Girls also play
Games are for boys what pans are for girls. This concept is a bit unbalanced and different from the statistics of the video game world.
Who said women aren’t interested in games? Yes, girls play and are the majority in the gaming industry.
In the late 70’s, Carol Shaw, developed video games and was a pioneer in this industry. First, the developer worked on Polo (a 1978 game made for Ralph Lauren’s promotional campaign), and then commercially launched the first game created by a woman: it was the 1979 Tic-Tac-Toe 3-D, based on the traditional hash. Then, in 1983, he joined Activision, where he programmed River Raid and was his best-known game.
The gaming industry has grown, as well as female participation, according to the Gamer Brazil 2020 Survey, the female audience represents about 54% of total gamers, with 61.9% of casual gamers and 23.3% of hardcore gamers. And yet, the Games market is marked by prejudice and hypersexualization.
Some players create male profiles and do not open the microphone to avoid attacks of sexism. Others tend to stay in the “support” role, which is seen as a secondary one that supports and assists players most prominently in matches, such as offense and defense.
And it is no accident that the role of “support” is directly linked to the way women are seen by men in society. That’s what Aline Pereira, game editor for the site Minas Nerds, highlights, a platform dedicated to the work of pop culture from a women’s point of view.
By leaving the secondary role for the protagonist, they are soon attacked and misogyny reigns.
It is important to remember that women still do not occupy the space of creators — the total number of games developed by women does not reach 10%, according to Women Up Games, a company created by programmer Ariane Parra to include women in the games market . This means that the universe of games is practically all built by men, who at all times reaffirm machismo through sexualized, dumb or submissive characters.
In addition, they are not usually invited to occupy spaces in discussion tables in forums, not even when it comes to the space and representation of women in the geek world. When they gain speech, it is very common for men to be present who are constantly trying to test their knowledge.
This scenario is built in childhood, when girls are encouraged to play with dolls, baby carriages and household items, while boys soon get involved with balls, cars and strategy games.
This market seems to be far from ideal when we think about gender equality, but despite the games industry seeming toxic with countless cases of discrimination against women, there is a movement changing this game.
Some girls and women assert their positions and create support networks to minimize prejudice and subjugation within the games. Below are some discussions on the subject:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/761232331081419/ Gifts & Games With The Girls!
Anyway, we’re still in the game and rooting for you!!!