3/16/11

GDC 2011: Women in Games Special Interest Group


Open Forum

-          2 groups:
o   Women in Games (WIG) -  http://www.womeningames.com/
o   Women in Games International (WIGI) http://www.womeningamesinternational.org/
-          Question: Are there any companies which are trying to make quality titles for a female audience?
o   Answer: Not really.
o   Should be trying to educate more young girls about this potential career path (middle and high school programs)
o   But…. (personal note) – how would you get girls interested in games if there aren’t any they want to play to begin with?
-          Speak up
o   Find those opportunities to make small changes in the games you’re working on
o   Example: dress up game where you got a good score for looking slutty – women in office spoke up and changed the way the game rewarded you to work towards better values
-          Dealing with overt sexism
o   When it’s in an unimportant context, don’t waste your time
o   Humor super important in dealing with it
o   Larger than this – the idea of changing culture at large. It doesn’t have to be about ‘guys being guys’ (it CAN be, but that’s not necessarily the only possible way to make games)
-          Game Mentor Online
o   Started by women in WIG SIG – good way for girls to find other girls in the industry to help them move forward (for those who find it intimidating to constantly be surrounded by men)

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