Girls in Gaming

For many years, there has been a long-standing stereotype that girls don’t like to play video games. Well, we are here to tell you that that is simply not the case today!

In 2020, the percentage of female gamers in the U.S. stands at 46%. Even though this percentage has risen in recent years, women have still faced negative perceptions, being overlooked, and demeaning comments in the gaming industry. But thanks to women around the world, the gaming community has been continually evolving and equalizing.

One of the biggest barriers for women in the gaming industry is the stereotype that women don’t like masculine games or the technology behind game design. While this may be true for some, many women today are paving the way in the gaming industry and are changing the way video games are viewed among men and women. Since the beginning of the 1970s, women have played an active role in computer programming and video game engineering, but during the rise of the feminist movement, women started to really challenge the dominant masculinity in the gaming universe and started to find ways to make more gender-neutral games that would invite more female audiences. Since then, women all around the world were starting to be seen as great expanders of the gaming industry rather than a hindrance.

Another powerful stereotype that is still circling the gaming community is that girls aren’t “tough enough” or “competitive enough” or “hard-core enough” to play video games.  It seems that what defines a “true” gamer is his or her skill in complex video games. Well, we’re here to tell you that girls bring great strengths to the world of video games- the ability to multitask, solve complex problems, and powerful female avatars. The presence of female characters as protagonists in video games has doubled in the past 5 years.

Discrimination and harassment are still very present in the gaming community, but they shouldn’t be. Females gamers may still be considered in the minority, but their numbers grow everyday. The gaming industry should encourage more research into female gamers’ incentives and pay attention to their contributions to the culture of gaming.

Happy gaming,
The Street Cred Team