Interesting, Sandy. Thanks for the comments. What I think we're coming to here is the heart of the debate: as you call it, "gender perception."

On this issue I'm guessing you and I would perhaps disagree with the nature of gender. You claim that gender in the game is rather neutral, that the biased individual perceives and creates their own meaning for gender. You believe the game is gender neutral (much as your name--good example!), that readers look at its features, assume it's a girl's game due to their own perception of what "girlishness" is, and then react accordingly. In other words, there is nothing outside the viewer's worldview in the game that is inherently girlish. You are, by the way, in good company thinking this, for it's what the dominant postmodern culture by-and-large assumes to be true.

I, on the other hand, think there are rather solid features that are hard-wired into boys and girls. (And these are wonderful features of our gender make-ups, beautiful in their distinctions.) Faery's Tale displays "girl features" in abundance. And it's not just the pink or blue colored cover; Naryt's list is a clear starting point, but also just the idea of minuscule faeries (even if warrior sprites) in general. There is a reason the fey have been associated with girls for centuries. By the biological and spiritual nature of boys and girls, your game is in the female realm more than the male; this is deeper than personal response, cultural milieu, or other neutral forces.

Of course a boy could (and should!!) enjoy Faery's Tale as well, but it's a much harder sell. It's like marketing Barbies to little boys: boys could have fun with the doll, but "action figures" are a much easier sell.

So, I think you are making light of the fact that there are real differences in the attitudes, thinking, and hearts of boys and girls. Sure these differences are not static and as solid as stone, and some boys like girl things and visa versa, but these are exceptions. Brightwood falls farther into on the feminine spectrum than the male, and while a parent/GM could tip the scales to even them back out, this would not happen on its own. (My own son is a good example.) The consumer of your product's "bias" is not as much an issue as the nature of the product content itself, and the fact that the designers/publishers did not label it as a boy or girl game is rather irrelevant. (Go ahead and put a sticker saying "Now for boys, too!" onto a Barbie...)

Through all this, I want to reiterate that 1) Faery's Tale IS a great game, and 2) I'm glad we are having this discussion! Very thought-provoking.

Take care