Women have always been part of the gaming community. Though they haven’t featured as heavily as men in terms of video game design, development, and competitions, there have been female professionals contributing to the field stretching back to the earliest days of ‘gaming’—back when saloons and social clubs were the primary gaming centers.
Though often barred from gaming establishments, that didn’t stop women from finding their way into the industry. Women were part of the casino movement from the dusty saloons of the Wild West in the late 1800s to the fledgling era of the Vegas Strip in the 1940s. When the video game era began in the 1960s, they began leaving their mark in the digital world, too.
Let’s take a closer look at the women who have steered the future of gaming into the modern era, starting with the formation of the Vegas Strip. You may not have heard their names, but you’ll recognize their impact.
The First in the Field
Once upon a time, Las Vegas was a dusty desert stopover on the way to Los Angeles. But by the 1950s, it was slowly becoming a booming casino town. Behind the scenes were women like Judy Bayley. She’s known as the Queen of the Casino and the First Lady of Gaming. She made headlines for taking over Hacienda Hotel and Casino after her husband passed in 1964.
Bayley quickly decided to use the magic of a new art known as ‘publicity’ to gain more patrons. Her efforts contributed greatly to her wealth, which she then used to help fund the up-and-coming University of Las Vegas. Thanks to Judy, the Vegas Strip gained popularity—and helped keep casino games on the map, even if most players reside beyond Vegas’s borders.
Today, millions of players rely on virtual platforms to access their favorite titles. Blackjack, for example, remains one of the top choices for players. Not only does the game have a straightforward set of rules, but it also has a slightly lower house edge. But would it be just as popular if Vegas hadn’t kept casino games on the map?
Gaming Goes Digital
Around the same time that Bayley was helping instate the Vegas Strip as the US’s gaming capital, traditional video games were hitting the market. Arcades took off around the US, ushering in an era of all-out digital entertainment. As we mentioned up top, women were also part of this movement—even if their names weren’t quite as mainstream.
1981’s Centipede, an arcade hit during its golden era, was created by Ed Logg and Dona Bailey. Bailey’s creation was an early hit with female gamers thanks to its easy-to-learn gameplay. Centipede was so popular that it was eventually ported to consoles like the Atari and even the Game Boy.
Fast forward a few decades and women continue to contribute to the video gaming world. One of the latest hits from the female mind is Portal, a puzzle platform game by Kim Swift. Swift has been part of the Valve team for years and, in 2007, turned her love of creative storytelling into one of the highest-acclaimed puzzle games of all time. She’s now working for Microsoft to develop their Cloud Gaming platform.
Competitive eSports & Streaming Giants
When it comes to eSports and popular streams, there’s a great divide in terms of female talent. Though eSports has come a long way, and there are many leading teams that now have female-only squads, female gamers face discrimination and aggression from other gamers. As with traditional sports, prize pools for women-only leagues are often significantly lower than others.
However, female competitors have started to infiltrate some of the top leagues across a variety of games. Though most are focused on League of Legends and similar MOBAs, the two highest-earning female gamers compete in Halo and StarCraft.
Within the world of game streaming, female streamers have achieved great success. As of April 2024, the 12-most-watched Twitch stream belongs to Imane ‘Pokimane’ Anys, a Canadian-Morroccan variety streamer. Her streams balance just chatting features (designed for social connection with subscribers) and casual play.
There are many areas in the gaming world where women are fast-becoming a competitive demographic both behind the scenes and in front of screens. No longer is this exclusively a boy’s club. Gaming is a world where everyone should be included, where there is something for everyone to enjoy.
