In a recent survey of people who play video games, men and women alike agreed that female gamers have the same playing skills as male gamers. The study also found that over half of all respondents felt less threatened by female players than they did by male players. However, in general, both genders rated their own playing skills higher than those of other gender players. Playing video games is a popular activity for many different types of people from all walks of life. Noting this fact, the study also explored stereotypes and attitudes male gamers had about female gamers.
Statistic values
The researchers surveyed 1,400 video game players; 32% were women while 68% were men. Women were slightly more likely to play games such as Candy Crush and Bejeweled, while men preferred the likes of DOTA2 and League of Legends. However, those surveyed also agreed that both genders overestimated their own abilities compared to those of other gamers. The respondents also rated their own playing skills as higher than those of other players; interestingly, men and women gave themselves roughly similar ratings, despite claims from some quarters that women are worse at video games than men. The report’s authors feel that these findings should encourage more women to play video games and also show developers how they might market their products to female gamers.
The survey explored stereotypes and attitudes of male gamers about female gamers. According to the findings, some men viewed women as “inherently worse” at video games, more easily offended by in-game comments or content, and less likely to buy products due to their commercials or portrayal. However, a majority of respondents believed that women had the same ability to excel at video games as men.
The researchers believe that these findings should encourage more women to engage with online games by removing some of the barriers which discourage them from playing. “While the results showed that women are still perceived as worse at games by men, it also showed that gamers of both genders have largely moved past this view,” said Nick Taylor, who led the study. “There is an opportunity for marketers to understand and target female gamers based on this newfound confidence in their playing abilities.”
There are a lot of female programmers these days and a lot of female gamers. And they are just as interested in these areas as men are. The ” women in tech” debate has largely been resolved. So, the next step is to acknowledge that female gamers are just as skilled at playing games as men are.
The gaming community is full of men who don’t believe in the existence (or at least the skill) of female gamers. They get angry when a woman beats them at Call of Duty, and they get really furious if she’s better than him. If a girl plays a game in multiplayer, they will actually advertise it to their friends by saying “no boys allowed”. This is just plain ignorant.
What is a woman’s gaming for real?
According to studies, the average female gamer uses about six hours of game time per week, compared to eight for male gamers. And when it comes to big titles like Guild Wars 2 (which sells an estimated 7.5 million units per year) about one in five players is female.
The fact is, men and women often play games very differently.
Research has shown that there are real differences in the playing styles of both genders. But, as gamers themselves can attest to, many people don’t believe it’s the case. One study showed that only 20% of males believed female gamers were better than male gamers (and vice versa). Maybe it’s because of the way women and men play. They often have different strategies.
Research shows that most girls prefer to play as characters with whom they identify more closely than with male gamers (ex: males playing as females, and vice versa). But they also tend to avoid violence entirely. Maybe it’s because girls try to escape reality more than boys do, or maybe it’s because most games are designed for boys.
However, there are many games that girls can play just as well as boys. Multiplayer online role-playing games act as the perfect place for women and men to interact on an equal level. This is due to the fact that boys don’t know they’re playing against girls, and girls don’t feel like they are competing with men.
Also, we know if you put male gamers in a situation where they can easily identify themselves with the female avatar, their gaming skills will improve; while women do not. Perhaps it can be attributed to something called stereotype threat, or maybe it’s because society constantly tells men that they must be good at things, while women are told nothing.
So, female gamers can feel like they don’t belong. But as we know, there is no “right” way to play video games. The more people who play games with their own unique styles, the more diverse and complex games will become.
In conclusion, female gamers have as many skills as male gamers. But as long as people continue to doubt them, their skills won’t improve.
