- There are large barriers in terms of diversity and equity within the gaming industry.
- The image of ‘hard-core” male game players is one of the main things holding back gaming companies from making games specifically designed for women
- Gaming publishers have yet to deviate from their target audience of “ single, white male aged 24-34”
- The many more hours that men out in gaming by the time of middle school are prime qualifications for the digital gaming industry
- Girls like games that have more problem-solving and multiple ways to win (“What Games Made by Girls Can Tell Us,” 131)
- “It is too often assumed that women who do not buy computer games or choose particular titles are making an informed decision rather than one in which they simply have not had the access to experiment. . .” (“Becoming a Player,” 62)
- The average gender overlap across all listed motivations was 87 percent (“Maps of Digital Desires,” 89-90).
- if game publishers want to expand their prospects beyond the over-saturated “hard-core” market, they’ll need to design games which provide diverse play-style opportunities for all players. (Are Boy Games Even Necessary)
- There are efforts of academics to partner with designers to create games which can appeal to girls, develop their sense of self-efficacy, and help them learn programming and other STEM skills. (“What Games Made by Girls Can Tell Us,” 131).
- Women make up 11.5% of the industry workforce, with only 10 to 12% of this group employed in executive or creative roles. They also earn an average of $9,000 less than their male counterparts, even with equivalent tenure in the industry (“Getting Girls into the Game,” 164).
Are Boy Games Even Necessary? (2008). Beyond Barbie and Mortal Kombat. doi: 10.7551/mitpress/7477.003.0019
Kafai, Yasmin B., et al, eds. Beyond Barbie and Mortal Kombat: New Perspectives on Gender and Gaming. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2008.
Maps of Digital Desires. (2008). Beyond Barbie and Mortal Kombat. doi: 10.7551/mitpress/7477.003.0010
Strang, R. (2016, April 5). What Games Made by Girls Can Tell Us. Retrieved from https://toplayishuman.com/2016/04/05/what-games-made-by-girls-can-tell-us/
Walkerdine, V. (2007). Becoming a Player. Children, Gender, Video Games, 152–170. doi: 10.1057/9780230235373_8
Mind of a Maniac 