At a BMO Capital Markets event for game companies and investors earlier this month, Reggie Fils-Aime presented two slides that, based on Nintendo of America research, put the population of female "primary players" of home consoles at roughly a third of the population of their male counterparts.

These "primary players" are the main users of consoles in their homes, he explained.

Of course, Fils-Aime brought this up in order to demonstrate how much of that market is dominated by female Nintendo console-owners: 80% or, roughly, nine million.

"This didn't happen by accident," he said during his presentation. "It's the result of a deliberate attempt to expand the market."

Women in their underwear fighting over shoes...there is absolutely no way I could comment on the contents of this video without being accused of being a sexist pervert, and I am slightly tired of such accusations, so instead I will pose a question. What the hell is that red thing the second set of combatants is swinging around? It's driving me insane. Please send help.

UPDATE: Readers are telling me the red thing is a hair straightener, or flat iron. Not having hair myself, I never would have guessed. I love you guys.

Video games, on the whole, perpetuate a transactional model of sex, argues Alex Raymond at GameCritics.com. When you think about it, pursuing sex with an NPC in Mass Effect, however tastefully it was shown, is fundamentally no different from C.J. bedding women in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Sex is presented as a reward, a result only, something won only by making correct choices attenuated to a woman's shallow preferences, and it's certainly not shown to be part of the process of a relationship.

The "Ladies Man" achievement in the upcoming Alpha Protocol spy action game - have sex with every woman in the game - really set Raymond's teeth on edge. This essay focuses not on sex objects, but on sex as an object - a goal only, a commodity, and the damage done by video games reinforcing such concepts.

Update: The first two paragraphs, while based in my analysis, were edited so as not to misrepresent the author's opinion of Mass Effect.

Women Aren't Vending Machines: How Video Games Perpetuate the Commodity Model of Sex [GameCritics.com, Aug. 26, 2009]

This design approach is extremely simplistic and perpetuates the commodity model of sex-the player wants sex, they go through certain motions, and they are "rewarded" with what they wanted (like a vending machine). Furthermore, when sex is included in a game, it is generally framed as the end result-the reward-of romance, rather than one aspect of an ongoing relationship/partnership. For example, one gamer commented that the romance in Mass Effect seemed like the romantic interest was really saying, "Keep talking to me and eventually we'll have sex". The relationship is not the goal; the goal is the tasteful PG-13 sex scene. The NPC's thoughts and desires aren't relevant; what matters is the tactics you use to get what you want. This is a boring mechanic in games and dangerously dehumanizing behavior in real life.

Where the simplistic relationship mechanics really get problematic is when someone makes a game where your protagonist is a James Bond-wannabe and there's an achievement for sleeping with every woman in the game. I am talking, of course, about Alpha Protocol. The quotes in the linked MTV Multiplayer article are infuriatingly sexist (as well as displaying insultingly limiting definitions of masculinity), but the relevant part is the bit about the "Ladies' Man" achievement.

It is seriously problematic to have a game where the male player/avatar can have sex with any and every woman in the game. On top of reinforcing the commodity model of sex, it is desperately heteronormative. For all the player's "choice" of with whom to engage, there's no possibility that the player might want to have a relationship with another man. It also shows that lesbians just don't exist in this world, if every single woman is open to a sexual encounter with a man. In addition, it perpetuates the narrative of the Nice Guy (described in Millar's essay, and elsewhere): that men are entitled to sex from women if they follow the rules and do the right things, or in the case of Alpha Protocol, "select your responses wisely."

- Alex Raymond

Weekend Reader is Kotaku's look at the critical thinking in, and of video games. It appears Saturdays at noon. Please take the time to read the full article cited before getting involved in the debate here.

Why limit the list for recent games? Because games only recently started giving us the real goods, that's why. This isn't the film industry, where you can dredge up grainy black and white clips from the beginning of moving pictures, featuring naked women who may have been acting horribly and soundlessly but were definitely women. No, our first gaming nudes were just blocks with extra blocks up top.

Instead, we look back over the last two gaming generations at the good, the bad, and the ugliest in video game nudity.

The Good
God of War - Sony, PlayStation 2
After the opening moments of the very first God of War game, you're treated to the sight of two topless women, laying on a bed. This of course is completely historically accurate. In ancient times, nudity didn't carry with it the taboo it does now, so it is perfectly normal for a game centered around ancient Rome feature its fair share of topless women. Rather than condemn God of War as porn, I took that moment to praise it for its attention to detail.

Then I had a threesome.

Mass Effect - BioWare, Xbox 360 and PC
What? There's no nudity in this pic you say? Well of course not. There was barely any nudity in Mass Effect, but the inclusion of a romantic sex act with a brief flash of naked breast was enough to cause Fox News to denounce the game on national television, making themselves look like complete idiots in the process.

Age of Conan - Funcom, PC
Massively-multiplayer online roleplaying games have long turned to the simple cloth bikini as a way of rendering a female character without equipment, but that didn't work for Funcom's Age of Conan team. With all of the artwork floating around depicting barbarians carrying, rescuing, or just basically loitering around half-naked women, Funcom decided to give topless a chance. Thirteen year-olds around the world salute them, with their boobs.

Afro Samurai Namco Bandai, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
As a big fan of ninja, I'm generally hard pressed to imagine anything even better than a ninja. Ninja are the perfect weapons - silent, deadly, and odorless as well, before anyone decides to take the first two adjectives to their natural conclusion. Yep, nothing beats a ninja in my book. *looks up* Okay, one thing beats a ninja.

The Witcher - CD Projekt, PC
While CD Projekt's acclaimed PC roleplaying game The Witcher kept its sex scenes clean, each conquest increased the player's collection of racy female trading cards, which essentially is what women amount to in most sword and sorcery tales. They were just a bit more honest about it, that's all. Incidentally, I contacted CD Projekt regarding the upcoming console version of The Witcher, Rise of the White Wolf, to see if the nudity would remain intact. Tom Ohle responds: "It's probably a bit early to say. We're certainly hoping that we can retain the content and deliver the game the team originally envisioned." Go team!

The Bad
Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude - Sierra, PlayStation2, Xbox, PC
Magna Cum Laude was a shameless attempt to cash in on one of adventure gaming's most beloved characters, taking the fun, racy, and adorably tasteless gameplay of the original Leisure Suit Larry series and replacing it with what amounted to mini-games for boobs. Note that only the PC version showed actual nudity, with the console versions remaining "tastefully" censored - you know, for the kids.
Image courtesy of Softpedia

Playboy: The Mansion - Ubisoft, PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC
Playboy: The Mansion was one part The Sims, one part Porn Mogul. The game allowed players to step into the slippers of a young Hugh Hefner, building the business, shaping the famous Playboy Mansion to your desires, photographing naked women, and of course....sleeping with them. Some of the elements of gameplay in the title weren't all that bad, but not good enough to wash the dirty mental picture of an aging Hefner under a hot blonde out of your head.

BMX XXX - Acclaim, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Gamecube
To this day, no one is quite sure whose idea it was to merge the entertaining gameplay of Acclaim's Dave Mirra BMX series with naked women. The game was originally intended as a normal BMX title, but poor initial review scores caused something in the company's collective brain to snap, resulting in bikes and breasts, living together, shouting profanity.

The Ugly
The Guy Game - Gathering, PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC
The Guy Game barely counts as a video game, having more in common with the sort of boxed DVD quiz shows you were likely to find in toy stores in the late 90's than an actual interactive video game experience. Featuring video clips of actual women who get actually naked as you best them at trivia questions, most gamers simply Googled "boobs" with the search filter off instead.

Of course there are plenty more where that came from. We're just touching on the most memorable as far as we're concerned. Feel free to share your own uncomfortable nude gaming moments in the comments section.

The answer is £2,000 (US$2,947) more. MCV and its sister publication Develop magazine surveyed 528 UK game industry professional to collect its findings. Here's what we learned:

• The average annual wage for women in the UK game industry is £33,260.
• The overall average game industry yearly salary is £31,655. (That's higher than the Office of National Statistics' average of £24,908.)
• According to the Office of National Statistic, women make up to £100 less than men — however, in the game industry, women make £40 than men.
• 72 percent of female surveyed said that they were confident about 2009, versus 66 percent of men who said the same.

Eds Note: Just to clarify, these figures don't only refer to game developers, but all jobs in the game industry — such as PR.

Women earn more than men in the UK games industry [MCVUK]

From now until February 22nd, shoppers that spend more than $34.99 on select fitness-themed products (Wii Fit, My Fitness Coach, etc.) at GameStop will be eligible for a free 12-month subscription to one of a number of magazines traditionally marketed towards the more mature female reader. Choices include Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, O Magazine, and more. You know, the ones they put right next to the cash registers at supermarkets in order to catch the shopper's eye.

A bit female-centric, but single guys are welcome to participate as well. After all, having women's magazines strewn about your apartment are half of the whole girlfriend experience.

Gear up for Overall Fitness in 2009
GameStop Showcases Games Designed to Shape Both Body and Mind

GRAPEVINE, Texas—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Are you looking for an alternative to working out at a gym for shaping up in the New Year? GameStop (NYSE: GME), the world's largest video game and entertainment software retailer, encourages would-be fitness enthusiasts to embrace video games in their effort to shape up in 2009. By highlighting popular gaming titles that burn calories and exercise the brain, GameStop can show anyone dreading the prospect of the gym these alternative fitness methods that are both easy to follow and fun.

With the recent surge in active video games, which require players to either mimic the actions used in sports like bowling, tennis and baseball, or to flex their most important muscle – the brain – GameStop has more than 40 fitness-oriented titles for staying in shape from head to toe. GameStop’s “Sharpen the Mind, Shape the Body” in-store promotion emphasizes the growing number of active video game options available to help reach personal goals including:

Wii Fit with Balance Board
My Fitness Coach
Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum 2009
Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day
My Japanese Coach

As a special incentive, shoppers spending $34.99 or more on designated products from now through Feb. 22 will receive a free 12-month trial subscription to their choice of Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, O Magazine and more.

“We know that getting in shape is one of the toughest New Year’s resolutions to stick with, especially for busy moms who often don’t have time to spare for exercise,” said Mike Hogan, Senior Vice President of Marketing, GameStop. “Today’s moms are looking for ways to incorporate exercise into their lifestyle. Active video games are a terrific way to reach your fitness goals, and as an added bonus, they can be enjoyed with your whole family.”

Studies conducted by the Mayo Clinic* have found that active gaming titles can help players lose weight and improve their motor function. GameStop’s expert store associates can help aspiring total fitness connoisseurs select the right titles for their interests and skill levels. For more information or to find a store near you, log on to www.gamestop.com.

* Mayo Clinic research study findings published in the January 2007 issue of Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Association of Pediatrics.

So careful that, literally, the headline reads: "Interview with Metal Gear Solid Touch creators Hideo Kojima and its first-timer FEMALE producer".

The red font is not just our emphasis. Look at that photo. Those two kanji, in red, are "josei", meaning "female".

Let's back up and go over this again: the Cliff's Notes version of the title of the article is basically "New Game Made by a Man Named Hideo Kojima and a Woman Whose Name We Will Mention in the Story Itself, Though Not in this Title".

Is this the, uhh, nicest way to report this? Probably not. Maybe they could approach it a bit differently, say "Interview with Hideo Kojima and Some n00b Producer", and then in the article, it could just come out naturally that she's a woman. I mean, there's a photo of her in there, and everything.

Famitsu is typically read by schoolboys in convenient stores before school on Friday. Is this kind of nigh-subliminal sexism really the kind of thing we should be exposing them to? And thus open a thousand avenues to discussion of Japanese society.

[via Famitsu]

Female gamers separate into two groups, Chelsea says, that are pretty easy to understand. "Girl gamers" do it for the attention — "a feeling of security and control from her social circle" — while "female gamers" just want to have friends who share an interest in games. "Since these “gamer girls” get their self-esteem from the praise and adoration of men who play video games, they become dependent on video games as something far more than entertainment."

How does it get to that point?

Well, it’s a problem that many people suffer from that is completely unrelated to gaming: low self-esteem. These girls want to be part of what they see as an exclusive boy’s club. It is true that women are currently a minority in the gaming industry, which is why gaming men find girls who play video games more desirable. Girls who feel the need to be loved try to sneak their way into this “boy’s club” using video games as a pretense to say that they’re a “tomboy” or “just one of the guys.” But the reality is that it is not really for the “equality” that they constantly complain is absent, but for the feeling of superiority over other girls coupled with the adoration of the male gaming community.

And that's where it gets catty.

“Gamer girls” hate on each other because they feel threatened by each other. Another female in this “boy’s club” diffuses the overall attention that a girl will get. Therefore a “gamer girl” will rip into another female gamer to protect her status as the most important girl in this male-dominated social circle. This is not unique to the video game industry, I’ve seen it happen in other predominantly male territories such as tech schools and the local rock climbing gym I used to frequent.

How can dudes help? She doesn't say, and I don't want to get all womyn's-studies on you here. But I'd say that treating everyone who picks up a controller, male or female, like a gamer first is a good start.
Patronizing, condescending or leering behavior would definitely discourages an interest in gaming as a fun activity, and if they continue it'll be for the other reasons Chelsea described — attention seeking, social superiority, etc.

I know I foment a lot of the "OMG hot girls who game" stuff, but when you look at them — Jo Garcia and Grace Kim are demonstrably serious about what they do, and the cosplayers are definitely informed about the games they like. To me, that's even hotter, and you see it when you game with them seriously.

Boys' Club to Girls' Clique [Negative Gamer]

Conference-goers can take a break and get some exercise with Wii Fit, jam to some of their favorite tunes with Wii Music or learn some new recipes and great cooking tips with the new Personal Trainer: Cooking.

A cooking game? Really? Yes ladies, you too can be a powerful instrument of social change, after Nintendo teaches you how to make delicious sammiches. Mmmmm. Hit the jump for more details on what's sure to be an epic event. They've even got Bono!

Nintendo Shows Women the Power of Fun at 5th Annual Women’s Conference in Southern California

California First Lady Maria Shriver and 14,000 Attendees Will Have the Opportunity to Try Out the Newest Games That Will Engage, Enrich and Entertain Their Mind, Body and Spirit

—(BUSINESS WIRE)— Nintendo will join a community of 14,000 women gathering for The Women's Conference, an annual event hosted by California First Lady Maria Shriver that celebrates the power of women and inspires them to become architects of change in their communities.

Research shows that 40 percent of video game players are women, and that women 18 and older are one of the industry's fastest growing demographics. At this year's Women's Conference, Nintendo will showcase a number of dynamic games that are increasingly popular with women, and that demonstrate Nintendo's commitment to creating engaging, enriching, and entertaining games that the entire family can enjoy. Conference-goers can take a break and get some exercise with Wii Fit, jam to some of their favorite tunes with Wii Music or learn some new recipes and great cooking tips with the new Personal Trainer: Cooking. Many games for both the Wii console and portable Nintendo DS will be exhibited at the event.

The Women's Conference is the largest gathering of women in the nation, and unites more than 60 internationally acclaimed leaders with 14,000 women in one arena, plus thousands more virtually. In addition to Maria Shriver, speakers slated to appear include California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, musician and activist Bono of U2, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and author Gloria Steinem, among others.

WHO: 14,000 Attendees of The Women's Conference

WHEN: Tuesday, Oct. 21: 5 - 9 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 22: 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

WHERE: Long Beach Convention Center
Booth #2049
300 East Ocean Boulevard
Long Beach, CA 90802
http://www.californiawomen.org

Editors fly to Japan fairly regularly to visit Japanese game studios. And those studios and their respective publishers will usually entertain these editors — dinner, drinks…the usual. But I guess flying into strange, alien lands deserves high-end hospitality, so Tecmo in the past has treated their American journalist guests to evenings out at Japanese hostess bars, watering holes where women are paid to keep customers company (not necessarily in a “me so horny!” way…it’s more of a “let me keep filling your drinks and you are so funny and handsome and wonderful and let me hang on to your every word!” male-insecurities-nuking thing). Maybe that in itself is nothing shocking, but this part might be: Tecmo has literally spent thousands of dollars giving a very small handful of American editors some lady companionship for one night. Thousands. That’s some pricey conversating.

I know what you're thinking here. "Fahey, why aren't you going to the Tokyo Game Show? Free ladies!" First off, BlizzCon, murlocs. Secondly, there is no such thing as free ladies. I'm not just talking about game companies trying to woo journalists either. There is a price. There is always a price.

Here at Kotaku Tower, only one of our editors is regularly in the company of a Japanese woman, and I hardly think what Mrs. Ashcraft does can be considered wooing. More like tolerating with the patience of a saint. The man is lucky he's cute.

Behind the Scenes: Gaming Journalism (Part 5) [Sore Thumbs]

Editor's note: It is against Kotaku's policy to accept free travel. We do disclose when we go to events paid for by publishers or developers.

Hit the jump for more results from the E for All / PoshMama survey. Just keep one thing in mind - this is a poll from a women's exclusive website, meaning at least 50% of the respondents are men claiming to be women who think men are icky and want to experience a more feminine touch.

Study Reveals Women Choose Video Games Instead of Sleep

E for All and PoshMama.com survey investigates the untold video game habits of women

E for All 2008
FRAMINGHAM, Mass.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Results from a survey recently fielded by Entertainment for All® Expo (E for All®), the consumer video game expo held October 3-5, 2008, in Los Angeles, and PoshMama.com, an online community exclusive to women around the world, indicate some surprising trends relating to women and video games. Front and center: many women would rather play video games than catch up on sleep, according to the new survey which polled more than 120 PoshMama members on their video game habits. Responses were gleaned from the high percentage of female respondents (71%) who said that they play video games.

According to the E for All / PoshMama survey, more than one-third of those surveyed say that they play video games when they should be sleeping. Women in the survey also say they play video games in other unusual circumstances, including: while on the phone (32%); while at work/in a meeting (20%); and, while preparing for work (12%). When it comes to spare time, nearly twice as many women say that, if given an extra hour of free time at home, they would rather play video games than catch up on sleep.

“Playing video games is becoming an increasingly popular pastime for women, which isn’t surprising given that it’s a great way to spend time with family and friends, have some fun and even blow off some steam,” said Heather Weaver, Technology Contributor at PoshMama.com and author of GeekMomMashup.com, who helped create the survey. “The surprising element, as revealed in our survey, is that it is actually keeping women up at night. This and the other results reveal that the traditional video game industry has fundamentally changed—and will continue to evolve—as more and more women take over the video game controls.”

"Video games are truly entertainment for all — from busy women to hard core game players — and E for All reflects that both in name and in its wide array of products, tournaments, appearances, and other exciting events," said Mary Dolaher, Chief Executive Officer of IDG World Expo, which owns and operates E for All. "This survey shows that many women place great value and high priority on video games in their lives, and E for All will be the place for them, their families, and gamers of all types to be this October."

Other results from the E for All / PoshMama survey include:

Better late than never: More than half of respondents (53%) reveal that playing video games has made them late for meeting up with friends and family. In addition, almost one-fifth (18.5%) say video games have made them late for work or a meeting, and the same number (18.5%) report that playing has made them tardy for a personal appointment, such as a visit to the dentist or doctor.
Refrigeration not needed: If given extra spending money, women in our survey reveal that they would rather buy a new video game system for their family over a home appliance, or even accessory for their car (i.e. spoiler, sound system, etc).
Simply put, it’s fun for the family: Almost two-thirds of respondents (64%) say they play video games because they either enjoy it or they want to spend time with friends and family.
The survey was conducted in September 2008.

Image Discovered Via Crunchyroll

Hot Chicks With Cheat Codes [Spike.com Via Fleshbot *NSFW*]

An inanimate cube, juveniles holding hands, and the nuances of a complicated adult relationship as seen through the eyes of a youth - the conclusion here seems to be that games are able to create that sense of intimacy by revealing less, not more - just as FFX's quietly tragic heroine Yuna lost a lot of dignity by cropping her shorts way up into her "personal crease" and gyrating around like a pop star in X-2 (even though it was cute and fun), games lose dignity the more decadent cleavage shots and full-body pans they show.

Me? I like a little sex with my media (and clearly, the keeper of Sexy Videogameland does too); it's probably a factor of my day job, where sex leaps off the page even when you're least expecting it (Mao Zedong? Inherently unsexy. Mao's bevy of beauties that accompanied him on train trips around China? Immediately spice up even the most boring of campaigns.). My research takes me into the realm of film culture of the '30s and '40s, where sex oozes off the silver screen and out from the pages of fan magazines, with little more than a flash of leg and certainly no busty beauties popping out of their catsuits; even the most serious of social dramas usually have their fair share of sensuous moments, and no one would accuse them of being juvenile. There is a lot of growing up gaming has to do in dealing with sex, and I agree with Alexander that taking a cue from media a little more mature would probably serve designers well.

Overt sexuality isn't necessarily juvenile — I for one would celebrate a female character that resembled my favorite women of imperial Chinese history, the brilliant, sassy, and most definitely sexy courtesans that litter the pages of secondary literature — but it does have to be handled in the right way, and that usually involves a little more brain and a little less boob. Maybe grown up sexuality will herald the continued maturation of the medium as a whole.

Getting To The Action [GameSetWatch]

1) Women play video games. Our vaginas, surprisingly, do not stop us from using a controller.
2) The Xbox is not a widow maker. No matter how many TV specials say otherwise, men can be happy, productive individuals - both as part of a couple and a part of society - while still playing video games.
3) Movies are not the ideal place to be developing deep psychoanalytical theories about men.

Finally, a woman who isn't cursing all things video game related. I was starting to get a little lonely on the Island of Girl Gamers.

Movies and video games told me that feminists ruined men [Pandagon - thanks, Cola!]

Lineage II Account Services Page [NCsoft]

UPDATE: Sarah from SuicideGirls.com is a regular Kotaku reader, and wanted to drop us a line explaining that these two women were not, in fact, Suicide Girls at all.

First off, any SuicideGirl worth her salt would know better than to risk destroying the game she was selling by wearing dangerously pointy lucite stripper heels and lolling "seductively" (ahem) on the precious equipment.

Secondly, Beeporama said "Does anybody still think the Suicide Girls are cool? @Stormrider900 got it right, this is a missed opportunity to do something charitable and cool instead of continuing to milk a dying, increasingly reviled brand for profit." While he's absolutely right, I DO enjoy spending my days milking things for profit (wheee!
Sweet, milky profit!), at least get the ways I am choosing to milk correct. Since apparently our brand is now uncool and reviled, I have very little left to get me through my long, lonely days. Except the milking, of course. And we are not milking anything on, near, or around that auction.

ROCK BAND PS3 GUITAR HERO 3 BUNDLE SANTA'S HELPER [eBay via Polygamia]

Brown, sweet and eatable. Master Chief never tasted so good!

If someone were to post naked pictures of me on the Internet, I'm not sure if the word "tribute" would be the first to come to mind. But if that someone were Playboy, and that Internet were Playboy magazine, maybe I would feel differently (don't worry, I'm joking and would never do anything to hurt pornography). See the KSFW but probably NSFW promo pics after the jump (you pervs).

Just Kidding.

Playboy's Annual Girls of Video Games [via n4g]

Enjoy your power and status with a mistress (or two) as you customize and upgrade yourself and your tower

I'm Anna Holmes, and I'm the managing editor of Jezebel, Gawker Media's newest title, which is launching this afternoon. Jezebel's mission is to cover celebrity, sex, and fashion for women — without airbrushing. Think of it as the sort of women's media property that could never see the light of day in traditional print because the big-name advertisers and the publishers who kowtow to them don't much like it when someone points out the vulgarity of a $2,000 handbag.

See? Got through that whole thing without saying jubblies once. Dammit. Michael Fahey

Jezebel : Celebrity, Sex, Fashion, Without Airbrushing

What are the perks and downsides of being a female in a male dominated industry? Jane over at game girl advance had a December 2006 response up to another opinion piece over at WomenGamers.com, and as is typical to the exceedingly broad question of women and gaming, there are no clear cut answers.

Any female that is a gamer has probably stumbled upon the dual problem/upside of being a girl who likes video games: Much as people of both genders cry that people are people, boobs or not, it's still an obvious difference, and a selling point (or a detriment). But even though one of my primary academic interests is in an extremely male dominated sub-field (military history), I've never felt put on the spot to "speak for womenkind," as the GGA piece terms it - except in relation to writing about video games. So I guess I have my own question: Why is that? Maggie Greene

When Feminine Is An Advantage [game girl advance]
On Being a Girl in the Games Industry [WomenGamers.com via GGA]