Men Play Bored Housewife Video Games Too… They Just Don't Like To Admit It

from the it's-all-fun-and-games dept

In the past, casual video games have often been referred to as “bored housewife” games, as they were thought to mostly be popular with older women, rather than the traditional video gaming market, which most people considered to be popular with younger guys. However, it seems like that breakdown is a bit misleading, as a new study shows that men are just as likely to play casual video games, they’re just a lot less likely to admit to it. Anyone wonder if that’s true in the other direction as well? Perhaps a lot more women enjoy playing first person shooters and don’t like to admit it. Either way, this really just highlights that game makers probably should stop worrying about “games for women” or “games for guys” and simply focus on making games people like. The success of the Nintendo Wii seems to support that plan. As for the bored housewife description… perhaps we can just change it to bored employees and be happy.

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Comments on “Men Play Bored Housewife Video Games Too… They Just Don't Like To Admit It”

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19 Comments
Max Powers at http://ConsumerFight.com (user link) says:

Bored Housewife Games?

I met my wife 27 years ago at a miniature golf course in Texas while she was playing Asteroids. If I ever said that Pac Man, Tetris, and other classics were “Bored Housewife Games”, I would have to pick me teeth up from the floor and make an appointment for the dentist.

Back then, and even now, why would I be afraid to admit I like these classic casual games?

Oh yeah, I forgot. I’m considered old now so I could care less what anybody else thinks.

By the way, my wife also never got the survey.

Gloria says:

He’s right (George) – occasional game is OK, but beer drinking, on-line game playing (any), cheering for a football team that is a bunch of great looking men on steroids with gold chains (and hardly being able to spell their own name) and a “warrior” look is SAD!
Men (most) are boring and selfish assholes whose lives depend on making deals and getting a blowjob for sex (As opposed to making their wives ‘happy’ in bed – time equalling an average football game). Any of these great football (etc.) stars read a book lately? Can they eat with a fork and knife and pick a bottle of wine with dinner? And my husband worships jerks like that ? With “war” paint on their faces and going to jail for abuse, rape, DWIs ? I am not going to resolve myself to such relationships nor playing mindless games – “bored houswives’ games. Go hunting – I hope my husband will get accidentally shot!

PaulT (profile) says:

Re: Re:

@Gloria:

Wow, sounds like you have some… issues…

Question: if you don’t like the kind of jerks who go hunting, don’t read and worship a football team more than their wives, why did you apparantly marry one? Go get a guy who actually represents the human race instead of a tribal throwback. There’s millions of us out there..

Danny says:

I play both...

You can only dedicate so many nights in a row to the latest Zelda game before you have to take a break and play something else. I just finished up Lego Star Wars so I’ll have to pick up a new (or I might blow the dust of Super Puzzle Fighter) casual game soon to use for breaks between Twilight Princess sessions.

And Gloria really does sound happy.

Jeremy says:

Who has the time?

I don’t have the free time to spend hours just learning to play the game. The last “game for boys” I enjoyed was NFL QB Club ’96 for the Sega Genesis! Nowadays I have three kids and a wife plus a desire to unwind with mindless entertainment. I want a game that I can play for ten minutes and get some fulfillment from the time spent doing it.

Ginny (user link) says:

Housewife here

So there’s games out there that I would be more likely to play? Well, I’ll let you know what I play the most after my 5 month old grows up enough to go to school and I can relax.

Okay, that’s not so true.. When my husband comes home at 5, I end up raiding with my friends on World of Warcraft around 7.

But if I ever get the time to play a game, it’s usually Cooking Mama (oh the irony) or some sort of game I can play on the Wii. I can use one hand on the game while rocking my baby to sleep with the other. That is.. if my husband doesn’t play it. Yeah, you heard me. He plays Cooking Mama (and he’s better than me, that ass…)

Overcast says:

Perhaps a lot more women enjoy playing first person shooters and don’t like to admit it.

Yeah – my wife’s first game she really got into was Quake2.. After that, she drug *me* into Everquest, now I play WoW. Admittedly.. I developed a good sense of not playing too awful much, so I’m pretty casual in WoW.

I really don’t care to watch football, I must admit. And while my wife and I do play video games, well.. we play in other parts of the house too :O

She has no complaints~~~

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