Female Gamers Are On The Rise. Can The Gaming Industry Catch Up?
In 2020, women accounted for nearly 41% of all gamers in the United States. And in Asia, which accounts for 48% of the world’s total gaming revenue, women now make up 40-45% of the Asian gaming population, according to Google and Niko Partners.
Female gamers are on the rise, and numerous studies have sought to understand if female gamers have specific motivations and game play behaviour's. Some country-based studies reveal that gaming motivations do differ cross-culturally across genders. In addition to escapism, French female gamers look for competition or to challenge themselves; while French males look to games for coping with stress and for achieving success through competition. A study of Taiwanese gamers reveals females play for achievement and social reasons, while males play to pass the time. In America, it seems female gamers play for achievement and social reasons, to engage socially and maintain relationships. In regards to game playing, a recent study shows that female gamers play all types of game genres (especially popular online games) using different devices and platforms.
If anything, what these studies highlight is the rich complexity of the female gaming population. The question being raised by those seeking full equality of opportunity, treatment and conditions within gaming is whether the industry is adequately structured to serve this growing consumer segment. Organizations such as Women in Games, are advocating for a reimagination of the gaming industry, free of gender discrimination, by addressing the culture from workforce, product and the player community perspectives.
