Female Gamers: A Thematic Analysis of Their Gaming Experience

Introduction

International research has consistently found that compared to females, males play video-games more frequently, are attracted to different games, and play for longer (Rideout, Roberts & Foehr, 2005; Anderson, Gentile & Buckley, 2007; Olsen, Kutner, Baer, Beresin, Warner & Nicholi, 2009; Coyne, Padilla-Walker, Stockdale & Daly, 2011). Therefore, further research is needed to explore these gender differences in motivation to play, and experience of playing. Researchers have argued that the gender differences reported in gaming may be related to (i) socialisation factors (i.e., females not being socially rewarded for playing video-games in the same way as males), (ii) video-games typically being designed by males for other males, and (iii) males having better spatial ability skills than females thus aiding gaming (Krahe & Moller, 2004; Griffiths, 2007; Olsen et al., 2009). However, Entertainment Software Association (2012) reported females now represent 47% of US gamers, with females aged over 18 years representing the fastest growing gamer demographic.