Nintendo is Afraid of Dynamic Female Characters--Part One feat. Samus Aran

How many times have I started a rant with “I love Nintendo, but...”? My loyalty for the company runs deep; my annoyance at their treatment of female characters runs deeper. While others are slowly realizing that girls in video games are worth more than their breast size or ability to be kidnapped, Nintendo’s leading ladies are still singing that one, tired old song. 

Since I can go on forever with a topic like this, I’m going to split tangent this up into parts...starting with the more unexpected subject: the shortcomings of Samus Aran.

I know what you might be thinking: “What? Samus is so BA with her power suit and arm cannon...” And yes, no one can deny that the famous alien hunter has had some amazing adventures throughout her series. But we cannot overlook the fact that Samus’s gender was originally an afterthought. 

The most famous identity crisis in history.

Now I wasn’t even alive when the fateful meeting took place, but I’ve always imagined that it happened a little something like...

Nintendo main offices, late afternoon. Several Metroid team members are sitting around a conference table. There's a lull in the conversation. 

TEAM MEMBER #2: “Hey, wouldn’t it be funny if there was a chick under the suit? 

(Awkward silence) 

TEAM LEADER: “Put her in a bathing suit at the end of the game and it just might work.”

Of course, this small change broke down a huge wall in the video game industry, showcasing the untapped potential in female protagonists. I’m not trying to belittle its influence. However, throwing in a short scene of a blond in a bikini and carefully crafting a multidimensional female lead character are two different totally things.

And since Samus’s first appearance, Nintendo has done nothing but prove that they have absolutely no clue what to do with her. 

She could be so much more than a chick in a suit.

In most games, Samus is a silent killing machine who leaves nothing but destruction and dead Metroid husks in her wake. A lone wolf with just enough background and characterization to justify her actions. Since she spends the majority of each game encased in metal, it sometimes seems like Nintendo is trying to hide her femininity behind her shiny armor. But the status quo set in the original title is always maintained: play well enough and you’ll get to see what she’s got under that suit. At it’s core, Samus’s femininity is a reward, not a defining character trait. Her body is nothing more than an object used to extend gameplay.

Whenever Samus is playable sans suit, her outstanding physical prowess is completely overshadowed by her outfit. The Zero Suit--though more practical than a bikini/leotard--leaves nothing to the imagination. And don’t even get me started on that whip...

It’s as if Nintendo isn’t sure whether to push Samus’s gender under the rug or beat players over the head with it. 

Yep. Definitely a woman.

And then there's Other M. This title isn't just a weak installment gameplay wise, it completely undermines what little character development the bounty hunter has. She has all of the most powerful weapons available from the jump, but she can only use them when someone tells her to. She’s already triumphed over Ridley at this point, but she is paralyzed by childhood flashbacks when she sees him again. She’s seen developing relationships with several other characters for once in her life, but she plays supporting role to all of them, forcing them to save her when she should be saving them.

Here, the lone wolf is put on a very short leash.

"Permission to think, sir?"

It’s clear that with Other M, the developers were trying to present a version of Samus that’s more “human”, more relatable. What better way than to put a few chips in her seemingly invincible facade? Even the most powerful have to fail sometimes... he team just spent so much time trying to prove that she could be vulnerable, they overlooked the need to equally develop her strengths. This would have been the perfect time for Samus to overcome debilitating fear through the power of her resolve, to maintain her independence when dealing with the authority figures of her past. Instead, she is simply presented as a stubborn, immature cadet who never quite grew up. Once unstoppable, Other M Samus only seems to take the role of hero when given a little push.

If that is all that Samus is going to be, she just keep quiet and stay in the suit. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The numerous flaws in Nintendo’s favorite princesses Peach and Zelda seem a bit more obvious. They’re just stereotypical damsel-in-distress right? Well, next time I’ll explore how these two characters fall into the same patterns as the lonely Metroid hunter (with Zelda being the more tortured of the two).

For more on Nintendo and women:
"For Girls Only"--Nintendo Invites Females to the World of Video Games
"Play As You Are"--Nintendo and the Female Audience Part 2

Adventures in Video Game Retail Land--Reserve Remorse

It feels like the question of the day is "What are you going to pre-order: Xbox One or PS4?". Now while I'm not looking forward to either console to tell the truth, I really can't answer that inquiry since I don’t usually reserve a copy of anything. In fact, I’m pretty sure that the only thing that I pre-ordered in recent memory was Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010)...and that was only because I just happened to have enough money on hand to pay in full and the employee at GameStop just happened to ask me if I wanted to (as they always do). 

Maybe it’s because I’m not into any of the big name call-in-sick-for-work-to-make-it-to-the-midnight-launch titles that would justify being afraid of a sell-out situation...or the fact that I never really have to have any game right when it comes out, but I don’t ever feel like I need to put up a few dollars to get a copy with my name on it. 

Case in point: Even though I was extremely excited for the newest Animal Crossing, I only bought it on launch day because I just happened to have the money to pay for it, just happened to be in the mall, and just happened to remember what day it was a few minutes before closing time. Beating the clock, I strolled into GameStop, grabbed an empty New Leaf case off the shelf and took it to the register. Instead of just ringing me up as usual, the employee asked me a deceivingly simple question:

“Uhh...Did you pre-order this?”

Now that's something I don’t hear very often...or at all. I'm used to finding what I want waiting patiently for me on the shelf, no questions asked. Imagine my disappointment when the worker informed me that since I didn’t pre-order the game, I was pretty much out of luck...not because they ran out of stock, but because they only had their reserve copies to begin with. And every GameStop in the area (because it’s one of those places that has dozens right next to each other for no apparent reason) was going through the same problem: customers coming in to buy New Leaf the day of and walking out with absolutely nothing since they didn't have any available. 

Is not having stock on the floor some kind of weird way to push pre-order sales? 

The employee was really polite about the situation (he had been dealing with it all day) and offered the option of waiting for the next shipment later in the week, but I took my money to Target instead. No pre-orders, no excuses, just grab the game and go. Though I can’t stand getting anything from locked-down electronics departments, I actually saved a few dollars by buying it there. I consider that a win. 

When did shopping at GameStop turn into an exclusive club for those who think ahead? It was like I suddenly wasn't cool enough for a cute game with cuddly looking animals...

While it felt terrible to find myself missing from the store's Animal Crossing guest list, I'm not going to be changing my shopping habits any time soon. I'll get my games on when I want them, reserved or not. So much for GameStop’s devious plan...

Have you ever tried to get a game and found yourself shut out because you didn’t reserve a copy? And where do you usually buy your games? Specialty stores like GameStop or one-stop retailers like Target?

Too Many Heroes, Not Enough Heroines

This girl deserves a character like her

Just in case you haven't noticed, let me be the first to tell you: There aren't enough female characters in video games. 

Now, I'm not talking about damsels-in-distress or barely dressed sexual objects because everyone knows that we have enough of those to last for several lifetimes. This is about strong well-developed female leads that save the day or maybe even come to a helpless male's rescue. It should be obvious that those characters are rare and highly undervalued.

A recent article about a father who took the time to switch all the male pronouns in his copy of Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker so that his daughter would know that girls can be heroes too just makes this fact all the more upsetting. Just like the 3 year old from this story, I always change Link's name to match my gender, but the game never shifts to match me. No matter what his name happens to be, Link is still a boy hero that has to rush in to save the defenseless young princess.

What this man has done for his daughter is highly commendable but no one should have to hack a game in the name of gender equality.

How do you feel about the presence of female characters in video games?

Are Video Game Magazines Dying?

My favorite reading materials:
cookbooks, novels, textbooks and Game Informers

Question: If you want to know something about video games, where do you usually get the information from?

It's clear that we're becoming a more digital based culture, so I would guest that most people just check their favorite websites to get the latest news right when they want to see it. That's what I do most of the time.

But what about good old fashioned magazines? With the number of print publications decreasing more and more each day (for example, the long running magazine Nintendo Power will send out its last issue next month), it seems obvious that not many people still put their money into monthly mailing subscriptions.

To be totally honest, GameStop's loyalty program is one of the main reasons why I've had a subscription to Game Informer for the last few years. That two-in-one special is probably the biggest part of the company's success. But I do prefer the feel of a physical magazine copy and look forward to receiving a new issue each month...even though I am well aware that I am not part of the magazine's main demographic and find myself uninterested in many of the articles they print...but that has nothing to do with this...

Do you still read magazines or do you get your all information from online sources?

Games with Friends: Because Multi-Player Does Exist

Video games are often considered a solitary activity. Everyone knows the image of the loner in the dark basement, playing from sun up to sun down, only interacting with people in the real world when it becomes absolutely necessary. Many believe that the obsessive gamer who avoids social interaction is the only kind of gamer that exists. These people tend to overlook the fact that multi-player titles can bring people together just as easily as the most popular single-player games can tear relationships apart.

People don't play games like this anymore...on computers like that...

For example, games like Super Smash Bros. Brawl can turn strangers into friends and the closest companions into bitter (but loving) rivals. With the right group of people, this classic can erase the stress of even the most difficult day. It's the game of choice when it comes to my friends. If someone suggests we play video games, they only ever have one title in mind...Many of our late nights get-togethers have been filled with laughter and the struggle to get the Smash Ball and come in first place.

Instant party: Just add friends.

Some of our favorite inside jokes have been inspired by the random things that fly out of our mouths in the heat of battle. The longer we play, the more incoherent we become. My favorite Smash Bros. related quotes include these amazing gems:

"Pikachu used Thumber!"

"Oooo, food!...Oh no, it's a trap!"

"You think you're SO HAPPY!"  

"Not the sparkles!...Keep your sparkles away from me!"

This only scratches the surface of our insanity.

And don't think that things like this are for hardcore gamers only. Even my friends who've never picked up a controller can simply watch us play and still feel included in the madness. The fun that it creates is just that universal.

Video games don't belong in a basement. They are meant to be shared.

So, what do you pull out when your favorite group of gamers gets together? Do you prefer to play alone or with friends?

"Play As You Are"--Nintendo and the Female Audience Part 2

Be a girl AND a gamer...with a little help from Nintendo

I'm a hardcore Nintendo fan and that will probably never change, but I can hold a serious grudge. After writing (and venting to anyone who would listen) about Nintendo's new "I'm not a gamer" ad campaign, I let it go. I didn't think that the marketing would be that serious anyway.

Then a new Nintendo commercial popped up on my YouTube subscription box (because yes, I do follow their company channel). It was just another spot with a girl rambling on about how she doesn't play video games, but this time it came with a link to their "Play As You Are" website. Of course, I was extremely curious...

Clicking that link was like reopening a wound.

The first thing you see are the smiling faces of their beautiful young spokeswomen but Nintendo makes sure to remind you immediately that these girls aren't gamers. Everything on the page is swirly and feminine. I must admit that I like the way it looks even though it offends me. Nintendo knows exactly what it's doing.

Nintendo makes games like this for girls like me.

The site is basically a portal to the main websites of a handful games Nintendo considers "appropriate" for non-gaming female consumers. Fashion, photography, art, puzzles. Yes, there is a Super Mario and a Professor Layton game mixed in, but the rest are titles you will soon see in your nearest Wal-Mart bargin bin.

This is the stereotype that I was arguing against in my post about whether boys are better gamers than girls. Nintendo made this entire campaign with the idea that females are better at puzzles, word and art games than any other kind they could possibly come up with. Look around...you don't see any sites like this for males, do you? That's because no one thinks they need them. Because boys don't need easy titles to give them an excuse to purchase a game system.

A little known fact: girls don't either.

I love Nintendo from the bottom of my gaming heart, but this approach is wrong on so many levels.

What do you think about Nintendo's new campaign and website? Does it make you want to purchase the console and games featured? Am I overreacting?

Are Boys Really Better Gamers Than Girls?

She's not losing because of her gender; she just can't see the screen.

No.

Now in the interest of actually writing a full blog entry, I'll explain myself. In the recent post Are Boys Better Gamers Than Girls?, Holly over at Nintendo Lifeline argues that males are naturally more skilled at playing video games. Now while her points are valid, I just can't agree. This isn't just my feminist side valiantly sticking up for all the girls out there, I really believe that natural, physical gender is not really a factor here.

Though males are considered to be more agressive and have better reflexes, doesn't this have more to do with gender norms and stereotypes than anything else? Girls are given baby dolls; boys are given baseball bats. Girls are urged to be more patient and nurturing while boys are allowed to fight and argue. And females are also pushed to preform artistically (in mediums like dance), while guys are pushed to be perform competitively (in mediums like sports). In the end, males don't have a natural advantage here, society gives them one...or at least tries to.

"Tries to" is the important part here because the generalization that boys are better at video games is just like any other gender stereotype that you've heard before. It's not true. Just because males are more inclined to be the agressive competitive type, this doesn't mean that there isn't just as many girls out there that behave the same way. Certain individuals might be so skilled that they can pick up any game and destroy even the most hardened veteran, but to jump and say that this trait goes across the entire gender is a bit unfair. Actually, I think that video games is one the only examples of an activity where the playing field is almost equal on both sides. Gender doesn't really matter when you're pressing buttons.

And I also operate under the assumption that if there are exceptions, there is no rule...So since I'm not very good at puzzle games and my brother refuses to play Super Smash Bros. with me because he doesn't even stand a chance, I'm pretty sure that gender really doesn't matter that much. 

But what do you think: Are boys better gamers than girls?

Replay Value--Can You Play the Same Game Twice?

If you play a game more than one time, are you "going green"?

Everyone likes to talk about a game's replay value when discussing its pros and cons, but does anyone take the time to play a game twice?

I ask because I usually don't. No matter how awesome an adventure is, I rarely have the patience to sit through anything a second time. There are a few exceptions to my unwritten one-time-only rule. After my eight year struggle with Super Mario 64, I turned the game inside out, playing it multiple times in a row and mastering all of the sequence-breaking glitches. And when my first trip through Luigi's Mansion ended with only the second best rank, I immediately ran through the entire game again, just so that I could get enough money to afford the best house available.

But when it really comes down to it, I don't particularly care about a game's ability to be withstand a second playthrough...I automatically assume that after I finish a title for the first time, I'll never play it again.

Is replay value something you take into consideration when purchasing a game? Have you ever loved a game enough to play it more than once?

"For Girls Only"--Nintendo Invites Females to the World of Video Games

Don't be fooled; pretty girls don't play games.

As a long time fan of Nintendo, I like to say that they can do no wrong in my eyes. "SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY" and all that. But with their new ad campaign, they have hit me and all video game loving girls where it counts: right in the chromosomes.

I wasn't originally going to write about Nintendo's "I am not a gamer" videos. Seeing them on the company's YouTube channel, I was mostly unmoved. After reading Zack at Nintendo Gamer Thoughts's article ""I am not a gamer': Nintendo's Identity Crisis" (check that out, interesting read), I sat on the topic for a few days, unsure how to respond.

And then I got mad. 

Here's one, just in case you haven't had the pleasure of seeing it:

The commercials themselves are, for lack of a better word, stupid. As a natural sceptic, I don't trust spokespeople and automatically assume that they are just in it for the money (because let's be honest, they are). So, having a "celebrity" come right out and say that they don't normally use the product is a huge fail in my eyes. I discounted these advertisements as a minor misstep. The fact that the two commercials both star young females stating that they don't normally play video games must be a coincidence, right? Right?

Don't worry if you're the wrong gender, Nintendo's got you covered.

Nope. Not on your life. Nintendo doesn't just imply that girls don't play video games, they separate the commercials into an unique playlist which has a name that spells it out for anyone who didn't quite get it (which includes me, the bright eyed fangirl).

I understand the facts: as a girl gamer, I am part of an exclusive minority. Most of the girls around me wouldn't pick up a controller to save their life and even if they did, they probably wouldn't know how to use it. And yes, when they see these commercials, the "brilliant" pitch might inspire to buy one of these titles. But they aren't the ones paying attention these videos; the girl gamers are. And ignoring the fact that a lot of girls do play video games and behaving as if females need their own little section and a formal invitation to usher them into gaming is ridiculous. Last time I checked, the medium was not a "gentleman's club".

Thanks for the invite, Nintendo. Too bad I never thought I needed it. 

Male or female, gamer or not, how do you feel about Nintendo's new ad campaign? 

Money and Sacrifice: When A Game is More Important Than Anything Else

My wallet. Note it's emptiness.

Everyone knows that playing video games is an expensive habit. It goes without saying that video game companies always have one hand on our pulse while the other is going through our wallets. But I don't think anyone really thinks about how it feels to be forced to sit back and watch the medium roll on without you because you just don't have the cash to keep up. 

It burns, just in case you don't know.

There are good deals out hidden in the world: reward/loyalty programs, trade-ins, online discounts, friends and family, really cool thrift stores...It is possible to save a dime; you just have to know how to shop around.

And there's always the most difficult option: good ol' fashioned sacrifice. Nothing's better than deciding that a shiny new video game is much more important than anything else your money could go toward.

My sacrifice tends to be personal copies of books for school because as an English major, I can pretty much find any book I need at a library or free online. Plus, there's always a helpful friend willing to let me share/borrow/buy their hand-me-downs. It gets a bit tougher when exams come around, but there's nothing foresight and good planning can't handle.

Of course, this money-saving method can go too far. Let me tell you, I have watched people choose games over bills and it never ends well. You have to maintain some sort of responsibility, unless you want to be rolling in debt. I wouldn't recommend such things but to each their own...

So, have you ever gone without to get the top game on your wish list? Do you have any go-to ways to save money or do you usually bite the bullet and pay the full retail price?

(Not) Playing Video Games Ruined Your Childhood

Could the same be said about video games?

Everyone has their own ideas on the basic activities that make up a "normal" childhood: twisting and spinning around on a playground swing, building up speed to jump on a grocery store cart, waking up early to watch Saturday morning cartoons...

As a long-time video game lover, I couldn't even imagine life without the joy of staying up past bedtime to finish just one last level. But a recent conversation with one of my close friends reminded me that some people never had the wonderful experience of growing up in a virtual world.

This isn't about people who just don't like video games (that's a whole different conversation, let's save that one for later...). This is about people whose parents don't allow video games in their household for whatever reason. In my friend's case, her mother decided that there were better ways for her daughter to spend her free time. Recreation was found in big museums and thick books instead of game consoles and imaginary adventures on the TV screen. While money might have been a factor, as it often is when it comes to games, the main reason seemed to be that video games were a waste of time...for lack of a better way to put it. You know, one that is less offensive to a video game connoisseur like me.

While I respect her mother's decision and understand it almost completely, I'm uncomfortable with how it puts my childhood in a negative light. I don't feel as if I missed out on cultural experiences or learning opportunities by spending time indoors with a controller when I could have been perusing an art gallery. And my passion for reading and large book collection was never affected by my deep gaming habit (The only time I've ever spent in a museum was a summer volunteer position which was not the best time in the world...).

I automatically thought that by never playing video games, my friend didn't have a "real" childhood. Of course that's not true; it was just the first thing that came to my extremely gaming-centric mind. But are the gamers the ones that missed out?

Are video games a basic part of childhood or a just pointless distraction? Did you grow up without games because of your parents' rules?

Controllers and School Books (or Why I Haven't Posted in a Month)

A snapshot of my life.

It's been a long time since my last post. During that time, I moved back on campus and got right back into the basic grind of an English major. Read, write, rinse, repeat. Honestly, the start of the semester got the best of me. The realization that I have less time for video games hit me like a brick (or five).

When you need to write grammatically correct essays, read novels that double as sleep aids, write enlightened poetry from random prompts and prepare for the next painful exam, video games seem like a great escape that you don't even have time to think about. Finding balance between grades and gaming takes time. But getting good grades and basking in the joys of video gaming is completely possible. It's just not easy.

Case in point: I haven't gone cold turkey from my gaming habit. In the last couple weeks, I've been able to catch up on some Smash Bros. Brawl action with my main group of players and I've even started two new games (Tales of Symphonia and Rhythm Heaven. Details on them later.) There was just a bit of a problem adjusting to life without all the free time that goes along with summer vacation. I think it's all leveling out now.

Are you in school? How do you balance video games and academics? This feels like a throwback to my post on having a career and playing games so if you haven't read that go check it out and leave a comment there too. This is obviously a conversation that won't end very soon.

You're Too Old for Video Games...Go Do Something With Your Life

Throw your games away. It's time to get a job.

Call me naive if you want, but I honestly thought that the idea playing video games was no longer  as an immature waste of time. Or maybe it isn't and I just had a rare experience with an opinionated but narrow minded person (let's refer to him as Random Stranger).

Let me set the scene: It's a few days back, in a room full of people. I'm minding my own business, checking Facebook on my phone when I hear a bit of the conversation going on next to me. Now I'm barely paying any attention, but I hear the phrase "video games" and I'm immediately sucked in. Selective hearing for the win.

Random Stranger: "All he does is play video games! At 18/19, you need to be doing something with your life, not wasting your time playing video games!"

I should tell you that I am not a very "social" person. Remember, I'm in a room full of people on my phone. Checking Facebook. But if someone brings up video games, I'll start talking and I might not shut up. Especially if I disagree.

Me: Excuse me, but what if what you want to do with your life has something to do with video games? I'm 21 and I still play video games because I think I can make a career out of it.

I couldn't really hear Random Stranger's response after that because all of the "OOH BURN!" type comments were drowning him out. And he was so shook by my interruption that he was stuttering. A lot. But it seemed like RS was trying to say that the person he was talking about didn't think that way. Does that matter?

I really want to know if a lot of people still think like this or if anyone else has had this kind of conversation recently. Or ever. Are video games a waste of time better spent working nine to five? Is it hard or impossible to play video games and hold down a job or career? I don't think you could afford the habit without some kind of income but still...

Super Mario 64 and Why It Shouldn't Take Eight Years to Collect 120 Stars

The cartridge that started an obsession.

Let's get personal. Rewind a few years back, to a time before I cared about the clothes I wore or even tried to call myself a gamer. I don't remember the year exactly but let's estimate that it was 1997, shortly after the release of the Nintendo 64.

I was lucky enough to grow up around video games. Everyone in my family played them and played them often. But the Nintendo 64 was the first system that I could call my very own. That grey piece of plastic means so much to me that I still have its original box (But this isn't just me being sentimental; I have a hard time throwing things away). Like a lot of people out there, I have a special attachment to my first game--Super Mario 64--as well, but for a less than normal reason.

It took me about 8 years to complete it.

No, that wasn't a continuous play-through (That would be about 15 stars a year; a ridiculous pace). I actually gave up on it shortly after getting to the "never-ending staircase" before Bowser in the Sky. Let's just say that the game was too much for my young mind to handle. It also gave me nightmares. Recurring ones, where Bowser and a pack Bom-ombs would climb out of my television and chase me around my house...

...Anyways, random childhood phobias aside, it wasn't that I didn't like the game, I just didn't like to play it. I wasn't even good at it. My mother was amazing though and since it was in my room, I just sat on my bed and watched her play for hours. But she never got all 120 stars. Eventually, we both set it aside and moved on to bigger but not necessarily better things. Super Mario 64 was pushed to the back of the collection.

Sometime around 2005, while the world was getting ready for the Wii (and complaining about its "Revolution" name change), I got the urge to take my Nintendo 64 out of its box in the closet. (Still don't know why. Nostalgia, maybe?) Not thinking too much about it, I popped in Super Mario 64 and finally took care of my unfinished business.

It was like a brand new, yet rough and outdated game. I not only got all the stars, but I even took the time to learn all the glitches. I love the game so much, I wrote a final essay about it for one of my college courses. It also covered Shakespeare, swans and Roger Ebert, but that's beside the point...

The point being: I was young and naive in '96. It took me 8 years to appreciate greatness.

Have you ever dropped a game you didn't like only to pick it back up and love it?

"You Don't Look Like A Gamer": Trying to Understand the Gamer Image

If only I got a dollar every time someone asked me "You play video games?"...

I know am not the only one that gets that sort of response when games casually come up in daily conversation. The question itself doesn't bother me; it's a good conversation starter if used innocently. But the suspicious tone or shocked face that sometimes accompanies that question is a whole different story.

That simple question makes me wonder what it really means to be a gamer...

It implies that the person on the receiving end could never know the first thing about gaming. Or that they shouldn't be interested in it to begin with. Assuming that the question is inspired by gender seems too close-minded; it is 2012 after all. But the video game market is dominated by and tailored to the male audience. And that doesn't seem like that's going to change any time soon.

So if someone asks if I play video games, I always try to smile and say yes in the most assertive tone possible. Shake the person's disbelief off with strong confidence. Some people leave it at that. Others might start a conversation about recent releases and personal favorites. But more often than not, the other person will say something I've heard time and time again: "You don't look like a gamer".
What does that even mean? What is a gamer supposed to look like?
Is looking like a gamer a bad thing? Should I be glad that I don't look like what I am?

The only time I got the nerve to ask a person to explain what they meant, they failed miserably. Their answer was unsure, probably because they didn't even know what they were talking about. This image is a stereotype that's so distorted that no one can quite understand it anymore.

That is, if people did once before.

What does a gamer look like?

Nintendo Made The Wii U Pro Controller for Call of Duty?

Updated with more information on July 22, 2012

Today, EDGE released a story that details claims that Nintendo created the Wii U's Pro Controller specifically to please Activision and secure a Call of Duty installment for the upcoming console. According to analyst Michael Pachter, who is openly critical of both the Wii and its successor, the publisher refused to work with the Wii U's GamePad and forced Nintendo to make a controller with a more common design. However, Pachter's statements suggest that he doesn't have solid evidence to support his claim: "Activision never said anything to me, but I know that [for] big games like Call Of Duty they said, 'No, we're not putting it on there if you don't give us a conventional controller'. So they gave in."

So, could someone explain to me how Pachter can make a claim like that without proof? Yes, Nintendo obviously cares more about third party support with all of the new titles that they have lined up for the Wii U (like Mass Effect and Tekken). But I doubt that the company is so invested in having a Call of Duty game that they would come up for a controller just for that one game. Sure, maybe they created it to please other third party companies, but not just Activision and Activision alone.
It makes much more sense to believe that Nintendo created the secondary peripheral to replace the old Gamecube controller. When compared to the Wii Remote, many players actually prefer its more traditional design (myself not included). Since Gamecube controllers will not be compatible with their next generation console, the Pro Controller can easily fill that gap.

But I'm not an analyst, so what do I know?

UPDATE:

In an interview with Games Beat, Pachter elaborated on his claim:

“Nintendo has never done anything altruistically for third parties, so I concluded that they added the Pro Controller because of pressure from third parties. The pressure could have come from anywhere — EA with sports games, Ubisoft with Assassin’s Creed, or Take-Two with GTA — but it seems to me that the ‘prize’ that would make the Wii U legitimate as a console of choice for multiplatform games is Call of Duty.”

My previous thoughts still stand. I don't just want to yell "pictures or it didn't happen", but I think that it's best not to speculate on things like this. Only time will tell if his conclusions are correct.