As millions of new Sony and Microsoft gaming consoles fly out the door of retailers, new research has revealed that it is women aged 35 and over who regularly outnumber men when it comes to playing games.
While online gaming is still extremely
popular with men aged 15-24, women have been revealed as being the secret force
that is driving gaming sales according to research group comScore.
Researchers claim that older women tend to play games primarily to
break away from their daily routine and at the same time get some mental
stimulation.
These players tend to prefer puzzle games,
matching games and Mahjong-style games, which involve matching pairs of images
to eliminate pieces from a board.
The UK Daily Telegraph reported that gaming
is also popular amongst teenagers and ‘tween’ girls, who like to explore their
future life through role-play. Acting out grown-up situations they recognise
from the world around them (such as pretending to have a job or be a parent) helps
them feel independent, according to the report.
Cooking games, dress-up games and pet
caring games are particularly popular amongst girls, while boys prefer racing
games, sports games and action games, which are more focused on competition and
showing off their high scores than on creativity.
“Girls like to be creative, and they
like to share their creativity with others. They want to be connected to those
around them and to show their friends what they’ve made,” the report
states.
“Many of these games, particularly
Sara’s Cooking Class, also have a cross-generational appeal, with mums
regularly playing them with their daughters for bonding time and for a bit of
light entertainment.”
The total number of people around the globe
who play games is expected to surpass 1.2 billion by the end of 2013, according
to comScore, representing 44 per cent of the world’s online population. The
global games market is currently worth $70.4 billion and is expected to grow at
6 per cent a year.
“Modern gamers play everywhere and at
all times. They might start on their smartphones while commuting to work or
school, continue on their desktop or laptop during the day, and go on playing
on their tablets at home in the evening,” the report states.
“It’s inevitable that more devices
will be developed to support this growing area, and browser or app-based games
will draw in the mass market as they offer the easiest entry point into
gaming.”
