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Women working in the gaming industry feel obligated to emulate typical male personality traits if they want to be recognized in the gaming community, new research from Aalto University Business School and Jyväskylä University reveals. Women are called “Player Two,” a position perceived as less important in the gaming community and in hiring practices within the gaming industry.
This is because male gamers are considered “hardcore” players (“Player 1”) and enjoy more frequent, longer, and more challenging games than those considered “casual” players.
As a result, casual her gamer positioning is feminized, creating marketing for games played by wives and mothers. These games are “pinkified,” she says. Girls learn their feelings and care about others.
“The design practice mimics the physical playground activities of boys and offers adventure, violence and competition. Further, the masculine space of play sustains the boys’ culture, for example, mastering the game, and long hours of repetition,” says Katila.
But Katila believes the current gender balance will change in the long-term as women tweak male-focused discourse in gaming communities by creating a new tech-savvy gamer identity that is separate from the masculine “tech-nerd.”
short-term progress on these issues is hampered because, “to gain a legitimate identity in the community of gamers, aspiring to the masculine ‘Player One’ position becomes a necessity.”
This new tech-savvy identity emphasizes personal enthusiasm for gaming and connects coding with fun, enjoyment and togetherness. This enables women to identify positively with the gamer community and disrupts the discourses that perceive coding as an exclusively male activity and proficiency.
Dr. Katila from Aalto University School of Business and Dr. Marke Kivijärvi from the University of Jyväskylä published their study in the journal Games and Culture. The study is based on 36 interviews with females in management and development roles within the gaming industry.