Women Challenge gaming Stereotype
23rd December, 2008
When the majority of people think about a typical multiplayer gamer, they think of an overweight, solitary male, in his room with the curtains closed.
However research has found that this stereotype is being challenged, as more and more women take up the gaming mantel. The Research, which was conducted in the US, found that many ‘hardcore players’ are in-fact female, that players seem to be healthier than average and online gaming is becoming a social activity.
The Study looked at more than 2,400 gamers and their genders, finding female players make up around 40% of the gaming population. Some of the participants in the study were recruited directly out of the game completed a web-based questionnaire about their gaming habits and lifestyles.
Throwing all previous conceptions out of the window the results found that, while a slight majority of the players were male, the most dedicated and longer playing gamers were female. Lead researcher from University of Delaware, Scott Caplan said, “the result demonstrated how out-of-date stereotypes can be.”
Many explanations have been coined for the reason more women seem to be playing online games. Including women may be playing more to reduce the lengthy time usually spent in front of a television.
Another finding was that men and women play for different reasons, with men playing for competition, while women said they were playing for social reasons. This has lead to the idea women are seeking other ways to socialise in today’s hectic times.
By Rommon
