“For a guy, losing to a female is the ultimate humiliation.”

You always hear guys talking about how they “no-scoped” someone last night in Call of Duty or how great their kill/death ratio was last night in Halo. But why don’t you ever hear girls say how great it was curb stomping the other guy’s face in?

The female gamer is a term that comes with a lot of baggage. What exactly is the female gamer? For guys, she is the sexy, drop-dead gorgeous chick with a tight fitting tank top and a lollipop hanging from her hot pink lips while she gently fondles the controller only half concentrating on the game itself. But in reality, fellas, she is just like us. Over dosing on Mountain Dew while she focuses so much on the game that she seems to be the only one in the room who doesn’t smell the pungent odor of a forgotten shower or two.

But among most males, females are not seen as adept gamers. When a female says she plays videogames, the first question that pops into mind is, “What Sims is she on now?” But this stereotypical attitude towards the female gamer is unjust and asinine. Just because the sex is different doesn’t mean she doesn’t know how to shame you in front of your friends in a game of Team Death Match.

In fact, ESA’s (Entertainment Software Association) most recent game data shows that 47% of all online gamers are indeed female. And one of the fastest growing demographics is women over the age of 18. Believe it or not guys, but the face of gaming is changing!

Males are born with an innate sense of dominance. Also known as the infamous male ego. So when a female steps into what they believe to be their “respected territory” (i.e., gaming), being beaten is just not an option. Hence, losing to a female feels demeaning. For guys, it’s a fear factor of playing against females; losing to a female is the ultimate humiliation.

Playing a good bit on Xbox live, I notice the uprising of female gamers and that their skill levels far exceed many male players. Gaming is not just something for guys to enjoy. Females can be as good or better, and they deserve the respect of being so.

Gaming doesn’t have a gender, so let’s stop trying to assign one to it.