The entertainment ecosystem has a real goldmine in video games. More and more people are opting for this type of entertainment, with women certainly being the protagonists of the recent rise in video game consumption. Thus, says the 2021 Yearbook of the Spanish Video Game Industry, written by the Spanish Video Game Association, which states that the community of video game users grew last year, reaching a record 18 million players. Of these, 52% are men and 48% are women.

This push for women is also reflected in the song’s Global Quick View report. According to this study, two out of three Spanish women internet users have played a video game and this percentage has placed women in our country at the top of the ranking of the main European countries.

80% of women prefer to play on a mobile phone

Kantar’s analysis also reveals that eight out of ten women who engage in video games prefer a smartphone to play; far behind are the computer (45%) and the video game console (37%). Perhaps the reason for this hobby is a simple logistics account, as it is very easy to use a mobile phone as entertainment.

"Phone gaming requires little logistical effort and adapts to different contexts. This is perhaps the most common gaming device," said Andrea Rosales, a professor of Information and Communication Sciences at the UOC. ago.In the same vein, Teresa Vidal, Associate Professor in the UOC's Master's Degree in Video Game Design and Programming, states.

More content for women

One of the main reasons for the increase in the number of video game users lies in the offer itself. That is, in its content. Developers know this and are increasingly creating more content tailored to their preferences. In general, women’s tastes are driven by stories that feature adventure and transcendence stories and family and friendship issues. And all this, shown in a particularly careful way. This is how Vidal describes it. The expert also believes that it scares women "protagonists with excessive features, large breasts or disproportionate backs ... In short, all these elements that allow you to consider sexual touches, because that is not the purpose of the game."

So it all indicates that both the medium chosen for the game and the content of the game have a big impact on the trend of consumer use. However, is it possible to establish a standard profile based on these two variables, favorite medium and consumer gender? The topic doesn’t seem easy, because “while it’s obvious that there’s a clear relationship in principle, the topic is too broad to determine a specific profile of men, women, teens, and seniors, as there are many video game genres and variants to consider,” says the expert.

And to support his attitude on the subject, the teacher gives a personal example: "I have three children, and each prefers a type of support and game. One is a teenager and likes to play with FIFA with the PlayStation 5 console; another is a teenager. but she prefers the Xbox One console and can't stand football; and the third is a girl who plays with the Nintendo Switch console. " In short, according to Vidal, it would not be possible to establish a profile to classify users according to these parameters. “It wouldn’t be real,” he added.

Healthy aging thanks to play

Another part of the increase in video games included in the Yearbook prepared by the Spanish Video Game Association belongs to the senior public. This group, due to the confinement times of the COVID-19 pandemic, has gradually become acquainted with digital devices, “which has also led to the discovery of the many uses it offers, such as the mobile phone,” concludes Andrea Rosales. Moreover, considering that Candy Crush is one of the most successful applications for mobile games, “this has become one of the options for seniors,” he adds.

For her part, Teresa Vidal believes that memory games are attracting a large portion of the public over the age of 65.