Lady Gamers and Ms. Pac-Man
Did you know that “ads for Ms. Pac-Man depicted only women playing which reflected a broader acknowledgement of female participation in video gaming?
In its May 1982 issue, Electronic Games, the first dedicated video game magazine, ran an article by co-founder Joyce Worley titled “Women Join the Arcade Revolution.” The tagline read, “Move Over Guys, Here Come the Gals.” Worley notes that arcades used to be as much a “strictly male preserve as the old corner barber shop.”
In the 1980s, however, “liberated ladies rapidly discovered that electronic gaming is one activity in which the sexes can compete on absolutely even terms.” Was the video gaming industry entering a new era by embracing female participation?
Read more of this interesting story in the The History Bandits blog and join me in honoring Ms. Pac-Man this Women’s History Month for giving all gamers a welcoming space to play.
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