A new level has been unlocked. Across the gaming sphere - from the players to developers and gaming companies - more women are present, visible and killing it. Noisy shooter games? They're right there, wielding the gun. High-speed chases? They're at the wheel. Quick, addictive, match-three puzzles? They're crushing the leaderboard there as well.
The State of India Gaming Report 2022, released this month by Lumikai, a gaming-focused venture capitalist fund, and Amazon Web Services, studied 2,240 smartphone users across India. It found that women spend more time per week playing games: 11.2 hours against the 10.2 hours clocked by men.
The industry is changing too. "It's evolving as women developers, streamers, and gamers gain prominence and respect," says Swayambika Sachar, aka Sway. Sachar captains Top-G, the team that recently won the all-women National Esports Championship organised by the Esports Federation of India.
Mansi Sottany, aka MatkA QueeN, captain of Team Purr-ple and Top-G's competitor says the change is recent. "It has become more inclusive as gaming communities create safe spaces for female gamers and combat online harassment and toxicity. It's an ongoing effort." See who's creating level playing fields and how it affects everything from prize money to the little puzzle in your phone that you can't quite quit.
Top cat: Saloni Pawar, aka Meow16K
Mumbai's Saloni Shirish Pawar, or Meow16k, is 23. She started playing online games 10 years ago. Then one day in 2016, her Wi-Fi service conked off and she tried playing the offline first-person-shooter game, Counter-Strike 1.6. She was hooked.
Coached by her brother and encouraged by friends to create gaming-related content, Pawar is now one of India's foremost Esports athletes and game streamers. She has more than 60k subscribers on her YouTube channel @meow16k.
この記事は Brunch の April 15, 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Brunch の April 15, 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
Fit Check? Look Behind You
In gyms, someone is always filming. We are all in the frame without meaning to be. Is privacy at odds with fitness goals? Is consent even possible with all those mirrors?
Avantika Dassani
Actor, @AvantikaDassani
Keep your i on this BMW
The brand's beloved sedan has now gone electric. The i5 M60 has a sci-fi roar and razor-sharp graphics. It's worth the hype
Why adapt when you can evolve?
Sometimes, the movie or show does it better than the book it is based on. Here's when to stream not flip
Sharp edges, blunt words
British chef Heston Blumenthal has gone public about his struggle with ADHD and bipolar syndrome. He hopes it calms kitchens down. It's hot in there already
The suitable boy
He's played lovers, taxi drivers, street rats and rich brats. He's redefining what it means to be the token Brown boy on set. But would he be on a reality show? Ishaan Khatter tells us why he's a career chameleon and how he got here
Stay stylish in your cubicle
Everyone's back at the office. Covid flexibilities are long forgotten. But being comfortable is still key. So, what are we wearing to work?
Hey, I found you online
Baby pics, emo selfies, old tweets outing the ex. If it makes you cringe, it makes HR departments do too. Here's how to clean up your digital footprint
Is It Scrolling Or Screening?
Being on the phone while the TV plays is the new normal. Just don't do it when there's company. A case for what it means to be present
This week, we're...
Preferring the spinoff.