Female Gamer Survey 2019
1 Background
2 | Bryter’s Female Gamer Survey 2019
In 2018, we conducted an online survey General with female gamers in the UK. gaming Mobile behaviours gaming & attitudes behaviours In 2019, we re-ran the same study but this time including gamers from the US as well.
We retained the same survey structure, but Experience Attitudes of abuse to gaming also added questions around eSports and in gaming industry attitudes towards mobile gaming
3 | We spoke to a range of console and PC gamers
All respondents were female, aged 16+ and played video games on a PC or console at least monthly…
PlayStation Nintendo Xbox PC 42% 45% 38% 42%
Console only PC Only 58% 19%
4 | Gaming habits
5 | How female gamers compare in the UK and US
Overall, female gamers in the US and UK The UK tends to have a slightly more negative are very similar in their general gaming perception of the games industry in terms of its behaviours, but there are slight gender equality and representation. differences in more specific behaviours and attitudes More gamers in the US have experienced abuse
OVERVIEW from male counterparts while gaming. PERCEPTIONS
Female gamers in the US are more likely to stream themselves or others gaming, Gamers in the US seem to take mobile gaming more The UK has a more negative perception of the gaming and watch eSports (with the latter seriously, more likely to play RPG/strategy/action- industry, although more in the US have experienced having a bigger presence in the US). adventure genres, whereas the UK don’t feel it’s as
good an experienceabuse as on PC/console
MOBILE STREAMING
We’ll pull out some of these differences as we go through… Base: All female gamers 6 | Gaming habits: female gamers are playing an average of 7hrs a week, with online multiplayer becoming more popular
Top genres on console/ PC Proportion playing online 65% Action/ Adventure multiplayer games has increased since last year… 57% Puzzle/ card
36% Strategy 45% 30% Platform games 52%
28% Simulation 2018 2019 7 hrs 27% Shooters 55% Average time playing 27% Music/ dance 49% console/PC per week Top genres amongst males tend to be: Shooters, Sports, Action/Adventure, Strategy
Q1.6 Time spent / Q1.4 Genres / Q1.7 Multiplayer Genres <27% not shown Base: All female gamers (1007) 7 | 2 in 5 don’t consider themselves as ‘proper’ gamers. They tend to play to relax and unwind, but still want to feel challenged
What’s important to them? 38% 63% Feeling challenged 46% Wouldn’t call Play games to themselves a relax and Clear levels/ progression 45% ‘proper gamer’ unwind
Attractive visuals 45%
Is this label too Gameworld exploration 34% intimidating? ….however, they are still looking to Immersive storyline 31% be challenged… Does it relate to how they game? Elements low in priority are multiplayer/ community related
Base: All female gamers 9 | When looking for the next game to play, most seek advice from their peers, although online reviews also play a key role
Most look to friends/peers for Online channels are also Around 1 in 5 use rankings advice on which games to play very influential to help them decide Friends’ recommendations 52% Online player reviews 39% Game charts/ 18% Word of mouth 52% Gameplay videos/ 26% rankings walkthroughs Online expert reviews 25%
UK are more likely to use online reviews from either players (41%) or experts (29%)
Base: All female gamers (1007) 11 | 1 in 3 are watching other gamers online regularly, but many feel there is a lack of female streamers
Watch other people play games online Attitudes to streaming? (weekly+) (those who stream weekly+)
38% There aren’t 34% 58% enough female 30% gamers streaming Why do they stream others?
52% Learn tips By gaming frequency A lot of 48% Pure entertainment 45% content seems sexist 6- 15 16+ <6hrs 42% Follow favourite gamers 28% hrs 43% hrs 49% 37% For the humour
Base: All female gamers (1007), Those who stream others weekly+ (321) 12 | 1 in 4 watch eSports regularly, although majority feel there needs to be better female representation here
Watch eSports % Agree (weekly+) eSports community should organise 65% more mixed gender tournaments 26% 24% 22% There is a great lack of female 60%US have gamersstrongerin eSports opinions to esports
By gaming frequency Perhaps becauseI would esports watch is more moreeSports established if there in 60%the US?were Let’s more research female teams into thisor 6- 15 16+ tournaments <6hrs 20% hrs 32% hrs 32%
Gaming community isn't doing 59% enough to encourage female gamers in eSports
Base: All female gamers (1007), Those who watch eSports (221) 13 | Abuse and discrimination
14 | Level of abuse has not changed since 2018
65% Playing online US gamers are most likely to experience abuse 36% from male counterparts: In online 1 in 3 female gamers forums/ have experienced abuse discussions 40% or discrimination from male gamers 28% 28% Playing with friends offline 1 in 2 amongst those who game online Base: All Female gamers (1007), Those who have experienced abuse (318) 15 | Female gamers are experiencing a range of abuse
32% 31% 31% 30%
Being sent Verbal abuse from Sexual harassment Negative actions of inappropriate male gamers while from male gameplay in online content or messages playing online gamers games from male from male gamers multiplayers gamers 35% 35%
26% 22% 15% 14% US gamers appear to experience a broader range of abuse both Excluded from Verbal abuse Abuse on social Threats of rape online and offline participation in from male media/ other digital from male gamers games because of gamers offline channels gender 28% 17%
Base: Female gamers who have experienced abuse (319) 16 | Abuse and comments are often very graphic
“What’s your snapchat, bitch I've had rape and sexual assault give me your Snapchat… fine used as a joke and when I said ‘hey go make me a sandwich in that's not cool or funny’ I was told the kitchen because that’s all ‘Ugh, come on, I'm only kidding. women are good for.” Women like you are so uptight.’ Aged 16-24 | PS4 Aged 25-34 | Nintendo Switch, Wii, PC
I was told that he would find where I live and rape and kill I was told that there are never real me in my sleep and then girl gamers, that we just say we’re possibly kill my whole family. into video games so we can get Aged 16-24 | Xbox One, Wii, PC dick. He also then said if he knew where I lived he would stalk me down and rape me. Aged 25-34 | PS4, Nintendo Switch
17 | This has significant impact on their online gaming…
All female gamers Those who play online These patterns are consistent across the US and UK, 47% 12% 30% 23% although online gamers in the US are more likely to avoid revealing I feel I’d have to I avoid online I often don't reveal I avoid speaking in their gender practice before joining multiplayer games that I am a female online multiplayer an online multiplayer altogether, through fear gamerwhen playing games, through fear of game of negative reactions online multiplayer negative reactions 33% from male players game from male players
Fear around revealing gender in online games 28% has dropped slightly since 2018 35% 30%
Base: All female gamers (1007), Those who play online multiplayer games (428) 18 | Progress has been made but more needs to be done to reassure female gamers that there are mechanisms in place to help prevent abuse
There has been positive change Are there adequate processes in place? Those who experienced abuse since last year… Don’t Yes Don’t know Yes More of those who have 27% 19% know 25% experienced abuse, feel there are 33% adequate processes in place to 2018 2019 deal with such instances 54% 43% …However, there’s still a way to go No No
• The challenge of finding the balance between free speech and ensuring online gaming is a safe environment is a tough one • Riot games started researching into this over 5 years ago and have found ways to reduce the level of verbal abuse, however, it is a slow process • Some of the methods being used by Riot, and others like Ubisoft and Blizzard, include rewards for sportsmanship and virtuous behaviour, using tips or stats to encourage positive comments, self-policing from players etc.
Base: Those who have experienced abuse 2018 (338), 2019 (318) 19 | Attitudes to the industry
21 | Representation of females in the games industry has improved but there are still disparities in pay
Both the UK and US are similar in their Perceptions of female representation in the industry perceptions of the industry, being largely have improved slightly, but there is still a way to go positive. Although the UK are more likely to 2018 2019 view it as masculine and sexist ‘Women are very/ quite well Inclusive represented in 22% 27% Sexist Universal the gaming Open industry’ Elitist Exciting 52% think they aren’t well represented
Innovative A recent gamesindustry.biz article reported an increase in the Masculine Cliquey Geeky gender pay gap in the UK games industry, despite women increasing their representation throughout gaming. Progressive Of the 19 games-related companies GamesIndustry.biz identified, every single one paid women a lower median wage than men.
Base: All female gamers (1007) 22 | Female character development has seen improvements all round, although 3 in 5 still feel they are often oversexualised
T2B Agree 71% 61% 60% 2018 55% 51% 48% 41% 42% 2019 29% 35% Female characters There are not Female characters There is lack of racial I often feel I can are often enough strong are under- diversity with female relate to female oversexualised female characters represented characters characters in video games 51% 44% 45% 45% 38% 40%
Base: All female gamers (1007) 23 | Similarly to last year, most female gamers recognise that progress is being made
48% 43% 42% 40% Number of female Depiction of female More games are being The industry is doing characters has characters has designed with females more to encourage improved improved in mind female gamers
% of those agreeing with the statement 24 | Base: All female gamers Mobile gaming
26 | Majority of female gamers also play mobile games regularly, although these are more likely to be puzzle games than action/adventure…
Genres played on mobile 52% Word puzzle US gamers play a 73% 39% broader range, play mobile play every 41% Quiz especially more games day ‘midcore’ genres: weekly+ 39% Arcade Strategy 38%, Action/adventure 37% Card/ dice 36%, Shooter 18%,
Gamers in the US are more likely to be 35% Strategy playing mobile games regularly… UK gamers are 35% Match 3/ Linker puzzle more likely to play 81% 66% Quiz 47% 32% Action/ Adventure
Base: All female gamers (1007) 27 | Mobile games are usually played more casually, but doesn’t mean they can’t offer a similar experience to PC/ console
Attitudes to mobile games % selecting statement I play to switch off & unwind 38% Mobile games tend to be played in shorter I only play for short bursts 29% 33% bursts, to relax and unwind…however, players still want to feel challenged I like to be challenged 27%
I would never pay for mobile games 23% 29% I only play mobile games to kill time 19% It's not as serious as console/ PC 19% 24%
I wouldn't class them as video games 21% 17% Although 1 in 5 think mobile games aren’t It's not as immersive as console/PC 15% as serious as PC/console games, this doesn’t mean to say they can’t be immersive and I get bored with them very quickly 14% engaging.
Base: All female gamers (1007) 28 | Half of mobile gamers are females, however, games are often still perceived as being geared towards men In the US, around 65% of females aged 10-65 play mobile games*. The majority actually prefer to play on mobile. However, the opportunity is not being fully utilised as many games are still being made with males in mind
48% 44% 43% 42%
A lot of midcore/ Mobile games for A lot of mobile games I am put off by hardcore mobile games young children instil use sexist stereotypes games that look are geared towards males gender stereotypes in in their design overly 'girly' their design 48% 46% 46%
% T2B Agree 41% 40% 38%
Base: All female gamers (1007) *According to a recent study conducted by Google Play and NewZoo 29 | Jenny McBean [email protected]
Seb Martin [email protected]
+44 (0)20 7033 7300 www.bryter-research.co.uk