Yaguchi Mari becomes a columnist for Famitsu

[neshcom]

Yaguchi will now be writing a "blog-like" column in Famitsu, one of the most respected video game magazines in Japan and the world. She will be talking about how girls are also passionate gamers. the column will also feature photos of Yaguchi.



Source: Kotaku. I like how the comments are split between "Famitsu is shit" and "I'd hit that."



I like the idea of The Guch ( <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... hawhaw.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':hawhaw:' /> ) getting a gaming column, but maybe focusing on how females like games reinforces the stereotype?

[AEUGNewtype]

God, I hate Kotaku.



And seriously, some of the people in the comments are sitting there trying to bash Famitsu as if there's some more respectable alternative in gaming magazines. Every other magazine is 50 times worse than Famitsu. Especially if you're talking about actually physical printed gaming magazines and especially if you're talking about American ones, they're just about 85-90% advertising and uninteresting horseshit that you could find out just about anywhere on the internet.



This is kinda cool, but I know she's been a gamer for a while, so its really no surprise, and I've also seen a few other Japanese blogs like this, with female celebrities standing up for their love of gaming.

[sadude]

Cool, I'd like to read that. Are Famitsu's columns available online?

[quote name='neshcom' post='63667' date='Apr 13 2009, 11:42 PM']but maybe focusing on how females like games reinforces the stereotype?[/quote]

Focusing on it reinforces the stereotypes that they aren't gamers? Nah, I think it would help, since it breaks the stereotype that gamers are all anti-social otaku guys in a few ways.



Also, the timing of this is kind of amusing, since I just finished reading an article about the members of Kara, a Korean girl group, and one of them is a huge tech and gaming geek. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... #>/wub.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':hawhaw:' />

[neshcom]

[quote name='sadude' post='63671' date='Apr 14 2009, 06:48 AM']Cool, I'd like to read that. Are Famitsu's columns available online?

[quote name='neshcom' post='63667' date='Apr 13 2009, 11:42 PM']but maybe focusing on how females like games reinforces the stereotype?[/quote]

Focusing on it reinforces the stereotypes that they aren't gamers? Nah, I think it would help, since it breaks the stereotype that gamers are all anti-social otaku guys in a few ways.

[/quote]

But don't you think the emphasis on the differences between guy- and girl-gamers pushes the idea that females playing games is a new idea or that they should be separately defined?

[Melon]

[quote name='neshcom' post='63672' date='Apr 14 2009, 06:44 AM']But don't you think the emphasis on the differences between guy- and girl-gamers pushes the idea that females playing games is a new idea or that they should be separately defined?[/quote]



There already are differences between guy and girl gamers. That's why we have the "Imagine" bullshit. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... tongue.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':hawhaw:' /> Females playing games ISN'T new, but games appealing specifically for females in large quantities is. There's a larger population of female gamers now than before. The only real difference is the image that females don't like the male oriented games. If you want to buy your girlfriend a game to get into gaming, it's always cutesy games that get recommended. Not to say that's a bad thing, but females play more than just cute mascot games. So if Yaguchi focuses more on games that are thought to be "male only" as well as games girls like, I'd say she's doing a good job promoting female gamers as gamers, not something to be separately defined.

[al kusanagi]

Yeah, gaming is pretty much like Hollywood with the majority of it aiming for that young male demographic, but unlike Hollywood, gaming doesn't really have its own "chick flicks" outside of some indy and handheld games. From my gaming experiences, in Japan RPGs have as many female as male fans. Most of my female friends are all FF and DQ fans. In the West I've been pretty surprised at just how many female gamers I've ran into playing World of Warcraft. I'd say 40% of the guild I'm in are actual women.



And I'd much rather see a Takahashi game column. She's as much of a FF fangirl as Mari.

[Ap2000]

[quote name='The☆AEUGNewtype' post='63668' date='Apr 14 2009, 05:56 AM']God, I hate Kotaku.[/quote]



Agreed, those losers can't even make their fugly site compatible for all browsers.





I never knew anybody in H!P was into gaming, but maybe they're trying to pull a Jade Raymond with her ?

[Zoe]

Guess that explains her promoting LittleBigPlanet.

[peachgirldb]

At least it's not a Manoeri column. (Even if she does have good taste in games.)

[Pucchi-Mo]

[quote name='Ap2000' post='63678' date='Apr 14 2009, 03:46 PM']I never knew anybody in H!P was into gaming, but maybe they're trying to pull a Jade Raymond with her ?[/quote]

Sayumi is really good at Tetris, according to the Shabondama episode of FUN.



I once heard of a clip of Mari playing GTA 3. Haven't seen it yet...



Not H!P (but who is these days), Tokito Ami had a blog entry about playing Rockband with her friends.



Super not H!P, Sekine Shiori (who played the bassist in Linda Linda Linda) and in BaseBallBear loves Mother 3. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... #>/wub.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':dammit:' />



Umm let's see ...Beyonce plays Rhythm Heaven. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... tongue.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':hawhaw:' />

[neshcom]

[quote name='TightWetPucchi' post='63682' date='Apr 14 2009, 05:44 PM']I once heard of a clip of Mari playing GTA 3. Haven't seen it yet...[/quote]

Oh, yeah. That was from this Futarigoto starting at 15:30.



[quote name='TightWetPucchi' post='63682' date='Apr 14 2009, 05:44 PM']Umm let's see ...Beyonce plays Rhythm Heaven. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... tongue.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':hawhaw:' />[/quote]

So does that guy from The Alfee!

[peachgirldb]

Manoeri is into Pokemon and Dragon Quest.



And of course, Miyabi's week on Yorosen was about games. Several of the girls (including Reina, I'm pretty sure) own Wiis as well. And who can forget Nacchi's famous "Playstation" incident? <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... /laugh.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':hawhaw:' />

[kitaoji]

Part of this comes from the Japanese Wikipedia, but I do remember Takahashi being a fan of Final Fantasy (specifically, FF:VI, FF:IX, FF:X & Tactics). She's got a PS2, a N64, a Gamecube, the Wii, the DS Lite, and the PSP, so I'm pretty sure she's got a lot of other games underneath her belt as well. (And while we're at it, she's has a Powerbook G5 and iBook G4.)

[AEUGNewtype]

[quote name='Al Kusanagi' post='63677' date='Apr 14 2009, 12:33 PM']And I'd much rather see a Takahashi game column. She's as much of a FF fangirl as Mari.[/quote]

She's also about as interesting as watching paint dry. And not nearly as famous as Mari to the general public.

[Ap2000]

[quote name='TightWetPucchi' post='63682' date='Apr 14 2009, 11:44 PM'][quote name='Ap2000' post='63678' date='Apr 14 2009, 03:46 PM']I never knew anybody in H!P was into gaming, but maybe they're trying to pull a Jade Raymond with her ?[/quote]

Sayumi is really good at Tetris, according to the Shabondama episode of FUN.



I once heard of a clip of Mari playing GTA 3. Haven't seen it yet...



Not H!P (but who is these days), Tokito Ami had a blog entry about playing Rockband with her friends.



Super not H!P, Sekine Shiori (who played the bassist in Linda Linda Linda) and in BaseBallBear loves Mother 3. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... #>/wub.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':pouty:' />



Umm let's see ...Beyonce plays Rhythm Heaven. <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... tongue.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

[/quote]



Uh... "being into gaming" isn't just playing one game or something like Rockband to me.

And owning a Wii is basically saying you're not into gaming. :hardcoreflame:



@neshcom; Thanks for the link ! That was really weird to see her play that while saying things like "ah ? what's that ?". haha



EDIT:

She's "eating" ice ?

Eventhough it sounds like GTA, the controller looks like a mixture of GCN and PS.

[neshcom]

[quote name='Ap2000' post='63718' date='Apr 15 2009, 10:43 AM']She's "eating" ice ?

Eventhough it sounds like GTA, the controller looks like a mixture of GCN and PS.[/quote]

You never had one of those blue, see-through PS2 controllers? <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... prised.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

[Ap2000]

[quote name='neshcom' post='63720' date='Apr 15 2009, 05:33 PM'][quote name='Ap2000' post='63718' date='Apr 15 2009, 10:43 AM']She's "eating" ice ?

Eventhough it sounds like GTA, the controller looks like a mixture of GCN and PS.[/quote]

You never had one of those blue, see-through PS2 controllers? <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... prised.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />

[/quote]



No, I bought my black PS2 slim at the end of 2006 and never bought a second controller for it. (contrary to the GCN, where I have 1 Wavebird, 1 Black, 2 cheap white ones of which one already broke after ~3 months)

[Pucchi-Mo]

[quote name='Ap2000' post='63718' date='Apr 15 2009, 10:43 AM']Uh... "being into gaming" isn't just playing one game or something like Rockband to me.

And owning a Wii is basically saying you're not into gaming. :hardcoreflame:



@neshcom; Thanks for the link ! That was really weird to see her play that while saying things like "ah ? what's that ?". haha



EDIT:

She's "eating" ice ?

Eventhough it sounds like GTA, the controller looks like a mixture of GCN and PS.[/quote]



That obviously became a joke. I never said they were hardcore and OUT&PROUD.

The only one I can vouch for is Shiori because I have access to her most personal thoughts, err.. tour booklet and countless blog archives. Tokito Ami has just about vanished from the face of the earth, so she must be playing something in her free time. OTHER THAN BIKINI CLAD TWISTER <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... hawhaw.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':pouty:' />



Who said anything about Wii? <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... unsure.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />



Thanks for the Mari clip nesh, man, that math part was painful.

No wonder she had the urge to kill virtual hookers.

[Prinny Squad]

@ TightWetPucchi: Don't forget Keiko Awaji, co-star of Akira Kurosawa's drama Stray Dog. She's almost 80, and she said in an interview that "She would really like one or two more Dragon Quest games before she dies." If that doesn't break the heart <img src='http://mm-bbs.org/public/style_emoticon ... pyeyes.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' />





Now, as far as Yaguchi becoming a columnist, I think it's great. If she can convey the humor she puts into her blog into her column, it'll be great. Hopefully somebody will provide translations and stuff?