Girl Gamers

There has been some discussion in our last couple of classes about women gamers. I personally was surprised to learn about the large numbers of women playing video games. When reading BBC earlier today, I came across this article and found both the information shared by the journalist as well as the feedback provided by readers of the article very interesting.

According to the article, women now account for one-third of gamers in the UK, though many of them appear reluctant to label themselves as such. Fourty percent of teenage girls play video games at some point in their teen years, but lose interest in gaming as an entertainment source within one year. For the gaming industry, holding on to those teenagers could mean a significant source of additional revenues and a new base of customers. There are apparently specific Nintendo games that have become extremely popular with women - keeping that source of games fresh could mean the creation of a whole new sub-industry. As social aspects of gaming have started to become more prominent and mainstream, the previous stigmas associated with gaming have been overcome and it is becoming a mainstream form of entertainment.

This trend is demonstrated through the ample and diverse commentary that readers had posted as a response to the article. Some readers were very clear in stating that marketing a "pink console" would not appeal to them any more than it did before. One reader comments, "There are plenty of games over here [Japan] geared towards women, and plenty of action games that allow the player to choose a heroine rather than a hero." However, others contradict this by saying that there are not enough games that allow them to choose female characters. Other readers comment that they prefer games with a purpose beyond the tradition "shoot 'em up and run", and that puzzles, plots, and logical reasons for actions within a game are the most attractive features of their games.

On the whole, it is clear that the wide audience and range of opinions and preferences indicate that there is room for plenty of competitors in this market.