Female Gamers: Becoming the Rule

Joe Fowler, staff writer

I recently watched a YouTube interview with a long-time gamer. The gamer spoke the language of World of Warcraft. The gamer echoed many of the  perspectives regarding the game shared by other players. Like many other players, the gamer grew up playing on a variety of gaming systems. Former adult film star, Mia Rose sounded like any guy talking about video games.

Not every female gamer has the same history as Rose. But, according to the Wall Street Journal, they comprise 48 percent of the gaming population. The statistic explains why almost every person I have played games with in-person as an adult is a woman.

My experience with female gamers contradicts some stereotypes I have heard. Some of these misconceptions portray female gamers as unattractive nerds who play video games poorly, likely because they only play as a result of some appeal to their boyfriend. Other stereotypes include desperate women who will have sex with anyone at any time. These stereotypes seem to contradict the stereotype of the lonely housewife playing Candy Crush or Farmville.

The reality is, an individual might fit into one or several of these stereotypes. Many others will fit into none these. Stereotypes of any sort are archetypes society creates based on certain facts as popular culture packages them, rather than on the concept of individualit

Local individual and gaming enthusiast, Jessica Burruss spoke about the game Diablo 3 in a recent interview. In addition to Diablo 3, Burruss plays World of Warcraft. In years past, she played Sega Genesis and Farmville 2. Contrary to stereotypes, Burruss played Farmville two years after a divorce while in a relationship with a local musician who made fun of her appreciation of the game.

Outside of the gaming world, Burruss bought her own house with money she earned from various jobs when she was barely 30. Though she currently rents a room for help with bills, she manages well alone through her full-time job as a payroll processor. Burruss is currently in a long-term relationship with a researcher who does not identify as a gamer.

Q: I just want to get my facts straight. You have a successful full-time career, an athletic build, a decent relationship and a vagina, yet you play Diablo and other games? Is that correct?

A: Hahaha, yes.

Q In the latest expansion of Diablo 3, you killed Death. How did that feel?

A: It was pretty exhilarating. He was kind of a push-over.

Q: So Death is definitely a dude?

A: Yes.

Q: You killed him on a female character?

A: Yes

Q: That’s an interesting take on gender-role stereotypes. How does it feel both in game and out to literally contribute to the death of gender-role stereotypes?

A: It feels pretty badass… though I think that my character could do a little more to work towards that, considering she wears high heels while running around shooting things with a crossbow.

Q: What is it like being a female gamer?

A: It feels like being me.

Q: How do dudes react to you in-game?

A: It depends on where they are in relative to my location. I get comments about breasts. Sometimes people express disbelief that I’m a girl. In real life, people just say it’s cool.

Q: Do the sexual comments bother you?

A: Not really.

Q: Why not?

A: Because I’m not thin-skinned and can take a joke. Because these people are states away. There are times it would bother me if they are local or who know me and say it seriously. If someone in real life talks down to me because they think it’s okay because that’s how they talk to women in general, I don’t deal with them.

Q: How many other women do you know who play video games?

A: At least nine.

Q: What are some memorable moments for you playing video games?

A: Relationships that started in-game. I really liked exploring and discovering things early on in World of Warcraft. And when you and I killed Deathwing before our guild did.

Burruss, much like Mia Rose and any other woman I have talked to about video games, just sounded like anyone else I spoke with on the subject. Each have their own experiences both with video games and in real life.