With new data from a Pew Research Center survey, we know that women play an even bigger role in the gaming community. Of the 40% of Americans who own a video game console, 42% are women and only 37% are men.
I love it. In the article, it emphasizes that mobile devices don’t count as consoles, because literally the immediate comeback of male gamers who are confronted with stats like this is “lol but that includes candy crush right?”. I just choose to downplay my gaming in most social situations because I just don’t want to deal with that kind of condescension, gate-keeping, and/or being treated like a magical unicorn (which is arguably the worst part of it).
I’m probably going to get crucified for this but…
Yeah. More women DO own more consoles than men. But…They do now. But that “Stereotype” came from earlier days when games were generally marketed to young boys. Could girls enjoy them? Sure. Young boys could enjoy Barbie dolls too. You know, products typically marketed towards little girls. But back then it was considered “weird”. Yes even for girls. Girls that played games around me growing up were called out on for being geeky and strange. But they did exist.
Like I have no problem with girls playing games. I have no problem with this research. Jessy is better at League than I am. Rose and MT have played games that I wouldn’t dare touch. Hell my own freaking cousin dominates me in Street Fighter 2 - 4. Her mother, destroys the entire family with Nina from Tekken. I honestly felt like the general reaction to hearing a womens’ voice in a TF2 server was “Oh my god a girl that plays games? That’s fucking awesome.” There’s no conflict here.
It’s just the word “stereotype” bugs me for some reason. I guess it is technically true and I’m just nitpicking. But when I hear the word stereotype I think of “All blacks play basketball or all women cook.”
“More men play video games than women” doesn’t sound like a stereotype to me. It seems that its more of an opinion that’s changed over time. Opinions and Facts DO change you know.
So get on with your bad selves girl gamers. All I can think of now is that College Humor sketch where the guy was being bullied by an all girl lobby. I kind of want to actually see that happen to be honest.
