Girl gamers targeted by new mag

German company to publish the world's first game magazine aimed at women.

Computec Media AG, a Germany-based media company, will be launching Play Vanilla for the holiday season. The publisher describes the magazine, aimed at female gamers, as "fresh, bold, upbeat, and feminine." It points to research that found that 60 percent of the Sims 2 players are female, as well as half of the casual gaming marketplace. The first issue of the magazine will be a supplement to women's lifestyle magazine Joy, due to newsstands on December 4. Beginning March 2007, the magazine will then start a regular print run. Play Vanilla editor-in-chief Petra Fröhlich said, "Women want to play too, but are quite different from men in the demands they place on a game." Fröhlich added that focus groups and game publishers have shown "excellent reactions" to Play Vanilla.

130 Comments

  • KickinIt_ftw

    Posted Nov 27, 2006 10:18 am GMT

    heh... my gf steals my EGM's before I can get to them. D=

    ...Next.

  • stain1ess

    Posted Nov 27, 2006 9:48 am GMT

    my girl has anger towards video games due to frustrations at old sonic the hedgehog games. Tried to turn her onto some psone crash bandicoot to mend the wound but to no avail lol

  • diablobasher

    Posted Nov 27, 2006 8:28 am GMT

    EikoAtoride:

    Hey, even men buy a few cosmetics and things i wasn't reffering to that kinda thing, i was just slightly offended at the "We spend less money on beer and gambling" remark

  • EikoAtoride

    Posted Nov 27, 2006 7:13 am GMT

    *ouch* everything that aimes at females is too dumb or "too feminine" for me. I wish there would be a magazine in Germany just like EGM. I hate "Joy" which deals with topics that are just stupid for a 25-year-old "girl" but are possibly okay for a 13-15 year old. Damn publishers... And why it has to be CompuTec? They've ruined just every magazine I liked to read because of "aiming"...

    (Diablobasher: I usually spend free money on games, guides and a few cosmetics - but hey, I have been no typical German girl for the last 15 years.)

  • diablobasher

    Posted Nov 27, 2006 6:56 am GMT

    "On top of all this women have more money to spend on games because we don't spend our paychecks on beer and lose the rest betting on pool games. lol, btw, I'm not bitter."

    That's not what i'm seeing. Women spend loads more on alchohol and just general useless rubbish, at least, the women i know. As for them being better gamers, i don't think thats even a discussion, some people are better at some games, regardless of sex, it doesn't even come into it. It's like saying women are better at rocket sciense, or better antique dealers, it's completely unfounded speculation that has no place in reasonable debate.

  • FatherTimex

    Posted Nov 27, 2006 6:41 am GMT

    "Bout time someone got around to admitting that girls do actually play games, and we're probably better players than most men."

    Bout time you got back in the kitchen and made me some pie.

  • rpgisforme

    Posted Nov 27, 2006 6:30 am GMT

    Bout time someone got around to admitting that girls do actually play games, and we're probably better players than most men. GIrls have more patience and tend more toward perfectionism. Plus can be just as sneaky or violent as men maybe more so when the game calls for it., just because we're women. It's what we do. To all the men, you taught us to be this sneaky when we had to go round catching you cheating on us and you taught us to be that violent when we caught you cheating on us and were forced to kick your butt. On top of all this women have more money to spend on games because we don't spend our paychecks on beer and lose the rest betting on pool games. lol, btw, I'm not bitter.

  • Rect_Pola

    Posted Nov 27, 2006 6:20 am GMT

    I'm not sure a move like this takes girl gamers more or less seriously. On the other hand, when have they really taken male gamers seriously? They have a laundry list of selling points, and for every few gems, crank out dozens of expensive coasters that merely follow the rules.

  • SakuraNinja

    Posted Nov 27, 2006 5:46 am GMT

    Perhaps I'll just stick to Nintendo Power, lol. At least that magazine is geared more toward all gamers, not just males. But seriously, to the guys who don't take girl gamers seriously......perhaps you just haven't met the right ones. I'm more of a game junkie than most of my guy friends, and half the time none of them want to play me in a lot of multiplayer games cuz they know I'll kick their asses.

    And in regards to Mechacow's post about girl gamers being manly.........you really are sheltered, aren't you? Granted, I hang out with a lot of guys, I love violent movies, and I can throw a punch, but I'm pretty much the farthest thing from manly.....ever. Think barely over five feet tall, petite, cheerful, has shojo manga and faeries decorating my room.......

  • AtomicEdge

    Posted Nov 27, 2006 5:17 am GMT

    Sounds cool. If it was in the UK my GF would probably buy it.

  • Gribb85

    Posted Nov 27, 2006 3:44 am GMT

    I'm loving how people are judging this magazine without even reading any of their articles and content, they are trying something different, let them. Talk about a nanny forum

  • Ardus

    Posted Nov 27, 2006 1:57 am GMT

    ='(
    I was just trying to make you laugh...


    BTW you said "in there writing the story," not some random input that may or may not have been given by a woman.

  • zerox0409

    Posted Nov 27, 2006 1:19 am GMT

    hey Ass, you don't mind if i call you by your short name do you?, good.

    if i were born a girl?, i'd be insulted beyond belief... gamers don't single out one sex, jackass companies like this do.

    and Ardus, ever heard of a Wife?, no? what about a Girlfriend?.... still nothing?

    just because they didn't list a woman in the credits doesn't mean the programmers and writers weren't discussing their ideas with family...
    nice try though, but next time consider the other prospects of the situation.

  • Ardus

    Posted Nov 27, 2006 12:26 am GMT

    "just you try and tell me there wasn't at least one woman's hand in there writing that story"

    Hmmm, lets see, Kazushige Nojima, Yoshinori Kitase, Hironobu Sakaguchi, Tetsuya Nomura...nope, no women.

  • assmuchacho

    Posted Nov 27, 2006 12:17 am GMT

    I know that I'm probably alone in this, but don't you find it interesting how men have such a hard time sharing. Mainly in response to Jeff's post, I hope he realizes that he is being led around on the proverbial "Leash" by the next best marketing scheme. We are all losing our ability to think for ourselves and we find a sick victory when we continue to put down people other than us white males. Are women not good enough to have a game made for them (especially a magazine)? All I have to say is consider this: what if you were born a girl? how would you feel about this? Better yet, imagine yourself as a black girl (especially when you read the misogynist reply to this post). Free your minds people. You are caught up in some rich white guys fantasy as an ignorant consumer only thinking of themselves. Reframe the issue.

  • zerox0409

    Posted Nov 27, 2006 12:10 am GMT

    know what?, Final Fantasy 7 made every girl i know cry... and then they up and kicked sephiroth's ass...
    i'm here to tell you none of them want this magazine, and they say the fact that its conception was even considered insults them in one too many ways.

    and people that say women have you hold in the gaming world?, how the hell do you think the storyline for games like FF7 were written?, just you try and tell me there wasn't at least one woman's hand in there writing that story... i'll laugh.

  • Ardus

    Posted Nov 27, 2006 12:00 am GMT

    Their target audience is girl gamers? They could literally make...hundreds.

  • d1nonlyclo

    Posted Nov 27, 2006 12:00 am GMT

    The EIC of GI is not a woman it is Andy McNamara.....

  • Konmankeng

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 10:57 pm GMT

    as long as stereotypes and stupid peer pressures doesnt get in their way. Women should make good gamers. LOL

  • 7HR1LL3R

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 9:41 pm GMT

    Game Chocolate? What about 'Game Cinnamon'? Anyway, the idea of targeting the opposite gender is good, but I don't know about doing it this way. Hell, the editor-in-chief of Game Informer is a female. Why shouldn't they feel comfortable reading that? Honestly, I think game magz on the market right now provide an overall unbias view of games regardless of our gender. Not to mention the fact that if you're a 'casual' gamer, you're most likely not going to pick up a magazing about games anyway. Since most Sims II players are on the computer anyway, why don't they just make a computer game publication targeting some of the top PC titles instead of the niche markets they attract?(!)

  • mr_killer_man

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 9:15 pm GMT

    Jeff....you talk to much!

  • Jeff_Boldt

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 8:17 pm GMT

    So the girl gamers are going to have a tough choice to make, either they pick up a reputable magazine containing valid, on point and generally accurate information, or they can buy the magazine targeting their hormones and lack of male genitalia and probably read a skewed representation of niche games with little to no valid information. I say it will contain little to no valid information because other magazines have spent years building rapport not only with the publishing and distributing companies, but also with the gamers themselves. This "play vanilla" crap is going to be laughed off by most major manufacturers and will subsequently print article after article hailing Tetris as a masterpiece for the girl gamer.

    This type of over-division and general segregation is actually rather offensive (even to me, a male gamer dripping with testosterone) I would much rather see a ""girl gamer"" pick up a reputable magazine as then I (at least) know that the view they're getting of the gaming world is accurate and presented appropriately.

    I'm also, however, against the use of the term "girl gamer". Yes, gamers have been predominately male since the inception of mass marketed video games, but that means nothing. When women break into male dominated roles anywhere else they are generally labeled under the same moniker as the males (unless the moniker specifically refers to men) But, when it comes down to it in the video game world, all you really have are a few vague classifications (as follows):

    Gamers: Gamers are us, we are gamers. The people who visit gaming websites, pre-book copies of games we think will be good, and generally fuel the gaming market place. We spend at the very least several hours a week gaming.

    Casual Gamers: Those of us who might buy a console and 5 games in total over the course of 5 years, beat only 2 of those games, lack more specific knowledge of the console they own as well as the intricacies of the games themselves, however they still very much enjoy gaming.

    Beginners: Just bought their first ever console and now they're wondering what the three pronged bit that goes into the wall hole plugs into on the back of the system.

    The generally interested: See's a few commercials, here's some "Gamers" discussing upcoming games or otherwise come across some system information which peaks their interest, although they still feel consoles don't offer everything they would want from such an investment, they will certainly keep their ears open for the future.

    The non gamer: The definition of this term is cleverly hidden in it's name.

    Adding the "girl gamer" moniker only serves to further convolute a foggy system of terms and definitions, however it does offer the larger marketing companies a chance to segregate their audience and market specifically to one entity making current "girl gamers" feel like they're being treated specially and (hopefully) they react positively and feel special enough to buy whatever crappy lame product will be shoved.... down their throats.

    Play Vanilla is exactly this.

  • Enthasius

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 7:23 pm GMT

    Yeah, there's a difference between female gamers, pop girl gamers and minority interest female gamers.

    Female gamers won't pick up this magazine, as they play games like any guy does, with the same sort of differing tastes that you'll find in any two different gamers.

    Minority interest female gamers play a select type of game. I, for example, know a female gamer who plays nothing but resource management games like Theme park.

    Finally, pop girl gamers. They will buy this magazine, as they feel that since it's becoming more and more popular to own a console, they'll feel left out without actually keeping up with the pop-gaming, family friendly sorts of games that an unfortunate many Nintendo games can be.

  • scurran007

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 7:21 pm GMT

    Wonderful!
    I can wait until they put out a magazine for the Irish -Italian American Gamer.(Mario! Momma Mia...Get the coins for the Pub, and don't get hurt along the way, because Healthcare mushrooms will clean your coins out!)

    My wife and kids game with me...I see no difference in what we gravitate to, with a exception of Cooking Mama, which my oldest daughter loves, but I have no desire for. However, if I liked to cook, that might be a different story..gender aside!

    This same gender biase is seen as well in Manga from Japan: Shonen and Shojo, but my daughters read both! I am not sure how many guys would read Shojo though .....

    I guess there might be times when division by gender demographic works..but I don't think we need one for gamers.

  • gamergoddess89

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 5:41 pm GMT

    ~sighs~ hmm being a girl myself i would not pick up this piece of (choice word) it makes me so angry to think that some people cannot grasp the idea of a girl playing a game such as Halo but instead the sims and i don't want too see some ripped guy holding my game console and pratically humping it i hope the magazine doesn't even sell ten copies in final words stupid stupid germans do not stereotype female gamers they have a hard enough time as it is Oh and to the guy below who says that all gamer chicks are manly up yours alright let my stereotype you for a change you are a fat geek who will die lonely and the only action you can get is from a dog

  • quack_er

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 4:47 pm GMT

    The idea sounds good but I doubt girl gamers would pick it up. I have female friends who play the same games I do, so maybe this mag is for the more casual players.

  • goughy2k4

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 2:39 pm GMT

    am not quite sure about this idea, simply because my fiancee plays my games alot (doesnt buy her own games, if she does she says she bought it for me) and reads my magazines... she wouldnt want to be seen in public buying a gamers magazine aimed at girls...

  • ArneZ

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 2:01 pm GMT

    Game Vanilla, sounds like a gay mag.................
    why cant girls just read what we read?? stupid,stupid germans;P

  • vashvsgoku

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 12:56 pm GMT

    i dont know any female gamers that play as competitively as me and a few of my guy buddies, but i do know a few ladies that play casually, and i say more power to them. anything new to the industry is good.

  • gamer_girl15

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 12:44 pm GMT

    Boring! I like GTA San Andreas, Gears of War and Halo! A true female gamer magazine should show all games without all the male targeted articles (ie. less pics of strippers from Hitman, more pics of the Prince from POP and dead sexy Chris Redfield from Resident Evil )

    This seems to be just about boring "girly" games I don't play and enforcing the typical stereotype "Girls only like cute games and the Sims". Make me a magazine with hot guys showing off games and I'll buy it!

    Seriously though, guys and girls both love video games. That's all that matters!

  • Hell-Fire21

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 11:48 am GMT

    They play Sims II and what else? My sister plays Tekken and kicked every guys ass but mine (lmao) so i mean, i hope they don't get stereotypical.

  • ElZilcho

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 10:39 am GMT

    this is a horrible idea, female gamers are a very small percentage in the game industry and those that are gamers probably wont be attracted to a magazine that maily suggests that "yeah we're females and we play video games we do exist" and also will be critizincing the industry for not having enough games targeting females.

    i'd say stick to what you know and dont take any chances, thats why we've never seen games targeted specificaly to women and probably never will, its just the way of life, think about it, what was your girlfriend doing when you were at the arcade playing street fighter and contra? see what i'm trying to get at? women dont care about video games all that much.

    and besides, why would anyone wanna read about halo or grand theft auto on a girly magazine? i hope this thing crashes as soon as it takes off.

  • dkhw

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 10:18 am GMT

    it's definately a good idea because i know some girls that play games very casually.

  • warmlonelyplnet

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 9:57 am GMT

    I'm a female gamer, and I definitely won't be picking up a copy of Play Vanilla. The name alone suggests a toned down, boring version of a gaming magazine. It'd be different if they were actively critiquing what is wrong with the industry, but it seems like it's going to just be another marketing scheme.

  • Astera121

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 9:57 am GMT

    The name is pretty weird, but it sounds like a good idea.

  • Destroyeron13

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 9:03 am GMT

    Eh, I don't really like the name, at all, but the idea is good.

  • Predator_Spear

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 8:40 am GMT

    Oh god no.....this is the beginning of the end. Will men have no recluse other then the toilet. Al Bundy was right!

  • Jaeme

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 7:45 am GMT

    Dispite the fact that the magasine is coming into existance because of marketing nonsense, I still think its a good idea. Most gamer magasines are full of scantily clad impossible chix in an attempt to ape FHM or Maxim, which must be a turn off for a lot of women, so why not a magisine where women can drool over Dante and the unmen metrosexuals of final fantasy. It`s no different. You won`t find a Bloodrayne or Lara Croft in real life any more than you will those "men". Of course who reads magasines any more.

  • Mechacow

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 7:19 am GMT

    Female gamers are usually manly anyways

  • PeachyRamune

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 7:18 am GMT

    No matter what gender you are, a gamer is a gamer. I'd hate to see a arbitrary "Bold" and "Rebellious" xVelocity_Girl360x image. If a woman wants to play cute games then let her have her copy of The Sims Unleashed. Let her try your copy of Halo and if she doesn't like it, so what? Let her try the latest Final Fantasy. Statisticaly, a large majority of gamers are male and because of this we get too many oversaturated, hip Velocity Girls i.e. G4. It's quite disgusting.

    "I'm hot. Lust over me. I can beat any boy at Halo. I'm in a girl's only clan called FailDollz."

    Do you see any clans that are men-only? No. If you are awesome at Unreal tourneys, you should compete despite you gender, but don't show off that you're a girl. That's stupid. Enjoy all games. Not all the cute ones are bad, you know. Unless you like telling everyone how ripped you get at the gym, and how much testosterone flows in your veins, I suggest you try to be open minded to all games. Let us show people who haven't played a game before what it's all about. Fun.

    Just because a girl plays a game doesn't mean she's any more special than the next gamer who is male. Here's to more open mindedness and more colored (all colors) characters in our games as well and remember, we are not better gamers because we are male or female.

  • theluuk

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 6:47 am GMT

    i think this is good, but not neccesary, female gamers have always been there and will stay, perhaps they make better gamers then us men if they showed it, remember girls that arent restricted to the sims, and girls and games doesnt always mean they're boothbabes, though this magazine is just a sign that female gamers wont sit back and let the men handle it, but i hope this magazine wont restrict itself to "the obvious girl games" but will also cover up games for every sex, and of course games like halo and rainbow six. perhaps girls are shy gamers? someone should email me for a discussion about this subject. oh and sakuraninja i agree with you (and im a guy and not gay just letting you know) but im reading a games mag thats hasnt got that many ads with almost naked women.

    cheers

  • ShadowMstr121

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 5:55 am GMT

    Statistics show that slightly more than 100% of people who play World of Warcraft are male.

  • rikhan_z

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 5:44 am GMT

    Kavikus... your making me nervous now...

    My thoughts are... I read every Magazine published every month... and I wouldn't mind giving this a read *cough*

    Ok Seriously now... I personally think this is a nice way for company to earn porfit by researching and publishing a girls magazine, but it makes you wonder what is in this magazine...

    as for me, im buying one..... for my little sister, who loves playing final fantasy

  • Kavikus

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 4:13 am GMT

    i like to dress up like a woman

  • SakuraNinja

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 3:49 am GMT

    I think the general trend we're seeing in these posts is that for the most part us girls are playing most of the same games you guys are playing.......but we just hate reading game magazines that have scantily-clad chicks in every ad. It would be nice if they could cut that out to some extent ( I mean, just go read a Playboy or something, will you?)

  • SMASHgaming

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 2:34 am GMT

    More power to the mag and girl gamers out there, but the name is really bad....Play Vanilla...If they try to bring this to the US with that name it will never make it.

    The slang for Vanilla: Plain, boring, lacking excitement.

  • MorwenLaicoriel

    Posted Nov 26, 2006 12:59 am GMT

    "well....more than just what i think about all this, id like to know what some of you "girl" gamers think.....will it matter or no?"

    Depends on the content. If it's pink, flowery, and focuses ONLY on sterotypical 'girl' games (again, I DO like Sims 2, I just happen to enjoy other games as well), then it won't help at all. If it's just a magazine that has less of a guy slant to things (and less annoying ads!), then more power to them, I think it's great.

    that being said, I prefer to get my news and reviews off the web, so in the end, no, won't matter to me.

  • legofreak99

    Posted Nov 25, 2006 10:44 pm GMT

    if t is released only in germany this wont work.

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