Results of a nationwide survey show close to 9.8 million women gamers in Iran accounting for 35% of the 28 million people who play video games.
Conducted by the Digital Games Research Center (DIREC) and published on its website (direc.ir), the survey says during the past fiscal (ended March 2018), women gamers in Iran spent 957 billion rials ($25.9 million) on video games and gaming devices.
The USD in the study was calculated at the average rate in fiscal March 2017-18, i.e. $1= 37,000 rials.
Without providing details, the survey adds that the number of women gamers has been of the ascending order over the past few years. However, women are not as hooked on video games as men.
Calling women gamers an untapped market, the report said studying their preference and behavior should be high on the agenda of game developers.
DIREC researchers further said many of the surveyed women told them that they play video games with their offsprings and grandchildren. Thus, many video games played by women have apparently been designed for kids.
In the survey anyone who plays video games for at least one hour every week is considered a gamer.
Some Numbers
Among Iranian women gamers the preferred platform for playing is mobile handsets with 91% playing video games on cellphones.
Many of the gamers play on more than one platform. Close to 14% play games with personal computers while gaming consoles are the least popular among women with 6%.
Women gamers in Iran play 67 minutes every day. Thirty percent play online, 9% buy games or spend money on in-game purchases and the rest download pirated versions. 44% of Iranian women gamers play every day.
Close to 36% of the gamers are girls under the age of 12, while 25% are between 12 to 19. In other words, 61% of the women gamers are either children or teenagers.
The young generation between 20 and 34 accounted for 30% of the gamers, while only 8% were between 35 and 59 years old. Only 1% of women above the age of 60 play video games and average age of women gamers was 19.
DIREC data shows that 64% of women gamers are single. From among the married 26% had children.
Almost 42% of those surveyed said they disregard the age rating of games while 30% always check age ratings.
The survey polled 8,000 people and has a 3 point error margin.
Popular Games
Puzzle, runner, arcade, strategy, and driving are the top five popular video game genres among Iranian women. The study listed the top 10 popular games among women.
Three virtual pet games and chat-bots are among the top 10, namely Pou, Talking Angela and My Talking Tom. Chat-bots are computer programs designed to simulate conversation with human users, especially over the Internet.
Pou is a virtual pet game which features a rounded, triangular alien character whose default color is brown. In the game, the character can be fed, cleaned, exercised, suited and put to bed.
My Talking Tom and Talking Angela are a chat-bots developed by Slovenian studio Outfit7. The game experience of both titles is similar to Pou.
Among the top 10 titles is the Subway Surfers an endless runner mobile game co-developed by Danish companies Kiloo and SYBO Games. It is available on Android, iOS, Kindle, and Windows Phone platforms.
In recent months locally developed word games Baghlava and Amirza have gone viral. Both are among the top 10 popular video games with Iranian women.
Another locally developed game Quiz of Kings is also vastly popular with Iranian women. It is an online social game in which two players face each other and are asked questions in different categories (science, sports, arts, etc.)
A decade after the initial release of Angry Birds in 2009, the game is still popular and appears in the top 10 list. Created by Finnish company Rovio Entertainment, Angry Birds series focuses on multi-colored birds who try to save their eggs from green-colored pigs, their enemies.
Despite being banned in Iran, the action-adventure video game series Grand Theft Auto (GTA) has always been among the popular titles. The first installment in the series was released in 1997 and has been vastly popular since.
Free-to-play match-three puzzle video game Candy Crush Saga was released in April 2012 and remains popular among women.
