Gaming isn't just for guys anymore. New game-changing research shows women are just as interested in playing video games as men are. Until this point, marketing has just been aimed toward guys. Some women say they want to change that.
Grace Blessey already has a law degree. But now, at the age of 28, Grace wants to become a video game designer through SMU's Guildhall.
"I always liked video games. But at some point I realized I really just wanted to do something more creative like truly artistic," said Blessey
From her perspective, what women want from a video game is the mental challenge.
"Ultimately what it is - it's like the hand eye coordination challenge that people like. It's like pointing, can I get it while it's moving fast and shoot it," said Blessey.
It's one of the things Elizabeth Stringer, Blessey's professor, likes about video games.
"You look at who plays games and why they play those games you stop looking at gender at all. You don't need to draw those lines. you don't need to draw that division," said Stringer.
Women who are already working in the industry say they just want a good video game with female characters.
"I want to play a pink master chief. I want to have a unicorn on my shoulder when I'm shooting other people online. I want to be identified as a girl," said gamer Alex Ruiz.
Alexis Ruiz has been playing video games since she was eight.
"Christmas morning I woke up and I got The Barbie House and my brother got the Nintendo 88. And, I loved my Barbie House, don't get me wrong but there was nothing quite as satisfying as destroying him at Duck Hunt," said Ruiz.
Now, at 28, she's busting female video game myths as a Community Relations Manager for Dallas video game developer Terminal Reality. Jessica Nida-Wright has been building her career as a graphic designer there.
"Women want a good game. Women want A game that plays well, uh, that maybe has A good story to it. They want the same things," said Nida-Wright.
Jessica graduated two years ago from the video game design program at SMU's Guildhall.
"I think the biggest barrier is that they want to be allowed into that tree house that has that sign 'No Girls Allowed on it'," said Nida-Wright.
But GameStop says they're already in the stores buying half the videogames. Though they might be buying for someone else, 44% say they, themselves, want something other than casual, exercise or music games, which is what many developers think women like.
"Women can not be kept in a box in videogames. They're playing everything from Sims to Call of Duty to Super Mario Brothers," said GameStop employee Yavia Gipson.
Grace Blessey is answering a call the video game industry, and hopes, some day, to lead the way for other women to follow.
"It's always in the back of my mind. Like I would like to influence games that can bring more women in as players but also like someday be, maybe a role model, to get, more younger girls wanting to come into the industry as well," said Blessey.
The video game industry has all but ignored women. But women can't ignore the video games.
They're just too fun.
According to GameStop women 18 and over buy three times as many video games as boys 17 and younger.
Grace Blessey already has a law degree. But now, at the age of 28, Grace wants to become a video game designer through SMU's Guildhall.
"I always liked video games. But at some point I realized I really just wanted to do something more creative like truly artistic," said Blessey
From her perspective, what women want from a video game is the mental challenge.
"Ultimately what it is - it's like the hand eye coordination challenge that people like. It's like pointing, can I get it while it's moving fast and shoot it," said Blessey.
It's one of the things Elizabeth Stringer, Blessey's professor, likes about video games.
"You look at who plays games and why they play those games you stop looking at gender at all. You don't need to draw those lines. you don't need to draw that division," said Stringer.
Women who are already working in the industry say they just want a good video game with female characters.
"I want to play a pink master chief. I want to have a unicorn on my shoulder when I'm shooting other people online. I want to be identified as a girl," said gamer Alex Ruiz.
Alexis Ruiz has been playing video games since she was eight.
"Christmas morning I woke up and I got The Barbie House and my brother got the Nintendo 88. And, I loved my Barbie House, don't get me wrong but there was nothing quite as satisfying as destroying him at Duck Hunt," said Ruiz.
Now, at 28, she's busting female video game myths as a Community Relations Manager for Dallas video game developer Terminal Reality. Jessica Nida-Wright has been building her career as a graphic designer there.
"Women want a good game. Women want A game that plays well, uh, that maybe has A good story to it. They want the same things," said Nida-Wright.
Jessica graduated two years ago from the video game design program at SMU's Guildhall.
"I think the biggest barrier is that they want to be allowed into that tree house that has that sign 'No Girls Allowed on it'," said Nida-Wright.
But GameStop says they're already in the stores buying half the videogames. Though they might be buying for someone else, 44% say they, themselves, want something other than casual, exercise or music games, which is what many developers think women like.
"Women can not be kept in a box in videogames. They're playing everything from Sims to Call of Duty to Super Mario Brothers," said GameStop employee Yavia Gipson.
Grace Blessey is answering a call the video game industry, and hopes, some day, to lead the way for other women to follow.
"It's always in the back of my mind. Like I would like to influence games that can bring more women in as players but also like someday be, maybe a role model, to get, more younger girls wanting to come into the industry as well," said Blessey.
The video game industry has all but ignored women. But women can't ignore the video games.
They're just too fun.
According to GameStop women 18 and over buy three times as many video games as boys 17 and younger.
