Games

How the Female Demographic is reshaping the Gacha mobile games market

BBG News

Story Highlights

  • Female gamers are an untapped market, often overlooked despite their passion and spending potential
  • Love and Deepspace outperformed top gacha games with its focus on male characters and immersive storytelling
  • Gacha games can thrive by prioritizing female centered fanservice just like the male-centered ones

Over the past few years, the world of gacha gaming has witnessed substantial change, primarily spurred by the increasing impact of female gamers. Historically, the gacha sector was largely controlled by games catering to a predominantly male demographic, with many titles centered around the theme of “waifus”, showcasing alluring, often provocatively dressed female characters.

The popularity of games such as “Love and Deepspace” in China has revealed a largely untapped market opportunity: appealing to a female audience. This success underscores the financial benefits of incorporating diversity and inclusivity in character design and narrative, specifically focusing on male characters. Let’s explore how the female demographic is transforming gacha games, with Love and Deepspace serving as a pivotal influence in this shift.

Love and Deepspace has broken the conventional mold

As a woman with a passion for gaming, I’ve consistently found myself attracted to gacha games. The excitement that comes from drawing characters, crafting teams, and diving into magical realms is truly captivating for me. However, it seems evident that many gacha games seem to favor male players and overlook the possibilities of engaging a female audience.

Following the recent triumphs of Love and Deepspace, it seems that our discussion today holds greater significance than before. These victories underscore the presence and dedication of female gamers who are eagerly investing in games that speak to their experiences. Yet, it remains puzzling why more game developers haven’t capitalized on this potential market segment.

Love and Deepspace, an exciting new gacha game, has been sweeping through China. Launched this year, it’s an engaging otome game that emphasizes captivating male characters with exceptional 3D modeling that often rivals top-tier AAA games. The game aims to draw players into a deeply involving narrative world where empathetic connections are crucial for immersion.

It’s truly amazing to see the remarkable success that Love and Deepspace have achieved in just one year. As per SensorTower’s data, this game has been the top-ranked for several months now (from September to November of 2024). The month with the highest revenue was November 2024 , generating a staggering $59,290,000, a figure that surpasses popular games such as Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, Fate/Grand Order and many others with extensive global fanbases. It’s quite surprising to think that these well-established games were outperformed by an otome game!

Sensor Tower Monthly Revenue Report (Oct 2024)
byu/numberlockbs ingachagaming

In essence, the key to such prosperity lies in understanding how to captivate female gamers. The male leads in “Love and Deepspace” aren’t merely appealing; they are richly developed characters with intricate backstories, compelling narratives, and complex personalities that encourage players to invest time (and resources) in getting to know them better.

The 3D modeling in this game is incredibly lifelike and cutting-edge, even outdoing many high-end video games with advanced graphics. Moreover, the storyline revolves around these well-developed characters, making it compelling for players to empathize with them beyond their visual appeal. It offers an engaging, emotional experience that many female gamers have been eagerly waiting for in gacha games.

The untapped potential of Female Demographic in gacha mobile games

As a fellow gaming enthusiast, it’s high time we tackle the obvious: why aren’t more gacha games catering to a broader audience? It’s not as if female gamers are a rare breed. We’re omnipresent and share the same fervor for gaming as our male counterparts. However, it seems that most gacha games continue to prioritize waifu culture, producing games tailored towards male fantasies.

Wuthering Waves (1.1): Female-to-Male Ratio
by inWutheringWaves

As a dedicated fan, I can’t help but notice the striking bias towards female characters in games like Genshin Impact. For instance, while there are certainly some captivating male characters, the game seems to heavily favor its female roster. In the year of 2024, the imbalance is quite laughable, with a staggering 13 new female characters introduced compared to just 4 male characters. It’s not just Genshin Impact that follows this pattern; games such as Honkai: Star Rail and Wuthering Waves also seem to favor their female cast.

In the game Wuthering Waves, there are 21 female characters and 8 male characters, both present in current releases and future updates. However, these characters do not receive equal focus or treatment compared to their female counterparts, who are often the center of attention or ‘waifus’. Occasionally, a few male characters are introduced, but they seem to be overshadowed by the focus on the waifus. It appears that game developers hesitate to fully cater to a female audience, even though games like Love and Deepspace have shown that it can lead to significant profits.

It seems there’s an explanation for this phenomenon. I believe it stems from outdated perceptions about the gaming market. Often, there’s a notion that male gamers dominate the scene and are the primary spenders. However, times have changed, and female gamers are increasingly significant in the industry. We, too, are eager to invest in games we cherish.

Fanservice for Women has been a key to success

One common misunderstanding about fanservice is that it solely caters to male audiences. However, this isn’t the whole truth; women also appreciate fanservice, but they prefer it in unique ways. Instead of being attracted to revealing outfits or suggestive poses, female fans often find themselves drawn to deep emotional connections, captivating narratives, and characters that are authentic and relatable.

While we value well-designed characters, for us, fanservice goes beyond physical aesthetics. It’s about generating emotional responses, be it exhilaration, sorrow, or unbridled happiness. Developers who grasp this concept have the ability to craft games that strike a chord with an expanded player base.

Enhancing male characters to have rich personalities and intricate backstories might draw an abundance of female gamers towards gacha games. For instance, if games like Genshin Impact featured male characters in banners more often, it could open up a vast array of opportunities, potentially leading to significant success.

Call for inclusive game development in the Gacha sphere

As a female gamer, it’s disheartening to be consistently underestimated within the gaming world. We exist, we’re enthusiastic, and we’re eager to contribute to games that resonate with us. The triumph of Love and Deepspace demonstrates that when developers invest time in comprehending our preferences, remarkable outcomes are possible.

I firmly assert that game creators may be underestimating their female gaming community, as we share equal passion for characters, if not surpassing it. We yearn for male characters we can relate to, support, and perhaps even develop feelings for. We aspire for games that acknowledge our presence, not only as players but as individuals with unique perspectives. It’s high time for the gacha market to progress. Creators should let go of antiquated beliefs about their audience and instead, tap into the immense potential of their diverse player base.

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2025-01-19 19:11

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