News

Where Are All the Women in Mobile Game Journalism?

2015-01-05 13.59.16
It’s no secret that the gaming industry is a male-dominated environment and despite recent attempts to overturn this daunting stereotype, there is still a long way to go. Mobile gaming is providing a foothold for many women to participate in the gaming economy in a big way. The mobile game market is dominated by female players and buyers; in fact, women, on average, spend 35% more time with their mobile games and are 31% more likely to make in-app purchases. Female players are a huge corner of the mobile game market, yet there is still a conflict between the “mobile gaming gender gap” on the business side of things and the ever-increasing number of female players (and spenders).

This is part of the reason why I started writing and reviewing for TouchArcade–other than the fact that it is a relaxed, fun environment that fits around my busy schedule. It’s not always easy to be a female freelance writer, but I think it’s very important. It’s a way to reach a gaming audience that I relate to and vice versa. Mobile gaming has given a voice to women gamers who might not even consider themselves “gamers” per-se, although the definition of “gamer” is beginning to expand and accommodate non-traditional understandings of the title.

LogoThere is no reason why mobile game journalism shouldn’t be swarmed with female writers, editors, readers, and followers. Statistically, it makes sense. In my personal experience, it can be tough to get started. Where do you start? Who should you write for? What sort of time commitment do you have? How do you put together a portfolio? Luckily for me, TouchArcade was very accommodating (and continues to be). Seeing as women are more likely to work part-time and more likely to not work outside of the home, online journalism is a great addition to any employment repertoire. It works with any schedule, is entirely self-driven, it can prevent resume gaps for students and stay-at-home mothers, and it’s a ton of fun. Plus, there is nothing more satisfying than seeing your written work published on a popular site like TouchArcade.

The mobile gaming industry needs more female voices. We want more female voices. So if you are a female mobile gamer looking for some great experience with a great crew, let us know! We would be happy to have you- Just take a quick look at our careers page for what sort of details to send where. If you have any questions about working at TA, mobile game journalism in general, or suggestions for articles you would like to see on the site, feel free to give me a shout at @brittnisaurus on Twitter.