USATODAY: Video games now draw more women than boys

[noxy]

I find this very hard to believe, judging from who I see at game stores and who is playing online (unless these game playing women are channelling adolescent males).
Not that girls don't play games, it just seems like the exeption rather than the norm.

I do see a lot of girls who play computer solitaire, does that count for this study?:shrug:

[heavyness]

"Peter D. Hart Research Associates found 26% of game players are women 18 or older, while 21% are boys 6 to 17"

when you compare numbers like this, aren't you suppose to use the same age groups. nothing against women gamers, but if Peter D. Hart really wanted to show something, they could of done this...

"Peter D. Hart Research Associates found 26% of game players are women 18 or older, while .05% are senior women 65 to 85"



[and remeber, monday nights is ladies night at LanWerx in Seattle (free play for women members), so start showing up ladies, my wife needs someone to frag in UT2003]

[gnarlycranium]

Hey, that'd be cool, if that's the case-- about time they got with the program!! :cool:

[Goon]

urrr...what type of games? are we talking HL, halo, the sims, yahoo bingo?

makes me curious because if they are suddenly such a large population of gamers, where did they come from? these same people several years ago were most likely not playing games, but now as they hit this demographic range they have begun to play them. Why?

Do these statistic include the online gamblers?

[BoydLake]

I know I draw more women than boys.....:p

[tjnyc]

Look at the research sampling about 1000 people and 200 were kids. Now how in the world is that a good basis for a conclusion like this that women are playing more games than young boys when the research is 80% adults and only 20% kids? Not to mention that this research was most likely done by phone, which in case the researchers by law have to get a parents approval to poll minors. How many kids do you know are going to be honest about the amount of playing and the type of games they play while their parents are looming over them. This is not say that women are not playing video games, but I doubt this research is accurate, seems like a conclusion that was already made, the poll was just to get some numbers to fit the conclusion. Happens all the time in business supported statistics. Like my Statistic prof told us in college, all statistical results are flawed and biased by nature.

[Signal2Noise]

I know more women now that are playing computer games. A few years ago these women scoffed at games of any sort and now...

My wife isn't into them but she got really addicted to Buffy for the XBox. She cant wait for the sequel.

Her female friends & relatives of ours are now playing games which include: The Sims (PC &/or XBox), Diablo II (PC), Neverwinter Nights (PC), Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic (XBox), Myst series (PC &/or XBox), The Longest Journey (PC), Syberia (PC), and Civ III (PC).

I think it's cool!:thumbsup:

[mattregnier]

I believe it...My fiance would never even go near anything other than the classic nes or yahoo games, but then I bought Baldur's Gate: DA for the xbox and she's hooked on it. I've finally brought her into the next gen of gaming...Now if only I could get her to understand Counterstrike... :)

[F. Hultqvist]

The only time I see women playing games is when I visit the arcade and I see them dancing away on that dancing game there, you know, that one there . . .

[Tex3D]

DOn't forget that The Sims has been the #1 selling game for a LOOONG time and a great portion of the players of that are women.

I still DOUBT that more women play than boys, but The Sims may account for the high number.

My ex LOVED anything OTHER than FPS games. She even kicked my ass in Tekken...Once:blush:

A lot of chicas that hang out with me Love playing Buffy on X-Box, or anything that uses mental skills rather than testosterone.

Tetris anyone??

-Dave

[PhilOsirus]

They just said more women play videogames than young kids. In the end, it is just one study, but it is an absolute fact that a lot more women are playing videogames now. RPGs are very popular among girls (like Final Fantasy and such), but even games like Halo attract some girls.

A lot of girls in college end up playing games on their computers, something that was not quite likely. And since games can often be a social activity since multiplayer is more popular than ever, it is not rare that girlfriends or wives will end up playing along with their boyfriends/hushbands.

[erilaz]

As long as more people are playing games, I'm happy. :)

[CADster]

i know my wife and daughter play games like crazy, and this was not the case 2 years ago.

the wife mostly plays card games and board games via the internet

the daughter plays the Xbox more then anyone in the house. she is a huge fighting game fan

I play the computer. games like 1/2, MOHAA, Blitzkreig, etc. this is just a small fraction on what defines a game.

The son plays lego games and at hotwheels.com alot.. he is 7

[t-toe]

I can almost guarantee it's referring to those online Yahoo-type games and stuff like The Sims. We're not talking Halo and Zelda here, folks.

[CADster]

Originally posted by t-toe
I can almost guarantee it's referring to those online Yahoo-type games and stuff like The Sims. We're not talking Halo and Zelda here, folks.

so what the difference ?

a game is a game ... no matter what flavor it is.

[Agent D]

Unfortunately, yes, that study is referring mostly to casual games. (And even then women play less than men according to this questionable survey)

The truth is that there is still a low percentage of girl gamers out there, but it's at least getting better. :shrug:


*Edit* CADster: Well, casual games are a lot less involved, complicated, and rewarding, IMO. Tetris and Solitaire vs Battlefield 1942 and Morrowind...

*Another edit* Countdown before this thread enters the "Differences between spacial and perceptive areas of average male/female brains pertaining to 3D graphics" begins now. ;)

[lone]

26 and 21 equal 47; what about the other 53%?

[Bonstar]

I'm a female and I play games, sure I like the sims but that's not all I play! :thumbsup:

[CADster]

Originally posted by Agent D
*Edit* CADster: Well, casual games are a lot less involved, complicated, and rewarding, IMO. Tetris and Solitaire vs Battlefield 1942 and Morrowind...

and i agree with you completely, but this still dont change the fact that its all still games. My wife plays black and white as well as tip-top. you would not count one and not the other. my daughter plays soul caliber on the Xbox and quake3 on her PC.

there is a big difference between a ferarri and a chevy... but both are still vehicles and the numbers sold between both would still go into a 'total vehicles sold' stat.

[gnarlycranium]

I'm female, and I detest the Sims. :annoyed:

I also detest being so darn unusual!!

[RobertoOrtiz]

In my opinion there seem to be a generation gap.
For the life of me I have not yet met any women over 30 that are into games.

But I have meet a couple of women under 25 that are gamers.

I guess the guys in college now are quite lucky.

-Roberto

[eYadNesS]

Really I like the games which include cool girls, for example:
I hate Criss and I love Jill in Resident Evil 1
I hate Leon and I love Clair in Resident Evil 2
I like Tomb Raider, because Lara Craft...
I like the Female characters in Tekken (my love Nina)
I like Dead or Alive becasue it's full of girls
I like Rogena in Dino Crisis
I like Final Fantasy 8 becasue Quists and my love Rinoa
I like Final Fantasy 9 because my little girl Ecco
And more more more game and girls...

But in the same time I like some male characters like Snake in Metal Gear.

And in my arts gallery I'm always drawing girls (and one time I have draw a male, unfortunately he looks like a sexy girl!)

But I'm working in a game devlopment team, all the artists in this team draw male characters without me I'm drawing females lol :)

[richcz3]

Originally posted by Bonstar
I'm a female and I play games, sure I like the sims but that's not all I play! :thumbsup:
This is journalism for the wishful thinking.

I have played at established PC clubs here in LA and can tell you, that 90% are males from 13-22.
The next 9% are 23-38. Maybe 1% girls aged 13-19.
If there are any girls/young women they are there because of their boyfriend. Sure they will play, but they would rather be somewhere else if they could.

I can totaly agree on games like Evercrack and the Sims, as there is a built on community interaction that appeals equally or more so to woman. Occasionaly I have a LAN here and between nieces and their friends 14-16, they can play very well against the guys. When it gets the fourth or fifth hour though, they get bored of the repetativeness, shut the game down and go to a girl orientated site.

Aside from Bonstar who seems to have popped out from nowhere, even Cg is predominately male. I guess we can continue to dream, but there is little I have seen in public to support these claims.
Besides, do you really want your girl couped up in front of a computer doing nothing else until you show up at her place. Just to be ignored because she hasn't finished the level. :surprised
Umm not me.

Viva Le Difference!!

Hey look everyone Bonstar....shes a girl. Wow that makes 4 women here on CGTalk...were making inroads now...wooohooo!!!


richc3

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