Candace and Jim Miller

Canadace and Jim Miller talk about the community they've built, an upcoming event and more

The purpose to GGT is create a community where female gamers can come together, hang out and talk not only about games but real life, hobbies and other interests without being flamed or harassed by anyone.

): There was no actual vision initially when I created Girlz Game Too exactly. Serra had complained to me of the lack of a good place for female gamers to go hang out and post with out lewd behavior or flaming for being a girl gamer. So for our anniversary I presented girlzgametoo.com to her. It was meant to be a place for her and a couple of friends to hang out and chat about games and other stuff. Word got out and we started getting more and more members. Serra started getting hyped about the whole idea and initially saw the potential in GGT. She then requested an interview from SOE regarding EverQuest 2 and was granted it. I was floored and knew I was in trouble. People started flocking to the site (especially when we were added to the beta giveaway list) and next thing I knew we had 100’s of members. That’s when I took more of a personal involvement with GGT.

We then had a vision to show that these ladies not only game, but were good at it. The current vision for GGT is now to be a respected name in the gaming industry. Since we’ve started we’ve been working on that and have a lot more to come. Have we been successful? We’re getting there.

Funny story actually. Vyk played this game Everquest and well I would end up watching by myself night after night while he played. One night I curled up on the couch behind him and watched over his shoulder. It looked like a lot of fun and it was very pretty and the action was interesting. So after many nights of me watching him play he pulled me onto his lap and said lets make you a character! Serrafina was born! Wow did I suck. I couldn’t drive and fighting was hard in the beginning, I just didn’t seem to have the coordination to play but I got better. I think sometimes Vyk regretted showing me how to play. We had to eventually get two computers and two accounts because we would grumble over game time lol.

I had my first taste of MMORPGs back when Ultima Online released. I was intrigued by the idea of the game and played for the first month about a total of 8 hours due to being really busy at the time. When the first month had passed, it was asking me for a credit card for a monthly subscription. “There is no way I’m paying monthly to play a game,” was my thinking at the time. There was no warning on the box that had stated a subscription was required. I put the box away and never looked back at it. A few years later I had moved in with a new roommate. The last roommate had left a copy of Ruins of Kunark there and I remembered seeing Classic for $20 or something like that. I went and picked it up and installed it thinking, I’ll give it a shot for a month. I was slightly disappointed that the expansion didn’t work because the key had been used, but played anyways. I was hooked within a couple of weeks and played EQ for about 5 years before I started getting into other MMOs. I currently play most of the major MMOs now and can truly say they are my favorite genre.

We are a very eclectic group of people so we are interested in many types of games. I would say mmos are right up there at the top and fps as well.

Hmm hard question. Other then we all like to play games and have fun I wouldn’t say there is any other outstanding traits. Oh we can all be a little wild and crazy!

Definitely not. I think women love the fantasy of MMOs and play whatever they feel like. I have even been known to play a guy!

I would say most of my experiences with men in game have been fine. There have been heated moments of bad planning or different ideas on how things should go but I haven’t experienced huge amounts of harassment. I have been flamed for my gaming skills, men don’t like to lose to women and will find anyway of blowing it off when it happens even calling you a mangina but hey :p to them!

I think that the industry is becoming more aware that females play games and either ignore the fact or think that cool hair and clothing impress women. I am hoping that game developers start asking more women what they are looking for in a game. There have been improvements, but there are still some areas that need help.

Marketing and concept. 55% of gaming consumers are female. Not only do you have the female gamers, but mothers, grandmothers, aunts, wives, girlfriends, etc... that are shopping for someone. The publishing companies need to keep this in mind with their visual ads. For concept, I think that they have been doing much better, but there is still some work needed on things like character customization. Not every woman has, nor wants double Z breasts. How difficult would it be honestly to let things like this be customizable?

We’re planning with Split Infinity Radio, what we hope to be the largest online gaming event in history. It currently spans 16 MMOs to be played during 1 party, though that number may rise before the event takes place. We’ve got tons of prizes to giveaway and many contests, and other events. We’re basically trying to give something back to the players that have given us so much and make some new friends. Everyone is most certainly welcome to join, as with anything else GGT does, it’s not gender restricted. The party will span 3 days starting on April 30th and ending the evening of May 1st. We encourage people to swing by and let us know they are coming. Doing so will automatically enter you for a drawing at one of the largest prize pack giveaways of the event. We are also holding events and contests prior to MAYDAY in which we will also be giving away prizes and all are encouraged to attend. More information and announcements can be viewed at www.girlzgametoo.com.