investiGaming is a publication of the Serious Game Design group in the Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media at Michigan State University, 2007-2009
This gateway is partially supported by grant 0631771 from the National Science Foundation.
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What Women WantinvestiGaming › Tags › What Women Want
Scope Definition: WHAT WOMEN WANT is about preferences in video and computer games.
Selected Highlights from WHAT WOMEN WANT tag (scroll down to see the full list of entries with this tag, including links to the entries)
Features and Themes that Women Like
• Elements of games that are girl-friendly are: a female playable character, cooperative play (with another player), the ability to create thing, an environment that is based in reality, puzzles, positive feedback, availability of help, a slow or variable pace, clearly explained rules, the absence of violence, no killing, and no theme of good versus evil. (Glaubke, 2001)
• Girls like to see female characters in video games, yet females account for only 16% of all characters. (Glaubke, 2001)
• Male characters were most likely to be portrayed as competitors (47%), while female characters were most likely to be portrayed as props or bystanders (50%). Male and female character roles and behaviors were frequently stereotyped, with males more likely to engage in physical aggression and females more likely to scream, wear revealing clothing, and be nurturing. Video games in this study contained very few features found to be appealing to girls. PC games were the most likely of any of the game systems to contain features that appeal to girls. (Glaubke, 2001)
• Gender differences were prominent in what gamers like about playing and in patterns of use. Girls and women tended to play games that involve more driving, life simulation (like The Sims), and puzzle games. Female gamers are much less interested in fast action, first person shooter, ‘swords and sandals’, ‘hack and slash’ and football games, than males. Girls were less likely to seek social rewards of gaming, such as bragging about their performance, helping each other, sharing experiences, or playing against each other. Girls and women tended to play fewer games and have shorter sessions than males. Other entertainment interests, especially social interests, competed with gaming, for girls, and they did not expect to play when they get older. Females were less likely to play in groups. (Dawson, 2007)
• On average, girls and women were less involved with video games than boys and men, and when they did play, they often preferred different games. Females said they disliked video games that lacked meaningful social interaction, had violent content, and had characters that were sexual stereotypes. They were less attracted to competitive elements in video games. (Klimmt, 2006)
• Alternative Reality Games seem to do things that are suggested to appeal to female gamers, such as a strong story and strong female characters in the game, female developers, vibrant communities, and accessible game mechanics. For example, a game should deliver rewards immediately, to accommodate the shorter duration of play that is typical of women. Don’t call the easiest mode “girly-man.” Have a well-moderated forum. Allow networked play, particularly between friends. Encourage social interaction. Include more female characters, and not just as sex objects. Have more developed story lines. Other games should imitate ARGs. (Phillips, 2005)
• Research on “what girls like best” in gaming has stalled in thinking, drawing from the early work of Cassells and Jenkins. A gamut of gender stereotypes have become canonical in the field, re-instated by Sheri Graner-Ray. Games studies research on “what girls like best” needs to be re-thought drawing on broader approaches to gender and socio-cultural studies, or else the research will further legitimate inequalities and stereotypes. (Jensen, 2007)
• A majority of both men and women chose female avatars with exaggerated sexual features and did not consider them abnormal. However, clothes made a big difference. Both men and women preferred female avatars that are dressed modestly and show less skin. Avatars representing negative stereotypes of women were shunned and those representing positive stereotypes were preferred. (Larsson, 2005)
• Women imagined fantasy technology instruments as tools for human relationships (connecting people, communicating, collaborating) serving to integrate their public and private lives. Men saw new imagined machines as something that would extend their power over the physical universe, such as giving them absolute control, tremendous speed, or unlimited knowledge. (Honey, 1991)
• The game culture is highly enamored of technology and this has led to styles that mostly appeal to men. For example, space is a domain to be conquered, and the environment is a battlefield in which players shoot and fight. Alternatively, games could cultivate a sense of wonder within a magical world. (Fullerton, 2008)
• Game worlds are still largely about epic struggles and portray women in stereotypes, in spite of the arrival and ubiquitous use of games like Second Life and Sims2 that are gender-neutral. (Brunner, 2008)
• Females play The Sims to relax, enjoy features of the game, and engage in a fantasy world. They are not seeking competition. Most have no contact with other female gamers, apart from the women they talk to online. The players learned digital skills from playing, such as how to structure information on a computer and how to search the internet. Gaming literature should consider that there are differences among female gamers now; they should not be treated as a homogeneous group. (Vosmeer, 2007)
• All six studies showed that the more players felt autonomy and competence with a game, the more they enjoyed it, valued it, and wanted to play it again. Violent content did not add to their experience, nor interfere with it. Players who were more aggressive were more likely to prefer games with violent content, but it did not increase their enjoyment or immersion. Males were more likely to be aggressive and select more violent games. Males reported higher sense of competence than women. (Przybylski, 2009)
• Women may be under-represented in certain game genres not because they don’t like the games, but because men dominate physical and social access points and discourage the women. Once players enter the game, they may find other things they like. For example, women may like slaying dragons and men might find socializing fun along with slaughtering innocent rabbits. One area for potential development is encouraging play between romantic partners. Games also bring together high school students and professors, retired war veterans, and stay-at-home moms, which is not common in other physical or virtual worlds. (Yee, 2008)
• Early attempts to attract girls to gaming in the 1990s thought that “pink and lavender, lipstick and nail polish” would persuade them to play games. Many feminists worry that the reliance on stereotypes will further separate gaming worlds of men and women. Different groups hold conflicting viewpoints as to what types of games will promote feminine, feminist, female, and societal interests. (Cassell, 1998)
• The time that children spent playing games decreased from the fourth to the eighth grade. Boys played more than girls. Children’s preference for general entertainment games increased over time, while preference for educational games decreased. The popularity of violent games remained constant. Girls preferred fantasy violence more than boys. Boys preferred human and sports violence. (Buchman, 1996)
• Girls were definitely interested in playing games. They were particularly interested in social interaction with others. They indicated a preference for playing on computers over video game systems. (Inkpen, 1994)
• Middle-school girls in a lunchtime gaming club who were in a social mood chose dual-player “pick-up-and-play” driving or fighting games using consoles. Girls who wanted to play alone put on headphones and used PCs, and played action adventure or simulation games. Their preferences changed from week to week; they were not static. It is not just gender that predisposes preferences, but also social context and situation, prior exposure, access, and peer culture. As the girls gained competence, they could see different possibilities in various games and try them. Rather than look at static preferences by gender, we should talk about a dynamic games literacy. (Carr, 2005a)
• What we think of as preferences of girls for certain games may be due to differences of access, competence, and peer culture than gender. As players gained competence they changed their preferences and recognized different features of games. Gaming tastes were alterable and site specific. We should not deny that gendered tastes exist, but also recognize that other malleable variables are in operation. (Carr, 2005b)
Why Getting Girls to Play is Important
• We don’t worry about women participating in the web any more, but we still worry about two things: whether girls do and can and should play computer games and the fact that women are still not adequately represented in fields that design digital technology. (Jenkins, 2008)
• Girls were taking the AP Computer Science test at a low rate (17%). Women were only about 20% of IT professionals. Women made up half the workforce yet only 20% of those with information technology credentials. Women received less than 28% of computer science bachelor’s degrees, and that percentage is down from a high of 37% in 1984. Women made up only 9% of engineering-related bachelor’s degrees. Recruiting women is a way to meet the IT talent shortage. Our educational system needs to adopt practices that will increase the participation of girls in technology education. (AAUW, 2000)
• Ellen Beeman, a producer of The Matrix Online and long-time designer of video games, talks about what would spark a woman’s interest in a career in gaming. (Bedigian, 2004)
The Business of Appealing to Girls
• The game industry cannot continue to grow unless it taps new markets, especially women. By understanding differences between men and women, the industry can apply the knowledge to traditional genres and tap the future market. (Ray, 2003)
• The scarcity of girl-friendly video games sends the message to girls that using computers and video games are activities for boys and are not acceptable for girls. (Glaubke, 2001)
• The games industry is still focused on its first target customer: a 23-year-old, single, male technophile. All gamers, male and female, liked four kinds of fun: the fun of mastery, curiosity, better thinking or behavior, and socializing with friends. The top 20 best-selling games in 2005 still use four basic scenarios (fighting, war-strategy, sports, and racing). Women were not looking for an “easier time” or games for women. Both genders liked a challenge but women dislike violence. The industry has an opportunity for a wider market by engaging more emotion, reducing violence, and increasing fun. (Lazzaro, 2008)
• Three popular computer games: Arcanum, Warcraft III, and The Sims, are not very suitable as entertainment for girls. They could be made to be more entertaining and interesting by adding some features that girls like. Or, new games could be based on them but designed for girls. (Nakamura, 2005)
• There was a gender gap among college students who played video games, although a sizable female minority played games. The limited popularity of games among females can be explained by the way they are represented in the games and in publicity. Changes in content could make games more appealing to women. (Ivory, 2002)
• It is possible to do socially positive work in the business of developing new media such as games, multimedia, and virtual reality, as well as make money. The founder of Purple Moon and employee of Interval Research Corporation tells how. (Laurel, 2001)
• Morgan Romine talks about what the game industry should do to appeal to women. (Kafai, 2008)
Bias Against Girls and Women
• Schools need to provide more access to modern technologies to all groups. (Culp, 2002)
• There appeared to be increased segregation of pro-players by sex, and more single sex teams. There were higher prize winnings for male teams. Women’s competitions appeared to have a secondary status. There was a “glamorization” of women game players in the marketing and promotion of some female-only teams. (Taylor, 2008)
A Girl’s View of Computers and Games
• Girls tended to see the computer as a tool and not as a toy. (Culp, 2002)
• Having more women in IT may lead to less male-focused game worlds. (Culp, 2002)
• "Just as young girls may interpret highly sexualized characters as symbols of the ‘ideal woman,’ so too may young boys. These impressions may influence girls’ feelings about themselves and their place in the world, and they may also influence boys’ expectations and treatment of females.” (Glaubke, 2001)
American Association of University Women (AAUW) (2000)
Synopsis:
A report from a commission that looked at information technology and the education of girls, consulting 900 teachers, 70 girls, and 14 experts.
Keywords:
IT careers, middle school, girls designing games, what women want
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
An interview with Ellen Beeman, a producer of The Matrix Online.
Keywords:
industry, media-press, interview, workforce, storytelling, what women want
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
The paper considers whether the past decade of tremendous change in our uses of technology is also reflected in the evolution of game worlds toward gender-neutral environments.
Keywords:
book, chapter, gender stereotypes, gender inclusive, masculinity, feminity, what women want, what men want, IT careers
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
The study examined the game-playing habits of 900 children.
Keywords:
journal, children, violence, what women want, what men want
Full Text: No | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
A study of eight girls, 9 to 13 years old, who were members of a lunchtime gaming club at their all-girls school in South London. 55 classmates were also surveyed.
Keywords:
conference, England, what women want, educational games, game design
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
A study of gaming preferences of girls in a club at an all-girls school in the U.K.
Keywords:
journal, what women want, United Kingdom, gaming social context
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
A discussion of girls and gaming, and how to encourage more girl players.
Keywords:
pink games, book, chapter, feminism, what women want,
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
The article speculated on what it will take to close the digital divide between men and women, building on AAUW’s report Tech Savvy and other work.
Keywords:
book, chapter, computer skills, IT careers, what women want, media literacy
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
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
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
Proposes a “new poetics” of game space in which game design is more egalitarian and games themselves draw on a wider range of spatial and cognitive models.
Keywords:
academia, journal article, MMO, player types, motivations, pink games, what women want, game design, competition, storytelling, empowerment, femininity, the Sims
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
Examines the top-selling video games for each of the seven different game systems and identifies some of the unhealthy social messages that video games may be sending to young players about violence, gender and race.
Keywords:
survey, report, children, player demographics, violence, ethnicity, avatars, what women want
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
Women who are successful in technology careers said a number of experiences were encouraging: role models, support, collaboration, assignments based in real life, and play associated with math, science, and technology activities. They gained motivation especially from fathers, male peers, and male
Keywords:
report, IT careers, what women want,
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
Studies how girls interact within a game environment, in the interactive science museum Science World BC during the summer of 1993. Part of a large-scale research project aimed at increasing the number of children who enjoy learning math concepts through games.
Keywords:
journal, case study, educational games, what women want, gaming social context
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
Observations from a survey of college students and differences in game playing between men and women. Also, a review and content analysis of games and publicity.
Keywords:
conference, survey, what women want,
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
A paper on women’s participation in computer games.
Keywords:
book, chapter, gender stereotypes, what women want, game industry, The Sims, genre casual games, genre educational games, gender inclusive, Desperate Housewives
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
Commentary on research about “what girls like best” and needed shifts in thinking.
Keywords:
conference, gaming culture, gender stereotypes, what women want, game design
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
An interview with Tracy J. Butler, the creator of web comic Lackadaisy and a 3-D artist for online MMOGs, about the industry.
Keywords:
industry, media-press, interview, game industry, workforce, working conditions, IT careers, what women want, gender inclusive
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
Two studies of German females who play video games.
Keywords:
journal, case study, Germany, gender stereotypes, survey, what women want,
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
A study of the characteristics of female avatars, stereotypes of women, and how men and women relate to hyper-sexualized avatars.
Keywords:
report, academia, sexuality, avatars, what women want, what men want, gender stereotypes
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
Discusses the problem of men and women in the game industry base decisions about what boys and girls want on their own childhood experiences.
Keywords:
book, chapter, what men want, what women want, gender stereotypes, game design, Purple Moon, game industry
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
A book about entrepreneur Brenda Laurel’s game industry experiences with her company, Purple Moon, a series of computer games for girls.
Keywords:
book, game industry, what women want, game design, pink games, gender stereotypes
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
A field study of 30 adults observed for a composite total of 45 hours playing favorite games, including video recordings of what players said and did and verbal and non-verbal emotional cues during play.
Keywords:
book, chapter, what women want, what men want, case study, gaming culture, gaming social context, gender inclusive, player types, motivations, player demographics
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
Three games, Arcanum, Warcraft III, and The Sims, are examined for their match with preferences of girls.
Keywords:
academia, journal, player types, Arcanum, Warcraft III, The sims, what women want
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
A speculation on what game designers can learn from Alternative Reality Games that do a lot of things that that appeal to women.
Keywords:
alternate reality gaming, ARG, media-press, industry, what women want
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
Six studies, two survey based and four experimental, explored the relations between violent content and people’s motivation and enjoyment of video game play.
Keywords:
academia, experiment, journal, violence, what women want, what men want
Full Text: No | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
Chapters explore aspects of computer gaming, e.g. the differences in reward systems, game play preferences, and avatar selection criteria, and how these issues all apply to game design and designing games to appeal to women.
Keywords:
book, game design, gender inclusive, avatars, motivations, what women want
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
Summarize findings on girls’ interactions with computers and discovers how girls generate views and knowledge that are both personally meaningful and useful. Provides practical considerations for classroom use of technology.
Keywords:
book, chapter, editorial, professional gaming, CounterStrike, gender stereotypes, gaming culture, what women want, gender identity, gender equity
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
A study of female players of The Sims and The Sims 2 between the ages of 17 and 59, through 23 face-to-face interviews and 34 email interviews.
Keywords:
conference, article, The Sims, The Sims 2, motivations, what women want, computer skills, internet use, media literacy
Full Text: No | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
A study of the game Counter-Strike, played in internet cafes, and its accessibility to women.
Keywords:
academia, gaming culture, gaming social context, what women want, counterstrike, non gamers
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
Interview with a captain of an all-girls gaming team.
Keywords:
book, chapter, interview, professional gaming, avatars, violence, what women want
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
An interview with a leading female game designer.
Keywords:
book, chapter, interview, what women want, Ultima, what men want
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes
Synopsis:
Multiple Surveys with data from 2,000 to 4,000 MMO players are combined with in-game observation to study various hypotheses about the dynamics of gender, play, and relationships in MMOs.
Keywords:
book, chapter, survey, player demographics, MMO, player types, what women want, what men want, co play, gaming social context
Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes