Ismini and I have developed a clearer understanding of what we imagine our mother went through as one of the first women graduating in computer engineering back in the 60s. I often stumble across something and think 'only a guy could really appreciate this'. I attribute it to the limited number of women working in developer positions at those companies. There is little or no female perspective. Most studies report a gender divide in the kinds of PC and console games played.
Males tend to like action, while women are more into role-playing adventures.
Men like strategy, driving things and shooting things. Women like good stories, character development and solving problems. Many would just prefer a good story to go with the gore. Often, games that cross gender barriers, such as Ultima and EverQuest, have action and adventure elements. Many women gamers note that the gender issue is often overplayed.