The global gaming industry is quite the phenomenon here in 2021. Now a favorite pastime with billions of people across the world, gaming is expected to be worth $256.97 billion by 2025. It’s also the most popular form of home entertainment in many areas of the world, even outperforming both the music streaming and movie industries combined. Alongside the rise of video gaming as a popular form of home entertainment has been a shift in the demographic of video gamers themselves. Certain sectors of the industry initially gained a larger following amongst male gamers. However, in recent years, more and more female gamers have begun to get involved, both as consumers and as high-level executives throughout the industry itself. In this article, we’ll be taking a look at the key stats and trends amongst female gamers, including the gaming genres that are scoring big in terms of popularity.
Almost Half the World’s Gamers are Women-
According to new research conducted by Newzoo, globally, women account for 46% of the total gaming audience. In terms of the country by country spread, we can see a similar pattern emerging. In the US, for example, female gamers made up 41% of the market in 2020 – an increase of 3% over 14 years. Meanwhile, in Asia – a country that accounts for 48% of the total global gaming revenue – female players now make up 45% of the total gaming population (Google and Niko Partners) after the community grew by 19% during last year alone.
The Gaming Habits of Female Gamers-
Just like in every other gaming demographic, female gamers are driven by a wide variety of motivators when it comes to the games they like to play and the ways in which they play them.
Newzoo’s research indicates that all gamers can be grouped under different categories:
- Ultimate gamers
- All-round enthusiasts
- Cloud Gamers
- Time Filler Gamers
According to Newzoo, two-thirds of the players in the time filler category are female, which is particularly due to the influence of mobile gaming on this category – a large percentage of global mobile players fall into the 36 to 65 female gaming demographics. However, younger female gamers aged between 26 and 30 are much more likely to be grouped in the more “hardcore” ultimate gamer segment.
Several sociological trends across the globe determine the types of games women choose to play. In France, female gamers search for gaming experiences that challenge their skills and provide increased levels of competition. Female gamers in Taiwan play primarily for achievement; while in America, female players engage in gaming for social reasons and to maintain pre-existing relationships.
Gaming Genres
Further study into the habits of female gamers actually shows that Newzoo’s report just about scratches the surface. Female gamers choose a wide variety of gaming genres, including popular online titles, and are happy to play across different devices and platforms.
One of the biggest gaming markets is iGaming – an umbrella term that refers to online casino, poker, and sports betting activities. A market that’s often at the forefront of change and innovation, the vast majority of iGaming brands have taken major steps to open up the market to women.
PokerStars Casino, a leading brand in the iGaming world, is experiencing an uptake in the number of female gamers taking part in the United Kingdom. A report by the UKCG into the British gaming market revealed that 43% of adults that engaged in iGaming activities in 2019 were in fact, women. This success could be attributed to their free spins offers and promotions for slot games, which are common across the iGaming world.
Increasing Representation
One of the key drivers in expanding the female gaming community is to generate gaming experiences across the board that are more engaging to non-male players. The days of minor female characters cropping up in dire situations, needing to be rescued by a male-identifying character are long gone and several prominent figures within the gaming industry are driving that message home.
On a business level, Ubisoft has announced the appointment of female senior leaders in diversity and inclusion roles to instigate a cultural shift across the company’s many divisions. Industry-wide initiatives like the UK-based #RaisetheGame, meanwhile, are partnering with brands and companies throughout the gaming world to create a more diverse workforce that truly reflects the changing attitudes of the gaming community. While the Women in Games Ambassador program has now amassed 446 global individual ambassadors and 12 corporate partners to support the development and progression of women and girls throughout the industry.
