Research

Why research matters

There’s been lots of conversation within the gaming community about gender and inclusivity, but little research about how these issues impact the mobile space. We partnered with gaming intelligence provider Newzoo on quantitative studies to understand the experiences and perceptions of female players in the US, and worked with dozens of game makers, critics, players and academics to contextualize our findings. Read our latest research here.

Gamers deserve a more inclusive industry

A host of cultural norms both inside and outside of the gaming world have contributed to the impression that videogames are predominantly played by men. This is no longer the case.

65 %

Over 65% of women in the US play mobile games, but only 28% of the gaming industry is female, transgender or another gender identity.

49 %

49% of mobile game players are women.

I wore a Star Wars shirt and they were like, ‘What’s your favorite movie? Who’s your favorite character?’ And I’m just like, I don’t have to prove myself.

12th grade girl, Kansas City, MO

When a girl says, ‘Oh, I want to play a video game,’ Guys are like ‘Okay. Name five players.’ It’s like you have to go through this whole process just to prove that you can.

12th grade girl, Baltimore, MD

I think making a mobile game would require a lot of time sitting at a computer screen and using a lot of coding.

8th grade girl, Somerset, NJ

They say ‘boys like blue’ and ‘girls like pink.’ Boys like games; girls like Barbies and Instagram.’ You’ve just been stereotyped in your life. It’s just what you look at, what you’re told, what you see.

9th grade girl, Baltimore, MD

In elementary school, we visited a game studio. There were sections where people worked on different things, and so it was like there was a community there. They all knew each other, and they all worked towards one common goal. I liked that part of it.

12th grade girl, Seattle, WA

Teen girls love to play, but don’t see gaming as a career

Despite the perception that video games are a male-dominated space, teen girls are avid game players who have been playing for years. Games were their first introduction to personal technology. Even before they had mobile devices of their own, they were already playing on their parents’ phones and tablets.

69%

of teen girls have played a new mobile game in the past week.

86%

86% of teen girls play games on a computer, console or mobile device.