Women gamers have revealed the horrific online abuse they receive every day - just for being females interested in the hobby.

In a new documentary for BBC Three, which looks as the rise of female gamers, which now account for almost half the market, developers and technology journalists reveal how sexism is rife in what was once a male-dominated industry.

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Software engineer Brianna Wu receives death and rape threats because she is a woman forging a career in the gaming industry

Brianna said she believes men feel threatened by women advancing in the gaming world

A sample of some of the tweets Brianna has been sent which she shared on a BBC Three documentary

This abuse can go further than the 'trash talking' or the type of 'banter' men may experience when joining a gaming community.

In their experiences, women are either being told they should 'get back to the kitchen' because 'gaming is not for women' or are on the receiving obscene sexual advances.

Brianna Wu, 37, a Mississippi-born video game developer who blogs about her experiences, told BBC Three the abuse she gets online is so prolific she has had to hire an employee to deal with the trolls.

She said: 'Rape threats, death threats, harassment, having private information about myself posted has become a daily occurrence.'

She said one of the most terrifying incidents was when she received a message from someone who posted her home address online and said: 'Guess what b**** I know where you live and you and your husband are going to die tonight.'

The message described in graphic detail how he would kill her husband and rape Brianna, stating 'your mutilated corpse will be on the front page tomorrow.'

Gaming fan Jenny Hanniver has started a blog where she shares all the sexist remarks she receives when playing on her XBox Live

One of the Tweets on Jenny's Twitter account reveals the type of abuse she gets when playing

The couple fled their home and the police have been involved but obscene and violent abuse towards Brianna has continued because she dares to forge a career in the once male-dominated industry.

She believes men are scared by the rate at which women like herself are now playing and developing games and software - but that such sexism should not be tolerated.

She said: 'They are so threatened by women in their space they are threatening us in ways that are quite terrifying.

'We have to stand up because this staying the way it has been for 30 years is unacceptable.'

A soundbite with subtitles shared on Jenny's blog shows how she is threatened with rape by male players

One woman who has experienced similar trolling because of her love of gaming is Jenny Hanniver from Wisconsin.

She said: 'People get teased on video games but there is a different element to it when you are a woman. There is a vibe that you don't belong in gaming because you are woman.'

She has turned all the abuse she has received into a blog called 'Not In The Kitchen Anymore' as part of a college project and is now using it to raise awareness of the sexism in the gaming world.

On the blog, she chronicles the instances when she has been randomly insulted by men she has encountered online when playing video games on her XBox Live.

The comments range from her being called a b**** and a c*** to being asked if she will have sex with them.

Presenter Julia Hardy has a blog where she shares the sexist comments she's been sent along with her cutting replies

Some of them look her up on Facebook after playing a game to make vulgar sexual advances.

She said she keeps a public record of the abuse on her blog because 'it's a documentation of the kind of behavior female gamers encounter simply because of their gender.'

She adds that she also reports this behaviour to XBox Live in the hope such users will be banned.

She writes on her blog: 'They are violating the Xbox LIVE code of conduct, and I take the time to file complaints on all of them.

'If someone is just doing something stupid and inane like repeatedly saying my name and asking me "to date them" or talking about how they think I'm hot, or ugly, no - I don't report them. Because while they are being obnoxious, they aren’t breaking any rules.

'But if they ask to see my tits, call me a fat c***, or talk about how much they want to rape me, I don't hesitate to file a complaint. And if you're being harassed for your gender, race, or perceived sexuality, you should be filing complaints too.'

One troll tells Julia she has should 'go back to the kitchen' while another makes a lewd remark as she replies chalenging them on their sexists attitudes

Gaming journalist and TV presenter Julia Hardy, 36, from London, who has nearly 9,000 followers on Instagram, has taken a similar stance by founding the website 'Misogyny Monday'.

On it she reveals the abusive comments she has received and how she hits back with witty and scathing replies.

For example, after one appearance on TV where she was talking about breaking news in the gaming world someone tweeted her to say 'go back to the kitchen and make me a sandwich' to which she replied 'what is it you most fear about women? Our keen agility or the fact our periods attract bears?'

When another Tweeted after seeing her on TV 'she can move my nob' she replied 'where to? Is it somewhere sunny?'

She said men often get annoyed or aggressive that she hasn't taken their lewd comments as a 'compliment'.

Her friends often advise her not to interact with the trolls but she said she feels she must in order to fight back.

Jezzeka Duma loves gaming and doesn't let sexist remarks put her off. She said in the majority of games there is no abuse but Call Of Duty can lead to comments when played live so she turns off her microphone

She said: 'As a woman we are always taught to be afraid and keep our mouths shut. I feel like I have the platform to effect some change and inspire other women and with enough voices we can move things forward.

If you don't challenge things all you have done is passed it on to the next woman to deal with. It would be a disservice for women in this industry if I didn't stand up

'If you don't challenge things all you have done is passed it on to the next woman to deal with. It would be a disservice for women in this industry if I didn't stand up.'

She added that she doesn't tar all men with the same brush when it comes to their attitudes towards women in the gaming industry.

'We are talking about a very small number of boys/men who make these comments. There is a huge difference between outright misogynists and the other category which is men/boys who are simply a bit clueless and think that it's acceptable to speak to women in this way. They are two very different camps,' she said.

Australian writer and presenter Alanah Pearce, who has more than 92,000 followers on Instagram and now lives in San Francisco, said it is often boys and young men who troll her and she's found a good way to deal with them - telling their mums.

Jezzeka advises gamers: 'If you come into contact with people who are being rude, block them or mute them and continue having a great time with your game'

She said: 'Fairly randomly I get sent rape threats. Someone sent me a Facebook message saying they would rape me if they ever saw me in person.

'I checked his Facebook account and it was a young boy so I managed to find his mum incredibly easily and she made him hand write me a letter of apology so I doubt he will ever do that again.'

Jezzeka Duma, 26, from Seattle, said she hopes misogynists don't put women off gaming - as they will be missing out on a community that can be fun and supportive.

GAMING STATS The gamer audience in the UK has now hit 33.5 million, which accounts for 69 per cent of the population

More people over 44 years old are playing games than children and teenagers. The over 44s make up 27 per cent of the gamer population and children and teenagers make up 22

A third of 65 to 74-year-olds have played a video game in the last six months

Six in ten games used in the last six months were free and apps are now the most popular video game format played by 55 per cent of the online population.

One third of respondents said trivia and puzzles were their favourite game genre followed by action, adventure and shooter games

In the US 56 percent of gamers are male and 44 per cent are female

In the UK, Women account for more than half of people who play video games Sources: Internet Advertising Bureau UK (IAB), Entertainment Software Association Advertisement

She plays as 'Ms5000watts' and shares her love of gaming with her 235,751 subscribers on her YouTube channel.

She said in her experience some games are worse than others when it comes to sexism.

'Call Of Duty was the worst one when it came to negative comments,' she said.

'Every game was focused on that fact I was a girl. Yes, I am sure if I was a guy they would say horrible things anyway but it is something that they pick on. They can say "you're a girl you shouldn't be playing games".

'Call Of Duty I have found to be the worst but in League Of Legends for example I have been playing that for three years with an obviously female name and I have only ever received one comment about my gender.'

She added: 'It is very easy to avoid negative comments. Many games have features that allow you to mute a person from speaking or typing and they are great features for both men and women to use when they are experiencing anything that bothers them.

'If you come into contact with people who are being rude, block them or mute them and continue having a great time with your game.'

Jezzeka said she has found the benefits of gaming have outweighed the negatives as it has given her an escape from bullying in the real world.

She said: 'The negative comments are bound to happen, it's not a super frequent thing but they do happen and there's no reason for them to effect your enjoyment with your favourite game.

'The frequency to which they do happen is not very high at all for your average gamer wanting to play something online so it's honestly not anything to fear. Just be prepared for it just in case it does happen and I find ignoring those people by muting tends to be the best way for me.'