Sakura Controller vs. Hokusai Controller "representing" the male/female rivalry

in the video game, made by Draw my Pad

Video games have always been a predominantly male environment, as stereotypes dictate that it is a market created by men for men. However, if we look back to the 1970s and the heyday of the arcade, manufacturers primarily targeted young people by placing their machines in crowded places, but without making a distinction between men and women. It was in the 90s that women began to appear in video games, but in a completely different way than female players would have hoped.

Surprisingly, the clichés used by manufacturers in advertising, across all sectors, are found in video games with the emergence of the female object, used as an instrument of desire. Just look at the advertising campaign carried out by Sega for its game Davis Cup World Tour which features a scantily clad tennis player. This date marks the beginning of a long journey of stigmatizing stereotypes for women in video games with titles such as Dead or Alive Xtrem Beach Volleyball featuring almost naked women or the famous Lara Croft, heroine of the game Tomb Raider with provocative shapes.

Advertising campaign implemented by the Sega brand

when the Davis Cup World Tour game was released

Long underestimated in the video game industry, it was in 2006 that publishers realized the potential of the female segment. Riding the wave of "eating and moving," the Nintendo Wii injected real momentum into the gaming world with titles such as Wii Fit Plus and Fit Music Wii, which paradoxically still focus on physical fitness, but also with puzzle games that seem better suited to a female audience. But the real revolution began in the 2010s with the arrival of social gaming thanks to social networks and smartphone games.

In 1999, the number of female gamers in France was estimated at 20%; 15 years later, it is 50%, thus respecting gender parity. According to a study conducted by the game publisher "Royal Cactus," 69% of social gaming players are actually women, but then, are the majority of female gamers unwittingly locking themselves into another cliché, that of casual gamers? Absolutely not, in fact, the study conducted by "Royal Cactus" highlights the fact that when a woman starts a game, "she plays three minutes longer than men in each session, she surpasses them by 10 levels on average and connects approximately 8.7 times per month compared to 6.9 for men," making them more resilient and competitive than men.

Distribution of male/female players

in 2015 (Source SELL)

While the female video game market is evolving, stereotypes and prejudices are still widely present in home console games aimed at the general public. The Last Guardian, Doom, Fallout 4… are some of the most anticipated games of 2015, presented at E3 in May of that same year, the observation is there: none of them offer to play a female character. One of the only studios that stands out from the trend remains Square Enix with its heroine Lara Croft.

But then why not offer the possibility of playing a female character like NHL 2012 did in order to better meet the expectations of female players? According to Kayane , a French professional player specializing in fighting games, now a columnist for the newspaper Game One, the explanation for such differences would be found "on the marketing side of publishers who do not want to upset cultural habits."

Little India personalized controller inspiring travel with a deliberately refined style

which may appeal to a more feminine audience. Produced by Draw my Pad

A reflection of our society in many areas, video games do not exclude the lack of parity between women and men. Moreover, by attempting to target primarily women as smartphone gamers, manufacturers are creating another disparity, that of "casual gamers" who are mainly frequented by a female audience, who go against "gamers" who are mainly male.

However, with the advent of home consoles from the 1990s and computers in the 2000s, both men and women are evolving in this trivialization of video games, and the female public is more and more inclined to adhere to these so-called masculine practices, as evidenced by FIFA 16 (football game) which has just introduced women's selections within its game.

Revolution in the world of FIFA with the appearance of the first women's teams

when the video game Fifa 16 was released

In a world where progaming is increasingly important, it would be interesting to integrate more women into professional teams by requiring sponsors to include a female team in each game. Widely disseminated on the internet, this system could be the way to make manufacturers aware that women's gaming will be taken into account in the future. Moreover, it could attract more women to the industry in order to be recognized by everyone. Moreover, when we know that publisher teams are composed mainly of men, we could question their effectiveness in understanding the desires of female players. Creating research centers composed of more women within publishing houses, like the Women in Games association, working with schools or focusing communication in a more neutral way could be solutions to consider.

And you, ladies and gentlemen, gamers who are the first to be affected, what is your opinion on the matter?

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Reflection written by Romain LELONG, director of the company Draw my Pad, taken from the thesis "How companies operating in the video game sector have been able to modify their offering and thus adapt to changes in player behavior in a highly competitive environment"

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Useful links

Margxt: blogger passionate about video games

Women in Games : Association working for diversity in the video game industry in France

Kayane : Professional player and columnist for the newspaper Game One

Draw my Pad: official PS4 and Xbox One controller customization site for gamers