Today, about half of all computer game lovers are female, but in the public consciousness it is still considered predominantly male entertainment. As a result, female gamers, in order not to be treated down and taken seriously, are forced to demonstrate stereotypically masculine character traits in order to gain recognition from other players.
Computer games have become a mass hobby for people of all genders and ages for many years, but social stereotypes are indestructible: when the word “gamer” most often there is an image of a young guy “stuck” to the monitor. Women are usually credited with a hobby except for simple arcades or dating simulators.
And this plays a role not only in relations within the gaming community, but also in hiring female developers who want to participate in the creation of a new game. Employers usually perceive men as diligent employees who are not afraid of difficult games and are even ready to enjoy them, but women, from their point of view, are ready to enjoy only unhurried games with a stereotypically “female” plot.
After interviewing 36 women who hold leading positions in the gaming industry and take part in the development of new games, Finnish researchers came to the conclusion that “living with wolves is howling like a wolf.” Therefore, as it turned out, women in the gaming industry are forced to show typically masculine traits of behavior and character, such as assertiveness, aggression and a desire for leadership, so that they are taken seriously.
However, not all women accept the male rules of the game and thereby strengthen social stereotypes:
some try to move away from the prevailing ideas about the “typical gamer” and create a new image. In it, technical savvy is combined with sociability: such people perceive programming as ordinary, not exceptional work and get more pleasure from friendly communication with other players, without focusing solely on what is happening in the game.