🚀 go-pugleaf

This seems to be the most appropriate place to ask these game design
questions that have me rather stumped.

First, why is there never any variation in the Nintendo-type of scrolling
games (Mario, Street Fighter, Commander Keen, and the like)?  By variation
I am not refering to the genre itself (though that too could use some new
ideas), but rather the lack of variation in the number and location of 
villians you are supposed to attack.  Or is memorizing the exact and predictible
location of each villian part of the fun of the game?  

Second, other than the Sim series (ant, city, world), I have yet to see
a game for the Windows environment that actually uses the GUI to improve
gameplay (Balance of Power, sort of made good use of a GUI).  Is this
because of the difficulty programming in Windows, or because we, as game
designers, are so used to thinking of one screen designs, or because multiple
windows of information (that can be resized, etc.) just aren't important to
a good game?

And finally, what are you doing as designers in an attempt to lure women
to play your games (and spend their money).  Aside from the Barbie Design
Studio and the Laura Bow series I haven't seen any big ticket attempts to
attract women into computer gaming (forgot about Ms. Pacman). Is this
because you've given up on this sector of the population or because you
feel that a good game should appeal to everyone one or that women will play
more computer games if they get more access to computers at an earlier age?

There is some emperical evidence that women are not as good and do not
enjoy the traditional fly and shoot 'em up type of game even after
you control for computer experience, computer phobia, and spatial ability.
Or it could just be that they don't like this type of game and their score
reflects more boredom than ability.

John W.