Why Research Matters

What we’ve learned

If we want to drive meaningful change in the gaming industry today, we first need to understand the experiences and perceptions of female players. To do this, we conduct research and look for best practices that will help make game development more inclusive and supportive for everyone. In these efforts, we also work closely with game makers and industry leaders to contextualize the studies & findings that have been developed.

Why Research Matters Hero Image
2022

Confidence Through Connection, How Intersectionality Impacts Mobile Female Players

Star Circle

Whitepaper

Building Confidence & The Power of Community, 2022

Our past research set the stage for understanding women mobile game players in the United States. Now we dive deeper into inclusivity through the lens of intersectionality. As more women enter into the world of gaming and the audience continues to diversify, the gaming industry has an opportunity to evolve and meet emerging player needs.

With this report we aim to empower mobile game creators to build even more diverse and inclusive gaming experiences by understanding two key areas of importance to women mobile players in the United States: Confidence and Community.

43

43% of Intersectional Women say they feel more accepted for who they are when playing mobile games than they do in their everyday life

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Women who engage in gaming communities are 77% more likely to agree that playing mobile games makes them feel more confident as a person, compared to everyday life.

"I am who I am in the game, whatever that means, whatever I decide to be that day, whatever character I’m taking on."

Alex, 27, Multi-Racial, Bisexual.

Top 3 games: Candy Crush, Call Of Duty: Mobile, Minecraft.

"The biggest need is connection and community - as a Woman and a disabled Woman, I definitely have found myself searching to connect with other people…we can connect over this shared experience."

Jessica, 35, Asian/Pacific Islander, Living With a Disability.

Top 3 games: Redecor, Plants vs Zombies, Blackout Bingo.

"I’d enjoy an African American girls gamer community where we could talk about games, but also talk about the struggles of finding ways to manage African American hair and stuff."

Reagan, 14, African American.

Top 3 games: Minecraft, Roblox, Ape Legends.

"I might not be committed to the game as much as others and play all the time, and I think that’s why I don’t join groups because I would be afraid that if I were to ask a question or something like that, that someone would judge me."

Stephanie, 31, Latinx

Top 3 games: Farm Heroes, Need for Speed, Word Cookie.

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2019

Supporting Women In The World of Mobile Gaming

An increasingly diverse global community is bringing gaming into their lives. By driving inclusive change from the ground-up, developers can have a genuine impact on the gaming culture.

Whitepaper

Driving Inclusivity & Belonging In Gaming, 2019

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Whitepaper

From Players To Makers: Teen Girls’ Relationship With Game Creation, 2018

2018

Teen Girls Love To Play, But Don’t See Gaming As A Career

Despite the perception that video games are a male-dominated space, teen girls are avid game players who have been playing for years. Games were their first introduction to personal technology. Even before they had mobile devices of their own, they were already playing on their parents’ phones and tablets.

69%

69% of teen girls play at least one new mobile game per week

86%

86% of teen girls play games on a computer, console, or mobile device.

Inclusive Industry Image

Whitepaper

The World of Women + Mobile Gaming, 2017

2017

Gamers Deserve A More Inclusive Industry

A host of cultural norms both inside and outside of the gaming world have contributed to the perception that video games are mostly played by men. This is no longer the case.

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43% of Women play games on their mobile device at least 5x per week

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23% The percentage of Women that feel there is equal treatment and opportunity for all in the gaming industry.

I wore a Star Wars shirt and they were like, ‘What’s your favorite movie? Who’s your favorite character?’ And I’m just like, I don’t have to prove myself.

12th grade girl, Kansas City, MO

When a girl says, ‘Oh, I want to play a video game,’ Guys are like ‘Okay. Name five players.’ It’s like you have to go through this whole process just to prove that you can.

12th grade girl, Baltimore, MD

I think making a mobile game would require a lot of time sitting at a computer screen and using a lot of coding.

8th grade girl, Somerset, NJ

They say ‘boys like blue’ and ‘girls like pink.’ Boys like games; girls like Barbies and Instagram.’ You’ve just been stereotyped in your life. It’s just what you look at, what you’re told, what you see.

9th grade girl, Baltimore, MD

In elementary school, we visited a game studio. There were sections where people worked on different things, and so it was like there was a community there. They all knew each other, and they all worked towards one common goal. I liked that part of it.

12th grade girl, Seattle, WA

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