Gender Demographics

In chapter 8 of The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses, game designer Jesse Schell lists certain game elements that are more popular among male and female gamers (103-105). After voicing concerns that the game medium may be inherently "mysogynist" Schell decides to list the generalizations anyway because they can be "useful" for large audiences (103).

Schell's "Five Things Males Like to See in Games"

 * 1) Mastery
 * 2) Competition
 * 3) Destruction
 * 4) Spatial Puzzles
 * 5) Trial and Error

​Schell's "Five Things Females Like to See in Games"

 * 1) Emotion
 * 2) Real World -- (entertainment that may be applied to real world situations)
 * 3) Nurturing   -- (taking care of/cooperating with other players)
 * 4) Dialog and Verbal Puzzles
 * 5) Learning by Example