The backbone of the gaming industry has always been competition. There is a reason so many arcade games were initially built for two players or more. Even cooperative games require the players to attempt and outdo each other in a sense. It is this spirit of competition that has helped to build up the eSports industry that we are so fond of today.
But games have had a bit of a barrier of entry for most of their existence. The earliest video games were made to appeal to young boys. They would usually feature a hero whose goal was to rescue a princess from a villain or monster. The gaming industry has grown quite a bit since the earliest titles though. The modern era of gaming appeals to a broader audience. The barriers in competitive gaming are breaking down.
Women are Leading the Charge in Poker Rooms
Not many people draw a line between competitive gaming and professional gambling. The two markets are quite similar. They both thrive on competition for example. Poker players are just as likely to measure their own talents against other players as professional gamers are. Both industries have also greatly benefited from the digital revolution. Online poker rooms are now all the rage and eSports is bigger than ever. It is also true that both poker and gaming have traditionally been viewed as “male-centric.”
But there are a slew of female players who are changing that outdated view of the classic casino card game. Kathy Liebert and Barbara Enright are just two of the top World Series of Poker players who happen to be women. Liebert is particularly famous in her field. She is the top-earning female player in poker. During her major appearances at the WSOP she won upwards of $7 million. You will frequently find her on lists featuring profiles of standout female poker players in the USA and beyond.
Women are also bringing a fresh perspective on the iGaming industry as a whole. A lot of designers and developers in the market happen to be women. They have greatly contributed to the look and feel of online slots and live table games. The fresh lens through which they see the iGaming industry greatly contributes to the improvement of the market as a whole. It is no wonder that noteworthy game studios are looking for female head developers and lead designers.
Female Gamers are on the Rise
Competitive gaming was once a grassroots movement. Anyone could visit the local arcade and participate in a tournament for a small cash prize. The new century has certainly been kind to the eSports scene. It is now a global billion-dollar industry. Men have dominated eSports for a majority of its lifetime. Recently a surge of female players has come to the forefront. Many of the best and most respected players are women. Some stand out as the top names in the game.
Sasha Hostyn is not just one of the best female players in the StarCraft II scene. She is also the top-earning female gamer in the world. Many may not recognize her real name; but they are certainly familiar with Scarlett. The moniker became famous in 2012 when Scarlett exploded onto the scene. She won the Playhem “Sponsor Me!” Tournament and quickly got noticed by some of the finest StarCraft sponsors and tournaments in the world. Her career has been on an upward trajectory since.
We could also look at CSGO and CS2 for some of the best female eSports competitors. Ksenia Kluenkova and Julia Kiran are two exceptional players who can compete with the best of them. Kluenkova’s moniker is Vilga. The Russian player is the top female Counter-Strike player in the world in terms of earnings. Her participation in the game shows that girls can shoot virtual guns as well as any guy. Kiran has won a slew of competitions in her own right. She is second only to Vilga in terms of earnings.
The Success of Girl Gamers
The digital age has brought about a new era of online entertainment. Twitch streamers are now more successful than ever. The site began as a repository for professional gamers; but it has now grown into a multi-purpose platform. Streamers cover everything from fashion and lifestyle to politics. But the so-called “gamer girls” are bringing attention back to gaming in a big way.
It is no secret that women have been ostracized from the gaming industry for most of its existence. Female players are often insulted and treated quite poorly. But these girl gamers have managed to bring about a new age in the industry. They have built up a large audience online. Girl gamers also have shown that women are just as capable of rising to the top of the leaderboards as men are.
Women are now a lot more commonly embraced in gaming. But it is not accurate to say that the sexism has utterly gone. There are still those who would sling insults and make sexist statements. But most women on Twitch have learned to ignore these statements and have been rewarded with a massive audience. It is in large part thanks to them that the eSports and gaming markets are now thriving. The indie scene especially benefits from female gamers who shine a light on games that not many other streamers are interested in.
