Girls and flying -- an interesting experience with the Kiwi

Jim Logajan writes:

"Thirty-eight percent of all game players are women."

Where are they all hiding?

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Um, according to the Entertainment Software Association, your 10% number is
way off:

"Thirty-eight percent of all game players are women."

From: http://www.theesa.com/facts/top_10_facts.php

I find that figure to be absolutely remarkable.

I've been buying video games for over 20 years now, and my son owns
both Playstation 2 and XBox game consoles. Between us, I think it's
safe to say we're video game veterans, if not experts -- and both of us
have noticed that almost no games are aimed at girls.

Disney has a line of games (all pink, of course) out now, all aimed at
girls, but they take up one tiny kiosk in stores chock-full of "guys
games". My daughter plays the PS2 very occasionally (she has a "chick
game" called "Spryo", about a pink horse...), but I have NEVER seen or
heard of any of her girl friends playing video games.

38%? That's...incredible.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

and both of us
have noticed that almost no games are aimed at girls.
38%? That's...incredible.

Maybe girls like the same things boys do. "Aiming things at girls" may
be attempting to create and perpetuate an artificial stereotype.

Jose
--
"There are 3 secrets to the perfect landing. Unfortunately, nobody knows
what they are." - (mike).
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

Jose writes:

Maybe girls like the same things boys do.

No, they do not.

"Aiming things at girls" may be attempting to create and perpetuate
an artificial stereotype.

The stereotype is not artificial. It is consistent in large
populations. Video games are popular with boys because they are
designed by boys. Also, girls have a slight preference for real-world
interaction in general, although I don't think it's enough to be a
factor for video games.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Jay Honeck writes:

Disney has a line of games (all pink, of course) out now, all aimed at
girls, but they take up one tiny kiosk in stores chock-full of "guys
games". My daughter plays the PS2 very occasionally (she has a "chick
game" called "Spryo", about a pink horse...), but I have NEVER seen or
heard of any of her girl friends playing video games.

Buy them The Sims. They'd probably like that.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

"Jay Honeck" wrote:
Um, according to the Entertainment Software Association, your 10%
number is way off:

"Thirty-eight percent of all game players are women."

From: http://www.theesa.com/facts/top_10_facts.php

I find that figure to be absolutely remarkable.

Here are some figures from another source (circa 2000):

http://www.cybersurvey.com/reports/o...iles/frame.htm

Overall Gaming Market Player Demographics (All Gamers 178.3 Million):
56% male
44% female

PC Gamers Demographic Profile (90.6 Million):
50% male
50% female

Video Game Console Gamers Demographic Profile (137.7 Million):
61% male
39% female

Online Gamers Demographic Profile (41.4 Million):
51% male
49% female

More details on the above web site, with age breakdowns.

Video Game Console Gamers Demographic Profile (137.7 Million):
61% male
39% female

Online Gamers Demographic Profile (41.4 Million):
51% male
49% female

This last example is particularly interesting. I know my daughter
LOVES an on-line fantasy world game called "RuneScape" (spelling?).
We finally had to restrict her time on it, as it was getting too
addictive!

But I'm really, really surprised at the figures for game console video
games. If you walk through the video game part of Best Buy, there
simply aren't any girls there -- but you'll see dozens of boys playing
all types of games.

Girls must be stealthy video game shoppers...

;-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Jay Honeck wrote:


This last example is particularly interesting. I know my daughter
LOVES an on-line fantasy world game called "RuneScape" (spelling?).
We finally had to restrict her time on it, as it was getting too
addictive!

Not surprising. Online gaming is more social.

Jay Honeck writes:

But I'm really, really surprised at the figures for game console video
games. If you walk through the video game part of Best Buy, there
simply aren't any girls there -- but you'll see dozens of boys playing
all types of games.

Girls must be stealthy video game shoppers...

Or someone is cooking the books.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

You don't get out of the Inn much, do you? :-))
There is at least one website devoted to girl gamers and game developers.
I do not remember the URL, it got alot of publicity several years ago
when a reported discovered it.

Jay Honeck wrote:

Um, according to the Entertainment Software Association, your 10% number is
way off:

"Thirty-eight percent of all game players are women."

From: http://www.theesa.com/facts/top_10_facts.php



I find that figure to be absolutely remarkable.

I've been buying video games for over 20 years now, and my son owns
both Playstation 2 and XBox game consoles. Between us, I think it's
safe to say we're video game veterans, if not experts -- and both of us
have noticed that almost no games are aimed at girls.

Disney has a line of games (all pink, of course) out now, all aimed at
girls, but they take up one tiny kiosk in stores chock-full of "guys
games". My daughter plays the PS2 very occasionally (she has a "chick
game" called "Spryo", about a pink horse...), but I have NEVER seen or
heard of any of her girl friends playing video games.

38%? That's...incredible.