The online gaming preferences of pre-teen girls: Exploring game preferences within the social context of an all-girls after school computer club

The playing of computer games is one of the most popular leisure-time activities for children today. Most recently, the emergence of online games has attracted a rising number of pre-teen girls. This finding is important considering the fact that playing digital games is a pastime traditionally associated with boys. With this in mind, this study aimed to describe the online gaming preferences of girls using a qualitative interpretive approach. The research honed in on individual and shared gaming preferences of pre-teen girls within the larger context of a computer club setting. Sixteen girls participated in a nine-week after school computer club program that presented twenty-two different online games. Findings from this study identified four key elements that girls found important in their online gaming experience, particularly in relation to virtual gaming worlds. Girls liked the combination of social interactions, creative design play and mini-games within a virtual world. They also liked to have many choices to personalize and create their own game experience, a chance to have real-world experiences in a fun and non-serious way, as well as a level of challenge that was appropriate and sustained over time. A closer look at how social interactions influenced preferences also found that peer interactions played a key role in establishing comfort, advancing knowledge and promoting habits related to games. These social interactions ultimately played a role in shaping girls' preferences. Based on these findings, recommendations are made for the future design of commercial and educational online games that would appeal to pre-teen girls.