The video game industry created something of a chicken-and-egg situation. When it conducted market research during the '80s and '90s, it found that more boys than girls played video games. Boys were more likely to be involved with new technology, more willing to be early adopters and more encouraged by their teachers and families to pursue science, technology, engineering and math in school. Girls have always played video games, but they weren't the majority. In wake of the video game crash, the game industry's pursuit of a safe and reliable market led to it homing in on the young male. And so the advertising campaigns began. Video games were heavily marketed as products for men, and the message was clear: No girls allowed.

Fast forward a generation. Just as many girls use iPod touches, iPhones, iPads, and Android devices.

"In fact, the 1990s is filled with exceptions. There's Tetris on the Game Boy, which was popular with both men and women. Tim Schafer's LucasArts adventure games perform well across the board, demographically. Sim Citywas more popular with women than it was with men. By the end of the 1990s, we already hadBejeweled.

"Maybe our perception of the problem is the problem, rather than there actually being a problem," says Ian Bogost. "We're not looking at diversity in the marketplace. We're looking at where there isn't diversity and we're saying those games are the most valid games."

Bogost points to games like FarmVille, Candy Crush Saga and Words With Friends — hugely successful games that have enormous male and female player bases — but they're rarely acknowledged as being the same thing as what is traditionally thought of as a video game. "Those games somehow get the technology industry stories about the rise of these big companies, whereas something like Call of Duty is talked about as an example of gaming, and probably a negative example."

Google glass doesn't have a single game right now. Even PCs launched with solitaire. There is a weird perception/predjudice tied into our idea of video games vs reality. 

Btw this article is crazy awesome, well worth the long read IMO 

Great memories, I was one of those girls that liked games.   Phantasmagoria was a great game, I loved the soundtrack (by "The Fat Man"), I would even listen to it alone!  I played all the Doom's, Myst's, Might & Magic, etc...  Started out with a Commodore 128, and I did not work in the business, I was just a game lover, and hobbyist.