The Evolution Of Women In The Gaming Community
The gaming community has been around for decades and as time goes on, it continues to flourish and evolve. However, for many years, the gaming community contained a low percentage of female gamers and a high percentage of male gamers.
According to Statista, in 2006, 62% of gamers were males and the other 38% were females. Due to this disparity between genders, many ‘gamer chicks’ would be harassed.
The website Fat Ugly or Slutty (www.fatuglyorslutty.com) is dedicated to allowing women to submit their degrading messages from fellow online gamers. The website provides a platform for women to share their gaming experiences, uplifting each other and laughing at the hateful messages together. Although the messages received can be hurtful, violent, and disrespectful, many female gamers overlook this obstacle and continue to persevere with their passions.
One theory as to why women get tormented within the gaming community is because people are intimidated that a female may excel over a male. Another fact is that males usually develop most video games. However, this does not mean that they are intended for only men.
For example, in 1980 one of the most popular arcade games, Pac-Man, was released. Considering that most men played video games, developers tried to push women into gaming by releasing Ms. Pac-Man a year later.
Since the percentage of male gamers is higher than females, it is assumed that they are only targeted for the male gender. Due to this assumption, many males find it odd when females play video games, which could be the reason for harassment.
However, throughout the years, women have persevered through this obstacle and continue to do what they love. In 2015, the percentage of female gamers increased six percent, bringing the percentage up to 44%, according to Statista.
As the percentage rises, some women have also become the face of the video game community. Some YouTube female celebrities, such as Atomic Mari, SSSniperWolf, and Pamela Horton (aka The Gamer Next Door), blog about their passion for video games. Some videos involve them playing games, reviewing new releases, and even competing with fellow gamers. These women have millions of people watching their videos and some do continue to get harassed within the comments. However, they continue doing what they excel at, making a name for themselves and having incredible careers.
As time passes, women and video games are becoming part of the norm. Yes, women are still patronized, but not as often anymore. The video game community is no longer seen as male dominated. Considering that video games are a form of entertainment, it should not matter what age or sex is taking a part in it.
