Diversity in the gaming industry: Why it’s time to level up

In an era where gaming is the domain of an increasingly female, and frequently older population, it’s time for developers to keep up with demographics.

Female players make up almost half of the world’s gaming population. If you’re into gaming at all, it’s unlikely that this is a surprising statistic in itself. It is remarkable, however, that this is certainly nothing new; in the US alone, gamer distribution has hovered at just above 50% female for the past twelve years:

This is as the average age continues to shift upwards, too – with the majority of gamers currently between the ages of 35 to 44.

So, that’s the players. But the industry lags behind. How many developers are prioritising female leads, both in their games and on their boards? What percentage of leaders are pushing for inclusion as priority within their organisation? Predictably few, given that women account for just 20% of the workforce amongst European developers, and only around 26% of firms use deliberately inclusive hiring practices to attract a diverse pool of candidates. Collectively, Asian, black and Hispanic employees make up fewer than 22% of the highest-ranking gaming execs.

Chart source: https://cdn.xsolla.net/strapi-bucket-prod/The_Xsolla_Report_Winter_2024_Edition_30b74493cf/The_Xsolla_Report_Winter_2024_Edition_30b74493cf.pdf

Chart source

Sadly, reported harassment, gatekeeping and dismissiveness of women in online gaming communities are still ever-present, too. Not to mention the systemic sexualisation of female characters across hundreds of leading titles. The status quo raises a key question; how might all of this change for the better if women held a large share of leadership positions, more of our favourite protagonists had the life experience of Michael de Santa or Marcus Fenix, and minority ethnic groups became well-represented in video games?

Better inclusion - who feels the benefits?

Ensuring diverse representation across the board is crucial to building a fair and sustainable industry. Yes, it is a huge challenge, but it’s also a massive opportunity. Collectively, the gaming industry has what it takes to foster a diverse and inclusive environment, propelling it to unprecedented levels of growth and creativity.

In a nutshell? Everyone.

  1. Developers and studios – investing in a nuanced understanding of varied, under-represented audiences facilitates meaningful content with much broader appeal. Developers are empowered to ensure feedback is rounded, push the boundaries of creativity, and produce titles that capture a growing market.

  2. Players – an ability to identify with characters and plotlines is fundamental to our enjoyment of storytelling. A market that embraces a diverse range of protagonists, themes and storylines creates more choice, and keeps video games as they should be; exciting and unpredictable. An inclusive gaming environment garners the sense of belonging required to create communities, too – we saw during the pandemic just how ‘social’ gaming can really be. 

  3. Employees – if they feel greater identification with their company’s ethos, practices and games, employees are much more likely to feel a true sense of purpose at work. People and purpose = a productive workforce.

  4. Brands – as audiences broaden for gaming titles, so do the advertising opportunities for their brand sponsors. Back in 2021, NYX Professional Makeup and Dignitas made history as the first partnership between a global cosmetics brand and an esports organiser. Heather Garozzo, Dignitas’ VP of Talent described the deal as “a nod to all the women gamers that have long waited for a fashion and make-up brand to acknowledge their passion for gaming.”

A critical hit - but for the better

We all know that great transformation comes from small, yet consistent and meaningful steps. But there needs to be an element of strategy too.

So what’s the next step for the gaming world? As Mission One partners share their own perspectives with our team, a few common themes emerge:

  1. Industry-experienced mentorship for those wishing to break into the industry: A two-way street for learning and development. Aside from the obvious skill development opportunity, mentoring provides a two-way street for learning for both mentee and mentor and – when done right – the crucial networking links and self-confidence work needed to break through in any field. As Eunice Lee, COO at Scopely, puts it: “I believe it is critical for leaders of underrepresented backgrounds to be visible in the industry and the broader tech industry. We can do this by sharing our career experiences, being mentors and sponsors to others. While the burden and spotlight shouldn’t be only on leaders of underrepresented backgrounds to bring along and inspire others, we play an important part with our visibility in giving future leaders the ability to see themselves in similar leadership roles.”

  2. Frequent and open acknowledgement of the role of women and under-represented groups in video games’ creation and success: Such unique perspectives should be celebrated for the creativity they bring to the design, programming, writing and production of our best-loved games. For Jenny Xu, founder of Talofa Games, a positive shift has already begun. She shared her expectations for the next 12 months and beyond: “There will be more games that are made by teams that we haven’t seen before – whether female founded or BIPOC, we’re starting to see more of these teams get chances and opportunities, where ten years ago none of these teams got a chance.” Encouraging developments, without a doubt – but we can’t afford to take our foot off the gas just yet.

  3. Those from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds in gaming who hold leadership positions can continue to share their experiences, and advocate for those following in their footsteps. Utilising influence to amplify voices and generate positive change is essential.

Whilst there is a sense of growing awareness in gaming, including the inception of groups such as Black in Gaming, Gameheads and Women in Games whose mission it is to promote and fight for diversity and equity, the conversation is not yet loud enough to transform industry-wide behaviours for good.

Things might well be moving in the right direction, but for the future of our beloved gaming world, we all need to level up rapidly. And the evidence shows that shareholders also benefit from diverse teams.

We want to hear your experiences and challenges – are you a #GamingLeaderlookijng to build DEI practices into the thread of your organisation? Get in touch – we’re waiting to hear from you.

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