Playing The Sims2: an exploration of gender differences in players’ motivations and patterns of play

The Sims is the best selling PC game of all time. It has regularly been stated that its success is partly due to its attraction to a much wider audience than the proverbial male adolescent, yet academic research on its player base is lacking. This article reports on the first ever explorative survey (N = 760) conducted among players of The Sims2. Our study combined social role theory with gender and games theorizing to enable us to understand gender differences in play. We focused on gender differences in motivation for playing The Sims2, employing uses and gratifications as our guiding theory. Our results revealed that most of our participants were indeed female. The significantly higher score of male players on the challenge motive was anticipated by social role theory, but their higher score on social interaction was unexpected. Accordingly, we discuss the implications of our results for uses and gratifications theory as well as the necessity to investigate actual practices of play in more detail.

[1]  D. Nutt,et al.  The Sims: Real Life as Genre , 2003 .

[2]  John L. Sherry,et al.  Sex Differences in Video Game Play: , 2004, Commun. Res..

[3]  A. Rubin.  The uses-and-gratifications perspective of media effects. , 2002 .

[4]  Dmitri Williams,et al.  The Video Game Lightning Rod , 2003 .

[5]  Jeanne B. Funk,et al.  Children's perceptions of gender differences in social approval for playing electronic games , 1996 .

[6]  Jeffrey Barlow,et al.  Handbook of Computer Game Studies , 2006 .

[7]  Alice H. Eagly,et al.  Social Role Theory of Sex Differences and Similarities: Implication for Prosocial Behavior. , 2006 .

[8]  van Qc Rinie Est,et al.  De digitale generatie , 2006 .

[9]  Mark D. Griffiths,et al.  Online Data Collection from Video Game Players: Methodological Issues , 2004, Cyberpsychology Behav. Soc. Netw..

[10]  P. Vorderer,et al.  Video Games and the Pleasures of Control , 2000 .

[11]  C. Klimmt,et al.  Effectance, self-efficacy, and the motivation to play video games , 2006 .

[12]  James D. Ivory.  Still a Man's Game: Gender Representation in Online Reviews of Video Games , 2006 .

[13]  Nick Yee,et al.  Motivations for Play in Online Games , 2006, Cyberpsychology Behav. Soc. Netw..

[14]  Joel R. Evans,et al.  The value of online surveys , 2005, Internet Res..

[15]  Thomas E. Ruggiero.  Uses and Gratifications Theory in the 21st Century , 2000 .

[16]  Liesbet van Zoonen,et al.  Gendering the Internet Claims, Controversies and Cultures , 2002 .

[17]  Yasmin B. Kafai,et al.  Beyond Barbie and Mortal Kombat: New Perspectives on Gender and Gaming , 2008 .

[18]  LeeNewton.  Beyond Barbie and Mortal Kombat , 2006 .

[19]  Aleks Krotoski,et al.  Chicks and Joysticks: an exploration of women and gaming , 2004 .

[20]  Antony S R Manstead,et al.  Gender and culture differences in emotion. , 2004, Emotion.

[21]  A. Eagly,et al.  The origins of sex differences in human behavior: Evolved dispositions versus social roles , 1987 .

[22]  Gareth Schott,et al.  Girl Gamers and their Relationship with the Gaming Culture , 2000 .

[23]  P. Vorderer,et al.  Enjoyment: At the Heart of Media Entertainment , 2004 .

[24]  Joon Lee,et al.  Women and games: technologies of the gendered self , 2007, New Media Soc..

[25]  J. Jansz.  The emotional appeal of violent video games for adolescent males , 2005 .

[26]  Leslie Miller,et al.  Girls' Preferences in Software Design: Insights from a Focus Group , 1996 .

[27]  M. S. Vosmeer.  Videogames en gender : over spelende meiden, sexy avatars en huiselijkheid op het scherm , 2010 .

[28]  Diane Carr.  Games and Gender , 2006 .

[29]  J. Bryant,et al.  Media effects : advances in theory and research , 2002 .

[30]  Joke Hermes,et al.  Reading women's magazines : an analysis of everyday media use , 1995 .

[31]  Jeroen Jansz,et al.  Appeal of Playing Online First Person Shooter Games , 2007, Cyberpsychology Behav. Soc. Netw..

[32]  Denise E. Agosto.  Girls and Gaming: A Summary of the Research with Implications for Practice. , 2004 .

[33]  Newton Lee,et al.  Beyond Barbie and Mortal Kombat: new perspectives on gender, games and computing , 2006, CIE.

[34]  M. Davies,et al.  Online computer gaming: a comparison of adolescent and adult gamers. , 2004, Journal of adolescence.

[35]  J. Bryant,et al.  Playing video games: Motives, responses, and consequences. , 2012 .

[36]  J. Rutter,et al.  Gender dynamics and the social and spatial organization of computer gaming , 2003 .

[37]  Henry Jenkins,et al.  From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: gender and computer games , 1998 .

[38]  T. Dietz.  An Examination of Violence and Gender Role Portrayals in Video Games: Implications for Gender Socialization and Aggressive Behavior , 1998 .

[39]  J. Colwell,et al.  Computer games, self‐esteem and gratification of needs in adolescents , 1995 .

[40]  Cary L. Cooper,et al.  Women and information technology , 1989 .

[41]  L. Steinberg,et al.  Adolescent Development , 2001, Journal of Cognitive Education and Psychology.

[42]  Raynel G. Martis,et al.  The Lara Phenomenon: Powerful Female Characters in Video Games , 2007 .

[43]  Mark A. Barnett,et al.  Late Adolescents' Experiences With and Attitudes Toward Videogames1 , 1997 .

[44]  Jo Bryce,et al.  The Gendering of Computer Gaming: Experience and Space , 2003 .

[45]  Jeroen Jansz,et al.  Gaming at a LAN event: the social context of playing video games , 2005, New Media Soc..

[46]  K. Roe.  Young people and the new media. , 1986 .

[47]  Berrin A. Beasley,et al.  Shirts vs. Skins: Clothing as an Indicator of Gender Role Stereotyping in Video Games , 2002 .

[48]  Darren George,et al.  SPSS for Windows Step by Step: A Simple Guide and Reference , 1998 .