In 2020, 96% of boys and 76% of girls reported playing video games regularly, while the corresponding figures were 96% and 63% in 2018 [14]. Since video gaming is more prevalent among boys than girls [15,16], the literature has particularly focused on male adolescence.
Research indicates that how genders are portrayed in games can influence players' perception of gender roles, and that young girls prefer to play a character of their own gender much more than boys do. On average, female-led games sell fewer copies than male-led ones, but also have lower marketing budgets.
Gender stereotypes are beliefs about the attributes of women and men that are reflected in the representations of video game characters. For example, female characters are fewer in number, more often sexualised and presented as 'non-essential' or 'passive' characters in games.
Gamer Demographics
The majority of gamers in the US are male (55%). In terms of raw numbers, there are approximately 1.7 billion male gamers. And 1.39 billion female gamers worldwide. According to the latest data, 4 in 5 (80%) gamers are over 18.
In 2020, 96% of boys and 76% of girls reported playing video games regularly, while the corresponding figures were 96% and 63% in 2018 [14]. Since video gaming is more prevalent among boys than girls [15,16], the literature has particularly focused on male adolescence.
While 48% of women in the United States report having played a video game, only 6% identify as gamers, compared to 15% of men who identify as gamers as of 2015. This rises to 9% among women aged 18–29, compared to 33% of men in that age group.
In 2022, women accounted for 48 percent of gamers in the United States, up from 45 percent of U.S. gamers identifying as women during the previous year.
Game developer distribution worldwide 2014-2021, by gender
A game developer survey in 2021 found that 61percent of responding game developers were men, while 30 percent were women. The share of female game developers is up from 21 percent in 2017.
For some, it can be an outlet for fantasy. For others, it can be much like dressing in the clothing of the opposite sex. Gay men, for example, seem to be more comfortable with in-game gender swapping. Other studies have shown that older and more experienced players are also more likely to have opposite-sex avatars.
Sexism against women in online video game environments is a controversial and divisive problem in the gaming community (Tang et al., 2020). Women gamers regularly suffer harassment, discrimination, and sexist attitudes while playing (Ruvalcaba et al., 2018; Tang et al., 2020).
The Male Brain on Video Games
The brain-imaging study by researchers at Stanford's school of medicine suggests that while playing video games, men have more activity in the mesocorticolimbic center, the region of the brain associated with reward and addiction, than women.
Gender-specific socialisation: From birth, we are faced with certain socially constructed gender roles. "Video games" are seen as an activity with a more male connotation. This leads, for example, to the fact that it is often not even assumed at first that girls* are interested in computer games or could develop them.
Yet, despite this perception, according to a 2015 Pew Research study, in America the numbers are almost equal. In 2020, 48 percent of US gamers were women, up from 45 percent the year before. As American sociologist and professor T. L.
Most people use the terms gamer girl and girl gamer interchangeably. For people who associate the term gamer girl with the negative “fake” stereotype, the alternative girl gamer is a way to emphasize the gamer part of their identity. Girl gamers are a kind of gamer, but gamers first and foremost.
A new study by Stanford University School of Medicine researchers has found the part of the brain that generates rewarding feelings is activated more in men than women when playing video games.
While we do see differences in the genres being played, there is no real difference in the actual amount of gaming being done. 86% of both men and women are gaming at a rate of at least once a week.
According to our Digital 2022 report, over 80% of female internet users aged 16-44 play video games.
According to a 2020 report by Entertainment Software Association, 41% of gamers in the United States are female.
New research for Sky Broadband shows that of 4,000 female gamers surveyed 49% have faced abuse or harassment when playing or streaming online - rising to 75% of those aged 18 to 24.
During a 2019 survey, 39 percent of female gamers stated that they played Pokémon Go, while a further 34 percent played the battle royale game Fortnite.
There are now an estimated one billion girl gamers in the world, so why is the stereotype that games are a pastime for teenage boys still so prominent?
Traditionally, males have been thought to have an advantage over females in sports. Even in electronic gaming (eSports), where physical attributes do not confer an advantage, females face limitations in participation.
The Gender Gap in Esports
The popularity of competitive esports has grown significantly since the 1990s, earning billions of dollars. And while pro gaming is the only sport where men don't have a physical advantage over the other gender, it's also heavily male-dominated.
There are around 3.04 billion gamers worldwide, with an average age of 33 years (34 years for females).
The most common gender-specific challenges that women have faced include: having their performance patronized due to their gender (e.g., comments like “You're pretty good for a girl”), unwanted sexual messages through in-game chat or post-game DMs, and unwanted messages asking for dates or a relationship.