Rock Band

Girls' Play: Context, Performance & Social Videogame Play

This paper examines how girls aged 10 to 16 play video games, with particular attention to how social context shapes performance and creativity.

• Video games are increasingly part of girl culture rather than solely an extension of male gaming culture, a framing the authors argue much prior literature has overlooked.
• The study examines girls aged 10 to 16 playing physically interactive, performance-oriented games such as Dance Dance Revolution, SingStar, Wii Sports, and Rock Band, which are frequently played in groups.
• The authors cite Entertainment Software Association data showing a significant increase in the number of girls who play video games over the preceding nine years, which they tie to the expansion of game genres.