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People are generally less likely to recognize leadership qualities in women than in men. But this gender gap shrinks when a group interacts for longer periods of time, a study shows.

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Women are more likely to be viewed as leaders after longer interactions

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Riot Games employees plan to strike, women are not born to play games?

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Riot Games employees plan to strike, women are not born to play games?

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Women are subject to gender discrimination and unfair treatment in the gaming industry

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拳头游戏员工计划罢工，女性天生做不了游戏？

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OVERCOMING CHALLENGES AND BUILDING A MORE INCLUSIVE INDUSTRY

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OVERCOMING CHALLENGES AND BUILDING A MORE INCLUSIVE INDUSTRY

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women in gaming often face a lack of support and mentorship, which can impact their career advancement in game development. Fortunately, there are organisations working to empower women in the gaming industry such as Girls Who Code, in which they developed an incredible experience on their website that allows anyone to code, without the background of coding, their characters to look exactly how they want it. This project helps address biases and stereotypes of women in the gaming industry by creating characters that look like themselves or a brand new game character.

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OVERCOMING CHALLENGES AND BUILDING A MORE INCLUSIVE INDUSTRY

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Supporting Women in the Video Games Industry

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The state of eSports: what challenges are women facing?

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The state of eSports: what challenges are women facing?

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Barring women from participation

For an industry where participation does not discriminate by physicality, location, or status, the barriers to professional gaming do not so much concern female interest or ability. Instead, these issues revolve around a lack of resources allocated to women’s teams and leagues and, crucially, the harassment they face from fellow (predominantly male) gamers.

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The state of eSports: what challenges are women facing?

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Insight into the barriers for women in professional gaming and the reasons behind lack of representation for what is roughly 48% of the gaming population.

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Game Changers: Women in the Gaming Industry

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Game Changers: Women in the Gaming Industry

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74% of men believe that eSports competitions are a meritocracy, compared to 56% of women. While this view of “the best succeed” prevails for men, both demographics almost equally believe that men get more encouragement and support in eSports. Underlying toxicity around women’s participation in the gaming industry may be a root cause. Addressing this, all-women eSports teams and leagues have been developed. Creating this safe environment has been approved as a way to encourage women’s participation in eSports, but some say it doesn’t address the underlying issues for women in the gaming industry.

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Gaming

The video gaming industry is experiencing a welcome shift, with women gamers making up a significant and ever-growing portion of the player base. Nearly three-quarters of women play video games, and of these gamers almost eight in 10 play at least weekly. This play rate is indicative of serious consumer participation and presents real opportunities for brands to promote women in gaming.

Women's Gaming Preferences

A powerful demographic within the world of video gaming, women gamers are often under-targeted. Women's nuanced gaming behaviour indicates major opportunities for brands to grow.

General participation trends

Mobile gaming is popular among women gamers. Of the platforms available, namely mobile, PC, and console, mobile is the most appealing. Almost seven in 10 women gamers consider their mobile device their primary gaming device, compared to six in 10 overall (all demographics). Looking deeper, women play puzzle, trivia, or word games at a much higher rate than men. With busy schedules and a need for on-the-go options to game, women benefit from the touch tap-and-go style of gaming that mobile offers.

Women, particularly younger women, like to stick to what they know when it comes to their gaming preferences. 61% of women aged 18-34 prefer to purchase video games in genres they enjoy, versus only half of men of the same age group. Availability on their chosen platform is also a stronger driver for women. Younger women gamers may be more likely to try games from brands they recognise, making it important for brands to provide targeted marketing and advertising that reaches this demographic's loyalty.

Excluding Nintendo Switch Online and Apple Arcade-where women outpace and match male players respectively-women don't yet match men for subscribing rates on most video game subscription platforms. Brands should take note. Women appreciate the frugality of gaming subscriptions at a higher rate than men, so it may be beneficial to highlight the cost-saving benefits of game subscriptions over premium one-off purchases. Nintendo may already be appealing in this regard.

With women less likely to make gaming-related purchases such as hardware or in-app, there's significant potential to tap into the participation trends of women for effective targeting. Mintel data reveals that women particularly enjoy the social aspects of leisure activities. Considering this, brands can drive purchases through offerings that enable in-person social interaction alongside women's preferred gaming device: mobile.

Women in eSports

Despite women gaming almost as much as men, the majority of eSports players are men. This may reflect a built-in bias in the industry. Initiatives are making headway to tackle disparity, such as the Equal eSports Cup in Germany, and FAMEHERGAME, which aims to create opportunities for women globally in FIFA football games. However, women's preferred genre is role-playing games (RPGs), and with fewer women than men agreeing that eSports players are good role models, there's an opportunity to promote professional women gamers across genres like RPG.

But, are women treated fairly in eSports? 74% of men believe that eSports competitions are a meritocracy, compared to 56% of women. While this view of "the best succeed" prevails for men, both demographics almost equally believe that men get more encouragement and support in eSports. Underlying toxicity around women's participation in the gaming industry may be a root cause. Addressing this, all-women eSports teams and leagues have been developed. Creating this safe environment has been approved as a way to encourage women's participation in eSports, but some say it doesn't address the underlying issues for women in the gaming industry.

Addressing Challenges in the Gaming Industry

The broader gaming industry still has areas for improvement to better the landscape for women gamers. According to Mintel's Women and Gaming Report, women face a culture in video gaming that can be unwelcoming, and where harassment does happen. Choosing inclusive communities or using privacy settings that limit negative interactions may form part of women's resilience to toxicity in the gaming world. Importantly, while the report reveals online harassment isn't the most significant barrier to gaming for women, brands must address any behaviour that discourages participation.

Women are also mostly not broadcasting their gamer status. Less than a third of women who play games consider themselves "gamers", and almost eight in 10 keep their gaming interests to themselves. Facing challenges in the industry, women may prefer to see video gaming as a personal experience. Given that women indicate gaming as a stress relief more than other demographics, and with women's busy lifestyles, they may be less concerned with the wider gaming community, and more with their enjoyment of gaming.

Still, gaming companies must recognise that making gaming a welcoming environment for women means supporting, and engaging, almost half the gaming industry's player base.

What Can Brands Do to Promote Women in Gaming?

The number of women who game is on the rise. As the majority of women expect to play video games in the next five years, and all gamers generally expect to play more in the future, brands can make a conscious effort to cater to women in the gaming industry. Initiatives are already in place, providing a great starting point for brands looking to follow suit. But, there's still a lot to be done.

Creating an equal environment for women will be pivotal to encouraging future participation, and improving representation is one way to do this. Those with an influence on game development can look to encourage the creation of women characters that offer depth and a central role. Brands can also sponsor women eSports players and streamers, providing role models for younger women who will shape the gaming industry going forward. Women are undoubtedly powerful gaming consumers, and the brands that acknowledge this are going to be in a good position in the future.

Browse our gaming market research to gain critical insights across topics relevant to women in gaming and power up your women-led gaming business strategy. Sign up for Spotlight, our free newsletter for exclusive insights, by hitting the button below.

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Game Changers: Women in the Gaming Industry | Mintel

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Understand women as an ever-expanding demographic in the video gaming industry. Explore participation trends and challenges and grow your gaming brand.

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How Women Are Revolutionizing the Gaming Industry

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How Women Are Revolutionizing the Gaming Industry

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Unfortunately, there has been a long history of sexism in the gaming industry toward women developers. In the past, female developers experienced gender discrimination, sexual misbehavior, and harassment.

In 2014, the marginalization and harassment of women developers in the workplace hit a fever pitch, which led to Gamergate. Zoe Quinn, a video game developer, spoke out about the mistreatment of women in the industry. This led to a harassment campaign that targeted Quinn and other vocal women, where they received death threats, hate speech, doxing, and other threats of violence.

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Some of the most significant challenges facing women developers in the gaming industry include the following:

Gender bias and discrimination in hiring, promotions, and work environments.

Lack of representation and feelings of isolation and exclusion.

Stereotyping and harassment create a hostile work environment.

Unequal pay and limited opportunities for advancement.

Limited access to networking and mentorship opportunities.

Inadequate training and education opportunities to advance skills and knowledge.

Limited access to funding and resources for starting and growing their own gaming companies.

Ways Women are Changing the Video Game Industry

Despite these challenges, women are rising up and finding solutions to change old mindsets and pave a new future for the gaming industry. And it seems to be working. Here are some key ways women developers are reshaping the gaming industry:

Increasing Representation and Diversity

Women developers are pushing for more representation and diversity in video games. They influence and create games with diverse casts of characters and narratives that explore critical social issues and reflect broader cultural perspectives.

Women developers are shaping games to showcase strong and complex female characters instead of sexist and derogatory female characters of the past. This is helping to make gaming more inclusive and accessible to a broader audience.

Changing the Industry Culture

Women developers are reshaping the industry culture to be more inclusive. They are pushing for more opportunities for underrepresented groups and are addressing issues like harassment and discrimination. No more broken stairs so women feel more welcome and supported as game developers.

Focusing on Innovative Gameplay

Women bring new ideas for gameplay development because they think differently, providing a fresh perspective for creating innovative and engaging games. They push the boundaries of what's possible, driving innovation and creativity.

Organizations that Support Women Working in the Gaming Industry

To create a more inclusive industry, many women-led organizations and initiatives have emerged to support and encourage other women in the gaming industry and build a stronger community. Here are a few of the best organizations:

Women in Games International : A nonprofit organization that provides valuable support, resources, and networking opportunities for women in the gaming industry.

Girls Make Games : An excellent resource for workshops, camps, and game design competitions for girls ages 8-18 to encourage gaming industry pathways.

: A game development and mentorship program designed to provide hands-on training, support, and mentorship to help women break into the industry.

Looking to build a career in the gaming industry? Learn more about our coding boot camps that can elevate your resume.
Related Link: Essential Skills to Land a Tech Career in 2023

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How Women Are Revolutionizing the Gaming Industry

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Want to know how women are reshaping the gaming industry? Sabio highlights the challenges and wins for women gaming developers.