[Origami]

Originally Posted by fov

I'm tired of the assumption that women like casual games, and casual games aren't "real" games, therefore (most) women aren't real gamers.

You can look at it any way you like, but most women are not gamers. I witness that first hand everyday.

According to the ESA, women make up 40% of the overall gaming audience, and are the fastest growing demographic among gamers.

Which basically tells us nothing in this discussion, because that research also includes casual games. So who knows.....it could be interpreted as 40% of the gaming community are women who play casual games(statistically improbable ofcourse but you get my point).

Yes, it's unlikely that busy mothers are going to devote as many hours a week to video games as the stereotypical "hardcore" gamer does, but that's because they have other things to do -- not because being a woman or a mom somehow makes them less interested in games.

I agree and I already pointed that out. However when you wrote that last sentence I was reminded of something. Men and women are wired differently. Overall women think long-term and men short-term. A lot of women prioritize a steady future so I can see why they would more easily refrain from becoming a hardcore gamer.

Also don't confuse the type of game someone likes with their passion for gaming. I know plenty of women who will spend hours at a time playing Sudoku, Bejeweled, Tetris, etc. Why are they less hardcore than the 20 year old guy who plays Halo for hours on end?

I know them too. And that can't be a coincidence. The games you just listed are pick-up-and-go games. Another example of why (I believe) most women are unlikely to invest long periods into gaming. Again....I am not saying there aren't women who are willing to do it.