Women in the Gaming Industry Women make their marks in an industry traditionally dominated by men. An interview with Nina Ferriera.
by Andrew Ayala
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omen are continuing to constantly break barriers in the video game industry. Whether they are successful streamers, competitors or developers, women are continuously opening doors for proper representation in a field that was once dominated by men. Newzoo.com, provider of games and esports analytics, says that women make up 46% of gamers in the U.S. Their research says that 36% of women gamers are time-filler gamers who play when they have time to spare or at social events. Long Beach State University, like many other colleges across the
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U.S., has an esports club with many women who are members.
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hird year kinesiology and exercise science major Nina Ferriera has a passion for video games and likes to play when she has free time. “I used to watch my brother play when I was little because my hands weren’t big enough to hold the controller yet. I’d just watch him play with his friends and would think ‘that looks like so much fun, he’s always laughing and having a good time,’” she said. “Soon enough, I got sucked in and started playing
and now I can’t stop.” Ferriera admitted she doesn’t keep up with too many streamers but does watch Pokimane at times because she can be entertaining. Although Ferriera doesn’t stream as often as she likes due to a busy schedule filled with work and school, when she can, she live streams her favorite game “Rocket League.” For now, her intentions with streaming are to entertain herself and others. In the future, she says it would be “awesome” to eventually become someone who competes or streams for a living. The issue is keeping up with those who have the time to conImage capture by Andrew Ayala
