EVE Blog Banter: Chicks 'N Ships

That nut CrazyKinux has started another BLOG BANTER over on his site and I encourage you to check it out.  In this challenge, he asks us all the following:

What could CCP Games do to attract and maintain a higher percentage of women to the game. Will Incarna do the trick? Can anything else be done in the mean time? Can we the players do our part to share the game we love with our counterparts, with our sisters or daughters, with the Ladies in our lives? What could be added to the game to make it more attractive to them? Should anything be changed? Is the game at fault, or its player base to blame?


So, how do we get more ladies to play Eve?  Honestly, there are few Eve Bloggers that have a better understanding of the female mind than me, so I am very anxious to tackle this particular question.  I have so many excellent ideas to share, so let's get right to it.  These ideas might be numbered, but that doesn't mean they are in any sort of priority list.  They're all so good, hopefully CCP will just start making them happen as soon as possible.


1) COUPONS
I have never met a woman yet who could resist the strange allure of coupons.  They magically hold sway over their minds and their hearts, tremendous savings are built into their DNA.  This is a scientific fact, recently reported in the science journal Men's Health.  So taking advantage of this inherent bias towards savings should be easy enough.  The trick however, is getting the coupons noticed.  All those internet ads on guy websites won't work.  CCP needs to direct mail these suckers, or get them into the Sunday editions of local newspapers, right next to the grocery coupons if possible.  Maybe even use some BOGO (Buy One Get One) offers, buy a Eve Sub and get 25% off your next purchase!  Wow.


2) PUPPIES & KITTENS
C'mon, I can't believe for a minute that I'm the first one to think of this.  Women are nuts for puppies and kittens, those sweet little eyes and cuddly natures are big-time winners.  I know what you're thinking... But RJ how can we incorporate puppies and kittens into our precious Eve universe without ruining it?  Oh like having more women playing wouldn't do THAT!?  But seriously, Oh ye of little faith.  Do you not remember those floating billboards?  Running cute pictures of puppies and kittens on them wouldn't bother your Eve universe none, in fact it might make it even better.  Just think of jumping through a gate and being greeted by the sweetest darn face you ever did see.  Awwww.  


If, for some reason, puppies and kittens are not available - Unicorns would work as a substitute.


3) NAGGING
Wait, before you jump down my throat, granted this wouldn't work for all women.  But for those hard-core wives out there, nagging is a big deal.  If they could follow us into Eve and then literally follow us around in some kind-of Nagger Class Cruiser... they'd be more than happy to shell out the monthly subscription cost.  Heck, we could open this up to Ex-Wives and make a killing!  "Why are you jumping into Low-Sec again!? How many times do I have to tell you?"


4) CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS
This is another no-brainer, we need more Stars playing Eve.  If we could get some dreamy celebrity hunk playing Eve in the tabloids... do I even need to spell it out for you?  Women would flock my friends, flock.  Again, this isn't true of every woman in the world, but we're talking numbers here.  Even better would be one of those boy bands writing a hit pop song about Eve and how much it hurts to be away from you when they're playing it... sniff.


5) OPRAH
Ok this idea would take some sacrifice on our part, but it would totally work.  We need one extremely dedicated Eve player to go on Oprah and cry.  Not just any tears, but sincerely genuine tears, flowing rivers down your cheeks.  Talking openly and frankly about your love of the game and how it has affected your love life, you might have to make-up that part.  Just think about that time the Pirates blew up your faction-fitted battleship... that'll bring the tears. But then, out-of-nowhere bring it all back around and totally sell how Eve finally brought you love, how one chance encounter in the game with a real chick brought real love into your life.  Oh man, that would so work.




I can only hope that my sarcasm is shining through this post.  I've known several women players, and now even some women Eve bloggers, that totally enjoy the game.  I don't think we should change anything just to attract more women players.  It just isn't gonna work.  The idea here is to make Eve as good as it can possibly be and hope that quality will bring in more fringe players.  In the final analysis, Eve is a game about spaceships and that just isn't going to attract a lot of people.  And not just women.


I wish more women played Eve.  I think they would add a tremendous amount to the gaming experience, I know the ones that I have encountered have done so.  More would be better.  I just don't think that changing the game to accomplish that goal is worth the risk.


Other BLOG BANTER Posts:
Astral's Eve Trial By Fire: Is Eve a man's world?
Ombeve: The Ladies of New Eden
The Cataclysmic Variable: Sorry, No Pink Spaceships Here Please
Learning to Fly: I like Girls
Rantuket: I Wish My Wife Played Eve
paritybit: Is there something special about Women?
Sweet Little Bad Girl: Eve Vs. Women
A Merry Life: You'd Rather Be Playing The Sims, Right?
>For the full list: CrazyKinux and the Full List