G ENDER AND G AME P LAY

G ENDER AND G AME P LAY

Research has shown that video game play is a strong predictor of later com- puter and Internet use (Morahan-Martin, 1998). Furthermore, such game play has increasingly has moved online. Meunier (1996) pointed out that males tend to be more interested in computers than are females, but makes some clear statements that this phenomenon stems from socialization both in and outside the schools and different play preferences in video gaming. A 2001 report from the NUA Internet

66 Jayne Gackenbach and Heather von Stackelberg

Survey indicates that the female audience does indeed seek a different gaming experience:

Women now constitute 50.4% of online gamers, although males represent 55% of total gamers.

The “Spotlight on Games: Categories and Hardware” study found that men and women prefer different types of games. Women were less likely to play fi rst-person shooter games (12 %) compared to men (38%).

Women preferred board or card games, with 78% having played such games, in contrast to 51% of males. Quiz, trivia, and gambling-oriented games were also more popular with women.

Although females are less likely to play most forms of electronic games, there are some that they play more often. Jones et al. (2003) report that women are more likely to play computer (32%) and Internet (15%) games than are males (19 and 12%, respectively) but less likely to play video games (17% of females versus 53% of males). So, too, reasons for playing differ as a function of gender. Jones et al. note that women were more likely to report playing because they were bored while men played for fun. Also, women were “much less likely to believe that gaming improved their relationship with friends than men believed” ( Jones et al., 2003; p. 11).

This is illustrated by a recent Nielsen/NetRatings (2004) study which found that for online gamers 35 or older, it was women and not men who dominated. However, some online games still show the male preference. For instance, Griffi ths et al. (2003) report on two very large surveys from online role playing games (Everquest and Allakhazam). With almost 18,000 respondents on a question about gender, about 85% were male.

Goldstein (2003), in a review of the gaming literature, notes that this con- found of gender with playing frequency has misled researchers in some of their conclusions about the results of gaming. Results may have more to do with gender differences than game playing frequency differences. This is illustrated in another study about online role playing games. “Boys in same-sex pairs interacted with one another through action, rapid changes, and playful exchanges. Girls in same-sex pairs interacted primarily through written dialogue. In mixed pairs, boys wrote more and engaged in less playful exchanges, and girls wrote less and increased their actions.” (Calvert et al., 2003; p. 627). These are play behaviors that are typical of gender and not necessarily of online play per se.

That said, it has been suggested that “female gaming is the last frontier; 2006 is going to be a milestone year” (Dickey & Summers, 2005). In a recent Newsweek story interviewing industry spokespersons, it was pointed out that although 50% of game purchases are made by women, no one really knows the exact percentage of women playing games. It is widely thought that most of the purchases are for males in their lives. The overlooked potential of women as gamers was discovered by the

3 Self Online: Personality, Gender, Race, and SES Implications

surprising popularity of Sims among women. Fully half of players online and off are women who enjoy the relationship and the creative aspects. In Sims, the players can make their own home and engage in various social interactions. But also, to the surprise of the industry, “girls and women started fl ocking to the fantasy landscapes of sword-and-sorcery universes like World of Warcraft” (Dickey & Summers, 2005). These, as well as other newer online role-playing games like Fascade and Second Life, are bringing in female gamers.

In a related study and contrary to common assumptions, Anderson et al. (2003) found few gender effects on how violent media affects aggression. They note that previous research revealed strong gender differences, with boys more affected by violent content in games than girls. Boys were found to enjoy violent video games more than do girls. However, we know that game designers cater to male characters and interests, with the heroes and action characters always male. Research now shows an interesting gender difference: girls generally prefer fantasy violence, while boys prefer human violence. These are, of course, in line with tradi- tional sex role play preferences and consistent with the gender differences in online role playing games noted earlier in this chapter.