Is the DS a chick system?

[Zaney]

I really don't think it is geared towards any gender, and especially not the female one. Game developers make the games, not Nintendo (besides some, of course), so if the game developers make more female games then that is of their own doing. I am a proud male gamer with a 3DS.

 

[Miles Hansen]

I hate that term. It makes it sound like all guys like shooting stuff and big explosions and hate The Sims because it isn't "manly" whilst girls only like games like Nintendogs and find Call of Duty too violent. Bleh!
That being said yes: The DS is definitely catered more towards girls than guys, but ore than anything their target audience is children. I would definitely call the Nintendo DS a "childrens system" not because adults can't play, but because it is very obviously marketed towards a younger audience.

 

[JayWifi]

Its not that the DS is a "chick system", but it has a more friendly game selection. Nintendo games are mostly for people of all ages and genders compared to the hardcore gaming that Sony and Microsoft offer. The portability of the DS also allows for easier gaming on the go, so gamers can play with their friends. I even met one of my crushes when I found out she liked DS!

 

[kima]

The DS is geared towards both guys and girls. There's many sim games like Nintendogs and Hamsterz, but even guys can play these. A huge part of the people who own DSes play Pokemon, which is a neutral gender game. The popular Mario Kart and Mario Party are also for both genders. I think it only seems like a chick system because there are just so many different kinds of games that are popular for this handheld device, while the games that are popular on consoles like the Xbox and PS4 look like they would be for guys. Those are games like FIFA, Madden, Battlefield, and Call of Duty. Generally, people don't imagine a girl playing these type of games, even though there are some that do.

 

[Tycoonie259]

The DS is geared towards both guys and girls. There's many sim games like Nintendogs and Hamsterz, but even guys can play these. A huge part of the people who own DSes play Pokemon, which is a neutral gender game. The popular Mario Kart and Mario Party are also for both genders. I think it only seems like a chick system because there are just so many different kinds of games that are popular for this handheld device, while the games that are popular on consoles like the Xbox and PS4 look like they would be for guys. Those are games like FIFA, Madden, Battlefield, and Call of Duty. Generally, people don't imagine a girl playing these type of games, even though there are some that do.

Exactly, the Xbox and PS4 seem to be aimed towards male gamers a lot, while Nintendo is way more open when it comes to this aspect.

Not only just the games, but also the theme in general. For the 3DS for example, you can choose out of dozens of colours and themes, not only for boys, but also for girls. The software is also more gender - neutral from what I've seen, even though some people may call Nintendo 'just immature' .

 

[LitoLawless]

I'm not saying it's a chick system but the only people I know that own a DS are a friend of mine that collects everything Nintendo and my sister.

 

[Tycoonie259]

I'm not saying it's a chick system but the only people I know that own a DS are a friend of mine that collects everything Nintendo and my sister.

That's probably because it's about the only handheld or gaming device in general that is suited for girls too. Also, I didn't know less and less people had a DS? Back in 2007, everyone had a DS, not only the real collector, too bad that it isn't that popular anymore, it was a great handheld in it's glory days.
Luckily, I've still got a good DS lite which still works great

 

[hellonamesdana]

I think that maybe compared to a lot of other gaming systems, girls choose the nintendo ones the most, but I don't think that makes it a "chick system". I know plenty of guys who have DS's and play them a lot more often than I do!

 

[Mackmax]

Absolutely not. I think that the Nintendo DS itself is a handheld made for children and pre-teens, so it makes sense that the Nintendo and other developers want to create games for both boys and girls. They're simply adding more diversity to games, which is a great thing. I remember when Nintendogs released and that was every girl's (and some boys) favorite game. It kept the girls satisfied since it was such a cute game, and it kept Nintendo satisfied since the game made so much money.

 

[hellonamesdana]

Absolutely not. I think that the Nintendo DS itself is a handheld made for children and pre-teens, so it makes sense that the Nintendo and other developers want to create games for both boys and girls. They're simply adding more diversity to games, which is a great thing. I remember when Nintendogs released and that was every girl's (and some boys) favorite game. It kept the girls satisfied since it was such a cute game, and it kept Nintendo satisfied since the game made so much money.

Exactly! I still know more guys than girls who own and play games on their DS's. I have seen that girls seem to go towards Nintendo games and products more likely than others like a playstation or an xbox, but that doesn't make it a chick system! They just have a wider variety of games that girls also enjoy playing.

 

[Mika]

I suppose compared to other game systems it could seem like more of a chick system. It seems it is geared towards a more feminine audience, with their bright colors and their lack of gorey accessories. There are far fewer games with blood, guts, and nudity than some other systems offer.

What is far more likely is that it is geared towards a more specific audience. One that prefers less violence. They have quite a few simulation and puzzle games. Many of their action games are not shooter and many use "cuter" characters. There are a great amount of "female" games mixed in as well.

Despite this, I don't think it is a chick system. Let's take a look at the facts:
-They're more brightly colored
-Not focused on blood, guts, gore and nudity
-Cute characters
-Simulation and puzzle games (aka brain games)
-Many "girl" games

At first glance would one think feminine? Perhaps, but take note that this system came out around 2004. The 3DS released around 2011. Considering these facts, I think it was aimed not at a female audience, but rather at a younger audience. For children, there is a much clearer distinction between "girl" and "boy" things, which seems very clear with the DS games. There are animal and barbie (girl) games and there are lego and superhero (boy) games. There are fewer gender neutral games in compared to the many games other consoles have. In my opinion, it was aimed to be more of a child's system rather than a female's system. Not to mention that adults playing games wasn't nearly as acceptable back then as it is now, so many more games were aimed at younger audiences and many games were bought for children.

Also, as a side note. Even if it was trying to be a "chick" system, from what I've seen most women prefer the "guy" games so it would have been quite ineffective.