PC Gamer - PC Games & Gender Survey

[Myrthos]

We have women on these forums who play computer games. My wife plays computer games, big gothic fan too. In my working environment I actually know slightly more women who are gamers than men. And they surely can't all be classified as playing causal games only.

I see people simply extrapolating their own experiences as the one and only truth and thus dismiss the report. That is a bit easy isn't it? There can be various reasons why you don't meet women who actually are gamers.

 

[Couchpotato]

It would make a good Poll on our site to see how many female members we have. I was always curious, and thought we scared most of them away.

 

[Dez]

The answer depends on how one defines "gamer".

If social media games, mobile games, WII FIT type games apply, well i'm sure it is a correct analysis. I just don't think its very usefull information for anyone wondering how many girls and women play same games we do.

if you check her blog entry and read it all through to the end, she takes in my opinion quite a leap of fate when she makes this assumption that the broad definition of gamer in statistics is very usefull for devs who're developping these traditional videogames.

Basically, I help game makers find the people who will participate in and support their games. By no means is it in those companies’ or my best interest to exclude users who want to participate in the products they create. And in that respect, it would be wrong for me, or anyone else, to exclude mobile, female, or any users who play video games from the “gamer” definition.

I wonder how easily would those same people start playing more serious games? e.g jump from farmville to the next dragon age? I'm positive that quite many women would like to play dragon age type games (infact there seems to be large number of women present @ bioware forums), after all many women like fantasy books and films, but to assume that anyone (man or woman) who plays casually some social media game, would be a potential customer to your product is a bold claim.

 

[Sacred_Path]

My gf plays challenging games on a casual basis.

Personally I couldn't care less about the gender makeup of the gaming market, as long as no unfounded accusations get thrown around.

 

[Thrasher]

I think the younger generation has many more female gamers than the geriatric crowd.

 

[Falchor]

Agree this is generational. Younger women are definitely more interested in gaming. My nieces live on their iPads and laptops and are constantly playing all sorts of games on them (and not just 'ville games either). Us old-timers just grew up in an age where gaming was (typically) for boys/guys.

 

[Aubrielle]

I think the generational explanation makes tons of sense. It would only stand to reason that women are as statistically low(er) among Silent Generation/Baby Boomer/Gen X gamers, which is most of our site age demographic. It makes sense that the lion's share of women in these generations would prefer "casual" games (though don't tell that to the hardcore female RPG fans, like Myrthos's wife, or any woman on this forum who falls into any of those age brackets)

Older people also have trouble adjusting to new ideas, like women are just as much "core" gamers now, especially with members of my generation. As for my generation, the "women can only play farmville" argument sends me and my wife into gales of laughter as we run raids in our MMO's.

 

[Zloth]

What I think would be a lot more interesting would be demographics by game. I bet the bigger games are doing some polling to see who's buying what but I don't remember any of them sharing the data with the world.

Wait, didn't Mass Effect… nah, they just reported how many people picked male vs. female characters.

Older people also have trouble adjusting to new ideas…

Pthththtthh! Speak for yourself, kiddo!

P.S. My 95+ year old grandmother likes playing computer card games and Bejeweled. I tried to get her interested in Zork: Grand Inquisitor when it was out but no dice.

 

[Sacred_Path]

How lesbians view men - half of them are sexist and the other half is old :lol:

On the topic of casual gaming, from my personal experience I'd say women don't delve as deeply into video games as men. I've seen them play very competetively, but discarding a game once they'd finished it. My gf can't understand why I don't sell my games after playing through them once.

edit: woops ninja edit

 

[Zloth]

Hmm, Super Data Research's terminology page doesn't fill me with confidence. Their example RPGs are all MMOs. In fact, they're the exact same three games listed in their MMORPG definition!

 

[souha13]

These kind of articles and research attracts attention. Adjusting the methodology and presentation so it appears more controversial and more in terms of current "hot topics" is profitable. I think that is the main explanation for the articles. On the subject I guess its is more reasonable to think the numbers of females will continue to grow and reach similar levels as male"gamers". As for why I post I assume its due to me already being late for work and not wanting to think about that.

 

[Morrandir]

Hmm, Super Data Research's terminology page doesn't fill me with confidence. Their example RPGs are all MMOs. In fact, they're the exact same three games listed in their MMORPG definition!

You're right. Reading this it's difficult to take the survey seriously.
Additionally to the raw numbers, I'd like to hear about their data acquisition process. Furthermore we mustn't forget that it's a survey done in the US only. I don't know if that's representative for the global market.

However, I actually want the survey's number to be correct. I think that more female involvement (create & consume) in video gaming will increase the quality, especially in RPGs.

 

[GothicGothicness]

RPG genre, with 53.6 percent of the market made up of women, while men represent 46.5 percent.

Hmmm, if these numbers are correct, it appears like the majority of RPG's are targeted at the wrong audience ? and they attract more woman than male ?

Very weird. But I really wonder about the sources of these numbers!

 

[DArtagnan]

Glad to hear it, though I have no doubt that if we look at the core gamer segment, numbers would be very different.

But I'm looking forward to the day when I can get to share my interest with women as well as men.

In fact, I'd absolutely love to find a partner who's also into gaming, as it would make sharing that passion more profound.

I've only tried that once, and it's not something I'd ever do without if I had the choice.

 

[Kyrer]

These kind of articles and research attracts attention. Adjusting the methodology and presentation so it appears more controversial and more in terms of current "hot topics" is profitable. I think that is the main explanation for the articles.

That's what I thought when I first read the article; this poll does seem to have appeared at a very opportune moment. Without more transparency however, it doesn't really tell us very much. Since we don't have access to it's methods or data, both are wide open to question; it may even serve to pour more petrol on the (sometimes heated) debate. Having said that, I'm more than happy for these results to be correct, but that's just my own personal bias.

 

[azarhal]

Hmmm, if these numbers are correct, it appears like the majority of RPG's are targeted at the wrong audience ? and they attract more woman than male ?

Very weird. But I really wonder about the sources of these numbers!

There few games outside of the RPG and adventure genre that allows you to play a female protagonist...

 

[Aubrielle]

It makes me happy to hear that it's something a lot of people do want, regardless of their opinion on the data. ^.^

 

[Humanity has risen!]

Hmmm, if these numbers are correct, it appears like the majority of RPG's are targeted at the wrong audience ? and they attract more woman than male ?

Very weird. But I really wonder about the sources of these numbers!

It depends on where they got their data from.

For example, it is believable that the percentage of people who purchased Skyrim or a PlayStation 4 is close to even between men and women? I don't see at all how it is possible. If this is a male-driven industry, although female gamers really do exist, it is because the overwhelming majority of the money spent is money that comes from men, and enthusiastic products that generate the lion's share of the revenue pie mostly interest men.

 

[lostforever]

It makes me happy to hear that it's something a lot of people do want, regardless of their opinion on the data. ^.^

Why wouldn't they want that? If enough girls/women played "core" games, life would be so much easier on so many levels.

I sometimes question these survey since their claim that 50% of all "gamers" are female does not match up with what I see. So I am curious how they come up with these numbers etc and why is that I don't run into many of these female gamers. This does not mean I don't want women playing games... far from it.

 

[Sacred_Path]

Not to mention that, if 50% of all gamers already were women, that means the industry doesn't have to change at all.