Shocking! Nearly 50% of gamers are female, new ESA study finds

GameZone writes, "A new study by the Entertainment Software Association will hopefully put an end to a long-standing stereotypical belief about gamers with its findings. Gaming isn't being dominated by teenage boys, despite whatever preconceptions may exist."

[majiebeast]

But how many of them play console or PC and how many is on phones,tablets and facebook? Cause i dont see games like candy crush and what other fad of the week game as real games.

[Mr_Nuts]

I know, I hate studies like this because it still dosn't prove stuff...they are studying this in a world where most people call themselfs a gamer for playing on something like Angry Birds. Then you have people playing Wii Fit and other things like that thanks to the Wii making gaming mainstream and casual back in 2006, lets not forget those who feel they need to say their a gamer because gaming all of a sudden is cool and they feel like they need to be a part of it

Lets go back to when console were coming out and where the industry was growing bigger...the NES, SNES, 64, Sega Megadrive even the PS1...you always had that stereotype "Oh those geeks and their computer games" and I bet that the majority of females were the ones to say that. The fact is back then gaming wasn't targeted to females, yes there was some girl gamers but they were made for men, why do you think even today the majority of the gaming industry is formed of men.

So yeah..rant over. I'm just sick of people trying to make a big deal over this equality thing and make it seem like gaming has always been for females aswell when the majority of them used to make fun of guys for playing on them

[Anthotis]

I didn't realise there were so many knitting and housekeeping simulations for them to play.

[specialguest]

The report is flawed. First we have to define what a gamer is. Is it someone who simply plays video games, or is it a person who is dedicated to playing video games, the culture, and community? If a gamer is the latter, then no, those females are not gamers.

This report accounted everyone who plays video games whether on their phone for a quick amusement to pass time or the traditional gamer as a "gamer". The article report seems to be mixing the 2 definitions and culture up, drawing a flawed correlation between each other.

I do consider games like Angry Birds and Candy Crush real games, because there were games like those in the past on consoles which were considered "real" games. I think there is still a distinct line between the traditional gamer vs the person who casually plays simple games just to pass time. So I wouldn't consider those who casually play games a gamer in the traditional sense. I don't believe they openly call themselves a gamer either lol. I have many female friends who play mobile games, and never have they call themselves gamers. I don't even label myself a gamer, it's just a part of my life like working out or watching a movie.

[YNWA96]

Yeah, maybe someday you people will even talk to one of them.... Find out theres life out there....

[Mr_Nuts]

@Gman0174

"You people"....are you trying to insult every male gamer of N4G. How mature

If your not a gamer yourself what you doing on this type of site

[zeal0us]

Games like candy crush and angry birds are real games. If they don't meet the requirement of "real games" then most of the earlier games like Pong and Tetris wouldn't qualify as real games as well.

It doesn't bother me when people who play a bunch of casual games or social networking games, call themselves gamers. I could see if there was some special benefits being called a gamer but there really isn't.

[hiredhelp]

Well my ansew to this article is My GF is a gamer i know many on my freinds list when was on ps3 on webcam that there wife's and GFs also played core games too. Now just think how many ppl have wives and gf to a gamer that also plays there games or have there own.. Sure numbers adds up.
Over the years more more female gamers have grown just gota look at E3 shows gamescon to name few go there look around. Personally i love fact there more female gamers

[mav805]

@beast Exactly my thoughts.

[TheTwelve]

I know girls who game like I do, but I also know a lot of housewives who do Farmville. Are they counting that too?

[starchild]

My girlfriend is a gamer.

[RedHawkX]

girls are mostly into fashion, smart phones, internet facbook, websites, movies, etc. most only play small and popular games that are on smart phones or internet browers because they are cheap and on the devices they use daily. they still use those device other functions way more then gaming on them. chicks talk and text thats what they like to do. I never seen a chick gaming for real on a console like dudes do. the ones that do play games most likely had a brother in the family or father who played.

also the chicks that who game for real are more likely paying nintendo games on nintendo consoles, or handhelds, or mmo social type games where they can talk and text alot.

[GHOSTxx420]

You'd be surprised I know a lot of girls who play REAL games lile cod amd gears. Sh@t more power to them we need more gamer girls

[Black-Helghast]

@Ghost: I don't consider girls who play cod real gamers either. Most of them play cod not for fun but for attention, chicks dig that crap. Example, when you see a woman in a cod lobby, there's always at least one guy who starts talking to her. Most of the time they hit on her and add her for no reason (I've seen it with one of my female friends a lot.) Another thing is, they only probably play games most people buy. Example Call of Duty, NBA 2k, etc. If you ask them about Bioshock, Borderlands, Metal Gear they'll be like huh? What? So yeah.

Hell I was getting to know this chick once and I told her I loved playing games and she was like oh my gaaah me toooo, I love playing call of duty and black ops. call of duty AND black ops. I mean, come on..

[HammadTheBeast]

Well, Cooking Mama is pretty good....

I'm joking of course, just pointing this out now, before Yahoo News makes an article about how sexist N4G is.

[3-4-5]

Farmville apps and such don't count as much....but at least they are playing some kind of game. it's a start.

[politikos]

Here here. Furthermore this isn't even news. There were studies being published back in 2005/06 saying exactly the same thing!

[Gardenia]

Yeah, if you only include PC and consoles the numbers would be very different

[HeroPsychoDreamer]

All I know is that my girlfriend is definitely not part of that 50%.

[Kingthrash360]

this^^^.....unless you include candy crush.....which I dont.

[Heisenburger]

Because you make the rules?

Because YOU say that they don't meet some arbitrary regulations?

Who do you think you are, some kind of a king? ;) lol

Jk man

I don't *know if they are what WE would call "gamers". But it also doesn't make me mad like some people on this thread(not you) that they label themselves as such.

[Kingthrash360]

lol...yeah that just what I mean ...example: my girl is playing candy crush....as I speak she's next to me playing it......now thats good and all but it doesnt make her a gamer.....why...because imo you have to do gamer things to be a gamer. was she watcing e3 live stream...no. does she know the difference between wii and wiiu? or xbox and xbox1? hell no. does she get pissed when she hears the "beep" of the PlayStation booting up YES! ....so yeah chicks play games but are they GAMERS? sometimes...it just depends on if they do gamer things imo.....I do know gamer girls shermae onthis very site is very much a gamer....my cousins girl has beaten demon souls, tlou, all gta's, all tomb raiders hates uncharted and like to troll wiiu owners on facebook...so yeah gamer girls our here but 50% is a little high imo.

[SpideySpeakz]

The thing about statistics is that it's fundamentally bias down to it's root, and sometimes misleading.
Do these stats include the Casual audience? If so, then it isn't that 'shocking' after all. Women are the biggest Casual audience there is, and I don't consider casuals true gamers.

[NihonjinChick]

Well, it depends what you mean by "casual". Games like Mario, Sonic, and others appeal largely to the casual market. Are you saying that those aren't true games?

[Kratoscar2008]

Mario and Sonic are emmisarries of the most Harcore eras of them all : The Nes/Snes days. They are the definition of harcore.

[wishingW3L]

yeah but only when you take into account the Facebook games and stuff.

[Geovanny]

Not for console.Its probably like 5 percent on that.

[Gamers_United]

How is that shocking ? everybody should know this by now and it's awesome to see the ladies gaming alot

[zerocrossing]

Well I know a whole bunch of girl gamers so that's really not that shocking to me.

[isarai]

Well honestly that wouldn't chock me in the least really, but i'm wondering how many of these "gamers" are just playng a bunch of smartphone games

[NioRide]

And they all think they are special.

[Angeljuice]

Serious Question:
If you are a girl and use this site, let yourself be known!!

(if you dare).

@NioRide
They ARE all special :-)

[Baka-akaB]

How many people even display they are male ? Pretty much everyone here is non descript , the rest is each and everyone's assumption about each individual's gender , especially for our resident trolls .

[MidnytRain]

I assume everyone here is male unless they say otherwise. And if they do I don't believe them.

[Mr_Nuts]

Mika and Pozzle are two....

Funny isn't it, two people completely different, ones a troll, the other is a good commenter/user on this site

[TheOneEyedHound]

How do you know they are girls? They could be trannys for all we know.

[ifritAlkhemyst]

Seriously, who cares other than the companies? And if you do honestly care about the statistics of women playing video games, why do you care? I would seriously like to know, because I've never once given a crap. Gamers are gamers to me.

[Ogygian]

So have 50% of women accepted a candy crush saga request on facebook or have 50% of women invested time into the likes of Half Life 2, TES: Skyrim, Dragon Age and Dishonored?

I tried visiting the ESA website to find the data, and there are no statistical documents clearly expressing methodology along with detailed data (bar some glitzy infographic with next to no statistical depth whatsoever).

As much as I'd love it to be the case that women are enjoying hardcore gaming as much as men, I doubt that is the case, and have a feeling that facts have been concealed here.

[Moncole]

Where do they get this study? I dont remember filling out a survey,

[Conzul]

FARMVILLE IS NOT A GAME

[CLOUD1983]

What a pile of crap, probably they think that people who play facebook/browser games count as gamers... yO dude WTF r u saying? 50% gamers is females? not a chance, my estimate is something like 15-20% & that's it, & I talk for PC/Console games not casual craps u play for a few minutes to pass some times those ppl can't be called "gamers" they r just fooling around.

[Fasttrack76]

Who cares,well on them I say,I bet we've all had are butts kicked by a female on a game.

[Jiggy7d]

I wouldn't mind but this is just not true period....30% maybe....50%?No way.

[ifritAlkhemyst]

I'm enjoying how offended so many people are by this study.

[josephayal]

only the cute ones like video games

[MidnytRain]

If only...

[HowarthsNJ]

The girls in my family are sports fans and play COD etc online.

Oddly enough, I don't :-)

[Kratoscar2008]

I doubt they are 50% the obejctive of these are stuides are mainly to proof that female gamers should be appealed when making games, the thing is that most females dont exactly get into the hobbie like watching gaming news, being fan of a series and so on.

They exist but they are far and between, of all people i know only my sister is a gamer, since she had been playing most games i trew at her:

RE (RE 1-2-3-4-Veronica)
FF (FF7-8-9-10-12)
Crash Bandicoot (1-2-3-Racing)
Silent Hill (1-2-3-4)
and so on, my mom play angry birds but i wouldnt call her exactly a gamer since to her it isnt a hobby.

[Klonopin]

Does that mean Woman's golf isn't dull anymore?

[yewles1]

REALLY???

*goes to eHarmony*

[Bathyj]

You might want to change your profile pic. ;)

Yes, I know, im one to talk.

[Indo]

LOL!!! Funniest comment and reply I've seen in a while

[calvincrack]

this bothers me. i am more interested in what percentage of the people who played RE4 were girls. or Call of Duty, or Silent Hill, or Fallout 3, or Uncharted, or The Last of Us. I seriously think it's more than 80% dudes. And then some.

if someone, male or female told me they were a gamer because they play The Sims, Farmville and that weird Facebook Dragon game, I would laugh it off. No offense, but the term "GAMER" is a bit more serious than colorful IAP grindfests. Although, they are a good gateway.

[sevilha82]

This is bullshit.

I have gamer girl´s in my family(the real kind,that screams in the mic at 3AM while playing counter-strike)And are messy, dont use makeup(well lot´s if it anyways) and dont bitte the controller wire wile taking a selfie.

Gamer girl´s are not as rare as people make them but they are not this common.

society still dispises the gamer(male or female)it still does not understant the meaning of loving video-games,the relax and escape from reallity that games alow us to do,like reading a good book or watching a good movie,and the hero is you.

This "study" besides being a waste of taxpaying money is also a naive study by a group of people that know nothing about the subject and includedd android games and facebbok games,with out separating the world´s.

I can switch a tire but that does not make me a mechanic...Catch my drift?

[rextraordinaire]

I know many girl gamers, hardcore gamers. Even my Mom was a gamer in her lifetime. She got everyone to lvl 99 in FFVI, and most of them with a complete Imp equipment set. And that's just on of the games she played. Now I understand she was an exception, but if I inherited my taste for games from someone, it has to be from my mother.

Besides her, I've always had plenty of gamer friends from multiple groups: females, homosexuals, immigrants, straights, alcoholics, top students, bosses, whatever.

I'm not really shocked...

[QuickdrawMcgraw]

I wonder the percent of females to males who would be considered fanboys....Hmm maybe we have to think of a new word for fanboys....

[calvincrack]

this is definitely a semantics argument.

if it just said 50% of females are at least casual games, i wouldn't have thought twice about it

[xc7x]

was voting conducted in front of a Macys store at mall?

[CaptainYesterday]

Doesn't really surprise me at all every girl I've ever known has played video games :)

[beebap]

Im a girl gamer and see myself as real gamer tho not really into cod or multiplayer games like that. I prefer single player games and play different types of games but prefer rpgs. This year I have loved playing TLOS bioshock infinite Farcry3 Tomb raider etc the list goes on.
At the min I am beta testing on final fantasy 14 and playing monster hunter on wii u.
I am passionate about my hobby as still want better ending for mass effect as I think it wI think it would be best gaming series ever if sorted it out but way things are left I never play it again or get any dlc.
Also I suggested and organised my family hol, that is me, my partner and son to go to gamescon in august and am super excited.
For christmas this year my present from partner was a vita
I cant wait for lauch of ps4 and looking forward to new games that going to be announced at gamescom.This is great year for gaming.
So there is real girl gamers but I have no friends who share this hobby.They play facebook or phone or very casaul games.