Games for the ladies

Do you think we're about to see a vogue of female-focused game titles?

First, there's rumblings like this article on finding the feminine side of computers and how gaming companies are all aware that the next ramping up of income is likely to come from a female playerbase. In the same vein there's that chap from EA confirming their interest in the female dollar. Then there's reviews extolling the Nancy Drew series of games, a series aimed primarily at 12-15 year old girls. Not to mention all the rabidly pink consoles popping up all over the place.

But most obviously, there are now FIVE count 'em, five explicitly 'female-friendly' titles in the US PC top ten. Franchised to the hilt, admittedly, but here we have it: The Sims 2, Nancy Drew: Danger By Design, The Sims 2: Open For Business, The Sims 2: Family Fun Stuff, and Paws & Claws Pet Vet.

I'm focusing on the explicit here, because obviously plenty of females play World of Warcraft, for instance. Not half the playerbase, and it's certainly not marketed to females, but still. I'm talking about games that are designed from the outset to attract females, and games that are marketed to some degree in female media.

So five PC games in the top ten. This feels new, but I had a rummage around - has this changed significantly from a few years ago? Well actually.. not so much. Here's the chart from August 2004:

1) Madden NFL 2004
2) The Sims: Superstar
3) Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight
4) Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne
5) The Sims Deluxe
6) Zoo Tycoon: Complete Collection
7) Diablo 2
8) Age of Mythology
9) Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided
10) The Sims: Unleashed

Three Sims franchises again - good lord, how much money has EA made on this series already? - and a Zoo Tycoon collection.

So if we're seeing a beginning of a move towards grabbing that billion dollar market made of lovely ladies, it's a tentative start, with the non-Sims titles cautiously tiptoeing towards the teenage girl set first. Easy target, a large proportion of them already have a handheld and a mobile.

Retail will have to smarten up its act, of course - high street gaming shops are universally stinky, sweaty places with chewing gum ground into the carpet. Marketing too - banner ad spend on mainstream-friendly sites like Neopets, MySpace or Pogo or MSN.com will have to go up. Ach, it doesn't feel like rocket science, does it?

I predict games on shelves in Claire's Accessories by this time next year, and Game might've shampooed its carpet and invested in some air freshener by then. Wouldn't that be nice?

Comments

[kim]

The frightening thing is, the only trend I can see here is that these "female-friendly" titles/franchises - once they hit - seem to have a solid lock on their customer base. You mentioned the Sims being top-10 since who knows when, and Nancy Drew has been similar. The past several titles have all made top ten and sat there a while.

ND, I'm told, isn't just sold to kids + teens. Supposedly resonates with an older demographic that grew up on the books. That's what I'm told anyway. I haven't seen numbers to back it up.

[Will Maiden]

"Glamour Life Stuff"

EA aren't even trying anymore.

[tom armitage]

Well, that pink PS2 is obviously going to be a key contribution to any swell in female gaming.

(Serious question: is it? I don't know; I find it a bit rubbish. I find the point of pink handhelds more obvious - co-ordination as accessory - but a pink box under your TV? I reeally don't get it...)

[Saylah]

Part of me thinks EA isn't trying anymore. The other part thinks they might feel dont fix what ain't broke. Afterall, they deviated from the formula and drowned TSO before it every got off the peer.

It's nice to see women rocking games like WOW and EQII, but their ranks are a small % than I'd like to see. Marketing pink and fluffy items actually offends me as a woman, so any company that does that won't get my money.

[Thefremen]

19.99 pounds for LOTR:BFME II? Wish there was a Game in my neck of the woods...

[AION]

Heh I seen a pink with flowers PS3 in a local store

[Alison Angel]

Diablo - is not for ladies! =)