Genders in Gaming Target Audiences.

[Romulator]

Hello everyone! As you know, we commonly go on and ramble about various topics on this section of the forum.

As my time on the internet has gone on, I have noticed that as I have grown older, either I am seeing more or am just in an environment of similar interests, but I feel I am coming across more females in the field of video gaming. Not that it affects me much because I'm happy to engage in multiplayer games with anybody, so long as I am not abused.

But it got me thinking, while I can assume that companies whenever they release video games consider their target audience, unless it is something that sounds like the typical female child's game (Imagine: series, Bratz), do they take gender into account? While I'm sure FrictionalGames' design brief had a spot in it somewhere saying "...a horror-based first person perspective interactive game in which leaves the player on their toes, fearful and somewhat anxious...", would FG consider that while the market of horror may appeal more to males in gaming, did they think of females too?

Did Infinity Ward/Treyarch consider that while the recurring first person shooter does appeal to the younger generation males, plus the older generation (~30 years old) males, do they particularily aim to make the game seem unisex or is it just something that some girls find to be interesting?

Basically the question is:
Are gaming companies heavily determined on striking the male target audience because it is stereotypically dominant, or do females in gaming also influence how games are produced, developed, designed and perhaps released?

Don't be sexist if it can be avoided.