The current gaming industry is male-dominated in its approach to providing games of interest to youth ages 8 to 18. Since boys tend to be direct competitors with little interaction outside the game itself, most games are directed toward head-to-head competition with two opponents squaring off against each other. Little conversation occurs between opponents.

Girls, on the other hand, tend to prefer games with little or no direct competition. Instead, girls tend to play the same game, but not against each other. Instead, they prefer pursuing the same quest, but discussing the game and strategy with each other as they play. Group activity or social interaction (not teams or direct competition) forms the basis for the female gaming community.

Few games exist that allow for the type of interaction desired by females. Also, girls tend to shy away from the computer as they get older (and outgrow Barbie). Phase one of this research will look at the social and technical skills of females 8-18 and document the type of gaming experience desired by these users. Once the gaming experience has been identified, phase two will define a set of rules that can be used by game developers to design new games targeted at the 8-18-year-old female audience.