Girl gamers targeted by new mag

Computec Media AG, a Germany-based media company, will be launching Play Vanilla for the holiday season. The publisher describes the magazine, aimed at female gamers, as "fresh, bold, upbeat, and feminine." It points to research that found that 60 percent of the Sims 2 players are female, as well as half of the casual gaming marketplace. The first issue of the magazine will be a supplement to women's lifestyle magazine Joy, due to newsstands on December 4. Beginning March 2007, the magazine will then start a regular print run. Play Vanilla editor-in-chief Petra Fröhlich said, "Women want to play too, but are quite different from men in the demands they place on a game." Fröhlich added that focus groups and game publishers have shown "excellent reactions" to Play Vanilla.