According to research, the number of female gamers in Asia, considered the global capital of video games, is growing at a faster rate than their male counterparts. In key markets, like China, Japan, and India, the female gaming community increased by 19% last year, according to Google.
In Asia, which accounts for 48% of the world’s total gaming revenue, women have been a key consumer group. The market is general has become more inclusive, accounting for the increase in female gamers, with many games promoting diversity and strong female representation.
Female gamers increased to 38% of the 1.33 billion total gaming population in Asia in 2019, according to Google in collaboration with Niko Partners. Women make up 45% of the market in China, and 40% in South Korea, Southeast Asia, and Japan.
The surge in female gamers has coincided with the advancement of mobile devices, which allow many women to have fun on the go. “This is especially the case in Asia, where mobiles are the primary internet-enabled device for many people," said Matt Brocklehurst, Head of Apps, Partnerships, and Platform Marketing at Google Asia Pacific.
Competitive online gaming, or esports, has also become an increasingly lucrative industry. Through prize money, sponsorships, and endorsements, the top female gamers have taken home more than $20 million. Singapore-based professional gamer Amanda Lim is a member of an all-female team called We.Baeters, who are considered key influencers with millions of fans who watch them play via live-streaming.
Reia Ayunan, a former professional gamer, specialized in role-playing games like Battle Royale, which she would play for up to six hours a day. Her live stream, which included viewers from the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, earned her $2,800 a month, which mainly came from sponsors. Recently, she joined game studio Ubisoft to produce more female-centric game content.
19-year-old Singapore student Valerie Ong plays games for three to seven hours a day, depending on her school schedule. She began playing Call of Duty after cheering on her best friend at a tournament.
“It was a real eye-opener as it was heavily male-dominated and my friend was actually the only girl that competed,” she says. “It was really cool and inspirational to watch her play as she could outplay many of her opponents and actually carried her team in many matches.”
One big downside for female gamers is the possibility of online harassment. “I was turned into memes and even was a victim of sexual harassment online. Once you go public and you get noticed there will always be people hating on you, finding faults and mistakes. The gaming community can be very toxic,” Ayunan said.
Source: BBC
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