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March 25, 2001
The truth, naturally, is more complex than conventional wisdom, but there's little question that the vast majority of game designers are men. In fact, 88.5 percent of video game makers are male, according to the International Game Developers Association.
For the most part, they're creating games meant for other guys. While the best-selling PC game of all time, "The Sims," appeals to both genders, the bulk of best-selling games--titles like "Halo 2," "Madden NFL" and "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" are honing in on a testosterone-charged, football-watching, shoot-'em-up crowd.
At the Women's Game Conference being held in conjunction with the Austin Game Conference here, hundreds of industry workers-?and would-be workers-?are talking about ways to close that massive gender gap.
"It's very hard to get respect," said Katelin Rosenburg, a student at the University of Advancing Technology, a private college in Arizona. "I'm the only girl in all my design classes. It's really hard to get respect from guys because they're like, 'Girls don't play games.' Guys play (games) with their buddies. They don't play with their girlfriends."
The good news for women game players is that at least 80 percent of the 200 or so at the conference here were women. But in the wider video game business, as most industry insiders know, numbers add up to almost the exact opposite.
Amanda Crispel, assistant program director for electronic game and interactive development at Champlain College in Burlington, Vt., said that only 18 of the program's 100 students are women.
Of course, there has been no shortage of conversations about finding ways to get more women into the game industry. But it can be hard for such discussions to get attention, said Christopher Sherman, executive director of The Game Initiative, which organized the women's conference.
Attendees see the women's game conference playing a key role in overcoming some of the historical hurdles to gender diversity in the industry. The conference "can get game designers and game houses thinking about the psychology of women in gaming, and to (think about the) subtle differences (necessary) to make games more palatable to everyone," said Rebecca Whitehead, the dean of academic affairs at the University of Advancing Technology.
Video games--a girl thing?
weighs in on women and games.
And that's important, because many believe more diversity can result in better games that sell more copies.
"Women bring a dynamic that's interesting and highly intelligent to all things creative, all things technological, and all things administrative and production-oriented," said Paula Fellbaum, director of human resources at international video game company THQ Studios. "Women...bring as much intelligence and as much production excellence as anyone else, and I think women must work really hard to get into the industry because it does provide balance."
But Fellbaum added that, traditionally, women in the video game industry tend to end up in administrative or art roles rather than development or design.
Illustrating the point, a recruiter in the room asked how many of the women in attendance were developers or programmers. No more than 10 raised their hands.
Still, Fellbaum said that as more emphasis is placed on luring women into the creative side of the video game work force, things will change for the better for everyone, particularly in an industry known for its punishing-?and some would say "macho"?-work hours.
"I think women have a greater expectation of balance," Fellbaum said. "Women have the expectation that they should be able to go home at the end of the day and turn their phones off. The BlackBerry isn't a ball and chain at the end of your ankle."
It's vital that working conditions in the industry are more palatable, said Sande Chen, a writer and consultant with the nonprofit group Girls in Games. A number of game makers, most notably Electronic Arts, have come under fire for the heavy workload placed on developers.
At this year's Game Developers Conference, Chen said, "young women said they were being recruited from a number of companies...When they looked at the hours (in the video game industry), they saw they could get better hours and conditions at Google. So they were going to go that way."
Regardless, there seemed to be general agreement that in reaching out to women, the video game industry must not appear to be creating jobs specifically for women. Rather, it is imperative that women be recruited for positions already dominated by men.
"I think the women I know in product development would be offended if they knew things were being tailored to them," said Jean Orrison, a senior partner at the Exclaim Recruiting Agency.
Sherman said he expects next year's Women's Game Conference to be unhooked from the Austin Game Conference. It will likely be held in either Seattle or San Francisco.
In any case, despite the optimism at the conference, there is undoubtedly still a sense that women have a long way to go before they're on equal footing in an industry which, rightly or wrongly, is often perceived as a boys' club.
"We have to work harder in the industry to get them to take us seriously," Rosenburg said. "And when you have a company with all guys, they don't teach sensitivity."
See more CNET content tagged:
women, video game, conference, Human Resources, THQ Inc.
LOL
LOL
As for the adults, women are taking care of most of daily affairs ? family and business, while men are playing games ? including video games.
Women are not childish ? that is the bottom line of gender.
As for the adults, women are taking care of most of daily affairs ? family and business, while men are playing games ? including video games.
Women are not childish ? that is the bottom line of gender.
"In fact, 88.5 percent of video game makers are male, according to the International Game Developers Association."
Game makers, people, NOT players.
As for the one person that got it, cute joke and a statement of the myopic view of many men in game design.
The problem is well stated in the article. Women look at the hours and the freedom in the game design business and say 'screw that' because it's almost like indentured servitude, with no guaranteed employment past the current project. The other problem is that games are viewed by most women as a distraction and/or a hobby and most prefer to work on something that feels more permanent (career, family, etc). It's only a rare few that see programming for more than something transient. Of course add to that the topics of most games (sports, shooting, sex, etc.) are more male oriented it makes women even less interested in contributing.
But like one poster said, why worry? The game industry is what it is. The games it makes are played mostly by guys and guys that know what other guys want in a game. Sure a woman programmer can do the job just as good but they can't think like a guy and that's what you need when game designing. That's not a rip on women, it's just the way it is. There is no reason to force women in to the industry or even to make it easier. A good programmer is a good programmer regardless of sex and designers are proven by the profits a game makes. If women feel they want to get into the game all they have to do is prove they are as good as or better than those around them and can take the same heat just like the rest of us.
"In fact, 88.5 percent of video game makers are male, according to the International Game Developers Association."
Game makers, people, NOT players.
As for the one person that got it, cute joke and a statement of the myopic view of many men in game design.
The problem is well stated in the article. Women look at the hours and the freedom in the game design business and say 'screw that' because it's almost like indentured servitude, with no guaranteed employment past the current project. The other problem is that games are viewed by most women as a distraction and/or a hobby and most prefer to work on something that feels more permanent (career, family, etc). It's only a rare few that see programming for more than something transient. Of course add to that the topics of most games (sports, shooting, sex, etc.) are more male oriented it makes women even less interested in contributing.
But like one poster said, why worry? The game industry is what it is. The games it makes are played mostly by guys and guys that know what other guys want in a game. Sure a woman programmer can do the job just as good but they can't think like a guy and that's what you need when game designing. That's not a rip on women, it's just the way it is. There is no reason to force women in to the industry or even to make it easier. A good programmer is a good programmer regardless of sex and designers are proven by the profits a game makes. If women feel they want to get into the game all they have to do is prove they are as good as or better than those around them and can take the same heat just like the rest of us.
Game company executives need another business model other than create tons of violent video games. They basically want a piece of the cash cow from the SIMS game. So it is their assumption to hire women as a guide to create a SIMS type game. Understand that most executives only have an MBA with zero techological and psychological hands on experience within the entertainment field. Most don't even play the games their employees make. So you wonder how would an executive know what is good for the consumer. He doesn't. He compares his income statement with a competitors', and flips a quarter and saids here's the problem. This is one of the reasons why many game companies go under, and is because management is inexperienced.
Because of this type of management still exists is why the long hours are imposed on the game industry. Executives/management don't know and can't make up their minds on what products to enhance which leads to game delays. No woman wants this type of job.
Also executives keep on stating how gameplay is more important than graphics, and the only reason they state that constantly is because of the success of Grand Theft Auto series. Don't you find it strange how they still update their graphics rather than improve their gameplay. The business strategy is to encourage their competitors to invest time and money into gameplay so they can sit back and see the results. This saves them time and money on R&D.
So the next time you hear some game company executive/manager say that some piece in games is king, you now know they have no idea what their talking about and that they just want their competitors to do the dirty work for them.
No, I wouldn't. I would like to be making games. First person shooters. MMORPGs. And more.
I was a huge fan of the Delta Force series until it went sideways. I am a hardcore MOHAA player. I love anything with machine guns, nades, RPGs, and getting to pistol whip my opponent to death is a hoot. The Sims is okay, but it lacks guns to make it like crack for me.
I don't predominantly game on a console because I prefer my PC/lappy and being able to hop on/off messengers, email, VOIP, webpages, etc. Consoles suck.
Building a PC that's more like a console, or a console that's more like a PC - that's where gaming needs to go.
But hell... if the industry really wants to look at girl gamers and designers like me (and there are A LOT, way more than you think), you first have to start by looking at yourselves.
Game company executives need another business model other than create tons of violent video games. They basically want a piece of the cash cow from the SIMS game. So it is their assumption to hire women as a guide to create a SIMS type game. Understand that most executives only have an MBA with zero techological and psychological hands on experience within the entertainment field. Most don't even play the games their employees make. So you wonder how would an executive know what is good for the consumer. He doesn't. He compares his income statement with a competitors', and flips a quarter and saids here's the problem. This is one of the reasons why many game companies go under, and is because management is inexperienced.
Because of this type of management still exists is why the long hours are imposed on the game industry. Executives/management don't know and can't make up their minds on what products to enhance which leads to game delays. No woman wants this type of job.
Also executives keep on stating how gameplay is more important than graphics, and the only reason they state that constantly is because of the success of Grand Theft Auto series. Don't you find it strange how they still update their graphics rather than improve their gameplay. The business strategy is to encourage their competitors to invest time and money into gameplay so they can sit back and see the results. This saves them time and money on R&D.
So the next time you hear some game company executive/manager say that some piece in games is king, you now know they have no idea what their talking about and that they just want their competitors to do the dirty work for them.
No, I wouldn't. I would like to be making games. First person shooters. MMORPGs. And more.
I was a huge fan of the Delta Force series until it went sideways. I am a hardcore MOHAA player. I love anything with machine guns, nades, RPGs, and getting to pistol whip my opponent to death is a hoot. The Sims is okay, but it lacks guns to make it like crack for me.
I don't predominantly game on a console because I prefer my PC/lappy and being able to hop on/off messengers, email, VOIP, webpages, etc. Consoles suck.
Building a PC that's more like a console, or a console that's more like a PC - that's where gaming needs to go.
But hell... if the industry really wants to look at girl gamers and designers like me (and there are A LOT, way more than you think), you first have to start by looking at yourselves.
Game companies hope that by having more female designers, and developers, more games will be developed that appeals to both genders. There is a fundamental problem with this logic however. The problem is not with the design of the game, but with the marketing and sale of the game to women.
Having worked in the toy industry for years, I observed an interesting, albeit not surprising phenomenon. When parents and grandparents do their Christmas shopping little Johnny gets a game and little Susie gets a doll, or a dress up kit, or something that is decidedly more feminine. This is not a negative statement, but a telling one.
The game industry needs to focus on changing the public's views on video games, not on hiring more female designers (while I don't discredit this as a way to achieve the same result). Controversy over games like Grand Theft Auto, and Mortal Combat before that, has led the public to view games as an exercise in frivolity.
Games that have breached the gender gap have included web based online games with chat rooms (which cater to a female dominated trait, the ability to build and maintain a community) and those that involve design and creativity, like The Sims. A noticeable portion of the Massively Multiplayer Online (MMORGPs) games (also a community based game) is shifting to women as well.
The target of the industry needs to change. Look at most of the video game ads on television these days. Who is holding the controller? The 20something guys sitting on the couch. These are the same guys in the beer commercials watching football or using some sleazy pickup line at the bar.
Now, take the same commercial for say, Gran Tourismo. Sitting on the couch is a 20something woman and her friend. They race one another down the track and then make a comment about liking cars. It is not only ok to play console games as a woman; it is ok to like cars too. This may sound too simple, but you get the idea.
Once a shift is made to create more interest for women in playing games, there may be a shift in the number of women who want to work in gaming. Tapping the other half of those 5.5 billion potential customers needs to be the first step.
That commercial with Japanese girl and Italian lady standing next to their hotrods in anticipation of outburning the competition was certainly unique
video games are a worthwile investment of their time and money, Females apparently do not.
The developers of video games are even more hardcore than the biggest game consumers, so naturally there isn't a very large base of female talent to go around. Guess what, it's very hard for most men to make it in the video game industry.
Game companies hope that by having more female designers, and developers, more games will be developed that appeals to both genders. There is a fundamental problem with this logic however. The problem is not with the design of the game, but with the marketing and sale of the game to women.
Having worked in the toy industry for years, I observed an interesting, albeit not surprising phenomenon. When parents and grandparents do their Christmas shopping little Johnny gets a game and little Susie gets a doll, or a dress up kit, or something that is decidedly more feminine. This is not a negative statement, but a telling one.
The game industry needs to focus on changing the public's views on video games, not on hiring more female designers (while I don't discredit this as a way to achieve the same result). Controversy over games like Grand Theft Auto, and Mortal Combat before that, has led the public to view games as an exercise in frivolity.
Games that have breached the gender gap have included web based online games with chat rooms (which cater to a female dominated trait, the ability to build and maintain a community) and those that involve design and creativity, like The Sims. A noticeable portion of the Massively Multiplayer Online (MMORGPs) games (also a community based game) is shifting to women as well.
The target of the industry needs to change. Look at most of the video game ads on television these days. Who is holding the controller? The 20something guys sitting on the couch. These are the same guys in the beer commercials watching football or using some sleazy pickup line at the bar.
Now, take the same commercial for say, Gran Tourismo. Sitting on the couch is a 20something woman and her friend. They race one another down the track and then make a comment about liking cars. It is not only ok to play console games as a woman; it is ok to like cars too. This may sound too simple, but you get the idea.
Once a shift is made to create more interest for women in playing games, there may be a shift in the number of women who want to work in gaming. Tapping the other half of those 5.5 billion potential customers needs to be the first step.
That commercial with Japanese girl and Italian lady standing next to their hotrods in anticipation of outburning the competition was certainly unique
video games are a worthwile investment of their time and money, Females apparently do not.
The developers of video games are even more hardcore than the biggest game consumers, so naturally there isn't a very large base of female talent to go around. Guess what, it's very hard for most men to make it in the video game industry.
Even if you have female designer/developers what will they come up with? Extreme Shopping!!!
Girls who aready like games will want to make games that they like, which will most likely attract guys. Sure girls might like the new online gaming chatting part, but not the actual game.
Video Games just don't appeal to MOST girls.
Even if you have female designer/developers what will they come up with? Extreme Shopping!!!
Girls who aready like games will want to make games that they like, which will most likely attract guys. Sure girls might like the new online gaming chatting part, but not the actual game.
Video Games just don't appeal to MOST girls.
Go back to the pre-years when Super Mario Brothers was the hottest thing. Me and my sister would go over to our cousins house to play. What would happen when we play? Our cousins would take away the controller from us after we've been playing(or dying)for 15 minutes and say "You can't play!! You're just a bunch of dumb girls!"
With my first boyfriend it was the same thing. He be playing MGS and say something like "You don't want to play. It's too hard for you."
After hearing this for awhile of course girls get discouraged and dont' want to play. And when we don play we suck because we've never played before, haven't been given the chance to build our skills up yet. And because we "suck" we become easy targets for the guys with skills to shoot at and who wants to play when they get sniper shot right after they have respawned for the 18th time?
of course some girls don't give up(like me!). I love a challenge and started playing instead of sitting there and being bored while my boyfriend played. It is hard to get other girls to play with me and it's hard to get respect when I go into a game store and even though I know more than the employees it takes forever to get them to talk to me.
Want girls to play? Then quit putting us down and give us a chance!!! After3 years I am now a lethal weapon when it comes to snipering ^_^ running with a gun though is another thing....
Having more women in the industry will do more than just churn out games that are more interesting to both sexes, it'll also open the door to more women to just not be afraid to enjoy video games. I can't tell you how many times as a child I got an EZ Bake Oven or a Barbie for my birthday or Christmas, or how many Barbies I cooked in my EZ Bake Oven. My mom finally relented and bought me an Atari, and I spent 5 hours a day on it at age 6. I was programming when I was 9. I LOVED anything that had to do with computers and games, but most boys and later most men I encountered scoffed at the idea. Some girls even thought something was wrong with me to make me want to play with video games and computers.
So, what I'm saying is that a move to bring in women gamers and designers is a good thing. It will open the gaming world up to a win-win-win situation. Girls will show up who have the chops and drive to work, and the industry will reap the profits and gain exposure, and more girls will game. I don't think the industry will lose anything. I think it will be bolstered.
Go back to the pre-years when Super Mario Brothers was the hottest thing. Me and my sister would go over to our cousins house to play. What would happen when we play? Our cousins would take away the controller from us after we've been playing(or dying)for 15 minutes and say "You can't play!! You're just a bunch of dumb girls!"
With my first boyfriend it was the same thing. He be playing MGS and say something like "You don't want to play. It's too hard for you."
After hearing this for awhile of course girls get discouraged and dont' want to play. And when we don play we suck because we've never played before, haven't been given the chance to build our skills up yet. And because we "suck" we become easy targets for the guys with skills to shoot at and who wants to play when they get sniper shot right after they have respawned for the 18th time?
of course some girls don't give up(like me!). I love a challenge and started playing instead of sitting there and being bored while my boyfriend played. It is hard to get other girls to play with me and it's hard to get respect when I go into a game store and even though I know more than the employees it takes forever to get them to talk to me.
Want girls to play? Then quit putting us down and give us a chance!!! After3 years I am now a lethal weapon when it comes to snipering ^_^ running with a gun though is another thing....
Having more women in the industry will do more than just churn out games that are more interesting to both sexes, it'll also open the door to more women to just not be afraid to enjoy video games. I can't tell you how many times as a child I got an EZ Bake Oven or a Barbie for my birthday or Christmas, or how many Barbies I cooked in my EZ Bake Oven. My mom finally relented and bought me an Atari, and I spent 5 hours a day on it at age 6. I was programming when I was 9. I LOVED anything that had to do with computers and games, but most boys and later most men I encountered scoffed at the idea. Some girls even thought something was wrong with me to make me want to play with video games and computers.
So, what I'm saying is that a move to bring in women gamers and designers is a good thing. It will open the gaming world up to a win-win-win situation. Girls will show up who have the chops and drive to work, and the industry will reap the profits and gain exposure, and more girls will game. I don't think the industry will lose anything. I think it will be bolstered.
Then we will start to see Guys playing the games they want with there friends and Girls playing the games they want with there friends.
Better YET! We might even see Guys And Girls playing TOGETHER!!! - (OH MY GOODNESS) Wouldnt that be a miracle...
HOW RACIST ARE WE TO THINK VIDEO GAMES ARE FOR MALES ONLY!!!
Thanks for the laugh :)
Also, concerning women players, all of the single men I know have told me they would LOVE if they could find a gamer girlfriend - which means that YOU GUYS have to foster that behavior. No one can naturally be good at video games if it's their first exposure. If the predominant view is that men exclude women, then men should work to include them. There should be a cashback bonus for every parent or male that purchases a console for a female, etc. That would be a great program that the companies could do to promote woman players. It certainly worked for Philip Morris ;-)
- The Bottom Line
- by JtsAGamer2 October 28, 2005 3:41 AM PDT
- The bottom line to all of this is... More Females need to design video games! The reason "The Sims" Is still the top selling computer game of all time is because it had male interests and female interests. The reason why video games do not appeal to girls ANYMORE is because the only video games out there anymore are SAME OLE' shooter games! Which is totally awesome... just not for everyone... Bottom line the video game industry desperately needs the help of females and thats all thats to it!
- Reply to this comment
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- was it a guys or girls
- by volterwd October 28, 2005 10:38 AM PDT
- who devoloped sims?
- View reply
Processing -
- Women are a race?
- by Bill Dautrive October 29, 2005 11:22 PM PDT
- "HOW RACIST ARE WE TO THINK VIDEO GAMES ARE FOR MALES ONLY!!!"
- View reply
Processing -
- More females are needed period - not just to design games
- by kuiper222 October 31, 2005 11:19 AM PST
- It's pretty offensive to think that it takes a female employee to design a game that more women will play. The inventor of the SIMs was male, and he did just fine by designing a mental masterpiece, rather than a violent, pointless first person shooter. It's offensive to me to think that the males in the industry were hired because the industry was writing games for men - much as now female designers are suddenly welcome because they want to attract women players.
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Showing 1 of 2 pages (50 Comments)Then we will start to see Guys playing the games they want with there friends and Girls playing the games they want with there friends.
Better YET! We might even see Guys And Girls playing TOGETHER!!! - (OH MY GOODNESS) Wouldnt that be a miracle...
HOW RACIST ARE WE TO THINK VIDEO GAMES ARE FOR MALES ONLY!!!
Thanks for the laugh :)
Also, concerning women players, all of the single men I know have told me they would LOVE if they could find a gamer girlfriend - which means that YOU GUYS have to foster that behavior. No one can naturally be good at video games if it's their first exposure. If the predominant view is that men exclude women, then men should work to include them. There should be a cashback bonus for every parent or male that purchases a console for a female, etc. That would be a great program that the companies could do to promote woman players. It certainly worked for Philip Morris ;-)