SXSW07: Getting Girl into Games panel

Getting Girl into Games

there is no single definition for a female gamer
– respect the demographic, not all girls like the same games

women are less resistant to micro transactions

what constitutes good market research
– some research for girls and it
– girls prefer a story
– not as big on competition
– like to be directed – rather than just set in there to explore

games are art, not entire project should come out of market research
– use focus groups for more pr, etc
– research has been used logistically in order to get projects greenlit (situational ethics)
– should be used as another ind of conversation with your gamer for changes,etc
– shouldn’t be used to determine the games to make
– shouldn’t be used as a roadmap
– shirking violet – can’t show girls violence theory
– they don’t like violence for violence sake, it’s just boring to them

question regarding is there a fundamental aspect of gaming that appeals to women
– no, just as not one for japanese
– it’s a market, not a genre
– barbie opened up the market, but it’s just one genre
– doom and halo are good games, not because their fist person shooter

halo is genre busting
– third person perspective
– fairly simple to learn to play
– storyline is basic but good
– cooperative play aspect

how can we take into account female in game design
– make the interface design big
– women have less patience with bad ui due to multi-task
– make multiple game play choices
– consistency and saving is important, less about preening and boasting, but rather progress and differentiation
– need to not stereotype
– RPGrs are paperdolls – dressing up your characters
– taking down the barriers
– tutorials – males are exploratory learners, females modeling or imitative learning
– don’t stick a nickel in the baby and shake to see how it works”
– its not about making game about kitties or guns
– think of it as a way to invite more people into your audience – girls, casual gamers, etc
– Need to keep hiring females
– pushing the fact that adding gamer to your identity is ok
– avoid any sense that you are being talked down to
– avoid behind the veil, special areas females are very sensitive to that

the market needs to explore girl gamers because the market needs to expand
– Nintendo Wii is a great solution to bridging the gap
– need to get the casual gamers, etc now to expand the market, not just the hard core games
– mobile market is an opportunity as well

how has mobile changed the market
– more access, not just targeted at one demo
– women love the smaller game format – phone, handheld, etc
– even when gba players were 40% of market, no female skus made it into stores
– downloading helps as it removes the misogyny from middle man (salesperson)

question about girls choosing male avatars
– women char are usually over-sexualized, but trend is that usually females play female characters
– but the fact that sometimes there is not a girl characters to choose from

question about how to inspire team of all men to work on girl project
– make sure males do not treat the assignment as a low echelon assignment
– if they give you crap work, don’t keep them on
– get them in focus groups and have them watch the kids play games
– have them find a personal connection (daughter, sister, etc)
– make them respect the gamer

question- thoughts on frag dolls
– dangerous territory – the way that men raise the profile of women in games to make them sexy
– pms clan – huge network, not put together as a marketing

question of can’t we just let the larger cultural trend of girls being more involved in trad male areas (sports, engineering)
– yes and no – still not able to sell female titles, stlll need for push
– the word “casual” is pejorative – gateway drug, play until you get to the “real” game

get your demos up
make sure the marketing takes into account women too