Why the Male Power Fantasy Has an Important Role in Gaming

Explosion.com's Dave Walsh takes a look at Warren Spector's recent outrage over Wolfenstein: The New Order and how he talks about the "adolescent male power fantasy." Walsh talks about what it is and why violent games are a necessary part of the gaming world.

[Donnieboi]

Why can't gamer's just be left in peace to play games, without it becoming a sociological tug-of-war between the genders. Leave us alone.

[PopRocks359]

I've met quite few girls who are big fans of games like Halo and Gears of War, while I've met just as many who are fans of things like Zelda and Final Fantasy. It really isn't a gender thing at all, it's all about taste.

[jeffgoldwin]

Very, very few girls are into fps shooters like Halo or COD.

Girls (in general, always some exceptions to the rule) are more into like PopRocks said, Zelda or Mario type games. In either case, seems like irrelevant info.

[Mikefizzled]

I know lots of girls who enjoy titles like Call of Duty and even more who play games like Dota and League of Legends.

Just because you don't know of them and would rather clump them in with casuals doesn't mean that they are not there.

This is why they don't often use headsets because guys can act up if they find out they are in a game with a girl.

[dvewlsh]

There is absolutely nothing about "gender wars" in this article at all.

[Donnieboi]

I didn't say anything about gender wars. When I say tug-of-war I mean when the article says "adolescent male power fantasy." I hate when they put men (and women) in these categories. The reason I hate is because the things that they tell us we like, are not actually what many of us like. For example, I hate bro-mancing "dude-bro" big muscle/explosion games, etc. Yet they think that all men want these stupid games. I want games that require thought, have intriguing characters and stories, and challenging gameplay. And even though the article is talking about "adolescents", I always hated it when they assumed that guys only want dumb stuff. Even since i was a child, I hated the stupid (usually western) stereotypes that they try to plug on us guys. Also, they try to impose gender standards on female gamers too (to respond to PopRocks359) when they try to push puzzle games on women and exercise games. As if they can't appreciate something far more deeper.

When I was a kid, nobody gave a damn about this stuff. Guys (and girls too) just played, without having to have all of these "experts" and analyst's trying to tell us what we're supposed to like (based on our gender--male or female).

[coolbeans]

?

This article is just a harmless looking glass on something that actually exists in the gaming culture. It's examining how the 'Male Power Fantasy' has a purpose for existing, not placating what you're suggesting.

@ your 2nd comment above

The "adolescent male power fantasy" is a quote taken from Warren Spector and used solely as a springboard for his discussion, not something the author agrees with.

[IcicleTrepan]

My girlfriend's favourite game used to be Fable 3. Lately she's hooked on Dragon's Dogma. I asked her why she likes Dragon's Dogma so much. She said it's because you get to 'smash all of the monsters to death'. I don't think it's just males having the power fantasies :) Also we are grown adults and not teenagers.

[DragonKnight]

Thank you Kotaku, Madam Sessler, Anita Sarkeesian, Warran Spector, and all the other groups and individuals who felt that feminism hasn't been present enough in video games. You've really upped the quality of gaming journalism and games in general. What would we do without all of you to tell us what is "acceptable fun" and speaking for everyone who never asked you to speak for them in the first place.

[lastdual]

Ever since reading about how Spector wanted to gimp the the original Thief so that players could play through without being stealthy, my respect for him has gone way down.

Yes, the original Deus Ex is still a classic, but Spector appears to be a one-trick pony. Since that time, everything he's done has been mediocre and he constantly spouts off on social issues like he's the Glenn Beck of gaming. It's impossible to take the man seriously these days.

[KrimsonKody]

I kind of understand the stigma of female gamers & male gamers, but most are looking at it wrong;
It's not a gender based, but more do the individual. Everyone is unique (duh), which entitles us to our own taste.
I know a woman who can slay dudes in the hardest of games, & she would go to arcades just to blast dudes in Marvel vs. Capcoms (& she can hyper-cancel, ooow), Tekken, etc. Although she got alot of cred, there was still some guys who, for some reason, either felt intimidated by her or only saw her as a sexy gamer (because she IS sexy!).
I remember she was playing a Dance Dance game in the arcade against some big shot dude that was known for high scores. She came & got perfect scores all over him. & all the game when she plays Dance Dance, random dudes would come stand around, not for her skills, but because of her anatomy, saying things like "Umm, look at those titi's, she got titi's, damn, etc., disrespectful & loud to the point that she can clearly hear them, but they did'nt care, until she aced her score & jumped off the game & punched one of the dudes.
Sorry for the short story, but I say all of that to say; we as men have to evolve & grow out of our immaturity of always believing that women are incapable. It's all about interest. Women are human equals to us, we need to treat them more so. Alot of this started back in the day when it was rare to find women gamers (because electronics were for guys & pretty stuff for girls), & when you did find one, it was likely that her skills were'nt up to par with a male gamer. It's an really old onus that women gamers unfortunately have to deal with.

[from the beach]

The term 'power fantasy' - ie. without gendering - is better.

And it's fairly obvious why games where the player is made to feel powerful are popular.

[-Gespenst-]

Nah, Spector wins.

[e-p-ayeaH]

A pointless discussion games are mostly a boy/men's hobby there's nothing more to it plain and simple.

[Picnic]

But.. his own games are adolescent male power fantasies.

Spaceships, wars, techno geek fantasies, playing a sneaky thief.

It just goes to show that people tend to try to seek out and criticise in others what is an intrinsic part of their own character.

And at least a series like Wolfenstein does it with entertainment at the fore.

I'm playing psychologist here : He must just be on some level bitter at something like that he didn't ever make Bioshock so he hits out at the games that made gaming so fun to try to compensate for this.

And Epic Mickey is not that good. It's like a game from 1996.