D&D General Gamer Stats From White Dwarf in the 80s

Phil on Twitter has posted a few interesting stats from White Dwarf back in the 80s. These include what games were being played in 1987, and a letter about male/female ratios in the same era. Short version: mainly D&D, very few women.

"Fascinating stuff - what RPGs were being played in the UK in 1987 ... T&T higher than you might've thought. Indiana Jones too!"

"I know people say women have always been in gaming, and that's true. But this single stat highlights why for many of us seeing a female gamer in the wild was unheard of until the Masquerade began to change things... Average readership of White Dwarf in 1987 was 16.08... Which means they'd now be 48"

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[Zardnaar]

I remember very few girls were into video games pre PlayStation. It was a male/geek thing.

The odd exception in my experience was girls into PCs/Amiga in both cases it was due to Dad and no brothers. First time online was at her house and her dad gave me a beer just to see how I would handle it (age 17).

I don't remember the guys excluding the girls deliberately just different social circles. They weren't very impressed when we set up Megadrives. Mate brought in one girl and she brought her friends.

PlayStation started changing things, I suppose Crash Bandicoot was more appealing than Steetfighter II and Mortal Kombat.

Arcades and takeaway joints with arcade games didn't have good reputations when I was a kid though. We got into D&D via old books and games like Eye of the Beholder and Warriors of the Eternal Sun.

 

[Venley]

There were so many things offputting about gaming in the '80s if one were female. Yes, harder to get into as it was rarer overall, had a nerdy rep & a rep as being for boys.

But also: the illustrations, the figures, the assumptions in scenarios, the way many groups (& games) were so combat focussed rather than story/character/rp focussed, the way it was almost always men/boys in the shops & how they stared ... or even glared as if daring me to enter "their" space. (One reason I particularly liked Gameskeeper in Oxford: Carol & John made me feel welcome.)

It is easy if one is part of the "in group" not to realise how non-inclusive you are making your group.

 

[S'mon]

But if one did happen to show an interest in "boys games" they would be bullied unmercifully. Just because you didn't see it happen didn't make it not happen.

By other girls, right?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

By other girls, right?

Yes.

 

[Venley]

In my experience the bullying/harassment was by men & boys: staring, glaring, unfriendly remarks, overfriendly remarks, unwanted touching, unwarranted 'jokes'.

Perhaps different for teenagers but that was my experience of the rp scene in the '80s outside of my immediate friendship circle.

 

[S'mon]

From what I recall as a shy & nerdy 14 year old in the 1980s, it was hard to believe that girls actually wanted to play D&D. I remember a girl once expressed interest in playing with my group and we didn't know how to respond, it was hard to believe she wasn't joking. We weren't bullying or harassing, if anything we were jittery/frighty in case it was a trick to bully us. In hindsight I'm pretty sure she was sincere and it was a pity we weren't more welcoming.

Things have changed a lot, but (outside of the '90s Vampire scene) only really in the last 15 years, and very much so in the last 5 years with 5e. Of course these days there are lots of all-female
groups and the days of being the lone female having to ask to join an all-male group if you want to play are fading I think.

 

[emssmiley2002]

Twilight 2000, wish it would make a comeback. Loved it as a kid

 

[Erekose]

Really interesting and a blast from the past!

We played D&D and Traveller (mainly alternating between the two), but occasionally Runequest, Star Trek, Stormbringer, MERP and Doctor Who.

I only knew of one female gamer but similarly she was the only girl that I knew at the time that was into science fiction/fantasy films/books, etc.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

It’s funny to see MERP ranked so high (Third place behind AD&D and D&D!). We dabbled a little, but despite my love of Tolkien it never really caught on with our gaming group. I would’ve guessed that Warhammer or Runequest would’ve ranked above it.

As for the percentage of reported female gamers, that number sounds in-line with the dismally low percentage cited in Gary Fine’s Shared Fantasy from six or seven years earlier. Thankfully, things have changed since then.

 

[Koloth]

Started playing in college in the 79~83 time frame. Most of the games had one or two women who played. Most were someone's GF but they were in the game with a character sheet and dice so they counted as players. Most of the games were ad-hoc since consistent gaming schedules and college class requirements often conflict. Think "I am running module X, bring a level Y character and let me review your equipment first" type sessions. Usually some variant of D&D but there were some Traveller games.

The sanctioned on-campus games club had the more typical all male makeup. But they also did things like Star Fleet Battles, King Maker and Illuminati.