Brenda Laurel on games for girls

Brenda Laurel is a pioneering writer, researcher, designer and entrepreneur in the fields of human-computer interaction, interactive narrative and cultural aspects of technology. (Wikipedia)

"A TED archive gem. At TED in 1998, Brenda Laurel asks: Why are all the top-selling videogames aimed at little boys? She spent two years researching the world of girls (and shares amazing interviews and photos) to create a game that girls would love."

There is something dark and hideous about this one. And no, its not about the apparent main topic, but about the underlying methodology.

They took years for the most exhaustive research possible on the likes of the target audience, and then developed design heuristics in accordance with the results. Finally, they developed products using those patterns.

Where is the creativity? Where is the choice?

"We are not trying to tell them who they have to be, but we are really, really happy about who they are..." Laurel says in the talk. However feels like an enormous contradiction, as the genesis of the games they are delivering is a contundent exposition of who those girls should be, according to their statistically determined archetypes.

And this was more than 10 years ago... Eventually the company got degluted by Mattel, which also has quite an experience in delivering stereotyped messages toys.