Beyond Stereotypes of Gender and Gaming: Video Games Made by Middle School Students

In the field of game studies, there is a longstanding debate about how to interpret the growing number of studies that find gender differences in children's playtime and in their game play preferences. This chapter contributes to this debate by analyzing computer games made by preteen girls and boys to determine where gender differences occur in the content and game mechanics and to consider whether other factors, such as prior experience or the social context, can explain these differences. It describes existing research on gender and gaming where the focus is on gender differences. The chapter reviews the growing number of studies that make the case for going beyond gender dichotomies and beyond self-report in order to understand variation within gender. Finally, the chapter discusses how the findings can inform both researchers and game designers that want to move beyond simple gender stereotypes to engage a broader audience of gamers.