Although I don’t agree with the way these kinda games are being marketed, it is something that cannot be avoided. Just look at our toy aisles when we shop and how they’re organized: check out what girl toys are versus boy toys. These distinctions are there from the very beginning; hence the blue blanket and balloons for boys and the pink ones for girls.

Also, categorizing things definitely help boost sales of an item. It certainly does for books, by categorizing them and naming them a specific genre. Think of all the moms or uncles who don’t know what the kid likes and buy things based on recommendations or box covers or marketing blurbs.

I agree with you though: a boy may want just as much to be a veterinarian as a girl. The PR really could have gone both ways. Maybe these games can be educational, may be this will draw in more girls to gaming, may be it will help kids figure out what they like and don’t like. We’ll see. But then again, these kinda categorizations create stigmas and definitely influence the way we perceive/define “maleness” and “femaleness.” What’s so bad about that? One example: “Are you a girl? Girls belong in the …” You know the rest lol.

Anyway that’s my two cents. Probably more like four. You pose good discussions. Keep it up! ^_^