b5media

November 28th,2005

Blogger Interview: Ingrid Diaz

By Rhys Alexander

We’ve received some e-mails from readers who really like reading the blogger interviews, and want them to be a regular occurrence. We completely agree, and are proud to announce the return of this feature! Tune in every Monday to learn more about the people behind the blogs.

This week I had the good fortune to interview Ingrid Diaz, an ‘original’ b5-er and half of the dynamic duo responsible for Play-Girlz, our popular gaming blog.

I’ve admired Ingrid ever since our first conversation, but I didn’t know just how cool she was until I sat down to talk with her. She’s one of those people you can’t help liking, and a great writer, too. Without further ado…here’s Ingrid!

So you’re blogging to us live from France…quite the world traveler! Where else have you traveled, and what languages do you speak?

France is pretty much the only exciting place I’ve been (unless you count the airports in London and Amsterdam during layovers, which are exciting in their own, not-so-much sort of way). I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, lived in Florida for a while, then moved to NJ to attend Rutgers. Then I just stayed there until France called me away from monotony and boredom.

I’ve never even been to the west coast of the US! Some adventuress I am. As far as languages, I’m equally fluent in English and Spanish, and my French is coming along quite well, though my accent should be enough reason to deport me.

Now, behind the icon, the woman of mystery, who is Ingrid?

Does that make me Ingrid Diaz, International Woman of Mystery? Yeah, baby, yeah! Or … not. Let’s see, well, when I was younger I really wanted to be a ninja, and then a sumo wrestler and then a psychic, which I think would’ve made me pretty darn cool. How many psychic ninja sumo wrestlers are there?

Not many! But alas, my ninja skills were faulty (mostly due to the fact that my parents put me in piano lessons instead of karate lessons like I’d asked). Then, I failed at being a sumo wrestler due to the fact that I weigh like 100lbs, and well … they wouldn’t let me compete. And, sadly, I have no psychic powers that I’m aware of. So, I’m nowhere near as cool as I’d wanted to be at this point in my life.

So, instead, I study French twelve hours a week, and play video games, and write a lot. Perhaps someday I can release a book called The Psychic Ninja Sumo Wrestler so I can live vicariously through fiction. New York Times Bestseller, right there.

By far one of the most popular writers on b5, you have admirable intelligence and spunk. How did you get that way?

I am? I do? Hm, my spell must’ve worked after all. Essentially, I just mixed some key ingredients: pickles, a touch of pepper, horsebreath, and a dragon’s left nipple. At first it seemed like an impossible task, but then I remembered eBay.

If you only had one hour left in your entire life to play a video game,which would it be and why?

Honestly? Singstar for the PS2. Oh sure, perhaps my last hour on Earth might be best spent shooting at things and screaming, “DIE DIE DIE!”, as I often do, but my true weakness is Singstar. Singstar is a karaoke-type game that hasn’t yet been released in the US for some reason. I like to sing; loudly,and off-key. And since the walls between the neighbors is paper thin, all the better. I want them to remember me fondly.

What development in the industry are you most excited about right now?

The war of the next-gen consoles is pretty exciting. I’m very curious about the Nintendo Revolution. I’d love to see in what way its new controller actually changes the way we play video games. Or if it does at all. I think 2006 is going to be a pretty exciting year for gamers everywhere.

Can you believe this X-box hype? The ridiculous overpaying on e-bay? You can tell us: is it worth the buildup?

Sadly, I haven’t gotten my hands on an Xbox 360 yet, so I can’t vouch for its awesomeness or lack thereof. I think with any console it will depend on the player. Some people are going to think it’s worth the hype, some are going to say it sucks. But I honestly can’t imagine any console being worth the $15,099 some guy paid on eBay.

I’ll admit, I’m no video game expert, but it seems as though the women characters are usually wearing a body stocking and sporting painfully large chests. Do you think woman characters are well represented in video games, or does something need to change?

Erin and I have actually touched on this issue a few times at Play Girlz. I think we’re both in agreement that things need to change. It’s no secret that the people behind the industry are primarily male, and that they cater first and foremost to a male demographic. Yet, I do think that some developers are starting to wake up to the fact that there are a lot of girl gamers out there, and that they don’t necessarily want pink-colored games. That they actually enjoy shooting stuff, and racing cars, and all the stuff guys like to do.

What they really need to realize, though, is that it’s not so much the content of the games, but rather the representation of women characters that’s the issue. Some of it is quite honestly degrading and often offensive. I think that’s the first thing that needs to change.

I love World of Warcraft, for example, and I love my Night Elf Hunter, but I hate that she bounces and giggles like a bimbo for no reason when she’s standing around. The first time she did it, I was really annoyed by it. I almost deleted the character and started a male one instead.

How are women supposed to be respected in games, and respect games in return, when their avatars are designed to be slutty sex icons? The game industry, in a lot of ways,goes out of its way to alienate women. I think that’s the main problem. As Erin wrote in one of her posts on the subject, if they don’t know what women want, they should just ask.

I love Play-Girlz, as does everyone else! So, tell us what you write now for b5, and what’s in the works?

Glad you like Play-Girlz! My other stuff for b5 include Kapped, and the soon-to-be-announced, (…) blog. I hate to admit it, but I do sometimes get sucked into the reality shows. There’s also a few other projects brewing behind the scenes. And I’ll also be heading up an upcoming new channel, which will probably be announced sometime this week. I’m quite excited about it!

How did you, GASP-a GIRL-become interested in video games? Did you have to fight any stereotypes, then or now? Has being outside of the ‘typical’demographic proven to be a hurdle or an asset?

I’ve been playing video games since as long as I can remember. My best friends in Puerto Rico and I started a Nintendo club when we were young. We made t-shirts and stuff. We were three girls and one boy, so I never grew up thinking of video games as a ‘guy’ thing. Guys are usually pretty excited when I tell them I play games, so I don’t usually have to fight the stereotype in ‘real life’.

In-game it’s a different story. I love MMORPGs,but the guys in there can be real jerks some times. Especially when I tell them I’m a girl. If they believe me at all, that is. Mostly,they assume I’m a guy playing a girl character. Sometimes, that’s fine with me, but other times, I get a little irritated and my Girl Gamer pride rises to the surface. I know of a lot of girls who get harassed and insulted in games. Particularly through Xbox Live. Things can get pretty ugly in the gaming world. I have, however, met some great people, male and female,thanks to the games. So it’s always worth it to put up with the idiots.

Have you ever thought of inventing a video game? ( I’d be first in line to buy it!) What would it be about?

I was considering it for a while, actually, but I think I’m more of a writer than a game developer. I think I would rather make films, than games. I’ll probably be starting film school once I finish my French studies. I am, however, in contact with a game developer whom I’ll be helping write a novel about a game he’s got in development. And that is quite exciting.

I miss those wonderful 1980s games like Pac-Man and Donkey Kong, so colorful and fun. Today’s games seem darker and
more…complicated. Is that a sign of changing times? Do video games reflect society in general?

Technology these days definitely allows for more complex gaming. Gaming is an entirely different experience than it was back in the 80s. The graphics are more realistic, the backstory is more detailed. It’s almost become like an interactive film. As far as content is concerned, I think developers have figured out that people like to shoot stuff, and they like it when the stuff they shoot bleeds. I hold a love-hate relationship with games like Grand Theft Auto. The stupid game is fun and I enjoy it, but the whole time I’m playing it I think, “What am I doing? This is wrong.” I mean, it’s a game where you can pick up a hooker, have sex with her, and then beat the crap out of her with a bat to get your money back. Who came up with that idea? And yet, the game is huge!

There’s a lot of arguments these days about putting age restrictions on games. You have people like 50 Cent making games about drugs and shooting people and then making comments like, “Oh my game is great for kids!” That kind of thing concerns me, because where as I grew up with games like Pac-Man and Super Mario Brothers, there are kids growing up with Grand Theft Auto and 50 Cent: Bulletproof. Does that mean they’ll grow up to be killers and drug addicts? Probably not, but I don’t know to what extent those images aren’t retained in the subconscious. It’s a wait-and-see kind of thing.

What is your favorite game now? What was your favorite as a child?

Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars has to be my favorite all time game. These days, my favorite game is hard to pin down. I love games like Singstar, where you just sing and make a fool out of yourself in front of friends and strangers alike. I love games like the Baldur’s Gate series. I also love tennis games, like Top Spin, which says a lot because I generally hate sports games. There’s World of Warcraft and City of Villains, which I adore.

I’m starting to get into FPS games these days. I loved the F.E.A.R. demo, and am just waiting to afford the full game. There’s also an upcoming horror/adventure game called Scratches that I’ve been lucky enough to preview. It’s quickly climbing my top 5 chart.

Okay, Miss Ingrid…what are three words that describe you?

Quirky. Short. Sleepy.

What would you say to a little girl who is interested in video games, but maybe her brother’s making fun of her or her mother doesn’t want her to do something ‘unladylike?’ (I thought of this because I was in Best Buy once and a little girl wanted to buy the game ‘D’ and her mother was trying to talk her into the ‘game’ where you dress up Barbie.)

I’d call children’s services at once. Forcing any girl to play a Barbie game should be considered a form of child abuse!

And lastly, what do you want readers to ‘get out’ of Play-Girlz? What do you want them to take away from the experience?

Well, it’s a video game blog, so I don’t expect anyone to find the meaning of life there, or anything. Erin and I are continuously
learning, as I think many of us are, and we’re having fun at it meanwhile. All I’d really want anyone to get from Play Girlz is the fact that girls are gamers, too. We’re out there, we’re playing, and not even mind-boggling depictions of women with oversized boobs can deter us from our ultimate goal: kicking butt.