Report Summary
“The stereotype of gaming as something ‘just for men’ continues to linger, but is fading as more women have joined the gaming community. With two thirds of women playing video games, gaming and non-gaming brands alike need to consider how they can reach their target female audience through interactive gameplay and gaming content. While mobile gaming continues to be the preferred platform, a dedicated group of young female gamers is driving interest in more story-based games that put greater focus on characters and less emphasis on action or violence. Elevating the voices of women playing and making video games will help to create a more inclusive environment for female gamers, thereby chipping away at negative perceptions that have built up over the last few decades around video game culture.”
– John Poelking, Senior Gaming Analyst
This report will look at the following areas:
- The impact of COVID-19 on women and gaming
- An influx of new players driving growth among women and gaming
- Opportunities to reach women through mobile, console and computer gaming
- How expanded female representation in gaming will make video games more appealing to female players
Table of Contents
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Overview
- What you need to know
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Definition
- What you need to know
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Executive Summary
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- Top takeaways
- Global gaming market overview
- Figure 1: Global gaming revenue, 2015-20
- Women drive growth in the US gaming audience
- Figure 2: Share of adults playing video games, by gender, 2018-20
- Gender gap closes with mobile gaming
- Figure 3: Devices used to play video games, by gender, May 2020
- Impact of COVID-19 on women and gaming
- Figure 4: Short, medium and long-term impact of COVID-19 on women and gaming, July 2020
- Opportunities and challenges
- Out-of-home leisure takes longer to open up, allowing women to more easily keep playing video games
- Figure 5: How much women are gaming since COVID-19 outbreak, May 2020
- Genre and story should be main points of emphasis
- Figure 6: Important video game features to female gamers – Select items, May 2020
- New players bring new opportunities for education
- Figure 7: When players were introduced to gaming, all vs female, May 2020
- Toxic environment keeps women from exploring beyond their comfort zones
- Women are less likely to watch gaming content
- Free content will become more essential
- What’s next
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The Market – What You Need to Know
- Gaming market on the rise
- Women drive audience growth in gaming
- Competition heats up for women’s free time
- Gender dynamics affect what’s played
- Gaming market on the rise
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Global Gaming Overview
- Gaming revenue is rising around the world
- Figure 8: Global gaming revenue, 2015-20
- Mobile gaming generates the most revenue by reaching the largest audience
- Figure 9: Global gaming market share, by type of device, 2020
- Impact of COVID-19 on women and gaming
- Figure 10: Short, medium and long-term impact of COVID-19 on women and gaming, July 2020
- COVID-19: US context
- Gaming revenue is rising around the world
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Women and Gaming Overview
- Two thirds of women play video games, driving growth in the gaming audience
- Figure 11: Share of adults playing video games, by gender, 2018-20
- Engaged female gamers skew younger, multicultural
- Figure 12: Share of women playing video games, by key demographics, May 2020
- Gaming is a daily routine
- Figure 13: Frequency of gaming for female gamers, May 2020
- Women less drawn to competition
- Figure 14: Reasons to play video games, all vs female, May 2020
- Two thirds of women play video games, driving growth in the gaming audience
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Market Perspective – Women, Leisure and Technology
- Key takeaway
- Gaming faces stiff competition from other in-home entertainment
- Figure 15: In-home leisure activities ranked – Any rank, all vs female, August 2019
- Comfort and connection make familiar games essential
- Figure 16: Leisure time preferences, all vs female, August 2019
- Less free time could limit gaming
- Figure 17: Attitudes toward free time, all vs female, August 2019
- Digital distrust discourages online socialization…
- Figure 18: Online socializing behaviors, all vs female, August 2019
- …and online information exchanges
- Figure 19: Attitudes toward exchanging digital information, all vs female, August 2019
- Key takeaway
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Market Factors
- Women have played video games more due to COVID-19
- Figure 20: How much women are gaming since COVID-19 outbreak, May 2020
- Long lives lead female population to skew older
- Figure 21: Female and male population 18 or older, by age, 2019
- Gender pay gap reduces female spending power
- Figure 22: Median earnings of full-time, year-round workers, by gender, in inflation-adjusted dollars, 2000-2017
- Delayed life events challenge household gaming dynamics
- Figure 23: Median age at first marriage, by gender, 1980-2018
- Women have played video games more due to COVID-19
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Key Trends – What You Need to Know
- Partner with women’s brands
- Work to end harassment and inequality
- Bring women in to the gaming world
- Partner with women’s brands
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What’s Helping
- Women’s health and gaming work together
- Figure 24: @bigfishgames NBCF Twitter post, September 2019
- Beauty brands can elevate female gamers
- Figure 25: @girlgamer Esports Festival post, February 2020
- Collective strength brings issues to light
- Women’s health and gaming work together
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What’s Hurting
- The barrier to belonging in the gaming world
- Within esports: a lack of gender inclusion
- Within gameplay: a need to curb toxicity
- Figure 26: @evergreenily Valorant Twitter post, April 2020
- Within streaming: a flood of sexual harassment allegations
- Stereotypes damage efforts for greater inclusion
- The barrier to belonging in the gaming world
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What to Watch
- Safe spaces and female-only leagues break down barriers
- Fantasy games emphasize story over violence
- Women will make more games
- Encouraging the next generation to pursue gaming careers
- Intersectionality is the next step beyond gender
- Partner with other pop culture to introduce new audiences
- Figure 27: @insecuregame post, April 2020
- Safe spaces and female-only leagues break down barriers
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The Consumer – What You Need to Know
- Mobile gaming closes the gender gap
- New female gamers want games that fit their interests
- Women of different ages play different games
- Genre, story matter the most to women
- Few women gravitate toward gaming content
- A male focus discourages women
- Women need to see themselves as gamers
- Mobile gaming closes the gender gap
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Devices Women Use to Play Games
- Key opportunity
- Gender gap nonexistent across most gaming devices
- Figure 28: Devices used to play video games, all vs female, May 2020
- One third of female gamers only play on mobile devices
- Figure 29: Devices played exclusively, all vs female, May 2020
- Perceptions of gaming devices impact where women spend time playing
- Xbox and PlayStation: toxic and primarily for men
- Nintendo: fun for the whole family
- Computers and mobile devices: accessible and fun
- Figure 30: Correspondence Analysis – Female gamers’ perceptions of gaming devices, May 2020
- Key opportunity
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How Female Players are Introduced to Gaming
- Key opportunity
- Women are more likely to be new to gaming
- Figure 31: When players were introduced to gaming, all vs female, May 2020
- Social connections and nostalgia motivate women to try playing
- Figure 32: What introduced female players to gaming, May 2020
- Gaining new female players means investing in different types of games
- Figure 33: What would convince non-players to start playing video games, May 2020
- Key opportunity
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What Genres Women Play
- Key opportunity
- Female gaming interests are more focused to a few genres
- Figure 34: Number of gaming genres played, by gender, May 2020
- Women more likely to play casual games…
- Figure 35: Gaming genres played, all vs female, May 2020
- …but women of different ages play different types of games
- Older women will play levels-based games
- Figure 36: Gaming genres played by women – Casual, by age, May 2020
- Young women gravitate toward action
- Figure 37: Gaming genres played by women – Action, by age, May 2020
- Key opportunity: story-based games work across middle-aged and young women
- Figure 38: Gaming genres played – Story games, by age, May 2020
- Key opportunity
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Important Video Game Features
- Key opportunity
- Genre and story matter more than gameplay
- Figure 39: Important video game features, all vs female, May 2020
- Young women seek compelling stories and characters
- Figure 40: Important video game features for women, by age, May 2020
- In their words: women want games that represent them
- TURF analysis: reputation and story increase reach substantially
- Figure 41: TURF Analysis – Important game features, May 2020
- Key opportunity
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How Women Watch Gaming Content
- Key opportunity
- Gaming content faces tough competition from other entertainment
- Figure 42: Video content watched, all vs female, May 2020
- Women are less likely to see a future for themselves in professional gaming
- Figure 43: Attitudes toward esports, all vs female, May 2020
- Players and games can be promoted to gain engagement
- Figure 44: Why women watch gaming content, May 2020
- Gameplay and game viewing can integrate to get new viewers
- Figure 45: Why women don’t watch gaming content, May 2020
- Key opportunity
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Female Representation in Gaming
- Key opportunity
- Nearly half of gamers say gaming should be more inclusive
- Figure 46: Attitudes toward female representation and safe spaces, all vs female, May 2020
- Male focus could be discouraging women
- Figure 47: Attitudes toward male influence on gaming, all vs female, May 2020
- Key opportunity
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Attitudes toward Gaming
- Key opportunity
- One third of women are more dedicated players than last year
- Figure 48: Attitudes toward gaming dedication, May 2020
- In their words: women’s perceptions of a gamer
- Toxic online gaming environment discourages female social gaming
- Figure 49: Attitudes toward online gameplay, May 2020
- Key opportunity
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Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
- Data sources
- Sales data
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
- Data sources
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Appendix – Trend Drivers
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- Figure 50: Mintel Trend Drivers and Pillars
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Appendix – TURF Analysis
- Methodology
- Figure 51: TURF Analysis – Important game features, May 2020
- Methodology
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Appendix – Correspondence Analysis
- Methodology
- Figure 52: Female gamers’ perceptions of gaming devices, May 2020
- Methodology
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Appendix – The Consumer
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- Figure 53: Devices used to play video games, by female vs all, October 2018-December 2019
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- Figure 54: Attitudes toward gaming, by female vs all, October 2018-December 2019
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About the report
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