The female gaming audience has been on a steady rise, with better demographics in both mobile and console gaming. Marketers have also taken notice of the increasing demographic, and a recent survey by the Pew Research Center (via The Mary Sue) indicates that women now own more video game consoles than men. According to the data, 42 percent of women own consoles, compared to 37 percent of men.
With that, we’re also seeing another shift in the female demographic, namely the number of video games featuring strong women in leading roles. For instance, tomorrow’s release of Rise of the Tomb Raider for Xbox One consoles will bring back the iconic Lara Croft, a treasure hunting explorer who isn’t afraid to fight against powerful adversaries. Square Enix’s Tomb Raider games have been best sellers over the years, and the newest addition is expected to do just as well, despite being exclusive to one console.
This is just the latest example of seeing a strong female presence in games, which not only relates well to female players, but also males. Other titles that feature the option of a playable female lead character include:
Fallout 4: releasing for PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4, this long-awaited sequel lets players choose either a male or female character as they set out to explore a retro sci-fi themed post-apocalyptic world filled with dangerous human and mutant enemies.
Call of Duty: Black Ops II: now available for multiple consoles and PC. For the first time in the series, players can choose between male and female characters in the single player campaign. There are also a number of Specialists found in the multiplayer section that are female, who can hold their own among their male teammates.
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate: available for Xbox One and PlayStation 4, and releasing on PC later this month. We haven’t seen a female protagonist in this series since Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation released in 2012. Syndicate reaches forward by offering a choice between two main characters, the twins Jacob and Evie Frye, who must battle a vicious tyrant. Unlike many other games, choosing between the two characters impacts the style of play.
Star Wars: Battlefront: releasing on November 17th for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC, players can choose various female characters within this multiplayer romp, including iconic heroine, Princess Leia.
Having a strong female lead character has a better chance of appealing to female gamers, much like we’ve seen in past games like Nintendo’s Metroid series, which features a bounty hunter named Samus Aran.
The trend toward appealing to more female gamers is sure to continue into next year, with even more games featuring female leads. EA’s Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst will launch this May for consoles and PC, bringing back the free-running Faith. Battleborn, an upcoming multiplayer shooter, will have female heroes alongside male ones. Capcom’s Street Fighter V has a cast filled with strong women fighters.
Forbes recently posted an article detailing this rise in female game characters, stating that, “Female characters are severely underrepresented in gaming, but women make up 48 percent of the game buying audience. 48 percent. Just five years ago, that number was 40 percent. At this rate, female gamers will overtake male gamers within the next year. That being the case, there’s bound to be an outcry of identifiable characters for the new audience. There was major backlash when Ubisoft claimed it couldn’t animate female characters for the (Assassin’s Creed) Unity multiplayer aspect, due to the extra workload. Perhaps there’s some sort of message in the fact that instead of one lead, we’ve gotten two with Syndicate. Double the characters,” said author William Wilson.
It also made note of Amy Hennig, a figure who had worked for many years on the Uncharted series, as well as the Tomb Raider franchise. She’s currently working with the team at Visceral Games (Battlefield: Hardline) on a new unannounced Star Wars project.
The author concluded his piece saying, “In gaming, just like in life, women have to be serious to be taken serious. No one would have taken the game serious if Evie was the one with a funny comment and lackadaisical attitude. But everyone seems fine with the fact that Jacob Frye is that way. This mirrors the real world, where women are forced to take on more responsibility and have a more focused attitude towards work if anyone is going to take them seriously in their roles. It’s a sad reality we face, but it does exist. Though, for the time being, Evie and (Uncharted star) Elena are two strong examples of a new breed of strong protagonists. Women.”
Games featuring strong lead female characters have also proven to be quite marketable across all demographics. The new television ad for Rise of the Tomb Raider, seen below, is effective in appealing to both males and females alike, and Syndicate has featured an equal share of exposure for both Jacob and Evie Frye. This is sure to continue as 2016’s big gaming hits loom in the distance.
