GAMER PROFILE // STEPHANIE HARVEY A GIRL’S GOTTA GAME!

It’s on like Donkey Kong!

For more from Harvey, follow her on Twitter @missharvey

PAID TO PLAY THIS GIRL TURNED HER HOBBY INTO A SUCCESSFUL CAREER.

BY COURTNEY RUNN

Have you ever wished you could get paid to play video games? That’s exactly what Stephanie Harvey does. Stephanie is a world-class gamer and game designer who has competed in the Harvey poses with competitions around the world and designed her own games. This year, she was listed on UBINITED, her champion Forbe’s “30 under 30” list for games. We asked her to share her story with us... Counter-Strike team.

STEM JOBSSM: What made you STEM JOBSSM: Do you think girls have big gamer but I stopped because I was STEM JOBSSM: How does it STEM JOBSSM: What’s your favorite STEM JOBSSM: What’s a typical want to become a game designer? been underestimated when it comes in so many extracurricular activities. feel to play your own games? game you’ve worked on? day look like for you? STEPHANIE HARVEY: I decided to to game design/playing? At the end of my high school, I started STEPHANIE HARVEY: Sometimes STEPHANIE HARVEY: I would say STEPHANIE HARVEY: Well, I code become a game designer because I STEPHANIE HARVEY: I think so. I again and continued all my life. you doubt yourself and you’re not sure my first one. It taught me so much. a lot. I make sure there’s nothing didn’t know what I could do with my think in general women have to fight to if it’ll be alright and when the game bothering the game and work through skills. I really wanted to be in the gaming gain respect and they have to prove that STEM JOBSSM: What was your favorite works you’re so happy it actually STEM JOBSSM: Do you need logistics and try to fix them as soon as industry and while in my college studies, they’re deserving. You need to suck up game growing up? works. You never know if it’ll fail. to be good at art to design? possible. After that, I check my email. I noticed I just wanted to go for that to have the respect of your peers and STEPHANIE HARVEY: I would say the STEPHANIE HARVEY: My job, not at We do follow-up [on the problems] and and I fell in love with the job. you have to fight to keep their respect. Mario series and The Sims. My parents STEM JOBSSM: How has being all—I don’t do any art. You don’t have to make sure they don’t keep happening. bought me most of my games so it was a gamer helped you in your career? have art to design. STEM JOBSSM: How does it feel to be STEM JOBSSM: Do you have any advice always Mario. STEPHANIE HARVEY: It’s one of the STEM JOBSSM: What is your in a field that is regarded as “mostly for women looking to pursue a career most important things. A lot of my work STEM JOBSSM: What were your favorite part of your job? male dominated?” in the “gaming world?” STEM JOBSSM: How does it feel I didn’t learn it, I just know it. I just favorite classes in college? STEPHANIE HARVEY: I would say STEPHANIE HARVEY: I don’t think STEPHANIE HARVEY: My advice to see your designs come to life? know how it should work. From playing STEPHANIE HARVEY: Anything that interacting with people and bouncing being in the gaming industry is more would be the same for everyone. It’s STEPHANIE HARVEY: Something games, you just know what’s successful had to do with working with a team. ideas off of each other. We talk about complicated than any other. It’s just good to invest a lot of time and effort you can’t really describe. It’s so much and what’s not. The reality is that no one makes a game it and go like, “Oh could we do this?” how it is. We live in a society that’s run to doing what you want in life. crazier when it’s somebody else doing by yourself. Those were the classes that or “This looks awesome!” and make it by sexuality and unfortunately it affects the work for you and making your taught me the most. I don’t do anything better than the original idea. everybody in their work environment. STEM JOBSSM: Were you a big gamer game come alive. It feels so special by myself. I don’t think it’s really more difficult or when you were younger? that someone invested so much easier than any other [field.] STEPHANIE HARVEY: I was always a time in making it happen. FOR MORE INFO ON HARVEY AND HER TEAM, CHECK OUT UBINITED.COM

26 STEM JOBS // LATE FALL 2014 // STEMJOBS.COM STEMJOBS.COM // LATE FALL 2014 // STEM JOBS 27 GAMING // VIDEO GAME DEVELOPERS FOLLOW THESE INDUSTRY LEADERS ON TWITTER!

TOP GAMES FOR 2015: BEHIND-THE-SCENES: Batman: Arkham Knight (Xbox One, PS4, PC) Halo 5: Guardians (Xbox One) VIDEO GAME DEVELOPERS The Legend of Zelda (Wii U) Mario Maker (Wii U) THEY STARTED OUT JUST LIKE YOU! BY NICOLE RAYE AND KARIAH CHURCH One Upon Light (PS4) Project CARS (Xbox One, PS4, Wii U, PC) STEM JobsSM takes you behind the scenes with the peo- life careers. Get first-hand insight into the happenings in ple who make things happen in the virtual world. Check the virtual world and take one step toward your future— out these writers, producers, designers, programmers and have some fun in the mean time. and artists who are the geniuses behind your favorite We also have the first look at the top video games coming video games. With a creative mind, you can make your to a screen near you in 2015! Check out the must-have PHOTO COURTESY OF dreams come true and be responsible for the magic that games for your holiday list this year. For daily game up- ONEUPONLIGHT.COM is on the other end of that controller in your hand. Follow dates and special news just for you, get connected with these hot shots who turned their love of gaming into real the developers by following them on Twitter! Game on.

TOP DEVELOPERS TO FOLLOW:

GAME DESIGNER: GAME WRITER: GAME PROGRAMMER: GAME PRODUCER: ART DIRECTOR: GAME DESIGNER: LEAD GAME WRITER: Carmela DeNero Paul Dini Martin Griffiths Shigeru Miyamoto Darren White Yi Xin Brian Reed @Paul_Dini @Griff_ @RealShigeruM @artylope @BrianReed Electronic Arts Slightly Mad Studios @EA Rocksteady Studios Slightly Mad Studios Nintendo @slightlymadteam SUTD Game Lab 343 Industries @RocksteadyGames @slightlymadteam @NintendoAmerica @sutdgamelab @Halo Education: Education: University of Central Education: Fun fact: Education: Loughborough University, Education: Fun fact: Florida, Creative Writing; Emerson College, He knew he wanted to Kanazawa College of Art, Industrial Design Nanyang Technological He started his career by Florida Interactive Creative Writing work in the video game Industrial Design University, Fine Arts & writing comic books. Entertainment Academy, industry when he began Fun fact: Digital Animation Interactive Entertainment Fun fact: writing games as a Fun fact: Darren is a huge film buff, Currently working on: He worked for George teenager on a Dragon 32 Shigeru’s kids did play and if he weren’t in the game Fun fact: Halo 5: Guardians Fun fact: Lucas and scripted the home computer. video games, but he industry, he would love to Yi was a finalist for the Next Carmela was awarded animated series Star also made them play work on visual effects in film. Great Mobile Game at the the Soroptimist Female Wars: The Clone Wars! Currently working on: outside! He also is a huge Independent Game Festival Leaders of Tomorrow Project CARS bluegrass fan and a semi- Currently working on: in San Francisco—proving award AND she loves Currently working on: professional dog breeder. Project CARS just how successful girls can football. Girl power. Batman: Arkham Knight be in the video game world! Currently working on: Currently working on: The Legend of Zelda and Currently working on: Mobile version of Mario Maker One Upon Light Madden NFL

NOT SURE WHERE YOU FIT IN THE VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY? VISIT STEMTYPE.STEMJOBS.COM TO TAKE THE STEM TYPE QUIZ AND SEE WHAT JOBS ARE BEST FOR YOU!

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WANT TO KNOW YOUR STEM TYPE? LOG ON TO STEMTYPE.STEMJOBS.COM TO FIND OUT! VIDEO GAME ENGINEERING HOT STEM JOBS BY SALARY

ARTIFICIAL MARKET BUSINESS GAME VIDEO GAME INTEGLLIGENCE VIDEO GAME RESEARCH GAME TESTER SOUND DESIGNER ANALYST UI ARTIST DESIGNER PROGRAMMER ANIMATOR ENGINEER PRODUCER ANALYST

WHAT You provide quality You are responsible You evaluate what You connect the game Video game designers You build the You make video games Let’s face it—nothing You lead the day- You help the WILL I DO? assurance and for anything you your game’s audience designer and the are responsible for games using various come to life visually is better than a human to-day operations development and design make sure that any hear during a game­— needs and wants are programmers—operating creating all dimensions computer languages. and are an integral opponent, unless you related to the team determine what problems, bugs from giving voice to and create objectives on a more visual level of a game world. In all likelihood part of the video game don’t have a human studio’s staff and products and services and issues are characters to figuring and business to work out the user’s Not only do they you are viewing development team. opponent. It’s your resources. You also to create in what order discovered before out how to design strategies to suit view and experience. conceptualize stories, complicated screens You should get to job to create that manage project and for which game. launch. Nobody the perfect sound to those needs. There’s There are lots of ways they also must filled with lines of know physics. unbeatable nightmare budgets and You are the numbers likes a buggy game— go bump in the night. never enough time to to specialize—such as engineer a system that code—the instructions Physics is your friend. level and call it ‘Rookie’. prepare financial wizard and provide these are the people build everything, so building environments, accounts for every that make video analysis reports for the wild guesses that that make sure that someone has to help textures or cinematic possible interaction a games what they are. top management. either bomb or exceed doesn’t happen. prioritize. elements. player may make with expectations. the game environment.

MEDIAN $37,000 $45,000 $53,000 $59,000 $65,000 $75,000 $75,000 $76,000 $84,000 $85,000 SALARY

STEM TYPE

Investigator Solver Integrator Advisor Designer Solver Maker Designer Integrator Explorer

WILL I A lot of gaming Fingernails The word Wait, I can You’ve been Why would You are not interested If machines do take You’d like to know if You are the LIKE IT? legends have such ‘freemium’ make money playing games with you code in being tethered to over the world, it we would be interested ultimate started here. potential. makes you smile. with art? people for years. anything else? human limitations. will be your fault. in funding your gift giver. Kickstarter project

SCHOOLS • Daytona State College • Westminster College - • Harris-Stowe • Academy of Art • Academy of Art University— • ECPI University— • DigiPen Institute • Carnegie Mellon • Academy of Art University— • Bethany College THAT TRAIN • Metropolitan State Pennsylvania— State University— University— See ad inside front cover! See ad on pg. 33! of Technology University See ad inside front cover! • Cedar Crest College University See ad on pg. 17! See ad on pg. 11! See ad inside front cover! • Richland College— • Kutztown University • McKendree University • Case Western • Richland College— • Loras College • Pittsburgh Technical • Bates Technical College • Armstrong State • Mercy College See ad on pg. 29! • Metropolitan State • Regent University Reserve University See ad on pg. 29! • Saint Vincent College Institute • Lawrence Technological University • Meredith College • DigiPen Institute of Technology University • Saint Paul College • Virginia Tech • Milwaukee School • St. Joseph’s College • Salem Community University • Corban University • Saint Francis University • Mercy College • Santa Clara University • SUNY Canton • Slippery Rock University of Engineering College • Virginia Tech • Pacific Lutheran • Salem Community • University of • Valley City • University of • University of South • St. Thomas Aquinas • West Virginia University University College Wisconsin - Stout State University Nebraska - Lincoln Florida College of College • Saint Louis University Engineering Online • Valparaiso University

WHO’S • 2K Games • Bungie • Bethesda • Schell Games • Activision Publishing • CrowdStar • Blizzard Entertainment • Blizzard Entertainment • BioWare • Adaptive Insights HIRING • Big Fish Games • dSonic • Infosys • Storm8 • Microsoft • Gameloft • Cryptic Studios • Cryptic Studios • Blizzard Entertainment • Creative Works • Electronic Arts • Microsoft • Riot Games • TinyCo • Treyarch • Naughty Dog • DeNA • DeNA • Carbine Studios • Electronic Arts • Microsoft • Red 5 Studios • Spacetime Studios • Vicarious Visions • Trion Worlds • Papaya Studio • OtterBase • OtterBase • MGA Entertainment • Sony Computer Entertainment • Servios • Ubisoft • Voltage Entertainment • Zynga • THQ • Rockstar San Diego • Rockstar San Diego • Storm8 • Warner Bros. Entertainment Group

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