A Scotland-based game studio won a BAFTA Games Award for a puzzle game. It uses photography to reshape a mysterious world. The co-founder is a Filipina, along with a Filipino producer, two artists, and a musician.
Women make up half of all gamers worldwide despite the gender gap in game development. In Southeast Asia, women slightly outnumber men at 53%. In the Philippines, they dominate, making up 63% of gamers. Games like Aviator Game reflect this change. They appeal to a diverse audience and show the rise of female gamers.
The Perception Gap in Gaming
Deloitte’s latest Digital Media Trends study finds many still see games as aimed at men. This leaves women searching for their spot in the gaming community. For example, a lot of money is spent on developing game experiences in live service games (LSGs). Deloitte’s survey finds that nearly half of male gamers spend most of their time on one or two LSGs. Only 29 percent of female gamers do the same.
Gaming Preferences: Women vs. Men
In the past four years, 25% of women gamers have started playing video games. For men, it was 16%. They tend to be more casual players.
Solo Adventures and Story-Driven Games
Of game types, 69 percent of women prefer simple mobile games to multiplayer ones. 51% prefer games like a BAFTA-winning solo adventure in a rich, story-driven world. It’s no coincidence a woman is behind that particular winner.
Addressing Harassment and Toxicity
Creating a safe gaming space for women means tackling bullying and harassment. A Deloitte study found half of gamers think online games have too much bullying, but 30% of men see it as part of gaming. Only 19 percent of women surveyed feel the same way. To avoid the abuse, some 59 percent of women gamers choose to hide their gender.
The Role of AI in Combating Toxicity
Over half of gamers believe publishers should address bullying in games more. Many LSGs already check chats. But, AI could better handle toxic comments and reward positive behavior. It would make gaming safer and more enjoyable for all.
Engaging Women Gamers in Live Service Games
For companies running LSGs, the challenge is to engage women gamers. They prefer solo games over multiplayer. One approach is to add more brands and franchises that appeal to women.
The Importance of Women in Game Development
Globally, 61% of game developers are men, while 30% are women. Diversity in gender and LGBTQ+ in game dev can yield more inclusive, creative games.
The Broad Appeal of Solo, Story-Driven Games
Deloitte’s survey found that solo, story-driven adventures are best for women gamers. They are the most popular games. Half of the male respondents also prefer these games. So, they are ideal for adding more gender diversity to gaming.
Opportunities in Representation and Mobile Gaming
Many of these games have strong women characters. But, there is room for improvement. An analysis of 13,000 video game characters found that men in the games speak twice as much as women. Getting these games onto next-gen mobile devices will help reach a larger audience. It will also attract more women to gaming.
Looking Ahead: Women as a Lucrative Market
Technology advances will only enhance games’ richness and immersive quality moving forward. To keep making these experiences, the industry must reach women gamers. They are a lucrative market. They are already in these make-believe worlds — exploring, fighting, designing, and interacting. Developers have to take notice and acknowledge their value.