Percentage of Female Players on the Rise

If you ask most people, they'll tell you that video games are played mostly by the boys. There was a time when this was true. That time has passed, and over the last decade, the percentage of video games played by women has been steadily on the rise. For web-based games (you play them in a browser), the number of women players has just slightly edged out the number of men players.

The rise in female players can be attributed to the belief that video games have become an important on-ramp into other forms of digital literacy. Recent titles such as The Sims, by EA, has served as a huge catalyst in attracting women who had never played video games before. Taking into account the historic imbalance in the industry, its hardly surprising that a sexist stereotyping existed. Yet, equally important to realize is that women who play video games are often portrayed as strong and independent - think Tomb Raider.

Clearly, the playing field has been permanently altered, and video game producers are acutely aware of this shift. This will result in more games targeted at women and still more female players will result. An excellent example of the type of game that is popular with women is what is called a Hidden Object Game. Big Fish Games' Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst is one extremely popular title. You can rest assure that this game will no doubt add a few more female players to the gaming world.