Women Remain the Ignored Audience In Gaming [Slashdot]

[DP ServBot]

donniebaseball23 writes "Research firm Interpret has released its new report, 'Games and Girls: Video Gaming's Ignored Audience,' which finds that while the female audience in gaming has grown, games tailored to their needs and preferences continue to go missing. Women represent 50% of the market and their usage of HD consoles like Xbox 360 and PS3 is rising. 'It remains to be seen whether developers and marketers will effectively invest in understanding and exploiting the undertapped female gaming market,' said Courtney Johnson, analyst for Interpret."

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[Rickstilwell1]

The funny thing is that girls are so different from each other, that is really a hard thing to define. Often times the reason they are picking up more of what is currently available is because it already interests them. Some girls love the long RPGs, some like to blow things up in shooters just like the average guy, and some like the more simplistic arcade/pac-man kinds of games or the usually enjoyed by everyone first party Nintendo character games. Their preferences are just as diverse as men. Usually most of the games that are designed just for girls appeal only to the female kids.

[ubersaurus]

The funny thing is that girls are so different from each other, that is really a hard thing to define. Often times the reason they are picking up more of what is currently available is because it already interests them. Some girls love the long RPGs, some like to blow things up in shooters just like the average guy, and some like the more simplistic arcade/pac-man kinds of games or the usually enjoyed by everyone first party Nintendo character games. Their preferences are just as diverse as men. Usually most of the games that are designed just for girls appeal only to the female kids.

By your argument men are so different from each other that it's hard to define what would appeal to men as a whole. Which is true, but you still see games that are targeted to various male interest groups.

I think the real point here is that you don't see many games that feature female leads that aren't there for sex appeal or to be damsels in distress. Or maybe they're the hero, but they're still kinda weak compared to other characters. I'm thinking a character like Jade from Beyond Good & Evil, Portal's Chell, Mass Effect's FemShep, or pre-Other M Samus as really worthwhile female characters. On the other side of the spectrum you have pretty much any fighting game female, or Princess Peach, etc. Or, perhaps it's a game that is definitely more bro-y like Call of Duty. Yeah, women play all these games, but they definitely are not the target demographic here. They're not even a tertiary demographic. Hell, look at Duke Nukem Forever; the game goes so far in the opposite direction or diversity I know guys who are not comfortable with it.

[Robocop2]

Well either no one thinks that girl gamers are a profitable enough market; or they haven't really seen a way to cater to that demographic. IF females make up that large of a percentage of the gaming populace (my personal feeling and experience is that number is inflated somewhat) and they are still buying what is out there what needs to change exactly?

[mike_the_red]

I have to wholeheartedly disagree, actually.

I think women are the up and coming major market for the big business developers.

First of all, we're seeing games for women much more frequently than we saw in the 90s. When Gameboy first came out, did we have games like Cooking Mama, Project Rub, Nintendogs or Bratz?

There may have been 2 or 3 titles for 90s systems which were tailored for girls and they certainly didn't have the commercial success of the games targeting girls now.

The fact is that girls in the video game industry behave a lot like girls in any other entertainment industry-

They emerge as stronger buyers after the social stigma with the medium has been dropped. In another few years, girls will be stronger buyers than even men. (See: N'SYNC/BSB phenomenon)

There will always be exceptions. There will be girls who prefer deeper, better games but I have a feeling they're the minority. I feel bad for those girls as I feel bad for male gamers who get nauseated when they see yet another historical fiction FPS with poor acting and a carrot in the shape of a medal dangling from the end of a flagpole.

[LaughingMAN.S9]

imo these bitches are doing entirely too much gaming as it is and nowhere near enough cooking


these cheese sandwiches aint gonna grill themselves b....wtf bro

[allyourblood]

First of all, we're seeing games for women much more frequently than we saw in the 90s. When Gameboy first came out, did we have games like Cooking Mama, Project Rub, Nintendogs or Bratz?

Are these your first choices for games that are "for women"? Bratz? Really?

[The 1 2 P]

IF females make up that large of a percentage of the gaming populace (my personal feeling and experience is that number is inflated somewhat) and they are still buying what is out there what needs to change exactly?

This was my thought too. The majority of female gamers that I play with over XBL or that I know personally could care less about how games are marketed or not marketed towards them. They just want to game like the rest of us guys. And as someone already eluded to, their personal taste are as diverse as ours are. Do they prefer playing as female avatars? Most seem to but they are also content with playing as the default male avatar, especially if they have no other choice.

[Rob2600]

I'm thinking a character like Jade from Beyond Good & Evil, Portal's Chell, Mass Effect's FemShep, or pre-Other M Samus as really worthwhile female characters.

Also Joanna Dark in Perfect Dark, Marina Liteyears in Mischief Makers, Carrie in Castlevania and Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness, and Yae in Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon and Goemon's Great Adventure (all N64 games).

[kupomogli]

The "not enough games are developed for women" argument is bs. RPGs, platformers, etc, are all tailored for women as well as men. Just because 90% of the games out there are first person shooters doesn't mean even all male gamers are fans of the genre. It just means that first person shooters make the most money so developers are going to continue to milk the genre.

[Damaramu]

My wife would spend some time farming on Harvest Moon, tear up the road in Burn Out, and hack the shit out of monsters in various dungeon hack style games (Baldur's Gate, etc.) She routinely kicks my ass at Dr. Mario.

Only thing I can't get her into are first person shooters (makes her motion sick) or fighting games. Well...she did like Soul Calibur.