I don’t think there is anything inherently wrong with appealing to “male fantasy,” even if the very concept that all males would share a singular fantasy is itself sexist- but it is important to have a diverse entertainment industry which contains media that appeals to different groups or made from the perspective of different people. When you try to make mass market things that appeal to everyone you will usually end up with something that is either bland and generic, or which could be much better if it had more focus. When you try to make things for the perspective of others from your own perspective you often end up with pandering, stereotype, or not capturing the true nature of their perspective but your version of it. So while we shouldn’t seek to eliminate those things that appeal to certain groups over others, we should strive to bring more diversity to what is available. I don’t think her complaint is inherently against having a game cater to male fantasy- but that it is...
Difficult to find a game which doesn’t, which makes her dislike playing games because it is a chore to sort through and find something she would like amongst the majority which are things that she does not like- and that dislike comes not from preference but from an aversion in her very nature.
Tl:dr- I don’t think she’s saying don’t make games for men. She’s saying that she doesn’t like gaming in general because most games aren’t made for men or from a male perspective and that doesn’t appeal to her as a woman. It’s great to have games from a male perspective but it’s important to have games from other perspectives or which strive for a more neutral perspective as well if we want to make gaming a hobby enjoyable to all.
I'll drink to that one, friend!
Although, one thing I never understood about such criticism is what would the other side of the coin be. I can think of plenty of games that have a neutral power fantasy theme, but none that would specifically go for something that could be identified as "female fantasy"
I think the closest we get to that are sort of stereotypical pandering stuff like “Barbie magic pony mansion decorator.” To be honest I think the concept of “female fantasy” is ill defined. There were traditionally those things that were socially acceptable for females and so “female fantasy” tended to skew in that direction- things like dreams of romance or such. However as social equality has become more of a norm- women are able to do more, and are having to reassess their own desires and “place” in society. Much like female sexuality- the concept hasn’t gotten the attention of the male counterpart. As we redefine what is or is not “feminine” to align with more modern gender ideas- more women will explore the concept. I think more females in the game industry would help bring a female perspective and thusly begin to help define what “female fantasy” means in the modern world.
Although, one thing I never understood about such criticism is what would the other side of the coin be. I can think of plenty of games that have a neutral power fantasy theme, but none that would specifically go for something that could be identified as "female fantasy"
...bc i suck at it!