Girl Gamers and the Xbox PlayStation battle

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:58:09 GMT

By Allison Gendron and Yanna Lantz

Yanna Lantz

A recent poll showed that 100% of girls surveyed play video games less than 11 hours a week while 27% of boys play more than 11 hours a week. Although females, on average, played fewer hours, many still have a great interest in video games. Senior Chelsea Glavin said that she often plays video games with her family. "I definitely don't play as much as my brothers do, but I like to play when I have extra time." Senior Brittany Goodman frequently plays video games. "I play one or two hours a week for console games. On the computer, I spend at least seven to eight hours a week on 'Call of Duty' and 'America's Army'." Goodman is the only female in her online unit where participants need to be online at least two hours a week to remain part of the guild. "Competitive matches take one and a half to two hours to complete, so it's really a time commitment," said Goodman. However, the stereotype of girls not playing video games still holds true, for the most part. Junior Ettore de Mari said, "Girls aren't into video games. They don't like violence that much and that's what most of the games are. I think that's why girls like Guitar Hero; no violence." Some males play video games because they're bored or want to procrastinate doing homework. "I really have nothing else better to do," said junior Kyle Richardson. The poll also showed that Xbox is the preferred gaming console at THS. The results showed that 52% of students have an Xbox, closely followed by 46% of students owning a PlayStation. Arguments and lively debates follow the question, "Which is the better console, Xbox or PlayStation?" Seemingly small details come into play in student's preferences. "I like the PlayStation's controller better. It's less bulky and easier to use," said senior Ethan Bukowiec. "The PlayStation controller is too small! The fighting and action games look better on Xbox. Sports are better on the PlayStation though," said senior Nick Nolet. Some students prefer the PlayStation because of financial reasons. "The PlayStation comes with a wireless adapter for the Internet, with Xbox you have to pay $100 to get the same thing. Multi-player is free for PlayStation, but not for Xbox," said junior Trevor O'Donnell. Different benefits come with each console. The PlayStation serves as a Blu-ray player, providing DVDs in superior High Definition. However, Xbox's Netflix service allows movies to be sent directly to the Xbox providing thousands of movies at the click of a button. "I think it just comes down to personal preference," said de Mari.

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Girl Gamers and the Xbox PlayStation battle