About The Author
My name is Kassidy. Online, I go by micathegamer. I've used this name since I was eleven and don't plan on changing it anytime soon. It is actually based off of my very first World of Warcraft character, Mica. I started playing during the beta which was around 2003-2004 (I was around eight at the time). I have played ever since.
My first introduction to gaming, however, was the Playstation 2. I wasn't allowed to play it much because my brother would get angry if I failed, so I gave up on that quickly. Soon after I discovered my GameBoy Color and eventually my DS. Even though I enjoyed these consoles on the side, computer gaming held my heart from an early age. I played Halo: Combat Evolved for the first time when I was seven. I sat in my grandpa's lap and my cousins and brother and I would take turns until we eventually were gifted our own computers.
Growing up, computer gaming was a family event. My brother, cousins, grandpa and I would meet up at my grandparent's house nearly every weekend until I was sixteen. We all had our own gaming computers and would play nonstop the entire weekend. I always made sure to get any work done prior to Friday so that I could have my gaming marathon with my family.
Was this healthy for my back, neck, posture, and diet? No. But it was my childhood and I wouldn't change a thing.
I have always been into storytelling whether it was with Polly Pockets, Barbies, stuffed animals, or any other humanoid-looking toy I could get my hands on. In 2009, Sims 3 was released and I finally found the perfect outlet for my enormous creative bubble that was bursting inside of me. I played Sims 3 until Sims 4 added toddlers to the game in 2016. As of today, I currently have over 1,000 hours logged on Sims 4 alone. To say I play a lot is an understatement.
The reason I felt compelled to create this blog is that with the years of online gaming through World of Warcraft as well as public responses to playing First-Person shooters, Sims, or really any other game, I have been met with hypersexualization as well as creepy and often aggressive men.
For me, as a girl who grew up on the internet and played video games constantly, I often had to hide my gender. Not that I was ashamed, but boys and men were ashamed for me. And if they weren't ashamed, they'd ask where I lived, if I was single, if I would talk dirty to them online, if I would take off my character's clothes for them, if I would meet them in-person. And if they weren't being inappropriate, often they would talk down on me, tell me I should quit, that girls don't play video games and if they do they're ugly.
My self-esteem and confidence plummeted. To this day, I'm still sorting through how to be proud of being a gamer without sounding like I'm asking for attention from boys, without sounding like I'm a loser that stares at screens.
But guess what? Women make money for playing games. Women make money for creating games. Women make money for writing for games. Women can and women will. Games are inspirational and an escape for many. Games are an important part of understanding society and culture just like any form of literature or entertainment is.
Gaming has become a lot more popular in recent years, especially with the outbreak of Fortnite. (I don't enjoy the game, personally, but to each their own). Gaming has also evolved. You don't need a console or even a PC. People game on their phones, on their tablets, on their laptops; it's all 'real gaming'.
I guess what I am trying to say with all of this is that I'm a proud gamer. I love Sims, World of Warcraft, and various first-person shooters. I love narrative-driven games like What Remains of Edith Finch and puzzle games like Portal. I love games and I love gamers. I support women in gaming and in the gaming industry. I support you in what you enjoy, and I ask that you support me too. Support everyone. Every woman, every man, every LBGTQ+ member. I want everyone to succeed. I want to succeed, and I want to create a space that has help and guidance so that maybe other girls like me won't feel as lost and unconfident as I did.
With this new generation of techies, I hope women can thrive more than ever.
My first introduction to gaming, however, was the Playstation 2. I wasn't allowed to play it much because my brother would get angry if I failed, so I gave up on that quickly. Soon after I discovered my GameBoy Color and eventually my DS. Even though I enjoyed these consoles on the side, computer gaming held my heart from an early age. I played Halo: Combat Evolved for the first time when I was seven. I sat in my grandpa's lap and my cousins and brother and I would take turns until we eventually were gifted our own computers.
Growing up, computer gaming was a family event. My brother, cousins, grandpa and I would meet up at my grandparent's house nearly every weekend until I was sixteen. We all had our own gaming computers and would play nonstop the entire weekend. I always made sure to get any work done prior to Friday so that I could have my gaming marathon with my family.
Was this healthy for my back, neck, posture, and diet? No. But it was my childhood and I wouldn't change a thing.
I have always been into storytelling whether it was with Polly Pockets, Barbies, stuffed animals, or any other humanoid-looking toy I could get my hands on. In 2009, Sims 3 was released and I finally found the perfect outlet for my enormous creative bubble that was bursting inside of me. I played Sims 3 until Sims 4 added toddlers to the game in 2016. As of today, I currently have over 1,000 hours logged on Sims 4 alone. To say I play a lot is an understatement.
The reason I felt compelled to create this blog is that with the years of online gaming through World of Warcraft as well as public responses to playing First-Person shooters, Sims, or really any other game, I have been met with hypersexualization as well as creepy and often aggressive men.
For me, as a girl who grew up on the internet and played video games constantly, I often had to hide my gender. Not that I was ashamed, but boys and men were ashamed for me. And if they weren't ashamed, they'd ask where I lived, if I was single, if I would talk dirty to them online, if I would take off my character's clothes for them, if I would meet them in-person. And if they weren't being inappropriate, often they would talk down on me, tell me I should quit, that girls don't play video games and if they do they're ugly.
My self-esteem and confidence plummeted. To this day, I'm still sorting through how to be proud of being a gamer without sounding like I'm asking for attention from boys, without sounding like I'm a loser that stares at screens.
But guess what? Women make money for playing games. Women make money for creating games. Women make money for writing for games. Women can and women will. Games are inspirational and an escape for many. Games are an important part of understanding society and culture just like any form of literature or entertainment is.
Gaming has become a lot more popular in recent years, especially with the outbreak of Fortnite. (I don't enjoy the game, personally, but to each their own). Gaming has also evolved. You don't need a console or even a PC. People game on their phones, on their tablets, on their laptops; it's all 'real gaming'.
I guess what I am trying to say with all of this is that I'm a proud gamer. I love Sims, World of Warcraft, and various first-person shooters. I love narrative-driven games like What Remains of Edith Finch and puzzle games like Portal. I love games and I love gamers. I support women in gaming and in the gaming industry. I support you in what you enjoy, and I ask that you support me too. Support everyone. Every woman, every man, every LBGTQ+ member. I want everyone to succeed. I want to succeed, and I want to create a space that has help and guidance so that maybe other girls like me won't feel as lost and unconfident as I did.
With this new generation of techies, I hope women can thrive more than ever.
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