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Women’s participation in the development of the gaming industry is one of the hot topics currently being discussed in the market. In the Summer Edition of the Quarterly Report, Xsolla considered women's representation in the gaming arena from the perspectives of both a player and a business executive.
One of the primary reasons gaming companies struggle to capitalize on their female fan base is their adherence to a narrow set of motivators. Women have identified Completion (17.0%), Fantasy (16.2%), and Design-based games (14.5%) as their top motivators while men prioritized Competition (14.1%), Destruction (11.9%), and Completion (10.2%). This difference in gaming preferences highlights the need for companies to diversify their game design and marketing strategies to better engage female gamers.
At the same time, experts believe that it’s necessary to create games that not just target women but genuinely engage and intrigue them.
Angela Dachowski, Producer at Flippfly
For me personally, the biggest thing that I see when it comes to marketing to women is players, and women, especially, can tell when marketing is disingenuous. We want products that work, and we want games that are fun, and that's what I hope to see. I hope that developers are going to make games that are fun and appealing to women instead of targeting them.
As for the gaming business, women still encounter instances of sexism. However, the industry is on a path of evolution, with many companies preventing such behavior and encouraging an inclusive and diverse work environment.
Kristen Lambert, QA Manager at Midwest Games
I've been very lucky, you know, but I think that it's impossible not to have been affected, at least in some way, by the more insidious subconscious stuff. Recently, one of my co-workers, they're non-binary, AFAB, and femme presenting, and they were talked down to while showing games at an industry event for us. Barriers like that still exist. Sexist people exist, and therefore, we experience some sexism, but what would make it more welcoming is a more conscious effort to call out these behaviors when they happen. More effort is needed to put people who haven't had these opportunities but are very deserving of them into positions where they can first of all lead but also prevent these things from happening more.
Want more insights on women in gaming? Interested in uncovering modern gaming changes? Read the Summer Edition of the Quarterly Xsolla Report:
- Industry Updates
- Games for Change 2024 - Our Top Takeaways
- Indie Game Growth
- Industry Movers & Shakers
- Education in Gaming
- Influencers in Gaming
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