Fighting games say nothing more than testosterone driven,  trash-talking, button mashing, all male action… err let’s just say guys like to play them!  But what do girls think? In the modern days of gaming it would seem so taboo that a female would actually take the time to understand why guys love these games so much. From Street Fighter to Mortal Kombat, Soul Calibur to Tekken, the only feminine action guys see is on the character select screen… “Oh Sophitia  how you enrapture my …” (Insert scratching record sound!!)

Well meet Patricia Sheldon of Tampa Florida, “gamer gal” and overall lover of fighting game competition.  At age 26, this gamer has been into fighting games for over 3 years and has been playing competitively for over 6 months. When asked what her favorite fighting game was and why, she answered: “Well my favorite fighting game has been X-Men vs. Street Fighter. I just like the combos plus the game is easy to play and get into…” Patricia states that she loves playing the fast characters and stays true to being a gal fighter by using characters such as Psylocke and Chun Li.

After returning from Evo 2010 this year, this is what Patricia had to say about the whole experience:

BM333: “What types of fighting games do you NOT like and why?

Patricia: “Well I don’t like fighting games that have game mechanics that evoke “long matches”. “An example would be Street Fighter 4. For me the pacing is too slow and it’s not as fun watching fireballs all day…”

BM333: “What types of fighting games would you prefer to see more of?”

Patricia: “Well I’m looking forward to seeing Marvel vs. Capcom 3. The action seems fast paced and I think because of the combo system I can really get into it.”

BM333: “What are your thoughts on 3-D games like Tekken and Soul Calibur?”

Patricia: “Tekken not so much, but Soul Calibur I used to play Sophitia solidly”.

BM333: “Well being a female gamer and attending Evo for the first time, what was that experience like?”

Patricia: “Well what I liked most about it was how smooth it ran. There were so many entrants and it was well organized.”

Bm333: “This year’s Evo featured a Super Street Fighter 4 Woman’s Invitational, what are your thoughts?”

Patricia: “Well…….I definitely can respect the idea of it. I was really motivated to actually play more SSF4 because I think I can compete. I think it will help women love and appreciate these games more.”

Bm333: “Out of all the events at Evo 2010, what event did you enjoy the most?”

Patricia: “I was really impressed with the Marvel vs. Capcom 2 matches. It was really exciting to see Justin Wong compete!”

Bm333: “So do you think maybe that you are going to compete next year and if it is still around in the next 4-5 years?”

Patricia: “Oh definitely! Although picking up the different games will be tough.”

Bm333: “In a male-dominated event like this, what attracts you to fighting games?”

Patricia: “I like being in the crowd and just having fun. I used to be into the ”Anime scene” and this seems to be more personable. I get to meet different friends and enjoy laughing at all the trash talking. Especially with all the  joking around that goes on. It’s just fun being surrounded by the culture of it all.”

Bm333: “So as a gal fighter, how do you feel about other women exploring this culture?”

Patricia: “As a woman, I never used to like fighting games at all. I would watch my boyfriend play these types of games and I just didn’t understand what was going on. I think that now that I have an understanding of them, other girls out there should open their eyes more to them and see what’s going on.”

Bm333: “Lastly what high profile gamers did you get to see at Evo this year?”

Patricia: (giggles)”Well I saw Justin Wong and Daigo. I went up to give Daigo a hug and he sort of looked at me funny. LOL I didn’t care its DAIGO! Although I noticed he doesn’t smile a lot …..”

Bm333: ”Well Patricia it was a pleasure to meet you and thank you for your time.”

Patricia: “Well thank you for having me!!!”

So there you have it, another 3GK exclusive interview. The female gaming community is out there and I’m sure it stretches beyond MMO type games and well, whatever else women are stereotyped as playing. If you’d like to make your voices heard please send us an email and who knows, you may be our next story!