As gamers everywhere await the series of launches of the next-gen consoles, a lull in the gaming industry has been noted by game company executives, and in an effort to get through the so-called calm before the storm, they have now turned their attention to one of the possibly-neglected demographic: the female gamers.

In a male-dominated industry, things are starting to change. Where in the past, female characters in games were typecasted as buxom sidekicks in skimpy clothing who were, more than anything, there for decoration at the big, gun-toting action hero's side, producers are starting to put the BFGs down and talk about the importance of a good storyline, solid characters, and the inclusion of depth and emotion in their games.

One key topic that was discussed at the recent Edinburgh Entertainment Interactive Festival last month was the need to recruit more women in the business. David Gardner, the CEO of Electronic Arts has also stated that "It's a massively underserved and overlooked segment of the market." He's not talking about making games that have ponies and rainbows and ribbons though, but instead "to make products that are more socially inclusive."

In the meantime, other companies have already begun the steps to include girls at the forefront of gaming. Ubisoft, for example, is currently sponsoring clans like the Frag Dolls in the competitive circuit. The Frag Dolls are basically groups of female gamers, with three groups each coming from the countries of Britain, France and the U.S.A.

On a personal note and as a female gamer myself, one can't help but admit that this particular population has been rather left out and even ignored. But then again, in Asian countries such as Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong, female gamers have thrived and flourished. In those countries, arcade queens are not uncommon, as well as all-female MMO guilds or FPS and RTS clans. So one can't help but wonder: what have the Asian executives gotten right that their Western counterparts should probably learn? 

If one is to look back, certain games seem to have gone straight to the heart of the female population. RPGs like Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts still remain favorites, for example. What made the girls love it so much? Was it the solid character and story development? Was it the moving musical scores and its themes of love and friendship? Was it the fact that those games tugged at the heartstrings?

Even in versus games such as Tekken, female characters such as Lili in Tekken: Dark Resurrection are being designed as powerhouses. Was this prompted with the knowledge that the female gamer who would see Lili, would choose her and discover the moves that could own everyone else? Were Ayame and Rin of the Tenchu ninja-stealth-game series supposed to cater to the girl with fantasies of espionage and being a goddess who strikes from the shadows?

Personal opinions and preferences vary, of course, and one has to factor in things such as the culture and social upbringing of the individual gamer. This then makes the formula of success even more difficult to figure out.

But all in all, one thing is for certain. The female gamer has been in the shadow of the male population for a very long time now, but they are here to stay. Hopefully, with the next-gen consoles coming up, maybe this population can finally grow and flourish in the West as they do in the East, and publishers and designers can finally realize that not everything in the market is testosterone-driven. Also, there is the hope that male gamers will break the bias that female gamers are sub-par, and people would realize that though girls do like their doses of cuteness and bubbles, they can wear the pants and shoot that BFG just as good as anybody else. Hopefully, the moves that the major companies are making, will prompt a universal acceptance of the female gamer as equals on neutral grounds and in a level playing field.