Video Games: Research to improve understanding of what players enjoy about video games, and to explain their preferences for particular games
Author: Dawson, C. R., A. Cragg, Taylor, C. and Toombs, B.
Date: 2007
Source: British Board of Film Classification (BBFC)
Full Text Link:
http://www.bbfc.co.uk/downloads/pub/Policy%20and%20Research/BBFC%20Video%20Games%20Report.pdf
Synopsis:
An extensive, large qualitative study of British players between the ages of 7 and 40, including interviews and discussion groups with players, parents, professionals, and journalists examines gender differences related to what gamers like and patterns of use.
Keywords:
case study, report, England, game genres, casual games, Gaming Social Context, Player types, Motivations, what women want
Abstract:
Gender differences are prominent in what gamers like about playing, and in patterns of use. Girls and women tend to play different games – more driving, ‘strategic life simulation’ (The Sims), and puzzle games, less first person shooter, hack and slash and sports games. There are certainly exceptions, but it is probably fair to say that girls and women stay calmer and set achievable objectives whereas boys and men tilt towards jeopardy and excitement. In part because of the games they play, the social rewards of gaming – bragging about it, helping each other, playing against each other – are less evident amongst girls than boys.
The research was qualitative and consisted principally of interviews and discussions with people who play games. There was also fieldwork with parents, people involved in the production of games, games designers and games reviewers writing in the specialist press.
• most gamers and professionals believe that gaming appeals more strongly to boys and men than to girls and women, but professionals say that this male bias is steadily weakening
• there are exceptions, but girls and women typically play fewer games and have shorter sessions; males are more likely to make time to play, females to fit playing around other interests and activities
• most boys talk about video games more than most girls, and share their gaming experiences more
• most males expect to go on playing as they get older (though less intensely), whereas women often expect other priorities to squeeze out video games
Implications for Game Industry:
(implications by Carrie Heeter, Professor, Michigan State University, )
General Insights about Females and Gaming
LESS TIME
Females devote significantly less time to playing and they played a more limited range of games.
DIFFERENT GAMES
Female gamers are in general much less interested in fast action, first person shooter, ‘swords and sandals’, ‘hack and slash’ and football games than males and girls appear not to regard 18+ games as cool in the same way. Girls and women seem less interested in keenly competitive games.
LESS OBSESSED
Partly because of the games they choose to play but also because they prioritise other activities, female gamers seem able to play for shorter periods, often about half an hour. They seem better able to stop once they have reached an objective – got up to another level – and not to lock on immediately to the next objective.
OTHER INTERESTS MATTER MORE
Female players see video games as an entertaining option for occasions when there is nothing more sociable or dynamic on offer. Girls seem to fit gaming around other interests
They think gaming will prove to be a transitional interest; they do not expect to play when they are older, often, it seems, because they assume they will have better things to do. School girls are not preoccupied with gaming as they go through their day. Females do not to have an urgent curiosity about what new games will be like.
SOCIAL COMPETITION LESS IMPORTANT
Females play less often in groups than the men. More broadly, the social rewards of gaming – talking about how you are doing, playing together, helping or beating each other – are less a part of the attraction for females than males.
LESS IMMERSION
It is probably fair to say that most female players seem to get less involved in playing, less ‘immersed’ than most of the males, although they are often very determined to do well in the sense of beating their best time, or getting to the next level. Their emphasis is more often on relaxation and ‘chilling out’, although many enjoy the excitement of driving/race games.
GIRLS WITH BROTHERS BECOME HARDCORE
Girls who become keen on gaming following the example of their brothers often become ‘hard core’ gamers, playing games more often associated with boys.
General Insights about Males and Gaming
COMMITMENT TO GAMING
Boys start playing video games at a younger age.
Boys typically play more games
Many boys look forward to playing and think about strategies.
For many boys/men gaming is an important interest in itself.
Futureplay Boys by contrast usually think – ‘why wouldn’t I’? – although most anticipate having less time to devote to it.
SOCIAL REWARDS
Boys share games.
Boys who know the latest cheats in popular games are sought after in the playground.
Word of mouth is yet more important as an influence on choice amongst boys than girls.
Social interaction related to gaming, and especially discussion of how you are doing in a game, is more common amongst boys than girls.
Boys quite often get their mates round and play together.
It is also quite common for boys to help each other reach the next level.
Male gamers, especially those in their late teens or early twenties who play sports games, notably football, love the competition and the camaraderie of beating their mates. Many play at weekends, after a session in the pub.
OBSESSIVE PLAY
Manymen had been through periods when they reported playing until they fell asleep, and then starting again as soon as they woke up.
Makes are liable to get hooked and play for longer than they anticipated.
For many (mainly male) gamers, gaming is straightforwardly compulsive; you play until you have to stop.
YOUNG BOYS
Whereas many adult male gamers enjoy violent action, boys aged up to about eleven are often uncomfortable about violence especially if it involves ‘innocent people’.
Young boys are prone to boast about having played 18+ games.
Some young boys say they think it is more difficult, and therefore more engrossing, to play against the computer. It is also occasionally argued that some games are not so good when configured for more than one player.
GENDER VALUES
Most male gamers appear to regard women who are keen on games as unusual.
Implications for Game Design
- Reaching female gamers is going to be a harder sell than reaching male gamers.
- The social dynamics surrounding gaming are quite different for males and females. Game design for males can tap out-of-game collaboration and obsession, but game design for females should assume neither.
- Males seem to enjoy playing more and play for longer. Game design for females needs to accomodate lower levels of obsession and less time commitment.
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(implications by Jason Giroux, Digital Game Design and Development Undergraduate Student, Michigan State University, )
The Summary
Some key gender differences found within the research categories include:
- Boys tend to start playing games earlier than girls
- Young and unmarried men are the most likely to upgrade to new hardware soonest
- New games especially are a hot topic of socialization for boys and word of mouth is more influential over their choice of games
- Gamers of both sexes think that females are less interested in playing games than males
- The author’s opinion is that female gamers tend to see games as an entertaining option when more lucrative and social activities aren’t available
- Girls play in shorter time intervals, on average, than boys
- For many gamers, especially men, the tendency to play longer than anticipated is compulsory and they play until they have to stop
What Does It Mean?
All of these gender differences add up to some significant and over-arching themes:
- Women find playing games as a less social option than others and often play alone (although dance and karaoke games were sometimes popular), whereas men tend to value the competition and camaraderie of playing head-to-head against friends
- Gaming is a more public aspect of a male’s life compared to females’, talking about games is a common topic for discussion amongst men
- Enthusiastic female gamers are less engrossed by gaming than enthusiastic male gamers, spending less of their income on games and playing less frequently and in shorter intervals
Going In-Depth
Perhaps the most important information that can be drawn from gender differences described in this qualitative research concerns the social impact of gaming on both genders. Men tend to play more multiplayer games that allow them to create joint experiences of playing with friends. This shared experience and knowledgebase leads to discussion about games when men are not actually playing. Women, on the other hand, tended to view gaming as a less social option than other forms of entertainment. Whether or not this was due to a lack of multiplayer games designed with women in mind already or inherent difference in how each gender engages with video games.
Given this difference we can pull some game implications. Games designed for men should award them with easily recognizable medals, achievements, scores, etc. that can be shown or told to friends. Head-to-head competition in games is also more engaging to men than women. No real distinction concerning cooperative multiplayer was addressed. Games designed with women in mind should offer entertaining experiences to the user but less emphasis should be placed on easily recognizable landmarks, achievements, and events as they are less likely to be referenced in any face-to-face discussion or relations. Also, as women tend to play less often and for shorter periods of time a designer should make levels or missions that can fall within these shorter bounds of time. In longer games with more elaborate plots having detailed logs of player’s actions and their current objectives would also be important because longer times between play sessions might make it harder for players to remember.
Editor’s Opinion:
This research addressed the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of gender differences in gaming but not the ‘why’. The implications are qualitative insights and should not be taken as cold, hard fact but rather as suggestions.
Research Highlights:
- Girls who become keen on gaming following the example of their brothers often become ‘hard core’ gamers, playing games more often associated with boys.
- Most male gamers appeared to regard women who are keen on games as unusual.
- Females played less often in groups than the men.
- The social rewards of gaming – talking about how you are doing, playing together, helping or beating each other – are less a part of the attraction for females than for males.
- Girls and women typically play fewer games and have shorter gaming sessions than mem.
- Males are more likely to make time to play while females don’t. Females fit playing around other interests and activities.
This 2006 study by the British Board of Film Classification is based on qualitative research including 16 paired interviews and 8 discussion groups with players aged 7 to 40, 4 parental discussion groups and 2 parental paired interviews, 3 interviews with professionals from the game industry and 2 interviews with journalists who write about games. The 107 page report begins with 47 summary insights organized into the following six categories:
- Patterns of use
- What’s to like? The appeal of video games
- Violence as an element in the appeal of video games
- Gamer concerns about playing video games
- Parental concerns
- Supervision and regulation
