Women: keep computer games short and sweet
Violence should be fun!
One in three UK women say they are gamers, according to the 2010 European gaming attitudes survey.
Another survey into gaming gender differences surfaced this week, which reveals that women: Play fewer hours (8) a week than men (17 hours) and are turned off by games that are too complicated. They give up if game is not easy to handle.
Also they like bright primary colours. As for violence - only if it is funny. They prefer solving a problem or a riddle to conquering or destroying something. Immersive games yes, logic puzzles yes, scantily clad women - not really. As for any socialising element - forget it.
These are the conclusions of a study of 983 gamers conducted by Ghent University. You can read the summary here.
Will games publishers adapt their shoot-em-ups to draw in more women? We doubt it, somehow. ®
COMMENTS
Ah! Ghent University...
... that's in Belgium i'nit. Nuf said.
Slapstick
I think that's what they meant by 'funny violence'. And by short and sweet they probably meant 'easy to understand and pick up'.
The article fails to mention that they're also easily addicted to sim/management games. Most of the women I know are mysteriously addicted to them.
Geek, because while I've been monitoring them, they've been ignoring me.
ooh ooh ooh.... I know this one
I think by 'funny violence' they mean a character gets a power up from a can of stella, then slaps another character stood by a kitchen sink around for 15 minutes.
Aha ha ha Bwa ha BWAH HA HA HA AHA
Oh, my sides.
No? Ok, I was going anyway.
"Also they like bright primary colours."
And also ponies? And making pies in the kitchen? Is the reason that women gamers are not into socialisation that they are essentially no different to radiators?
Wrong planet mate
A lot of the Facebook games have a huge female -possibly a lot more than male - players who have been playing the same games for months.
Maybe the 'research team' only looked at thier own favourite shoot-em-ups and driving games.
