Video games have a diversity problem that runs deeper than race or gender

Blockbuster releases are homogenising around a narrow range of experiences and it could be driving creative people out of the industry

There's been a lot of chat lately about why people might stop playing games - in particular why little girls who grew up with consoles don't seem to stick with the hobby as they get older. I've experienced this firsthand; girls I knew at school who were gamers before I even got my first console just seemed to stop once the industry switched from the Mega Drive and Super Nintendo to the PlayStation era. It baffled me, especially as games were making the big leap from 2D to 3D at the time - how could you not be excited?

In her recent article, No girl wins: three ways women unlearn their love of video games, Juliet Khan posits the main reasons why girls in particular might quit playing: disqualification of the sorts of games they like ("Gone Home is not a real game!"), marginalisation (It's less socially acceptable for girls to play games as they grow older), and the way most big games are marketed at young men through violence, competition and sex. Importantly, the article asks girls for their experiences and doesn't just assume from dry stats what's really going on.