Hey I’m Sam, Brand Director here at GamesRadar+ and just one of the people behind our new podcast - G+RLS.
Created by myself, a whole host of the women working here at GamesRadar+, and a massive support network we couldn't be without, we're making this podcast for women and anyone else who’s felt underrepresented in the games industry.
Through the G+RLS podcast, we'll spotlight the games that shaped our relationship with play, while opening up wider conversations about representation, inclusivity, and who gaming is really for.
Dropping each fortnight, G+RLS blends GR+ staff discussions with guest interviews from across the industry.
But, before we get started I wanted to add a little context to why this podcast came to be. Research done by Cardiff University, published in September last year said that women experience guilt, shame, and exclusion in gaming culture.
Despite women making up almost 50% of all gamers, the university's study showed that a lot of female gamers don't even like to admit that they play games
Another study from Ampere Analysis reports that there are around 922 million female players worldwide. It also says that when given a list of reasons for not playing games, women are more likely than men to choose, “I don’t like the culture or community” or, “it’s hard to find games that suit my needs”, and are also less likely than men to choose, “I don’t have enough time” or, “gaming is too expensive”.
So that means that it isn't the lack of time or money keeping women from playing games, it's an inability to find something that appeals to them or being nervous of the culture around gamers.
We want to change that, and part of that process is kicking off with G+RLS.
I hate the idea that anyone, be that a woman, LGBTQ+ person, or anyone else, feels ashamed or unable to admit that they're a gamer, or be put off getting into the world of gaming. Everyone here at GamesRadar+ and I will 100% guarantee that there's something magical about games.
And that's why we're here.
Join us for a new episode on a Friday every fortnight (aka every other week) and let us know what you'd love to hear us talking about. We're available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Deezer, and Amazon Music.
You can also watch the first episode above!
