The Madden Foosball Sucks.

Right on. It IS boring. I don't like team sports games. There's a bunch of guys that do their own little thing... it's like you're mostly watching what's going on rather than playing anything.

That's why golf and racing can be fun, but football games blow ass

Hardcore female gamers are such a rarity. What male influenced you? My little sister's a video gamer because her older brother was such a dominant influence growing up :)

Funnily enough, whenever I put the game in after that initial session, I would end up watching the demo game. It was what I pretty much felt I was doing anyway.

I have always loved video games. My cousin's parents bought her an Atari 2600 when we were kids; I used to spend hours with her playing Pac-Man. Then my mother let my dad buy me an Atari 400, because he wanted me to learn how to program in basic. I also had Pac-Man and Centipede, and I kicked serious ass on both of them, especially Centipede.

My mother actually turned me into a gamer. (And dude, seriously? Women can't be gamer geeks without a guy's influence?! Go on, slap me on my other ass cheek; I'm feeling unbalanced. Then I'll get you your dinner like the good moldable plaything I am! Sorry, it all came out before I could stop it. ) She was so anti-game that when I was finally able to play them, I went crazier than an Amish kid on rumspringa. I found that I like them, and I'm pretty good at them. My oldest daughter is a pretty heavy gamer too; her dad plays, but she gets it mostly from her mom.

I play all kinds of stuff. The only thing that I tend not to mess with are shooters. Not my scene. I tend to get smoked a lot, and they hinge heavily on multiplayer, and most of the people who play games online are assholes. Though, I have decided to try the 10-day World of Warcrack trial while I'm on my vacation.

Nice, I must admit I do enjoy Madden (as I have said elsewhere I am about 2 years behind as I only buy second hand games).

I do have one issue though with the blog. There is one thing that I ask of anybody visiting the USA is that they bring me back as many Reece's Peanut Butter Cups as they can carry. Seriously they rule - as you say to great tastes but they taste even better together. I get distressed that they are not for sale over here they are just the best

Anyway back onto the point, mmm Peanut Butter Cups - anyway yes, I know on the UK football boards, Madden has proved to be a great way for UK fans to find out about the sport, the positions and the players - I guess it was never invented as an instructional tool but you can rest assured that the section on the UK football board that deals with Rookie questions general have a reference to I did this on Madden why don't they do this in games, or I know about X from Madden but why do they do that.

You're right, it was never invented as an instructional tool. However, if I had a dollar for every time someone said that they felt that playing Madden led to a greater understanding of the game in general, I'd be a rich woman. It seems to be an unintended side effect of the game.

It probably doesn't help that I don't particularly care for peanut butter, and enjoy Reese's cups only on very rare occasions. :)

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And dude, seriously? Women can't be gamer geeks without a guy's influence?!

Yes dude, seriously.
I knew that would bring out your defensive feminist side! :)

There's no debating that video gaming is a male dominated activity. The only female gamers I've ever known had either fathers, brothers, or love interests introduce and convert them. So far you're the only one with even a shred of self discovery.

And I still, to this very day, have never seen a woman in an arcade that wasn't following a man.

whodey - well written and entertaining column

However, I couldn't disagree with you more on Madden not being a fun game and the wonder taste of a peanut butter cup

Yes, it's definitely male dominated. But the numbers are changing, thanks to companies like Nintendo who are really beginning to try to court the female dollar. It is, sad to say, a very untapped market. If they can get into it, they're going to make a killing.

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So far you're the only one with even a shred of self discovery.

I think that speaks more to my awesomeness than to the power of male influence. I am part of a couple of groups on GameSpot that are predominantly female, and a good portion of us got into it out of curiosity and stayed because we liked it. When I was in college, I was part of a gaming group that was a 50-50 gender split. We are out there. We just don't talk much about it because we're too busy gaming.

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And I still, to this very day, have never seen a woman in an arcade that wasn't following a man.

Eh. If you see me in an arcade, I'm probably following a man too; that's my best friend and we like to go to arcades together, mostly because my female friends aren't much into games. I take my company where I can get it.

If you continue to follow us, you might see me smoke him at Tekken or House of the Dead. He kills me at racing games though; he's got a lead foot like you would not believe.

This is usually the part of the discussion where I declare that I am, in fact, not a feminist. But hell, who'd believe me?

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whodey - well written and entertaining column

Thanks Simmons. I do my part to raise the level of entertainment.

My ambivalent stance on peanut butter cups isn't about the peanut butter, though I am quite turned off by its jaw-sticking qualities. It's more about the obstruction of delicious chocolaty goodness. It is, after all, delicious and chocolaty.

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I think that speaks more to my awesomeness than to the power of male influence.

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If you continue to follow us, you might see me smoke him at Tekken or House of the Dead.

I am Tekken master of the universe. OK... except for this one time. Tan skinned guy wearing a backpack put two quarters in and beat my everlovin' ass. Several times in a row. I haven't been the same since that day

The Reese's Cups are over rated. I like the generic Wal-Mart brand better.

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This is usually the part of the discussion where I declare that I am, in fact, not a feminist. But hell, who'd believe me?

After what I've seen the past couple weeks? Not me!

Madden's awesome! I haven't got 08 yet, but I love 07.

I don't know if anyone else is like me, but I'm not a big fan of playing my favourite sports on computers? i.e. my favourite sport is Football (that's Soccer to most of you hehe) but I hate playing Soccer video games. Weird huh?

Maybe thats your beef with Madden?

It could be. I've thought about that.

I'm going to test that theory next Spring, when I take golf lessons. We'll see if golf's as much fun in real life as it is on my PS2. That should be a fun series of columns.