Why Should Boys Have All The Fun!

Geek Girls And Online Gaming.

- Himshikha Shukla

Everyone knows that gaming isn’t just a fun pastime, but also a viable career. If you’re a professional gamer, you could make an obscene amount of money on competitive gaming, Twitch streaming, creating ‘Let’s Plays’, and making yourself a brand name to your fans.

People know of Ninja and Fornite, PewDiePie on YouTube, but what about female pro gamers? I remember thinking that gamer girls didn’t enjoy competitive gaming like StarCraft of Call of Duty, but I was dead wrong. Gaming is a billion-dollar industry, and these women are riding that expensive way to stardom and extreme wealth.

More and more female gamers are drawn to the fun, flexibility and freedom that mobile gaming affords. This is especially the case in Asia, where mobiles are the primary internet-enabled device for many people. Gaming has become extremely lucrative, not just for companies like EA and Activision Blizzard who make the games, but also for the best players in e-sports competitive online gaming. Top female e-sport players have earned upwards of $20m (£16m) through a combination of sponsorship, prize money and endorsements.

They are now seen as key influencers with millions of followers who watch them play online via live-streaming. In Asia, entire teams and leagues made up of female gamers are now making an impact on the world stage, including the Female Esports League, a regional gaming circuit to help boost female representation in esports. Last year, mobile communications firm Singtel provided sponsorship to the league.