Exploring the Rise of Female Gamers

Who represents your idea of the typical gamer?If you are a traditionalist, your typical gamer is probably a young adult (perhaps a student in higher education) who is aged between 18 and 25. Although this individual does not earn a high wage, most of their money represents disposable income and can therefore be spent as and when they choose. Above all else, you would expect him to be male and have penchant for platform video games, especially those such as Call of Duty that revolve around combat.

This is a common misconception, however, and one that fails to take in the changing nature of gaming in 2015. This notion was also quashed by a recent report released by the Internet Advertising Bureau, which claimed that women now represent the dominant gaming demographic. 52% of all gamers are now female, meaning that they now drive the consumer market within this sector and have a strong influence on the type of games that are developed and released on an annual basis.

This will probably come as a surprise, although in truth it really shouldn’t. After all, the number of female gamers was recorded at 49% just three years ago, and this hardly represents a struggling minority. In fact, the rise in female gaming statistics has been prominent for years, which in turn has driven an increasingly diversifying library of titles and triggered the demand for more proactive lead characters in the form of women. This is certainly something that the Marvel Studio has capitalised on, with a growing number of iconic female characters being developed to suit an evolving market.

If the rise of female gamers is continuing to inspire growth and evolution within the market, it is also fair to say that this demographic has been empowered by the emergence of mobile and social gaming platforms. From bingo sites and social gaming outlets to independent casino brands, the scope and accessibility of these platforms has opened the market to new, more diverse and older demographics.

So not only are gamers increasingly likely to be female, but they are also older and earn a higher annual salary. This is a trend that is likely to continue into 2015 and beyond, as the image of the traditional gamer continues to fade into insignificance.