10 connect How theindustryismaking

Women gender gapandsupport efforts toreducethe

Creating women ingaming A Brighter Future by Kimberley Wallace

For Games just notenough,”saysIGDA­ ment isalittleover20percent. “That’s found thesplitofwomenindevelop- tional Game Developers Association) are- women,butastheIGDA(Interna 2017 report, over40percent ofgamers still worktodo.According totheESA’s video gamedevelopment.Butthere’s will continuetoproliferate throughout portunities becomeavailable,women EA’s MotiveStudios. co-founding andbecomingaGMat Assassin’sjuggernaut Creed seriesto from executiveproducer onUbisoft’s roles, suchasJadeRaymondgoing with womentakingmore leadership the industry. This has only continued have madeextensivecontributionsto Wizardry and JaggedAlliance,women in the gameindustryonfranchiseslike cades asaprogrammer anddesigner Romero, whohasspentnearlyfourde- with serieslikeKing’s Quest,toBrenda neered thegraphicadventure genre co-founder RobertaWilliams,whopio- and bestgamestolife.From ­ an integralpartofbringingthebiggest and creative womenhavealwaysbeen Gaming isforeveryone,andintelligent As theindustrygrows andmore op- executive executive Sierra Sierra share theirexperiencesandgoals. developers, streamers, andleadersto it’s going,wereached outtoinfluential in games,where it’s beenandwhere stories alongsidetheplaceofwomen out there.” the good stories that are happening nore thenegative,butlet’s broadcast Meggan Scavio.“I don’t want to ig- ­Interactive Arts&Sciencespresident tell themenough,”saysAcademyof to betoldoutthere andwedon’t presence. “There are positivestories brace their passion and expand their girls andprofessional womenem- tives are alsoontherisetohelpyoung resources putintothoseareas. Initia- to this,callingforchangeandmore voted hisentire 2018D.I.C.E.keynote ment. XboxheadPhilSpencerde- and creating amore inclusiveenviron- aware oftheimportancediversity and possibility.” we and itreally signalsthatasanindustry sent thepotentialtalentthat’s outthere, resent ourcustomers.Itdoesn’t repre- director JenMacLean.“Itdoesn’t rep- To more learn about thesepositive Now more thanever, companiesare are closing ourselves to opportunity are closingourselvestoopportunity ambassadors at GDC 2017 atGDC ambassadors Women inGames Jen MacLean Jen MacLean IGDA connect 11

Shaping Young Minds see how many girls felt like they “found things that we saw at the camps, that These days accessing games is as their people” and could just be them- [the girls] didn’t even know the concept easy as picking up your phone or selves at the camp. The whole experi- of a game studio or production house tablet, with technology being omni- ence was eye-opening, showcasing to existed, and if you asked the girls present in children’s lives. Teaching Shabir that even at an early age, girls what a game developer does, most kids about the electronic world that already had trouble feeling comfort- of them would just respond ‘program- surrounds them needs to start at an able with their passion for games and ming,’” Shabir explains. “They had no earlier age, and society can no longer finding others who shared their inter- idea about music, art, sound effects, rely on preconceived notions of dep- ests. “At the end of the camp, I gath- or writing – all these things that inter- recated gender norms denoting that ered my team and said, ‘I think this est girls – could be a viable career for electronics are for boys. In a recent is important. We have been given an them.” All of these aspects of the in- study conducted by Microsoft in part- opportunity to make a difference. It’s dustry are included in the summer pro- nership with KRC Research, only 27 true we started out to make our own gram, all the way up to publishing and percent of young women feel coding games, but if this is what the world pitching their ideas. Shannon jobs are for them, while 52 percent feel needs right now. Let’s do this.’” Seeing young girls in camp has ­given Studstill powerful doing Science, Technology, That was four years ago. In the time Shabir insight into their struggles. ­Engineering and Math (STEM) work. since, Shabir expanded the program Shabir, who grew up in the Middle East, Sony Santa Monica Additionally, between now and 2030, to help support more than just young says the confidence gap worries her the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics girls (the camp is open to ages eight most – something she didn’t expect predicts the technology industry will through seventeen), but also women in America. She used an example of a be the fastest-growing, but the amount just kicking off their careers with the young girl asking a mentor about how of women pursuing professions in that GMC Fellowship. This provides a to get her parents to accept her passion Rebecca field will not match the growth. Many chance for up-and-coming women to make games. “It was such an inter- Cohen-Palacios initiatives have been put in place to to not only attend events such as the esting choice of words because she Ubisoft Montreal, increase girls’ interest in STEM, let- Game Developers Conference (GDC) has to convince her parents to allow her Pixelles ting them learn about these potential and network with key figures at big- to become a game developer,” Shabir Providing Resources And for the past 17 years and, because of the ing improvement, we still have a lot of careers at an earlier age. name companies, but also offers says. “It’s not as simple as, ‘I like games. Preparing For The Challenges studio’s diverse and friendly environment, work to do. “The opportunities that Girls Make Games is just one exam- teaching positions at the Girls Make I want to make games. I’m going to do Shabir is hardly the only one giving didn’t realize the trouble women were ex- exist in the industry... I don’t think the ple of a thriving, successful program. Games summer camps. it.’ You have to convince your family, young women a way to explore their in- periencing around the world. “I always felt awareness is as good as it could be,” What started off as a one-time summer Shabir, who won this year’s Entertain- your peers, and you have to convince terests in tech. The industry as a whole like my gender didn’t matter,” she says. “I Studstill says. “There’s a plethora of camp has blossomed into a string of ment Software Association visionary yourself, and there’s so much self-doubt is working to help make the transition could have been a boy and I think I would opportunities in gaming, it’s an excit- international camps, workshops, and award for inspiring change, says most at that age. That’s why programs like into video games much smoother with have the same career path.” ing environment, and it’s creative, and game jams, all in the name of inspiring girls entering the summer program Girls Make Games are important, be- more programs and mentorships than However, in recent years after chat- it’s not an all-boys’ club experience. and supporting the next generation. know very little about the games indus- cause when they go to camp, they feel ever before. The most telling thing ting with other female senior develop- How well are we really getting that Angie Smets Founder Laila Shabir was surprised to try. “That was one of the first ­shocking so validated in who they are.” about most of these organizations is ers and seeing an increase in hostility, out there, so women consider it as a Guerrilla Games many started as a one-off program, she realized there was more she could ­career opportunity?” but then grew into something much do. Now she spends her time going to Studstill makes a good point, and Laila Shabir, founder of Girls Make Games larger after seeing the need for foster- schools in the Netherlands (the loca- it’s why women are trying to break that ing untapped talent interested in the tion of Guerrilla’s studio) to discuss the stereotype by showing people first- video game industry. process and give them a better idea of hand their role in the industry. That’s how it was for Pixelles, a non- the career opportunities, especially in profit organization located in Montreal the triple-A space. “Eighty percent of that gives women the tools to make these students would often be male, their first game. Pixelles has been but they would also see a woman who going for five years, but when it first works in games,” she says. “I think it Changing Perceptions called on women for its Game Incuba- also instills the image of it being nor- Although the gender divide between female and male tor program, the response was larger mal that women make games.” To gamers is getting closer to 50/50, men are still often than ever expected, with 65 applica- Smets, one of the most exciting things seen as the target demographic both by publishers and tions for a mere 10 spots. “That sent is seeing the percentage of women at the consuming audience. Stereotypes dominate our us a clear message of, ‘Hey, women the schools who want to go into the culture, from gamers being seen as “lazy” and “living in want to make video games!’ recalls co- field increase, saying it’s getting closer their parents’ basements” to it being a hobby purely for founder and director Rebecca Cohen- to one-third of them. Anyone can come to Pixelles, men. These depictions haven’t helped anyone – male regardless of gender or age Palacios, who also works as a UI De- Similarly, U.K.-based Media Molecule­ or female – but the lack of visible women in the game veloper at Ubisoft Montreal. “Over the coordinates with classrooms in the space hasn’t helped showcase it as a diverse hobby. course of the incubator, after speak- area for kids to see the behind-the- “I think there are a lot of preconceptions of what a ing with participants, [we discovered] scenes process of a game being made. gamer is today and who that should be,” says Facebook there was also a need for a space for “I am very happy to say yes to school head of global marketing and gaming Aoife Brodigan. women-in-games.” groups all of the time,” says co-found- “It’s not just that women are playing mobile games these This led to the organization expanding er and studio director Siobhan Reddy. days. Some of the reports from NewsU show women are to create additional programs focusing She’s made this visit more interdis- making up around 41 percent of those playing console on writing and mentorship, alongside ciplinary, so students see creating a games. [We need] to debunk the myths around who is a GDC scholarship program. Pixelles game goes beyond just programming actually playing games as a start.” also hosts free monthly workshops and and into areas such as composing. Believe it or not, while gaming seems like a more special events with the activities open “We’ve been talking about how to go mainstream activity these days, misconceptions about to anyone of any gender. younger because the rhyme is, ‘year who plays them are still present. “I still hear women say With misconceptions about the field and eight is too late,’” Reddy says. “By that ‘games are a guy thing,’” says Pixelles co-founder hobby all around (see Changing Percep- then, young women have already been and director Rebecca Cohen-Palacios. “Making and play- tions sidebar), many women have taken put off, so we have to get in earlier. We ing games can be for everyone. That’s still symptomatic up the cause of reaching our younger gen- need to show at the primary school of our ‘games’ culture, stereotypes that still persist, who eration to educate them on the opportu- age what’s possible.” we spotlight as game developers at public events/media nities that exist in the video game space. Shannon Studstill, head of Santa and representation in games.” Shabir works with the next Guerrilla Games’ executive producer An- Monica Studios and VP of product generation of women gamers gie Smets has been with the company ­development, thinks while we’re see- 12 connect 13 Increasing Visibility A common issue facing the gaming industry is the visibility of women, but it’s not like women aren’t already in key development or leadership roles. The women interviewed in this piece are proof, but we still don’t have many recognizable female auteurs like Todd Howard or Hideo Kojima. Getting more women to be recognized for their roles on stage is one step to fixing this. Meggan Scavio “I think it’s just a matter of making Academy of sure we are continually getting the Interactive women of the industry out there, mak- GirlsBehindTheGames founders Caroline Carter and Lisa Blakie Arts & Sciences ing it known that we’re available to help people and [answer] questions,” says general manager of Microsoft­ Almost every woman in develop- ratio of men to women staff, so team Studios Publishing Shannon Loftis. ment I spoke to discussed becom- ­members were shocked when they Like Loftis, a lot of women in the in- ing more aware of this, striving to put started breaking down statistics and dustry have taken it as a call to action themselves into the spotlight more. “It realized that’s not the case in most to be more present and available to is important for female game develop- studios. “We all discussed as a team speak at conferences. Why? Because ers to be vocal about their roles and that we want to try and make a differ- providing role models is important. careers,” says Insomniac Games art ence,” says Runaway games marketer Girls need to see women in these director Jacinda Chew. “We can par- Caroline Carter. GirlsBehindTheGames with New Zealand roles to be able to envision them- ticipate in interviews, write papers, and While the studio is based in New prime minister Jacinda Ardern selves in similar positions. Girls Make speak at schools and conferences to Zealand, it wanted these conversa- Robin Hunicke Games brings in women developers name a few examples. At the same tions happening around the world, so to speak at the camp for this very time, women need to be offered more the team took to Twitter to create Girls- Funomena reason; Shabir noted how uplifting it of these opportunities as well, so it’s BehindTheGames, and women used is for the young girls to see, saying it critical to actively recruit a diverse pool the eponymous hashtag to promote “makes the biggest impact more than of subject matter experts when orga- their work, offer mentorship, and an- any technological knowledge that we nizing events or news stories.” swer questions. The discussion caught Siobhan Reddy could impart.” Reddy had always been around fire, with female developers from Media Molecule women in leadership roles and worked popular studios such as Telltale, Riot on diverse teams, so she hadn’t re- Games, BioWare, and Ubisoft chiming ally thought of the power she had by in. Even New ­Zealand’s prime minister speaking at more events. “It took to Jacinda ­Ardern created a video to sup- Importance Of Well-Developed Characters the point of me really being pushed out port the cause. Since then, Runaway While discussing expanding women’s presence in into the spotlight that made me be re- has let women in the industry take the industry, it was only a matter of time before the flective that I had kind of avoided being over the GirlsBehindTheGames­ Twitter­ conversation turned to the actual content of games. visible,” Reddy says. “I hadn’t realized account, allowing them to use the ac- One priority is creating better characters and targeting how important it was to be visible and count for a day to answer questions more than just a single audience. what kind of impact that would have.” and explain the work they do. “Content-wise the industry is changing,” says Xbox Reddy says it’s led to more diverse Similarly, Facebook’s Women in brand manager Nicole Fawcette. “For a long time, it people reaching out to visit the studio Gaming, launched this past February,­ felt like there was nothing for girls to latch onto.” and realize the opportunities available. features interviews with women in Having good role models in games is powerful, and With more women taking the stage, a various roles in the industry, covering many spoke to their excitement of seeing this improve, pre-GDC event called Amplifying New everything from the media to develop- pointing to Lara Croft’s redesign, Uncharted’s female- Voices formed to help prepare them ment. Right now, they have 20 stories, led The Lost Legacy, and Overwatch’s diverse and for the spotlight. ANV was started by but their goal is to get up to 100 by Jacinda Chew numerous women. “I think it’s also about giving boys a multitude of key women in leader- the end of the year. They started the a different role model,” says Guerrilla­ Games executive ship positions, such as Funomena’s hashtag #SheTalksGames to bring Insomniac Games producer Angie Smets. “What I also really like about Robin Hunicke, Double Fine’s Caryl awareness to the career opportunities Horizon is we also have less stereotypical male charac- Shaw, and Guerrilla Games’ Angie available in the industry and also the ters.” She spoke to Horizon’s Rost being a more caring Smets. “This trains the next genera- diversity of the people. “Our mission and nurturing male character, and says she loves that tion of speakers,” says Scavio, who was to really champion diversity in the her son can also grow up with a strong woman like also helped form the initaitive. “It gives games industry, encouraging more Aloy and see it as the norm. them the confidence to go out and women into the industry and leader- Insomniac Games art director Jacinda Chew shared speak with authority when they’re on ship positions, and to really partner her own story about being inspired by Jane Jensen’s stage,” Hunicke adds. “A lot of the la- with others and inspire change,” says Gabriel Knight series. She was thrilled to see a recur- bor that we ask young women, women Facebook head of global marketing ring character: Grace Nakimura. [She’s] a smart Asian of color, and queer folks to do right and gaming Aoife Brodigan. woman who was Gabriel Knight's equal partner,” she now like being on panels, we’re ask- So far, Brodigan has been impressed explains. “It is really important that women see that they ing them to do it without preparation.” with the support this initiative has are represented – whether it's including more female Right now, ANV is currently fundraising received. “We’ve been really over- characters in games or being more visible in the indus- to expand the program to include paid whelmed by the response, it’s been try. It never occurred to me that I couldn't work in games mentors in the coming year. incredible to see the companies and because I had seen another woman do it. Because of this Plenty of other initiatives also sup- people really stepping forward, not realization, I've started to put myself out there more in port visibility, with two recent ones just women, but men also wanting to the hopes that future generations will see me and realize making waves. GirlsBehindTheGames support and be involved,” she says. Shannon Loftis that they can do it too.” was created by team members at “[Men] can be true allies to women in Microsoft Runaway, a studio that creates mobile the industry.” Writer Kate Russell speaks about and VR games. Runaway has a good (Continued on page 17) sterotypes female gamers face 14 connect 15 (Continued from page 14)

Women finding each other through 1,000 Dreams Mentorship is important when learn- Having The Tough Conversations Thankfully, action is afoot. Many wom- (see Supporting Women Streamers sidebar) ing all sides to game development It would be disingenuous to bypass en spoke to a variety of ways to improve the tougher conversations that need to the current state of things. “We have so Supporting Women Streamers happen about women in the industry many challenges and so many things Video game streaming has exploded in the last few years and their role in tech moving forward. going against us,” Shabir says. “The thanks to the popularity of platforms like Twitch and As more women enter the workplace workplace was designed by men for YouTube. People can make a lucrative career in streaming and advance their careers, companies men for the longest time and now we’re video games, affording many the opportunity to make must strive for better solutions to fes- coming in and questioning the status it their full-time job. Streaming is another segment tering problems. In addition to a lack of quo and changing things. Not enough dominated by men. According to a 2016 study, women women in leadership positions, reten- is changing fast enough and people are only made up 35 percent of streamers. To change this, tion rates are low for women in tech. just sick of it. Women in the workplace Twitch partnered with 1,000 Dreams, a female-focused Numerous factors contribute to this, need to step up and share what would scholarship organization, for a charity event. After seeing from women not seeing room for ad- make the workplace better.” the success, they formed the BroadcastHER grant to help Nicole vancement to the workplace not being Microsoft’s Women in Gaming ini- up-and-coming female Twitch talent with expenses. So Fawcette­ as female-friendly as it could be. Sadly, tiative, which has been around for 18 far the organization has raised nearly $45,000. Microsoft there is no easy solution. years, has expanded its role in recent ”I love the idea that we are ‘investing’ in the futures “We’re making progress,” MacLean years to tackle the problems outlined in of the young women we fund and serve – and my goal says, who is coming up on her 26th year this feature. Nicole Fawcette, an Xbox from day one is being totally transparent with our sup- in the industry. “We’re tracking diversity senior brand manager, stresses that porters on who these funds are going to and how many numbers, which we didn’t use to do be- anyone can come to these events from women we have so far funded,” says founder and CEO fore. We’re having open conversations anywhere in the industry, even direct Christie Garton. “That is why you can read each and ev- about diversity and inclusivity. We talk a competitors. “We need to support one ery one of our girl’s stories on our website. I am watch- lot about why it matters, and we have a another, not compete against each oth- ing a 1,000 Dreams community take shape as a result. much better appreciation of how impor- er,” she says. They hope to attract more It’s inspiring – and motivates me daily to strive for our tant women are as an audience of game women and young girls to the industry, goal of a 1,000 funded girls and more over time.” players. But at the same time, the prog- holding events such as The Woman’s Streamer Tina “ShadowFoxx086” Degenhart raised ress we’re making is not fast enough.” Rally at GDC and working with organi- over $5,000 for 1,000 Dreams and enjoyed the experi- MacLean spoke to a recent U.K. gender zations like Girls Make Games and Girls ence overall. “I was given the chance to meet some Tanya X. Short pay gap report as an example. “Any in- Who Code. To help with retention inter- amazing and extremely supportive people in the Kitfox Games, dustry where women routinely make 80 nally, they offer leadership training and gaming community,” she says. “I connected with other Pixelles As part of International Women’s Day, percent or less of what a man makes is networking events. like-minded women who also participated in the char- Ubisoft and Microsoft teamed up for a panel not okay,” she says. The industry has seen some dark ity and it’s really given me a huge boost in confidence times with a few unpleasant events as a streamer.” and issues bubbling to the surface, from sexism to hate mobs, but there has also been a push for the industry to change. Loftis has noticed the clouds beginning to clear. “I’ve seen really in- impact communities,”­ she says. “We teresting things come out of [those try- shouldn’t snub the small changes or ing times],” she says. “There are more tiny grassroots initiatives either, be- networks, more conversations, and cause even those can have life-chang- more groups that are explicitly focused ing ripple effects.” on diversity, not just gender diversity, It may not seem like much, but even but diversity all up. It feels now, while just being more mindful of these issues there are still problems, no question, is key to solving them. “It’s easy to get the focus on the value of diverse voic- discouraged when we see such a big es in the industry is openly discussed problem, but we each have the ­power and acted upon, which I don’t think to positively influence the people would be possible if we didn’t have a around us,” says Pixelles co-founder terrible couple of years.” and director Tanya X. Short. “Signal Cohen-Palcios agrees we need to boost the women doing good work. keep this conversation going for im- Have gentle, awkward conversations provement to emerge. “By continu- with the friends and acquaintances ing to have these conversations and about problematic words and actions shifting games culture, we can move they might be taking. Take responsi- even faster, especially in collabora- bility for the impact you have on the tion with local organizations that have world, and just keep working to make the power to directly and effectively it a little bit better, day by day.”

Pixelles helps newcomers get their feet off the ground by providing support for their first projects

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