Interview with Anne-Marie Wilson (Spectra)

If you haven't heard of the awesome professional gaming team of all girls known as the Frag Dolls, than you haven't been playing online. They started professionally gaming in 2004, and have since been sponsered by Ubisoft, featured in almost every video game magazine, and became advocates of female gaming.


I got in contact with the Frag Dolls through they're forums (which are great, by the way!) and soon got a hold of Anne-Marie Wilson, otherwise known as Spectra. She is one of the Frag Dolls and is best known for her left-handed activism. Check her out on Frag Dolls' website and her own personal blog.

LadySnip3r: Who is your favorite female video game character and why? What sets them apart from other characters (both male and female)?

Spectra: Lara Croft - I love Lara, she is a video game icon. I love everything about her. How she walks, talks, climbs, grunts, and dies. She is confident, beautiful and rich. She can go anywhere and do anything. She travels the world and is always in the most beautiful places under amazing circumstances. I think what really sets Lara apart is how well developed her character is. We know a lot about her because she has such a rich history that unfolds in a many different games.

GLaDOS - She is brilliant! Her dialogue and its delivery are so memorable. She is saying all of this really mean and horrible stuff in the nicest way. I forgot how much I really liked her. I am playing through Portal 2 now and have really enjoyed every moment she is involved in the story.

What sets GLaDOS apart from other characters is her twisted sense of humor and the fact that she is not human but she is able to invoke a very human response from the player.

Whenever I am given the chance to play as a female character I do. However, most of my favorite video game characters are men. (Sam Fisher, Agent 47 from Hitman) I would love to see a Hitman game feature a female assassin as cool as Agent 47. Or be able to play Splinter Cell as Sam Fisher’s badass female partner. Maybe one day.

LadySnip3r: What game really got you into gaming and sparked your love?

Spectra: Halo 2 was the first game to really hook me in (largely due to the fact that if offered Left handed controls). I played through the co-op campaign and then got really into the online multiplayer. At first I was playing it over at my boy friends house but I was having so much fun, I went and got my own Xbox and game. The online multiplayer helped drive me to be a better player.

LadySnip3r: Do you have any positive or negative stories related to online multiplayer gaming? Have you ever been treated disrespectfully because of being female?

Spectra: When online I play mostly w/ randoms. I get very little negative feedback from other players. I like to play objective based games and work together with my team. I am a good team member; the fact that I am a girl rarely comes up. When I play with friends during Frag Doll Community Game Night and Girls Night In, we get a lot of attention. Having that many girls in a lobby at once is unusual for the average player. There is always lots of trash talking, but it’s fun. There is strength in numbers.

LadySnip3r: Any advice for girls and women on how to deal with situations like that?

Spectra: There are a few things you can do if trash-talking boys really bothers you. 1. Mute them (I use this one a lot). 2. Play with a large group of friends and stick up for each other. 3. Report players for inappropriate comments or actions. 4. You can always leave the lobby or game and find a new one.

LadySnip3r: Women are becoming more and more prominent in the gaming industry and culture. What do you think that this will mean for the future of video games?

Spectra: I hope it means better playable female characters attached to storylines that are more memorable and moving, and games with unique innovation.

LadySnip3r: What has been your biggest gaming achievement (and I don't mean on Xbox)?

Spectra: Becoming a Frag Doll has been my biggest gaming achievement. But one of my most memorable moments was getting to demo Splinter Cell Conviction on stage in front of hundreds of Game Stop Managers.

LadySnip3r: Finally, what does being a female gamer mean to you?

Spectra: Not much. I’m a gamer. The fact that I am female is inconsequential.

But being a gamer means a lot to me because it sets me apart from other people my age. Gaming is very social for me, I love playing with other people and building relationships with other gamers. As a gamer, I feel like I am apart of an exclusive group of people that are having more fun than anyone else.  

I hope you enjoyed the interview with Spectra. The next segment of Dames who Game will include some reader opinions - as gathered via twitter, facebook, and various forums. Be sure to speak up on our facebook discussions to get your voice heard. Feel free to comment, email, anything - we want your opinions, ideas, thoughts, ramblings! Get in touch :)

As Always,

LadySnip3r