Microsoft wants to create more diverse gaming storylines to appeal to women gamers

2 min. read

Published onMarch 30, 2013

published onMarch 30, 2013

Share this article

Read our disclosure page to find out how can you help Windows Report sustain the editorial teamRead more

According to a Microsoft narrative writer, women are the “new core” when it comes to gaming. No longer are they a small percentage of the gaming market. Microsoft wants to create more diverse storylines and add more female characters and ethnicities for better gaming, especially for women.

“Women are not a small special market on the fringe of the core. Women are the new core,” claims Tom Abernathy, a narrative writer for Microsoft Studios. Abernathy believes that current games do not keep up with today’s social culture and the market for video games is changing too fast for developers and publishers to keep up.

“Our audience is leaving us behind. The world is changing, it has already changed, and we have not been doing a very good job of keeping up with it, Abernathy adds. Apparently 30% of US gamers are women! At least according to data from the Entertainment Software Association and game developer PopCap Games.

Having much more diverse games would obviously be good for the gaming industry as it allows for games to be given a wider audience. “Nobody in the room admits to being against making characters female or nonwhite. But they’re scared because they don’t know how to defend that choice to their bosses. Our industry, our art, and our business stand to gain in every sense simply by holding a mirror up to our audience and reflecting their diversity in what we produce,” Abernathy adds.

Radu Tyrsina

Radu Tyrsina has been a Windows fan ever since he got his first PC, a Pentium III (a monster at that time).

For most of the kids of his age, the Internet was an amazing way to play and communicate with others, but he was deeply impressed by the flow of information and how easily you can find anything on the web.

Prior to founding Windows Report, this particular curiosity about digital content enabled him to grow a number of sites that helped hundreds of millions reach faster the answer they’re looking for.

User forum

0 messages

Sort by:LatestOldestMost Votes

Comment*

Name*

Email*

Commenting as.Not you?

Save information for future comments

Comment

Radu Tyrsina

With KB5043178 to Release Preview Channel, Microsoft advises Windows 11 users to plug in when the battery is low#

Copilot in Outlook will generate personalized themes for you to customize the app#

Microsoft will raise the price of its 365 Suite to include AI capabilities#

Death Stranding Director’s Cut is now Xbox X|S at a huge discount#

Outlook will let users create custom account icons so they can tell their accounts apart easier#

Microsoft wants to create more diverse gaming storylines to appeal to women gamers#

With KB5043178 to Release Preview Channel, Microsoft advises Windows 11 users to plug in when the battery is low

Copilot in Outlook will generate personalized themes for you to customize the app

Microsoft will raise the price of its 365 Suite to include AI capabilities

Death Stranding Director’s Cut is now Xbox X|S at a huge discount

Outlook will let users create custom account icons so they can tell their accounts apart easier

Microsoft wants to create more diverse gaming storylines to appeal to women gamers