GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 9 - June 2009

38 “Womendonot need things to be pinkand fluffy; theywant them to be thought through, clever, stylishand secure.” will affect the way a woman experiences a game, and hence also the likelihood of herfinding it pleasingandenjoyable. The secret is to get them enticed to give it a chance, something that theWii, forexam- ple, has successfullymanaged todo. Historical problems inattractingwomen Everything from the very aesthetics of the design of a gambling site to the low focus on user friendliness as well as the type of games that have been produced and the way they have been market- ed have been done with a male focus. Women do not need things to be pink and fluffy, theywant them tobe thought through, clever, stylish and secure and it has only recently that this outside-in approach has been applied to product development, with companies finally starting to focus on the specific needs andwishes of a female gamer. Industry firsts in attractingwomen Upon its launch in 2006, MariaBingo was a first mover in the Scandinavian market. By spotting the lucrative niche that Bingo offered in targeting female players, Maria first flourished in Scan- dinavia, wheremany socio cultural but also geographical aspects have helped public computer literacy to grow faster than elsewhere. During the last few years, the in- creasing interest in gaming and gambling by women, as well as the increase in the amount of women working within game de- velopment and the industry as a whole have alsohelped in getting more insights into the area. Ba- sically, more products are being made with women in mind and they are taking themarket with storm. WhatMariadoes to attractwomen? The social aspect and encouraging com- munity on MariaBingo surrounding the games makes for a successful mix that builds up loyalty to the brand and its site. Inotherwords, thebingoplayer isnotonly there for the jackpots.Themainattraction lies in the regular small wins and thewel- comingcommunity,with theaddedbonus of interesting jackpots and thedream that it couldbeyou. Safetyandreliabilityarealsokey,especial- lywhen it comes to sellingonline towom- en.TheaimatMariaBingo is tobea friend, and this of course would include offering the players a safe and reliable community andmeans toplay ineverywaypossible. But in the ends, it’s theChatMasterswho are the real stars, the hosts/hostesses of thepartyandthekeyplayers inbuildingup loyalty among the visitors to the site. And if thebingoplayers likes thesitewithall its aspects theywill log indaily, and theywill bring their friendsand familyaswell!