Muscat – Earlier seen as out of place, even patronised as beginners, in gaming arenas, female gamers are now gradually picking up the pace. Their numbers are growing and have given rise to a culture of gaming and cafés where women like clubbing. In fact, women in gaming have resulted in a new concept – gaming lounges.

VIB eSports in Shatti al Qurm and Professional Gaming in Seeb are popular lounges that are now seeing an increasing number of female gamers from all walks of life. Having private rooms equipped with powerful gaming machines and high-speed Internet, women across demographics come together in their shared interest in gaming.

Anas Mukadam, manager of VIB eSports, described the growing number of female gamers, ranging from as young as 12 to 30 years, in the last couple of years as ‘significant’.

Among them are college students who visit his lounge during their break to unwind over serious gaming. “Others, including parents who come with their children, game for hours on end comfortably in our lounge during the weekend,” Mukadam said.

For Rawiya al Aamri, radio producer, mother, gaming enthusiast and a regular in VIB eSports, her interest in gaming started in school in the 1990s with Atari, the pioneering video games, that caught the imagination of a whole generation. She later graduated to PlayStation and continues to game, albeit with her children these days. “I enjoy playing with my kids now!” she said.

“Earlier, going to gaming arenas used to be quite intimidating with mostly men in these places. But that’s changed. There’s a welcoming atmosphere now with exclusive facilities for women, including ladies’ day and private rooms. It gives us women more liberty, making it an ideal place for us to explore the world of gaming,” Rawiya said.

Abdullah al Kabani, event manager and partner at Professional Gaming, attributes the growing female gamer numbers to the COVID-19 pandemic. “The craze of gaming is on the rise among women, especially after the lockdowns as they found gaming gave them an opportunity to socialise and connect with family, friends and colleagues in uncertain times.”

He has seen female clientele go from being casual gamers into serious ones. “They usually look for competition or to challenge themselves while they game, highlighting the rich complexity of the female gaming population. They don’t just play a game, but get completely involved.”

Leen Said, a journalist and enthusiastic gamer, has been playing video games since she was 8-9 years. “I always make time to play games, so much so that I write about them in my spare time as well. Gaming arenas have now started accommodating all players with women-friendly gaming lounges. There’s an effort to involve more women in gaming and I’m an advocate for creating fun spaces for everyone.”

Defying old-school conventi-ons that gaming is popular only among young adult males, women are gaming for recration, whi-le still others are so passionate about gaming that it’s part of daily routine. Female gamers are here to play, here to stay.

(Contributed by Gaurika Joshi)