Gamer women - 'tourists' or 'citizens'?

Abstract

Abstract Video and computer games have become an increasingly popular form of leisure over the past three decades. While the digital world is traditionally thought of as a masculine space, the number of female online gamers continues to increase. In the online gamer subculture, however, female gamers are often invisible, primarily because the famous gamers and the main characters of video games are typically male. Video games tend to focus on female characters' physical appearance, rather than their skills, thus widening the gender gap, as well as relegating women to secondary, supporting roles. This chapter addresses the primary question of whether women are 'tourists' in this currently masculine space, or if they are already full members of the gaming world. By looking at online female gamers in Hungary and through analysis of an online questionnaire, it was determined that the female presence in online gaming is increasing, in spite of misogyny and harassment.