At the first-ever TwitchCon — an event held by Twitch, a streaming platform with content like esports and art — a not-so-strange sight was seen: women in every corner, playing games, buying products, watching streams, and generally enjoying the atmosphere. While this might be a surprise to some people, it shouldn't be, considering 52 percent of people who play games are women. Though the awkward male video game player stereotype isn't going anywhere anytime soon, women who love video games are starting to claim their territory and doing it proudly.
Back in September, we asked several women at TwitchCon to describe what got them into video games in the first place and why they still love it. Sure, the gaming industry has a lot of issues to deal with, such as the oversexualization of female characters and gamergate, but these women are proving that the stereotype is changing — for the better.
Read ahead to see what they had to say and maybe it'll inspire you to love your own gamer identity or start playing video games.
"My friends got me into gaming and after high school we went to all different colleges. It really helps us connect together without physically being there." — Kim
1 / 10
It allows us to live in a different world for a bit.
"My favorite thing is that pretty much being able to play video games means to live in a different reality. I can be anyone I want to be." — Tracy Loler
2 / 10
It's how we bond with important people in our lives.
"It's just something I've done as a kid and it brings people together. I've dealt with anxiety and depression and when I started streaming it helped me connect with people and grow. And through that people have messaged me and said, 'Your stream has helped save my life.' When I started streaming it helped me keep going every day. The community and people you meet on streaming are awesome." — Shannon
6 / 10
It reminds guys about another activity women are just as good at.
"First of all, the reason why I got into it is because guys think they're better than girls. I got competitive with the guys. Games make you want to think outside the box. It makes me think harder and I get creative as well and it makes me want to become better than the boys. " — Emma
"I like it because I grew up on it and it's always been an escape for me. It's a way to get aggression or stress out. You fall in love with storylines and meet people. It's a way to escape reality for a bit and get involved with characters " — Ashlynn
"I did grow up on it and loved it since I was a kid. It's playing a movie you can control and a way to escape the world you're living in now. I don't like the term gamer girl; I'm just a gamer. I'm a person and I'm a gamer. Nothing's different because I'm a girl." — Janet
"I've been doing it since I was a kid. My dad raised me with PC games. It was my away from the world, drama — my escape, pretty much. Meeting friends online is really cool, having a connection with them. And I think girls can game too and guys aren't better than girls in any way." — Amy
"It's what I live, eat, and breathe. It's fun; it gives me something to do. I enjoy it and can share with other people who love it too." — Joey
"This is my first time ever hearing about broadcasting it. I grew up playing [Super Mario] and my brother introduced me. I always wanted to be like him and play with him. It's always been a nostalgia kinda thing of me. It just remind me of better times and easier times. I was always into Tomb Raider and I always wanted to be like her." — Janine
"I like gaming because it's relaxing and a de-stresser. It's something for me to zone out to and relax. I don't play with a lot of friends — it's me time." — Nikki
"I've just always been into gaming. It's been something that I can relate to and you can take time and be someone else, be somewhere else. With multiplayer games, you can experience that with other people you don't even know who could be on the other side of the world." — Chelsea
