You're right, Bill. I haven't thought much about it, but it does seem that games based on novels (particularly series) seem to do well for women. I think this might be because it's a lot less "radical" for a girl to read books than to play videogames. It may also involve the actual content of the books. I've actually read several Nancy Drew novels lately (some of the games come with them), and I'm really interested in the way Nancy is portrayed. She's always eager to try new things, delve into "forbidden" realms, totally disregard authority and tradition--in short, the kind of girl who'd have no qualms whatsoever about enjoying a good videogame. Furthermore, the Nancy Drew games specifically avoid violence and even "rudeness," but all the while requiring Nancy to trespass, break and enter, "talk back" to her elders, and deal with some pretty dastardly foes. Finally, Nancy always has to rely on herself to solve problems. Though her friends can chip in, they all count on her to get things done (this flies in the face of the old stereotype that girls have to get help from a man or someone else in order to do anything important).

If I had a daughter, I would definitely have her playing these games and reading these books. I think they're great for encouraging critical thinking skills, and they seem to inspire a more thoughtful approach to life. They offer a staggeringly better role model for young women than Barbie or Brittany, or whatever MTV "booty shaking" crap is piled up for young women to "enjoy." And they're just damn fun! I'm sure that men would enjoy these games just as easily as women if they could just get past the stigma of playing a "girl's game."