Report: Men play more MMOs, FPSes; women rule mobile, RPG

Men and women enjoy video games, but some genres tend to attract one gender over the other, SuperData Research finds in a 2014 US study provided to Joystiq. Women compose 57.8 percent of the mobile market, 53.6 percent of the RPG market and 50.2 percent of the PC market (including social games), the report says. The study finds that men make up 66 percent of MMO players, 66 percent of FPS players and 63 percent of digital console players.

The data was collected in several separate studies in 2014, each with a minimum sample size of 1,000 respondents. SuperData defines its terminology and methodology here.

This study comes on the heels of SuperData Research's 2014 MMO market report, which placed League of Legends as the No. 1 game in the company's MMO category, which included MOBAs, MMOFPS games, MMORPGs, online racing games, online sports games, online sci-fi games, virtual card games, social sims and virtual worlds. In that study, SuperData found that among US players 18 and older, 22 percent of players were between the ages 26 and 30, and 20 percent were between the ages 21 and 25. The average player salary was $55,000, and the overall gender breakdown was 60 percent male, 40 percent female.

"Women are closing the gamer gender gap as they represent two out of five MMO gamers," SuperData said. "Women account for almost half of MMO players, contrary to the stereotyped gamer landscape. Players between 18 and 30 account for 50 percent of the US MMO audience. These players represent the largest age group, many of which started playing MMOs as children, during the segment's early years, and have continued into their adulthood. This generation is expected to expand the older markets as they age since they are the first generation to have grown up with MMOs."

The ESA conducts similar studies each year, and in 2014 it found that the average player was 31 years old, and the market was 52 percent male and 48 percent female.