What is a True Gamer? The Male Gamer Stereotype and the Marginalization of Women in Video Game Culture

Abstract

Women and men play video games in approximately equal numbers. Despite this similarity, video gaming is still strongly associated with men. A common justification for this stereotype is that, although women might play games, they should not be considered "true" or "hard-core" gamers because they play more casually and less skillfully compared to their male counterparts. In this contribution, we review the existing literature on gender and gaming to investigate the male gamer stereotype in terms of its accuracy, persistence, effects, and future perspective. We conclude that the stereotype varies in accuracy depending on the definition of "gamer." We further argue that the persistence of this stereotype can be explained by the fact that almost all professional and highly visible figures in gaming culture are male. On the other hand, female players who achieve a moderate level of competence are rendered invisible or are actively marginalized. We argue that the effects of the male gamer stereotype can be harmful to women, precluding them from the positive outcomes of video game play such as enhanced access to fields of science, technology, and engineering.

Investigating sexual harassment in online video games: How personality and context factors are related to toxic sexual behaviors against fellow players

“…The gamer identity is stereotypically of white, heterosexual male despite the actual diversity of video game players (Gray, ; Shaw, ). Other aspects defining a gamer include time investment in gaming, self‐identification, specific genre preferences, knowledge, and preferences to certain design game elements (De Grove, Courtois, & Van Looy, ; Paaßen, Morgenroth, & Stratemeyer, ; Richard, ). Some self‐identifying gamers might use these aspects to deny others this identity through derogatory labels (Paaßen et al, ; Richard, ).…”

“…Other aspects defining a gamer include time investment in gaming, self‐identification, specific genre preferences, knowledge, and preferences to certain design game elements (De Grove, Courtois, & Van Looy, ; Paaßen, Morgenroth, & Stratemeyer, ; Richard, ). Some self‐identifying gamers might use these aspects to deny others this identity through derogatory labels (Paaßen et al, ; Richard, ). For example, players who play certain types of games, such as games on web browsers, social networking sites, or mobile devices are considered not true gamers, but “casuals” (Scharkow et al, ; Shaw, ).…”

“…For example, players who play certain types of games, such as games on web browsers, social networking sites, or mobile devices are considered not true gamers, but “casuals” (Scharkow et al, ; Shaw, ). Another example is female players being denied gamer status as “fake geek girls,” women who play video games with ostensibly sexual motives (Richard, ), consequently female players may be forced to choose between a female or a gamer identity (Paaßen et al, ). According to the social identity theory, these acts of identity denial, especially toward sexual and ethnic minorities, are suggested to be social identity threat responses, justifying directed antisocial behaviors against outgroup members (Maass, Cadinu, Guarnieri, & Grasselli, ).…”

Applying the multi-threat framework of stereotype threat in the context of digital gaming.

“…Specifically, we present findings in a casual gaming context, yet it is not understood whether these are applicable in other gaming domains, such as hardcore gaming that is viewed stereotypically as a more masculine relative to feminine pursuit. We also recommend future research to explore females' gameplay experiences within real-world gaming context, particularly in light of the stigma and prejudice they face within such gaming communities [1][2][3][4]. Future work could also examine strategies to enable females to effectively deal with these stereotypical views, with a view to widening their participation in digital gaming communities, and STEM domains more generally.…”

“…competency is often questioned and, consequently, feel marginalised by their male counterparts [4,5]. For example, empirical evidence highlights that when gamers perceive another player to be female, rather than male, they are three times more likely to be verbally abusive [6].…”