win. How cute. So, guys, understand that we women kick ass, whether the games may be Cooking Mama or Mortal Kombat, we’ll rack up points or deathkill ratios in video games as much as you do if not, more. This is the true meaning of being a dangerous competition in the gaming world; being a FemmeFatale. Go against the norm, fight your own battles and get your game on, ladies.
This Month
table
contents news
top &stories
featured
gamer
new
upcoming &games
game
reviews
of
What’s happening in the gaming world that you haven’t heard about? Check out what you need to for the month. Page 5
Explore the world of Sims 3 with a girl who finds her characters lives just as exciting, if not more, than her own. Don’t we all like to get Page 9 lost sometimes?
What games are on the market that you may not have heard about? What games are worth your time to pick up? Find the latest and greatest you’ve been Page 11 waiting for.
Check out the latest reviews on all of the upcoming games. Learn the best games to destroy, slay and kick ultimate butt in, as well as the best ones to kick back and relax with. Page 13
featured
gamer
featured
gamer
onthe cover old school videogames
reader
contributions
credits
Forty-six games and counting. All about a girl whose curiosity started her grand collection of games. Page 17
A 22-year-old woman shows off her wild passion for video games and voices out her thoughts toward females and male players in the virtual world. Page 18
Women play extra hard to prove themselves in a predominately male dominated world, but that’s half the fun. Page 19
Take yourself back to the times when games really just weren’t all that complicated. Skill came from two buttons. You hated a game because it was good. Page 26
What do you have to say? What do you feel is important? Let us know your thoughts. Page 27
Let’s face it, we can’t do all the work on our own. As much as our egos like us to think we can, it’s Page 29 simply not true.
news & top stories
In-game pet makes Blizzard bank
The “Celestial Steed” made Blizzard $2 million in four hours.
Frank Cifaldi
The Blizzard Pet Store is offering two new virtual pets to World of Warcraft players today, one of which has generated over $2 million in sales in its first four hours. The “Celestial Steed” is, according to its description on the Blizzard Store, “freshly born from the Twisting Nether” and allows players to “travel in style astride wings of pure elemental stardust.” he fancy horse costs $25 and offers no new abilities to players, only riding as fast as a character’s riding skill will enable it to go. According to wow.com, the download queue as of 1:45 Pacific time was at 80,000. At $25 a pop, this means that this noble steed has generated sales of $2 million since its approximate debut at 9:30 this morning, or around $500,000 an hour.
Sega layoffs and downloads Sega was hit today by 73 layoffs as part of a business reorganization that will see the company focusing more on social and digital games. According to a statement received by 1UP, 36 employees in Sega’s San Francisco office and 37 in London have been made redundant as part of the reorganization. The San Francisco office will now focus exclusively on digital and downloadable content (as the newly formed “Digital Division”) while London will act as the company’s administrative hub, as well as handle traditional console and PC games. “In recent years, digital platforms have taken an increasing share of video gaming revenues and we believe this growth is set to continue,” said the statement. “Sega has already enjoyed commercial success within this new and exciting gaming medium and it is now the company’s intention to fully embrace change and set a strategy not only to maximize revenues within the digital space but, through innovation and quality, take up a leadership position.” “It’s quite interesting, if you look at Sega’s relatively short modern history when we reinvented ourselves as a multi-platform publisher, the excitement for us was being on the PlayStation 2 and Gamecube and Xbox,
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Frank Cifaldi
and we sort of travelled a path where our market share has increased significantly over the past five years in both North America and in the European territories,” said Sega West president Mike Hayes. “[The new focus on digital media] is part of our ongoing expansion, which is great. We have a very strong base now in the traditional business. We still want to grow, we still want to be very competitive, but in terms of development and growing our overall market share, part of that sort of journey for Sega, sort of like chapter two, is this big digital arena,” he continued. “It’s new, it provides new outlets for us. We can do different things in terms of gaming experiences, which is interesting for us. So in a way it’s sort of a part of the ongoing rebirth of Sega as a multi-platform agnostic publisher of games.” According to Hayes, the layoffs were mainly caused by Sega’s U.S. and London offices having different employees fulfilling the same tasks - now that both divisions have been further consolidated, according to Hayes, some of these employees are no longer necessary to the company. “There was a lot of duality, there was a lot of doing the same work twice,” said Hayes.
Sony nixes Linux for PS3 An illustration created by the author, featuring the penguin and icon of the Linux operating system, which Sony has decided to remove from their Play Station 3 console. Some agree with the decision because it will help to stop game piraters in the future, but many disagree because they believe Sony is cutting too many attributes that many consumers bought the system for in the first place.
DaveDaGamer Sony can’t just live and let live. They just continue to make those who want so badly to love them, blindingly mad. With the latest firmware update, (God, how many will there be before they get the system right?) the powers that be decided to remove support for installing another OS on the system. Most notably Linux. I guess that’s what happens when a company famously decides to release a do-everything console way ahead of its time by deciding to throw in fluff and the kitchen sink to ensure it being future proof and hitting its 10 year cycle. Then something unforeseen by the rumbling juggernaut happened. They built it and they didn’t come… Sony immediately racked up untold millions in losses and had to think fast or be forced to eat crow and get out of the gaming business entirely (same thing happened to all the other failed consoles). They decided
to chip away at all the extra “features” the PS3 sported so they could bring down the price of the console. Many disguised as “firmware updates”. Which on the surface should make things better, but when they are forced on users they remove all choice in the matter. Making you feel like the console you paid *gasp $599 or now $299 for isn’t really yours. The fee paid was just to have the ability to store it in your house. Removing Linux to stop a security threat to their console makes sense if you stand to really lose from that threat. Do what you did previously with Backwards Compatibility; release all future consoles without the feature. That way the consumer has a choice of which to purchase, and you don’t piss of the existing users who already gave you their hard
earned cash. Doesn’t that achieve the same purpose? Where does it say in business that mucho negative PR is good PR? Yeah, yeah, all the backers will say, “It’s all about the games games games and sometimes Blu-Ray movies!” Tthat’s not what you sold us on. You (Sony) sold us on an entertainment device that will end all entertainment devices. Which quite frankly the capability of the system is there. Why take it away now? This writer’s take is that if the lawsuits continue to take hold, we may see some restoration of Linux capabilities. But it would be a lose-lose situation for Sony. Give it back, then you are admitting to a mistake. Don’t give it back and it shows you are a hard ass. What to do?
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Supreme Court to hear violent video game ban
Henry K. Lee
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Monday to decide whether California can ban the sale of violent video games to minors, a law that lower courts have declared an unconstitutional restriction on free speech. The high court will review a decision by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco to throw out the ban on the grounds that government has no authority to restrict even the most violent games. The appeals court rejected proponents’ arguments that graphic games can cause youths who play them to behave aggressively, saying research offered no proof. The ban, sponsored by state Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, became law in October 2005 but has never been enforced. It would bar the sale of an interactive video game to anyone under 18 if the game was so violent, it was “patently offensive,” according to prevailing community standards for minors, and lacked literary, artistic, political or scientific value. Violent video games would carry a large “18” label on their packages. Anyone who sold such a game to a minor could be fined as much as $1,000. Federal courts have overturned similar laws in Oklahoma, Louisiana, Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois and the cities of St. Louis and Indianapolis. Yee said Monday, “I am hopeful that the high court will determine our law to be constitutional, but, regardless, states are now certain to receive direction on how to proceed with this important issue.”
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The Entertainment Software Association, a video industry group that took part in the lawsuit challenging the law, said the state has no evidence that virtual violence causes real-life mayhem. “Courts throughout the country have ruled consistently that content-based regulation of computer and video games is unconstitutional,” association President Michael Gallagher said. “Research shows that the public agrees, video games should be provided the same protections as books, movies and music.” The state argued that violent content should be judged by the same obscenity standards as sex. Just as the government can prohibit the sale of explicit pornography to minors, state lawyers contended, it should be allowed to establish an adultsonly category of ultra-violent video games. In February, the appeals court disagreed. A 1968 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allowed tighter restrictions on selling explicit materials to minors than to adults applies only to sexual content and not to violence, the appellate panel said. “The Supreme Court has carefully limited obscenity to sexual content,” Judge Consuelo Callahan said in the 3-0 ruling. “We decline the state’s invitation to apply the (same) rationale to materials depicting violence.” Callahan said video games “are a form of expression protected by the First Amendment.” The appeals court also said the state has failed to demonstrate the need for a ban on sales to
minors, noting that the industry has a voluntary rating system that includes an adults-only category. The Supreme Court’s decision to hear the case comes a week after the high court struck down a federal law banning videos showing animal cruelty. But Yee said that if the high court had thought the two cases were similar, it “would have thrown out our law as well. Clearly, the justices want to look specifically at our narrowly tailored law that simply limits sales of ultra-violent games to kids without prohibiting speech.” Margaret Russell, a professor of constitutional law at Santa Clara University School of Law, cautioned against making comparisons between the two cases. Although both have to do with violence, she said, the animal-cruelty video case “really focused on how overly broad the law was, rather than the core content.” Still, the high court made clear in both cases that it was intent on examining First Amendment issues, Russell said. “The animal-cruelty video case reflects the Supreme Court’s reinforcement of the principle that carving out exceptions to the First Amendment is a risky and flawed approach to solving the very serious problem of violence in our society,” Russell said. “I regard the court’s decision to examine the California violent video game law as another indication of its concern with the constitutional constraints on limiting expression, even if that expression is disturbing and controversial.”
ver sus
Shankar Gupta
This week, Apple impresario Steve Jobs put a shot across Adobe’s bow, explaining in detail why the iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad (The “iPlatforms,” hereafter) do not and will not in the future support Adobe Flash. The key points for people who aren’t Apple shareholders are that Flash is murderous to mobile device battery life, and that it’s buggy, crash-prone and not especially secure. This of course has major implication for the Web as a whole, but this is the Gaming insider -- what does it mean for games? In the short term, probably not too much. As Jobs’ open letter points out, there are plenty of games on the App Store, and anyone who’s been to AddictingGames. com knows that there are enough free Flash games out there to occupy even those with a surfeit of spare time. Web game devs code in Flash, and Apple devs can code in HTML5, and each platform has its own title lists – no big deal. But as the Apple/Adobe war continues, Web game developers may want to start
news & top stories
Apple versus Adobe
choosing sides. Since a game developed using HTML5 can run on both the Web and on the iPlatforms, as Apple’s products proliferate in the marketplace as gaming devices – and they’re already major players in that space – Flash will simply not be less economical than developing on the open platform, unless Flash proves itself to have features that are truly unique, which at the moment aren’t there. On top of that, Adobe will have to fix the stability, battery life, and functionality problems that Jobs highlighted. The reason these things are missioncritical for Adobe is that mobile is the future of casual and social gaming; there’s no reason we need to be tied to our desktops to play “Farmville” or “Plants vs. Zombies.” With the iPlatforms as some of the most dominant mobile gaming platforms, Adobe needs to make sure to either twist Apple’s arm until they cave and support Flash, or make gaming on the Droid so good that we all forget about iPhones.
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Control What To Do
Katrinka Swenson
Katie Kesneck is like every other girl trying to get through college and life while enjoying her time with friends and entertainment. When she isn’t competing with herself for the highest score in Tetris on her phone, she’s creating characters with distinct personalities, then controls their every move, tells them what to do, what to like, and who to hang out with. Control is her main definition.
I
t started at 11. Sims 1 was the name of the game. Then the accident happened. The father lit the fireplace. It got out of control. The whole family died trying to put it out. There were three kids in the family. It sucked they died. Katie Kesneck put a lot of work into creating them. She controlled the characters lives for eight hours straight back in those days. The ones where she didn’t have a job, and only had to worry about school. Times were simpler back then. Sims 3 is the name of the game now. She plays about 10 hours a week, when she doubles her time hanging out with friends who play as well, or are happy to just sit around and chat with her. Part of it is due to the fact she doesn’t have a computer that likes to keep a charge, but time is limited, and friends are important, so it works out. Unlike Sims 2, which got boring to her after a while because there was no real diversity in creating characters, Sims 3 offers personality. It enables her to put a lot of thought and effort into
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creating her characters. They become almost like people. It’s as if she’s watching from above, controlling their every move, and yelling at them when something happens she disapproves of. “I like to make them woohoo,” she said with a coy smile. “They all tend to be a little bisexual because they are generally whores.” Her friend she played with turned to her, and in a moment of epiphany, stated that the characters should shower together. A saddened discussion broke about the lack of a Jacuzzi in Sims 3, and how Sims 2 trumped the current game in that manner. The friends continued to talk and laugh. Each movement and action of the characters was narrated by the users. “He’s going to sleep. Oh. No. He got a call. He has to go back to work.” There’s not much emotion behind the words, just information as if the two were on a stake-out, and the Sims characters were the subjects of investigation. Eventually, the back and forth narration picked up the events happening on the screen became
gossip. An outsider listening in, not knowing the situation, might mistake it for gossip. Gasps and exasperations filled the otherwise silent room as one shared stories, and then the other took her turn. The stories grew so large, an idea for a soap opera might have been able to be sold to a network television station as their next biggest hit. With as much control as she has, Katie Kesneck doesn’t really feel omnipotent or omnipresent. She just has fun. She releases her stress and plays through a virtual world to have the kind of fun that would never be possible in the real world. Well, it might be possible, but she would get some strange looks and quite a bit of criticism. In the gaming world, Sims 3 is a surefire way to pass the time and lose oneself. And who can complain about that? Isn’t that the reason people pick up a controller and actively choose to stare at a screen for hours in the first place? Why not kick back, relax, and make some characters woohoo? Unfortunately, not in a Jacuzzi.
I WANT YOU
TO JOIN & PLAY MAPLESTORY
BE PART OF THE GAME! MEET NEW PEOPLE! MapleStory is the world’s first and most successful side-scrolling 2D on-line game with over 10 million players in the Global server including North America! Distinguish your own identity in the world of MapleStory! Become popular and get to know other players by visitng through towns and cities, training among parties and completing quests.
new & upcoming games
Top May 2010 Releases
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Lost Planet 2
Genre: Third-Person Shooter
It’s been a decade since the events of the former game and the face of E.D.N. III has changed dramatically. Players are back to continue the quest of seizing control of the unfamilar planet. Be prepared for intense battles across foreign territory. For an in-depth experience, players are given the capability to customize their own snow pirate and team with other players via on-line.
Alan Wake
Genre: Action From the creators of a hit thriller video game Max Payne, Remedy creates another intense psychological thriller to keep the players’ minds thinking. Due to a traumatic loss of his fiancée, the best-selling suspense novelist Alan Wake must solve a mystery to find a way out of the “nightmarish world” he is stuck in. Players would encounter horrifying enemies and a storyline full of suspense and puzzles.
Red Dead Redemption
Genre: Action Adventure
The story continues from the 2004 hit Red Dead Revolver with former outlaw John Marston, who explores the great American frontier. Players would experience an endless amount of gunfights and battles, meet numerous unique characters, and pick their own ending. Through Marston’s eyes, the story of the Wild West and its gunslingers would come to an end.
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands Genre: Action Adventure
Rated: T Available on: - PC (May 11) - PS3 (May 11) - XBOX (May 11) Price: $59.99
Rated: T Available on: - PC (May 18) - XBOX (May 18) Price: $59.99
Rated: M Available on: - PS3 (May 18) - XBOX (May 18) Price: $59.99
Rated: T
Available on: Following the first story, the Prince finds his brother’s kingdom in Azad under siege from - DS (May 18) a powerful army. When he uses the ancient - PSP (May 18) power of the Sand as a last-ditch effort to save - Wii (May 18) the kingdom, the Prince embarks on an epic - XBOX360 (May 18) adventure and discover life lessons that the Price: $59.99 player will also come to learn.
Trauma Team
Rated: T
Genre: Strategy
Aside from strategies and fun, The Nintendo Wii is also well-known for a medical hands-on experience. With this game, players will become a teammate on six distinct fields of medicine: general surgeron, diagnostician, E.M.T., orthopedic surgeon, endoscope technican and a medical examiner. Having a shot at saving people’s lives and a great story line makes this game amazing.
Available on:
- Wii (May 18)
Price: $39.99
Super Mario Galaxy 2: Cloud Mario Play Test
Genre: Platformer
Nintendo Wii’s top hit from 2003 comes back with a sequel. Like the former, it includes stunning gravity-defying, physics-based exploration, but it’s full of new galaxies and features challenges that would make returning fans happy and new ones even happier to play. An addition to the game is Mario’s long-time dinosaur buddy Yoshi that players can also control.
ModNation Racers
Genre: Racing
PlayStation’s latest edition to the gaming society is kart racing. Unlike many others, however, this game empowers the players to create their own character, style their own racing kart and design buildings within minutes. Players can also share, play and meet other players through the on-line community through PlayStation Network service.
UFC Undisputed 2010 Genre: Fighting Simulation
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is on its way and you have the potential to be the best. Players will get into the Octagon Ring and experience fighting against more than 100 of the best UFC fighters in the world. Customize your fighter enhancements and abilities and sharpen your intelligence and intuitive combat skills.
new & upcoming games
Top May 2010 Releases
Rated: E
Available on:
- Wii (May 23)
Price: $49.99
Rated: E
Available on: - PSP (May 25) - PS3 (May 25) Price: $59.99
Rated: T
Available on:
- PSP (May 25) - PS3 (May 25) - XBOX (May 25) Price: $59.99
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Nintendo Wii A review on the game that follows the monster-catching craze.
Monster Hunter Tri A
s part three to the Monster Hunter saga, the monsters keep getting bigger and badder. In a good way, of course. The purpose behind this video game is simple: kill monsters that walk and terrorize. This game gives the player the ultimate experience of beastslaughtering. The camera control is in a wide-view that allows the player to notice the environment and any disturbances in the area that require care-taking (such as the monstrous creatures). The gameplay is set to real-time, meaning kill or be killed. When it comes to gameplay, the difficulty settings are for above-average and hardcore gamers. There are two types of level difficulties. One level is simply to humor
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the player’s mind and practice in art of patience. This type of level honors the skills of strategizing, planning and other skills. The latter is for the ultimate button-smashing experience, but lacks any creative strategic ideas. The graphics are overall stunning and greatly detailed. Every monster the player encounters has its own identity that can be easily defined in its own unique way. Beautiful graphics and scenaries are a plus in MH3 as they may give the players a sense of relaxation after buttonsmashing the remote control to slay the monsters and protect the people of the land.
Unfortunately, the lack of a deep storyline may dampen the game’s hype. For those who have not played the former games, the main character may be a bit of a mystery. He, who has no name but Monster Hunter, has no significant history. Not much is known other than the protagonist hunts solo. Also the side characters in the game are unnecessary to the plot since all of them are merchants.
XBOX 360 Arcade games are coming back. A review on the classic.
RayStorm HD
A
rcade games are slowly coming back into the modern world of video games and into high-definition. One of the most successful games is sponsored by the XBOX 360, the 1996 RayStorm has taken the same name. The game takes place in 2219 A.D., where humans explore space and established a martial law in a Star Federation colony that extends to Orion. One colony sends out a force to destroy the Earth. Respectfully, Earth sends its forces to fight back. Enter R-GRAY, the fighter plane who the player controls. There are eight stages in total. The first three stages are earth-bound, the last three stages take place in a fictional planet Secilia, which leaves the remaining two levels in between the two planets. The video game will include two modes to enhance the arcade mode. One is the original and the other is “Extra Mode,� which features more enemies, tougher bosses and a higher level of difficulty.
The game play includes a lockon laser system that upgrades after every stage. The R-Gray 1 is the basic laser cannon, but locks and fires multiple missles when the plane is in motion. The R-Gray 2 is twin lasers that is superior to the R-Gray 1 in the range capabilities. Simply, aim and fire.
In comparison to the 1996 classic, RayStorm HD has a few additional crafts and weaponry.A brand-new spacecraft R-GEAR is a fourth battle ship that fires missiles. Another great thing about this video game: it costs $15. Players may be looking forward to more classic game releases this coming year.
The Infamous R-GRAY, the fighter plane.
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PlayStation 3 A special review on the hit release from the saga:
OVERALL: A Story: A+ Graphics: A+ Gameplay: B+
The Story
L
ike the former FinalFantasy games,FFXIII continues its legacy of having a deep storyline. The story takes place 1,300 years ago. In a world where utopia exists, Cocoon is a heaven in the sky. The inhabitants from the past generations have only known peace and prosperity then blessed mankind with a group of protectors, fal’Cie. However, when one fallen fal’Cie from Pulse, the detested lowerworld, awoke from its slumber, Cocoon is full of destruction and terror. The Fal’Cie cursed the humans and turned them into servants who wield magic, l’Cie, to obey their Focus (goal) or they would face a fate
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that would be harsher than death itself. The story focuses on a former sergeant of the Guardian Corps, Lightning,formerly known as Claire, on her quest to save her sister. As the story progresses, she encounters and befriends five others who too have been cursed with magic and fate’s ordeal. The main characters who join Lightning in her quest are likeable for the most part. Every individual has their own stories and personality quirks, humor perks and actions that would make any player get attached to the group or individual. Well, maybe except that one character who has a high monotone pitch. Just saying.
Unlike most Final Fantasy games, this one features a female protagonist. Lightning, who is a former sergeant of the Guardian Corps for mankind.
The battle system of Final Fantasy continues in XIII, but the PS3 makes the turn-by-turn gameplay smoother with additional beautiful closeup graphics and continuous attacks to keep the player from becoming bored with repetitive animations.
The Graphics
Every Final Fantasy game has outdone itself in graphics in some way or another. When a game console like the PlayStation 3 primarily focuses on graphics, the player can enjoy the eyecandy material (characters) and breath-taking sceneries. In FFXIII, each character’s expression and fluid movements make the character appear human and alive in the three-dimensional world. The beautiful visuals of looking atcrystal caverns and vast grasslands are detailed from the skies above to the ground the characters walk on. The visuals make the game much more enjoyable.
The Gameplay Overall Consistency is Final Fantasy’s theme for creating games. The gameplay is a turn-by-turn basis; in other words, it’s a polite way of attacking, “you-me-you-me.” However, FFXIII has an upgrade in the battle system compared to its predecessors by the fluid and active movements of the characters. Other FF games have battle systems with the characters standing and awaiting stiff-like for the player to command them. Also, the player has only one way to move: forward. The linear movement, however, is hidden conspicuously by the creators for the player to not greatly notice it.
For any Final Fantasy lovers, this game is a keeper. For the players who newly joined the bandwagon, this game may take a little bit of time to get used to. Without a doubt, any kind of gamers who enjoy a great strategic role-playing game would add this game to their collection. The down-sides on this game is the lack of character progression and the game’s linear direction. Generally, the game takes about 50-60 hours to finish the main story. Other side quests and missions could accumulate to a total of 80-95 hours of playing time. So sit back, relax and grab a few drinks, the game is worth the time. As the story unfolds, players get to experience breath-taking graphics and mysterious characters with their own stories to unravel.
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&C o u n t i n g
GameCube: Super Smash Bros.
Nintendo DS: Pokémon Sapphire
PC: Nexon MapleStory
F ort y - s i x G a m e s Mary Singson
A girl whose curiousity started her grand collection of video games.
I
t was at the age of 4 that Jade Oladosu touched her first game console. The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, better known as the SNES or the second console Nintendo released, was truly a family entertainment at the Oladosu’s. Influenced by the gamers in her family her father and two older siblings, she picked up the video game controller and played Super Mario World. And then she fell in love. Now at the age of 15, Jade finds herself surrounded by her own growing collection of 46 games. Her video game roots are a solid foundation in her hobby as most of her consoles are Nintendo products: SNES, Nintendo64, GameCube, Wii, and portable devices such as GameBoy Color,
Gameboy Advance, GameBoyXP and NintendoDS. When she’s not playing a Zelda game or Wii Sports, she has an XBOX to play Assassin’s Creed, Bioshock, and Rock Band 2. Unlike some gamers, Jade likes to turn-on her old systems and re-play some of her games, especially her favorite ones like Pokémon and Super Mario games. “When I first played Super Mario World (SNES), I thought, ‘Damn, this is hard.’ I play it now and think, ‘Damn! This is still hard!” she admits and laughs. Although she states that she is not a “video game addict,“ the amount of free time is the culprit of her game collection. “Two words: summer. MapleStory,”
Jade Oladosu, 15, began with one game console and currently has nine ten, including a computer.
she recalls the hours and memories about the side-scrolling 2D, massive multiplayer online role-playing (MMORPG) computer game and gives another round of laughter. Will she ever grow out of her video game phase? “Probably not,” she says. Her next target: Assassin Creed 2... and then some.
“When I first played Super Mario World (SNES), I thought, ‘Damn, this is hard.’ I play it now and think, ‘Damn! This is still hard!’” - 17 -
crazyness915 has signed in. Mary Singson
A 22-year-old woman shows off her wild passion for video games and voices out her thoughts toward females and male players in the virtual world.
Lea Gaber, 22, focuses on the kill as an assaulter in the virtual battlefield of Modern WarFare 2: Call of Duty.
L
ea Gaber, 22, enters her room and sits down on her leather, monsterous black chair, but doesn’t bother comfortably sitting back. She’s too intense and focused on what’s ahead of her, not behind. Just a few feet in front of her, she has her television screen already turned on and wired to her PlayStation 3 game console. She logs in the on-line network and begins to play Modern Warfare 2: Call of Duty. Crazyness915 has signed in. “This is going to be fun.” Lea smirked in sheer confidence, but is still relaxed. Lea has always been a gamer since her father bought the Super Nintendo
Entertainment System when she was 4 years old. From childhood, Super Mario Bros. has given her the sense of accomplishment. Now she’s grown-up and looking for the thrill on the battlefield. “I love the PlayStation 3 because of the on-line capabilities. I can get my microphone and talk to people who share the same interests.” She says. Unfortunately, some players may get a little arrogant and immature over a video game, Lea says, but she’s used to it. “I learned to ignore what they say, for the most part,” she says with a shrug. One experience Lea had in COD 2 dealt with stereotype and sexism. While she shot a player multiple times (coincidentally, she noted), the player had a microphone and began verbally lashing out Lea and called her a “10-year-old-boy.” She ignored it at first, but finally got tired of the immaturity and plugged in her microphone. “Last time I checked, boobs made me a female.” Then he was mute. “Although it’s was also immature of me to argue, but I like playing in peace,” she said. “Who cares if we’re male or female? Can’t we just play?”
Lea is still finishing a crossstitching surprise gift for her father’s birthday, featuring different forms of Nintendo’s Super Mario.
Starstrucked by her passion for video games, Lea and her best friend have matching tattoos of Super Mario on their left ankle. Lea’s top played games.
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Break Through the Boundaries Females have a long way to go in the predominately male-dominated world of video games, but there are growing numbers of women who are willing to fight for their rightful titles.
Katrinka Swenson
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G
o ahead and walk the floor of a gaming convention. How about a tournament. Chances are, a sea of males is threatening to drown the wading females. Things don’t stay the same forever. Technology grows and advances at alarming rates, and the video game world changes with it. Sixty-five percent of American households play computer or video games, according to a 2008 survey by the Entertainment Software Association. Seeing may not always be believing, and could possibly be misleading. The 2008 ESA survey claims that 40 percent of the gaming population is female. Not only that, but women 18 years or older make up 33 percent of the population, as opposed to 18 percent of boys, which are classified as 17 and younger. Despite the numbers, gaming stereotypes tend to be worse regarding gender than what is seen at conventions or tournaments. Stereotypes rarely acknowledge
that female gamers exist. There’s the male shut-in, who often lives in his mother’s basement until 40 or older. These males are the ones with the pasty skin and lightened eyes after too much time has passed since sunlight hit any cell on their bodies. Then there’s the socially awkward male who is labeled a geek and can only make friends with others labeled as such. These males are the ones sitting at the corner lunch table with the tapedtogether glasses, the pants at their waste line, and the complete dissociation from the world around them and are amazed when they find out females exist. The stereotypes go on. But those, too, are changing. With the advancement of technology, video game companies have been able to expand their advertising to reach male and females of all ages. An example is the Wii commercials with the grandparents playing with their grandchildren. Although things are changing, there may still be a long way to go.
Press Start
It starts with one game. One console. One controller. One character. After that, it begins to develop into another game. Perhaps on the same console, perhaps an exploration of a new one. The controls generally stay about the same and the thumbs do the same amount of work. Then another character comes out to play with a new story line. The real life beginning varies on the player. A story emerges outside of the virtual world accessed through a screen, and is lived by the one holding the controller. Unlike the path taken to the boss in the game being the same every time, the path for each gamer to beating her own boss is unique. It may start with the admiration for the magic an older sibling, a parent, or even a friend at school harnessed while possessing a controller. It may have developed as a means to battle boredom. It could have surfaced after seeing an advertisement on television. Who ever really knows but the
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gamer herself? But once the journey is started, it’s a fight for women gamers until the end when the final boss is defeated. Rachel Martin, 18, used to play video games with her dad when she was a little kid, but that was just having fun. The first game she ever played for amusement was Sonic the Hedgehog on Sega Genesis. At 15, her boyfriend at the time introduced her into the gaming community and it has remained a large part of her life since. She plays about 20 to 25 hours a week and can’t begin to tell you the number of different titles she’s played over three years. Her life wouldn’t be quite the same without the entertainment of video games. She has a soft spot for the Halo saga and Master
“Something that I’ve learned from playing a lot of video games is that you have to know what you’re talking about or no one is going to take you seriously.” Chief. She begged anyone she knew that had a copy of Halo 3 to bring it to her house so she could play the day it was released. For her last birthday, her friend handcrafted a seven-foot Master Chief model to attest her love. Although Rachel got her start with her dad, she’s not the only one to learn from family. Seventeen-
year-old Alexis King has a close relationship with her older brother, who was always big on video games. It wasn’t a far leap for her to jump into playing Zelda or Pokemon on her Gameboy when her brother did it. Her reason to play now might not be because it’s what her role-model does, but it’s still an escape from stressful environments. “Especially after exam week,” she added with audible contempt. School, work and other obligations keep her from playing often, but she picks right back up with her recreational gaming once summer comes. Left 4 Dead or Left 4 Dead 2 are her games of choice to take her frustrations out on.
Hitting Buttons
Rachel Martin poses with the seven-foot paper Master Chief model made by her best friend as a birthday present to let her attest her love for the video game character in one of her favorite sagas.
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Being a gamer doesn’t necessarily mean being pro. Games are created for entertainment and for interaction whether it be with between one-player and the game or with other people combining interests over a commonly liked game. The most important trait of a game, perhaps, could be the factor of enjoyment. “I’m an enthusiastic
gamer,” Rachel said, “but not an especially proficient one.” Her favorite game of all time is Dragon Age: Origins for PC. To date, she has logged around 170 hours of game play, making it not too far of a stretch to call her an expert. The same could be said for the other single player games that she picks up and can’t set down. With multiplayer games, however, she is a much more casual gamer, playing for the interaction rather than the competition. She is drawn more to games like World of Warcraft and EVE. In the time where she plays online games like Counter Strike or Halo, her competitive side screams out for the destruction of the other players. In almost all scenarios, gender doesn’t seem to be a big factor aside from the initial shock that males are graced with the presence of a female. Alexis is asked by her guy friends to play with them and just be another person with a controller in her hand. Rachel has seen almost all positive reactions. “If anyone believed that video games are strictly for one gender, then that’s just ridiculous and proving them wrong is a great feeling,” Alexis said. As positive as the experience can be, the reactions can sometimes be insulting. People are more willing and patient to help out a female player than a male player, but it comes at the price of lowered expectations for female players.
R a stands Maste in all
“Something that I’ve learned from playing a lot of video games is that you have to know what you’re talking about or no one is going to take you seriously,”
Rachel said. “It’s always such a shock that a girl knows about first person shooters instead of flowery role-play games or World of Warcraft.”
“Women can be positively represented in video games as strong leads, and even strong villains. They don’t have to be naked to grab your attention.” - 22-
Alexis hasn’t seen that reaction often. When she reveals that she’s a female gamer, it doesn’t surprise many people. “As it shouldn’t with all the technology out there.” Both agree that video games are a great means for conversation and bonding. “I think that gamers have a special sense of camaraderie that transcends gender at its core,” Rachel said.
Prove the Power
Despite the traditionally sexist and skimpy outfits that adorn the over exaggerated bodies of female characters, it’s easy to get lost in the fictional world of adventure. “The gaming world tends to give me more power than I have in the real world,” Alexis said. “It allows me to be what I want to be.” The characters themselves can prove to be inspiration to the females controlling their every move. “Women in the gaming world need to try to break the
“The best thing about a gaming atmosphere is that it’s never, ever lonely.” mold and broaden their horizons,” Rachel said. “I think women are sometimes misrepresented to heighten the appeal of games for male players. Women can be positively represented in video games as strong leads, and even strong villains. They don’t have to be naked to grab your attention.” Empowerment doesn’t have to come from matching the
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characters in fighting style or dominance over the world. Traits like independence and nobility can shine through the obvious and allow for the characters to surface as role models, even to grown women. “It’s empowering for me to be able to hold my own in a conversation about something I’m passionate about in a very select group of people, predominately men,” Rachel said. “The games give people goals. They make you feel like a hero, they give you the tools to save the world that you’ve been given. They provoke such optimism in people and give them the skills to be their ideal person. Games give women a sense of accomplishment and inspire them to reach their full potential. If they can actualize it digitally, why can’t they in real life?”
Win The Game
Women might not have as many or nearly as strong of stereotypes as male gamers, but that leaves room for the women to make their stereotypes the way they want them to be. Flowery roleplay games and World of Warcraft don’t have to be the only games associated with women.
Female gamers can hold their place in the competitive online slaughter of games like Halo 3 and Counter Strike. Communication and socialization are natural human acts. Men and women could use the chance to learn from the dominant characteristics of the other gender and grow from that. There’s no need to keep the mindset of playground laws, isolation by gender to avoid catching cooties. “The best thing about a gaming atmosphere is that it’s never, ever lonely,” Rachel said.”
Alexis King plays Left 4 Dead 2 with her friends to unwind from a long, stressful day at school and work.
Kickass Female Game Characters Morrigan Morrigan is an amazing woman in Dragon Age: Origins. She doesn’t take any flak from anybody. She’s self assured, very powerful and her wiles are what make her so intriguing. She is scornful towards love and other petty feelings that she feels interferes with strength and power. She’s admirable because her loyalty is worth volumes, and the closer you become to her character, the more you can see her change. She is very self aware and says that while she may not always understand the friendship and camaraderie of her peers, she will always value it. She progresses and learns as she experiences things alongside the main character, yet her tenacity and steadfastness never fades; she stays very true to her values and her off-kilter personality.
Samus Aran Samus was one of the first female protagonists on the gaming scene. She has an amazing array of skills that she uses against an alien horde. Revealing that she was female was a major shock to the industry; after spending hours playing with this metallic suit of amazing and realizing that you were playing as a woman the entire time was like dropping a bombshell.
Chun Li
Cortana Cortana is an AI originally seen on the Pillar of Autumn in the first Halo game. She is Master Chief’s companion that helps direct him and the game play. She’s funny, capable, and ridiculously intelligent, and it was she that chose Master Chief to be trained as a Spartan. They have a unique bond; although both are very independent, they depend on each other in a way that’s very localized to their relationship. Despite being cybernetically based, she seems to register real emotions; sorrow, fear, corruption, and love.
resilience and grace.
The women in Street Fighter all have admirable qualities, I’m just picking these two for now. There are many notable other ones, but let’s stick to this. Chun-Li is one of the most famous video game heroines in history; she looks innocent and adorable but doesn’t hesitate to use her massive thighs to spinning bird kick her opponent into oblivion. Tragedy in her childhood helped her to hone her skills, and she takes on the future with
C. Viper Viper, on the other hand, is out for her own. She loves her daughter, dressed to the nines in a business suit and big sunglasses; she’s seductive and classy, and fully capable of killing whatever gets in her way. She keeps her private life private and does her job; that’s her priority and she exacts it with precision.
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create. battle. tour. play. pure fun.
Return
Old School Games
Tetris
of the
Katrinka Swenson
There are the classics. Then there are the classics of the classics. Games that can never be forgotten and are brought back to life again and again, usually under different names, but sometimes holding their original titles. This isn’t about those. Mario and the Super Smash Brothers is contemporary. Zelda is recognizable to elementary kids. They have transformed and morphed to fit the times of today, to fit the upgraded and advanced technology. They aren’t even 8-bit anymore! Here’s an ode to the ones who may they never change. Oh, these games can still be played online. Asteroids is a game that can easily waste hours of one’s life. How simple the concept – a space ship blasting asteroids into fragments and then oblivion! - but how entertaining and fun. Don’t forget about the enemy aliens that blaze through the screen showing no mercy to the probably already lowered shield. This is a game where once the groove is found, the player never wants to step away. Frogger. Oh, what a classic indeed. Hop and jump the little green pixel friend across lanes of traffic. Then the amphibian has to worry about drowning in
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Missile Command
the racing stream so he has to hop on logs and turtles to get across safely. Apparently he grew up without the section of his brain that every other frog has, and that’s the part that tells him how to swim. Anyone who wanted to be a rocket scientist or be in the army should have started out playing Missile Command. The game is unique. The game is fun. There’s no denial that the game is hard. It’s a challenge to keep up with multiple elements going on at once. Aim the cursor, choose one of three stations and try to destroy the missiles before they destroy the bases. This game gets exhausted, but it’s too addicting to step away. Who hasn’t played and doesn’t know the pure, unadulterated fun of Space Invaders? Out of the many static screen games, this one unnecessarily begs for attention. It’s so simple, as the majority of the old school games are. Space invaders
are sideways marching down the screen, they’re shooting at the player, the player shoots at them and hides from the bullets. There’s no reason to quit playing this game unless fingers cramp and can’t move. Yes, it’s popular today, but yes, it’s worth a mention. Good ‘ol Tetris. The classic that just keeps on giving and building foundations. It’s always been around, and the arrival of fancier and fancier cell phones has made this game more and more appealing to pass time and deter boredom anywhere. It’s as addicting as the rest, and that higher score gets more tempting every red light. The oldest of the old school can’t be forgotten: Pong. This game actually predates the Revolutionary War, being created in 1772. This game extends from the video realm into real life sports like tennis, badminton, ping-pong and volleyball. Makes sense now, huh?
{love us or hate us}
Your words, your voice. Guys Are Jerks I was waiting to play some Halo the other night, and this 13-yearold boy starts heckling me because I admitted to being a chick. I asked him if he finished his homework and if his footie pajamas were too tight. (I didn’t mention mine were slightly toasty.) After that, the other guys – well into their teens and early 20s – jumped on his bandwagon! Half of them heckled me in the game, and the other half, needless to say, tried to flirt with me. I say “tried” lightly. They really were pathetic. Ugh. Why can’t I just play a day of Halo without my experience being ruined? Cindy Lou, Mo. Last week, I went to Gamestop to trade in an old game to get God of War 3. I knew I sholud be expecting it, but it still irked me when the cashier told me that my boyfriend was a lucky guy. I played along, though. “Why’s that?” I got the usual response. “Sorry,”
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I smiled politely, “but I’ll be the one kicking ass and taking names with this game. My boyfriend doesn’t even know what a PS3 controller looks like.” I snatched the bag and stormed out to my Beetle. Will these guys ever learn? Marcy, Calif.
Guys Aren’t Jerks My boyfriend is the sweetest. I met him at a mutual friend’s house. He put down the controller when I walked in the room. Okay, okay, after his round, of course. But since that first day, he’s always put it down when I came over, and pays mroe attention to me than the screen. He bought me a PS2 for Christmas, along with the first God of War. He said he thought I looked like I wanted to know how to play badass games so I wouldn’t be so left out in the group anymore. Now, I can keep up with the guys and sometimes surpass them. They sing a different tune when that happens. Sarah Lee, Tenn.
Usually, I don’t use a microphone when I play online. As any girl gamer can attest, it generally never ends well for us when people realize our gender in the competitive online world. Too many immature people. I was in the mood for a fight after a stressful day, so I put a mic in. The group of guys I was matched with in Call of Duty were super cool. They didn’t give me crap. They didn’t care I was a chick. They didn’t change their language or act macho. They simply played. If I needed help, I asked for it, they came to my aide, but not in the sympathetic, “We’re sorry you’re a woman” way guys generally do. If only I could get a group of guys to play with like them every time. I’d be in heaven. Jackie, Ariz.
Play Defense I am thoroughly irritated by all of the males who rag on Alistair in Dragon Age because he doesn’t fit into the traditional male stereotype that is so often found in games
these days. I saw Alistair as one of the picks on the Top 10 Dorks of 2009. I thought, “Aw, he is such a dork, but in a good way.” But then I continued reading and noticed that it went on to say that he isn’t funny and he’s only entertaining when they’re making fun of him. They clearly never got to see the Alistair I did. Alistair was very much a gentleman and he was shy and it was cute. I loved how they made him not super-macho or the super-annoying cocky, overconfident type. Alistair is the antistereotype of male characters in video games, and I really enjoyed playing Dragon Age because of him. Aly, Ga. This is concerning what they unwittingly – or should I say perhaps dim-wittedly? – wrote regarding Alistair, the best character of all time, in the Top 10 Dorks of 2009 list. I will not dispute Alistair being a dork, I find that absolutely adorable. Alistair is not the “new Carth.” He is quite different from Carth, and he is hunkier. As for calling him a “cry baby,” it is true that Alistair is vulnerable. The combination of strong manliness and sweet vulnerability is what makes him so irrestistible, and a wonderful character. Maria, Hawaii
heard around the
gaming realm “I hope you choke on
blood&die, you coward!”
Contact Us femmefatale@ffmag.com
Editors @ ffmag
12845 Easy Street
Seminole, FL 33701
“Smile! cry. ” You never know when you’re about to make a boy
“Enough of the women jokes. I’m a
misogynist. Just kidding,
Get pwned
jerks.by a girl.
“I hope a
rogue meteor
hits your house and
kills your whole family.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t turn
off skill.” - 28 -
credits
Katrinka Swenson Editor-in-Chief
Mary Singson Editor-in-Chief
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Photo Contributions Katrinka Swenson Mary Singson
Katie Kesneck Rachel Martin Lea Gaber Jade Oladosu
Editors of FemmeFatale would like to thank... 1UP.com ...... AMOG.com ..... FinalFantasyXIII.com Gamespot.com ....
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