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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at MDC chapter.

            Have you ever thought about how many women are gamers? Probably not. The double standard on video gaming, although not as prominent as a few years back, still maintains present when it comes to gaming tournaments and simple discussions revolving the gaming world. This is of course within a setting where both sexes are in the mix. Out of my own friends I only have two that are into video games and truly delve into the world of gaming. Many certified news and statistic-based websites state that the gap between male and female gamers is not that large and after the research that I have done, I can attest to that. According to Statista, “In 2018, it was calculated that women accounted for nearly 45 percent of all gamers in the United States, a slight increase over the previous year.”  This percentage is also due to the fast pace at which the gaming world is going. Games are no longer played on console such as the Xbox or PlayStation, but on smartphones as well. The major differences that are seen among both sexes are the type of games that are played and the choice of platform. The most popular categories for games among women are “Action/Adventure” and “Strategy”. As for men, “Strategy” and “Sports” are the most common kinds of games played amongst themselves. The percentages for these game genres among both genders are minimally different with numbers like 46% for men and 38% for women, made by NewZoo. The increase in female gamers also effects the gaming market in the sense that now creators and developers are creating more female engaging games that will appeal to the population. The oversexualization of female characters in video games that have been seen in previous games like GTA and some Fantasy games are not welcomed and are exaggerated with large breasts and tight apparel. Game brands claim that this is to increase buyers, since the concept of males being the lead of common gamers still lingers in the air. But as statistics prove, this is not the case and female gamers are largely underrated overall. For the woman that is new to gaming or is a veteran of the gaming world, here are a few, but incredible female gamers to watch on YouTube and follow for inspiration, pointers, guidance and pure entertainment.

 

  1. Gloom @gloomykassie

 

She has a hilarious sense of humor and the things she says while gaming will have you in tears laughing. Does reaction videos and joins in on a variety of games.

 

 

  1. Lindsay Jones @iamlindsayjones

 

She may not be the best video gamer in the world but the way she plays and her humor makes her so human and relatable. She is the only girl in Achievement Hunter, which is a group of 10+ people playing video games, but she is able to keep up with everything that’s happening and make a name for herself as a women gamer. I truly love her a lot.”

 

  1. Anne Muition @annemuition

“Anne will call people out on the regular for treating her differently because she’s a woman. She does streams, some reactions, and shows some of her playthroughs.

 

  1. Optic Midnite @opticmidnite_

She kicks butt in Call of Duty and focuses on other shooters. Demonstrates the girl power in gaming!

A free spirit who was born and raised in sunny Miami, Fl, Valerie currently studies at Miami-Dade College and is working toward a degree in journalism in hopes of making a difference in the world by unraveling her inner activist through her writing and actions. Everyday making progress little by little.