How Has Gaming Changed to Attract More Female Players?

Five years ago, when you thought about the average gamer, you thought about a male who spent a lot of time sitting at their desktop or who shouted commands over their Xbox headset. But thanks to some advances in the overall gaming and entertainment industry, the demographic has changed slightly. Now, when you think of a gamer you might think of anyone from the professional eSports player who lives and breathes Fortnite to the middle-aged woman who plays Candy Crush Saga religiously on the bus home. But how have developments such as hyper-casual games and online slots changed the idea of the typical gamer?

Hyper-casual gaming refers to the style of gaming that allows players to immediately dive into the game and pick it up as they go through the levels. Angry Birds is perhaps the best example as players begin with simple gamified puzzles and then gain skills and knowledge of the game as it gets harder.

The games can be played for 10 seconds, 10 minutes, or even 10 hours. The casual nature means they can be picked up and put down as and when players want to. This trend of hyper-casual gaming helped show that gaming doesn’t have to be intensive, and those who haven’t played before could do so easily.

An example of hyper-casual gaming in a slightly different industry, the online casino one, is online slots. Online slots such as those seen at Royal Panda take the gameplay found in traditional slot machines and combine them with video technology to create a unique experience. As online technology means that dozens of games can be created, there is more likely to be a selection of games that appeal to a wider audience – including women.

Some themes rely on general topics, such as western game Western Gold or pirate-themed Rage of the Seas. Others take female protagonists and specifically appeal to a female audience, such as the Morgana Megaways game or the Sisters of Oz Wowpot. The ease at which new games can be developed and tried before an audience means that it’s more likely there will be ones that appeal to audiences previously neglected by gaming.

Part of the reason that the gaming demographic has changed also comes down to the mode in which people are engaging with the games. Instead of having to purchase expensive equipment such as a PlayStation or Xbox or even a gaming PC, players can download and play games for free on their mobile devices.

Mobile gaming is a rising trend of profitability all on its own. The increase in mobile gaming options means that those who have never really gamed before – who are more likely to be women than men – can have a go without losing anything if they don’t like it. The games available range from puzzles like Block Puzzle to higher tension games like hole.io and slither.io.  

The proliferation of games on Facebook’s gaming platform has also opened up the industry to a wider range of people who had previously never picked up a controller. These games didn’t reinvent the wheel, they just changed perceptions of what gaming could be. Rather than focusing on the first-person-shooter games that popularized gaming, Facebook’s offering relied on puzzles and gentler games.     

The changing landscape of gaming has resulted in a shift of user demographics. Women are more likely to consider themselves gamers than before. Moreover, older people are more likely to engage with gaming. By changing the perception of what gaming is and what it offered, a wider audience is available to play the latest releases.