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NPD Group reports substantial increase in female gamers
For the most part, I think videogaming is in a very healthy place, commercially and creatively. It's easy to find stuff to gripe about -- in fact, I could argue that it's my job -- but as a guy who's been deeply into videogames for 20 years, I'm thrilled with the state of the industry.
So if I were pressed to come up with one issue that I find most troubling -- the #1 Worst Thing about Videogaming, if you will -- it would be the way we exclude women. And I'm not just saying that because I really wanted to find some excuse to use that picture up there. I'm saying that because I think it's an important obstacle to videogames growing up. We need to stop reducing women to sidekicks, damsels in distress, or just breasts. We make too few games that reach beyond our boyhood fantasies. And when we do, we partition women into their own separate category. Many women look at us and shake their heads and go about doing whatever they were doing. They see us for the silly boys we so often are. Although it's getting a lot better, it's still a big problem with a lot of room for improvement.
But that's why I consider the NPD Group's recent report really encouraging. According to Gamespot: The industry-tracking group revealed new figures that show 28 percent of all console video gamers are female in 2009, up from 23 percent last year. NPD attributed the five-point rise to the Nintendo Wii, which it believes has attracted a large number of new female gamers.
You go, girls. Because the next step after more women playing games is more women talking about games, followed by more women writing about games, finally followed by more women making games.
By Chijts at 9:57 AM ON 06/30/09
... and most importantly, finding more women that will enjoy playing games with you rather than going to do something else.
By Rayokie at 10:14 AM ON 06/30/09
Well, thanks Tom. As a girl-gamer, it's appreciated to know that there are people (guys) out there that want more females to get involved with the industry that aren't just those stereotypical things.
However, I hate that the rise of females gamers is attributed to the wii, considering the games on the wii are just, well, demeaning. Cooking Mama, for example, fun, but what kind of message does it send, especially if most of the people playing it are women. Just a thought, not an argument :D.
But, anyway, on that train of thought; this is brought to mind :p
http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=282
Haha! Then again, if girls get hooked on games like that, they might want to start towards the more 'interesting' games, who knows
-optimistic!-
By bacongrease at 10:28 AM ON 06/30/09
this is only slightly related but I was noticing in World of Warcraft that there are few if any females that play heavy melee classes. And that counts guys who play girl charachters too there seems to be some kind of stigma to girls getting in your face with a melee weapon just my general musings though.
By bahimiron at 10:57 AM ON 06/30/09
Is that Hilary Swank?
By Theorycraft at 10:59 AM ON 06/30/09
As female gamer, I am absolutely thrilled when I hear the numbers of women gamers are increasing. Hopefully this will cause game designers to give women characters a bit more important and dignified roles in games. Not to mention more clothes, I'm rather tired of all the "mail bikini" amour.
@ bacongrease:
I've noticed this too. I don't know about your server, but most women on mine tend to play Priests and Warlocks. Occasionally Rogues.
By Balasarius at 12:07 PM ON 06/30/09
As long as their still an option to get my T&A, I'm happy. :)
By Balasarius at 12:08 PM ON 06/30/09
Sigh, proof-read failure.
By KeysE2S at 1:34 PM ON 06/30/09
All I know is that my wife hates Alex Vance more than I do.
By ChickSis at 1:55 PM ON 06/30/09
Yes! I agree, Tom. I know our Wii has helped me enter that world of gaming that I otherwise would probably never understand. Handhelds like my iTouch are helping, too.
I'm eager to see those games that women create. Let us know as you find them!
By Solice at 11:25 PM ON 06/30/09
It's good to hear that there are more female gamers out there. As a male gamer, however, I am disappointed that I still havent managed to have sex with any of them.
:P
By sophistre at 4:55 AM ON 07/02/09
Every time there's an article anywhere about girl gamers I read it and sort of sigh a little bit. I know so many other girls besides myself who play games that sometimes I wonder whether or not they border on simply being the assumption that we're not out there, just because we don't pipe up on XBL (though on at least one memorable occasion I was told not to play until my balls dropped because I sounded like a girl...amusing and basically worth it). Anyway, my suspicion is that there are a lot more of us than you think there are. And we're probably in ur bas--
Okay, that's a really old joke.
But we probably are, anyway.
By Giulia Single at 4:46 AM ON 07/03/09
Even if your interest seems really market-oriented (aimed at augmenting market share!) I appreciate your post Tom. Till now we were just sexy digital toys IN the games..
Anyway Women seem to be more interested in casual games. The real challange is to comprise them is the "serious", addictive games..
Giulia Single:
Even if your interest seems really market-oriented (aimed at augmenting market share!) I appreciate your post Tom. ...More »