Game Boys for Play Girls! Volume 2

The impact of the video game on girlhoods and both§Western and Japanese pop culture is scrutinised in§this comprehensive exploration of gender and games.§This analysis provides an in-depth insight into the§presumed differences between girls' and boys'§interests, the obstacles that continue to constrain§girls' leisure and the video game's role in our§popular culture. Gaming is a catalyst for creative§energies, encompassing all manner of DIY expressions.§Player-created content has always been an important§element of gaming. But now, heralded by marketing§campaigns, video games are striving to become the new§"mainstream" entertainment including female gamers!§For girls, this could serve as a useful entry point§into a creative career in this very industry, as§playing games very often leads to the wish to create§them. The questions discussed are of crucial§importance for researchers and game creators alike:§how can girls make use of a game's creative potential§in order to discover new leisure opportunities,§identities, and careers? How can the game world gain§access to the female creativity needed to finally§turn the game into the universal media phenomenon of§our times?