The female game player revisited:

This research aimed to explore how female game journalists construct their identity as female gamers through an Actor-Network (ANT) approach. By gaining an understanding of the processes involved in identity construction, as well as the influences of technology on personal identity development, the following main research question was explored: “How do female game journalists construct their identity as female gamers?”. The research method consisted of a mixed qualitative methods analysis technique. Firstly, in-depth interviews were conducted with female game journalists within the Netherlands to gain an understanding in how they construct their identity as female gamers. Secondly, online articles written by the same female game journalists were also analyzed for exploring constructed identity online. Both methods were combined and processed through thematic analysis. The main findings in these research stated that discrimination is still ongoing within the gaming industry towards females. Hereby, female gamers as well as female game journalists have experienced stereotyping and social exclusion from male gamers and/or male peers within the gaming industry. However, an increase in acceptance towards female gamers and female gaming professionals was also expected and/or already sensed by the interviewees. Moreover, in-game storylines were indicated as impacting sense of personal morale as well as empathy towards in-game characters. Additionally, sociality through gaming enabled interviewees to explore their identity both inside groups, such as clans or guilds, as well as outside groups with strangers through MMOs and/or family and friends. These results overlapped with the explored online constructed identity from the interviewees as well. However, online interviewees voiced female gamer related topics in lesser extents compared to the interviews as a result of company restrictions in topics for articles. Ultimately, all interviewees indicated gaming as part of their everyday lives. They implemented all aspects of gaming into their daily routines and engage their personal environment with their interest in gaming as well. However, as female gamer identity construction has not been widely covered in female gamer studies, more attention is needed towards how identity construction emerges and how it is situated within relationships amongst human and nonhuman actors.