By Marie Wilda (Writer, PolicyMic)
The video game industry has an annual revenue of over $25 billion. One largely anticipated game set to be released in 2012 is Grand Theft Auto V, and it assuredly will not disappoint.

One reason game forums await the release of GTA V is to find out if the male protagonist streak will be broken. A recent Internet trailer did nothing to confirm or deny rumors of a female lead character.

The question is no longer if women play video games, rather it has become how to address that niche. A 2011 study by the ESA shows that 42% of video gamers are female and make up 48% of the most frequent game purchasers. PC or console, more women are logging on than ever before, and why not? Today’s 30-something woman is part of the first video game generation. Companies have taken notice that women are playing, that there is a culture and a strong demand.

But, they haven’t yet hit the mark, so where does the problem lie? Absence of women in game development has led to a misrepresented demographic. The “Femme Tech” wave is gaining speed but will only be able to succeed if we increase numbers of women in game design. (http://pyladies-edgecast-january-eorg.eventbrite.com/

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