Female gamers in the video game industry.

As promised, here's a little tidbit about the female gamer, and how the video game industry is finally starting to see this sector that makes up slightly over half the U.S. population as a potential market share base.

The gaming industry even 6 years ago was seen predominantly as a male-based sector, but lately video game producers are beginning to finally target and be concerned with female gamers.  For the longest time, the female gamer did not "exist", although I am certain there were girls out there who did play and enjoy video games. Society as a whole did not fathom a girl playing video games, that would just be weird after all.

But lately, the emergence of the female gamer has been a very real and tangible thing, with girls and women openly starting to "come out of the box" so to speak, and embracing that which used to be hidden behind closed doors.

As far as me, being a guy, I think this new revelation is a very good thing for the industry.  It forces video game developers to broaden their spectrum when it comes to producing concepts to video games to try to capture this "new" market.

You are beginning to see stronger female protagonists, and, in certain cases, antagonists.  Another benefit women are tending to see is female characters which are a bit more clothed. There are not as many female characters who you'd be more likely to see in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Calendar, but now they can be a character girls can look up to.  Also in some cases, they are characters even guy gamers can respect too.

I believe the video game industry has got their mind heading in the right direction, developing more games for girls to play with their significant other in multiplayer mode.  Not only shooters that have always been seen predominantly as a "guy thing", but now even RPGs (Role-Playing Games) are taking on more of a multiplayer aspect, and not simply in the MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) spectrum, but on console games.  This is very successful, and was mostly apparent in the Tales series by Bandai Namco who has been developing 4-player potential RPGs for years now.

Even the recent release of Diablo III has a multiplayer function where you can play with your family or as a couple.  No more are the days where the girl is a spectator role as their male counterpart plays their way through a game.