It’s not just the young people and the male population who play games, more women today are getting into games to de-stress, pass the time and improve their cognitive and dexterity skills as research shows.
Digital Australia Report 2018 shows that almost 70% of Australians are now playing digital games with women making up nearly half of all players.
Digital Gaming: More than just a Past Time
It’s more than just a past time. The study also shows that digital games these days are made for the whole family. Adults aged over 65 are the fastest-growing group of new players, while parents make up also as part of the larger number who are into family-friendly games to bond with their children. The report also shows that over 97% of homes played digital games.
Clara Reeves, a long-time video game fan, a mother of two and a game developer said, “Games are a mainstream medium now. There is more range in content than a lot of people realise. There are contemplative artistic experiences, deep stories, things that give your brain a good workout… it’s not all shooters and dexterity-based games. Most people in our society interact with games now.”
She also added that her kids love it when she plays with them. “I think it’s a good idea to play with them and to make sure you’re comfortable with the content.”
Clara is part of the growing number of women making a career in Australia’s flourishing $2.2 billion digital games industry. As President of Hipster Whale, an Australian independent video game developer and publisher, Miss Reeves sees a brighter future for Australia’s game development industry.
Women in the Game Development Industry
The Games Development industry is one of the sub-industry in technology that is fast rising. The growing number of women working in this industry are supported by large organisations like Girl Geek Academy, a technology school program for women that teaches coding and other skills designed to increase the number of females working in games and successful STEM careers.
One of the most prominent games with propelling broader content is Ninja Pizza Girl, a game about beating bullies and building resilience which is developed by Australian Nicole Starke. This only proves that more women are working in games.
Melbourne International Games Week
The latest and emerging games from Australia and the world are going to be on show during the Melbourne International Games Week, October 22 to 29. It is the largest games event in the Asia Pacific and will present a range of events for families, consumers, industry, teachers, game-players and makers/
Melbourne is a game hub to half of AUstralia’s digital games industry. Hence, Minister for Creative Industries and a champion of the local games industry, Martin Foley says the Victorian Government created the MIGW to celebrate and promote Melbourne’s strength as Australia’s gaming capital.
“Melbourne is home to half of Australia’s digital games industry. The games we create here are exported and enjoyed globally. Our local game developers have won Oscars and BAFTAs, produced games for the likes of Disney and Nintendo, and continue to capture the imaginations of players around the world.”
For more info of the event’s schedules, please click on this link: https://gamesweek.melbourne/
Melbourne International Games Week 2016 Highlights
