Women are playing more video games than ever before. Traditionally, video games were considered a predominantly male recreational activity1,2. However, with the introduction of new technologies, designs, platforms and distribution channels, video games have become more accessible and entertaining to audiences beyond the traditional "teen male" demographic1. This article reviews both historical and current research on gender in games and emerging trends in the gaming industry. Recent studies show that women, as well as the general public, are gaming in ever-increasing numbers. A 2011 Entertainment Software Association (ESA) survey shows that currently 42% of all gamers are women3. While this increase strongly coincides with the growing popularity of mobile and social games, women are also becoming increasingly active in traditionally male-dominated genres such as “Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games” (MMORPGs)4. Because of this increase, it is important to examine historical and current research trends addressing gender in games. Although there is a recent increase in the number of women playing video games, most mainstream research in the field of gender in games has examined only a limited number of issues and methods and fails to take recent cultural developments into account. However, recent studies are putting an end to this trend, as they are starting to examine a variety of topics that are filling the gaps left by older studies. Academic research has traditionally focused predominantly on the image of women in video games and their effects on individuals who play these games. Another popular search topic focuses on women's interests or lack thereof in video games. Although these studies do......half of the paper......13. Kita Y. Applying Title IX to Grand Theft Auto: How Male Bias in Electronic Games Disenfranchises Girls and Women. Computer. 2009:1-23. Available at: http://web.njit.edu/~ymk4/_assets/kita-ptc603-term_paper.pdf. Accessed December 30, 2011.14. Schröder A. We don't want things to change, do we? - Gender and sexuality in role-playing games. Eludamos. Journal for Computer Game Culture. 2008;2(2):241–256. Available at: http://journals.sfu.ca/eludamos/index.php/eludamos/article/viewArticle/46. Accessed December 30, 2011.15. Fullerton T, Morie J. A Game of One's Own: Toward a New Gender Poetics of Digital Space. 2007: The 7th International Festival of Digital Arts. 2007. Available at: http://ict.usc.edu/files/publications/Morie_LudicaSpacePaper.pdf. Accessed December 30, 2011.16. Whitson J, Dormann C. Social games for change: Facebook unleashed. First Monday. 2011;16(10):1-16.