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Narrative
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Guy 1: "I-I only play it for the fighting. I-I appreciate the expansive multi-tier environment, and the sixteen characters...the pixel-shaded bump-mapping...and the rich plot development. Seriously, why else would I play it?"
Guy 2: "She kicks high." —From the Fanservice-filled Dead Or Alive 3 commercial for the XBOX.  It's a rare species!
The primary demographic for video games is still males ages 15 to 25, with everything that implies. This is slowly changing, but video game developers and publishers still do quite a bit of Pandering To The Base. Expect Fanservice, especially in the form of Stripperiffic female characters, gratuitous violence, and concepts that are oriented more to explosions and racking up a high body count than plot or character development.
People who are not males between the ages of 15 and 25 can still enjoy games, but they should always keep in mind who the publishers are aiming for, and adjust their expectations accordingly. We're getting there, but it ain't Shakespeare yet.
This is all quite interesting, considering the fact that recent studies show that at least half of gamers are indeed individuals lacking a Y-chromosome. Maybe this is really explained by Most Writers Are Male.
Then again, a recent poll at GameFAQs displayed 'bout 95% males. Whether that means that females are less "hard core," less likely to visit a videogame help-site, less likely to answer poll-of-the-day questions, or some other explanation, is unknown at this time.
Awesomely Lampshaded by Bungie Studios, who have a nickname for their female employees, the Bungie Princesses.
Also Lampshaded in Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. In the second world, LOG Box 720, Humba Wumba, formerly sham(wo)man, and in Nutty Acres, Mumbo's Wife, plays the roll of "Gutsy Girl Gamer". I'm serious, go look it up, or better yet, play the game.
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