![]() "Some companies have stopped having credits in their games because women in the credits would find angry or enamored men searching them out on social media," she says.Įlizabeth Sampat, a senior game designer on games like Plants vs Zombies 2 and Tom Clancy's Ghost Reconspeaks about people who scold her for "ingratitude" to gaming, because she questions its inherent sexism. Harassment is an issue facing many women in games who, "get a bonus extra helping of crap," according to Laralyn McWilliams ( Full Spectrum Warrior, Free Realms). But they're rarely able to accept a critique of things they've done that hurt women." (Wu's italics.) They position themselves as an ally, and tell me how much they want it to get better. "When I talk to men, one-one-one, they privately tell me how much they want to see more women in this field. "Unless we stand up and object to this message we are saying it is okay."īrianna Wu, founder of Giant Spacekat ( Revolution 60) says the game industry has always geared itself towards men and boys. She writes about dealing with "impostor syndrome," as well as some of the egregious sexual harassment she experienced in the computer industry. Judy Tyrer, an engineer who worked on Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon games and is working on Ever, Jane: The Virtual World of Jane Austin, joined the game industry at age 50, after moving out of the computer business. Somehow, by having a female name, the perception of my IQ dropped by 40 points overnight." "My opinion stopped mattering," she writes. The company and many of her coworkers were supportive, but as time went by she noticed "that people treated me differently than when they thought I was a male." She writes about how her experience transitioning while working at Electronic Arts. Rebecca Ann Heineman (Bard's Tale trilogy Medal of Honor: Rising Sun) is a transgender woman who's worked as programmer in games since the days of Interplay. "Women get a bonus extra helping of crap." "I never thought of it until I was face-to-face with a senior director, it doesn't matter what you actually do it's what others think you do. "Managing people's perceptions of me was a new concept to me," she says, of navigating the corporate world. She says that "being a double minority - African-American and a women - only stacked the odds against me." ![]() Karisma Williams is a technical artist and UX designer who has worked on Stubbs the Zombie, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter and Destroy All Humans 3, spending time at Microsoft and Valve. ![]() Unless we stand up and object to this message we are saying it is okay." Speaking about the biases that are included in the games themselves, Megan Gaiser, CEO of Her Interactive writes: "When we tell our sons that they are dominant and our daughters that they are unworthy, we rob both of the potential to become good leaders. She adds: "If you were one of the 'bros' you would be trusted over a minority woman top performer even if you were new to the team or had no prior experience." She and other women co-workers recognized "a level of implicit trust among people who belonged in an invisible club." In her chapter, she writes about unconscious bias in male-dominated workplaces. Jane Ng is an artist who has worked on Spore, Brutal Legendand Firewatch. "The perception of my IQ dropped by 40 points overnight." The different stories in this book offer illuminating perspectives on working in gaming. Prior to leaving the company, she faced a torrent of abuse, after writing a blog post in which she described her own personal tastes in games. Hepler formerly worked at BioWare on games like Dragon Age 2. ![]() "Men in games must actively seek out the opinions and skills of their female colleagues," she says, adding that men can learn about hidden prejudices that hold back women and minorities. It is aimed at both men and women who either work in games or who aspire to do so, and it seeks to make a difference. In many respects, this book is also a protest. She argues that protest is the way to create change, by speaking out against injustice and by playing and creating games that challenge the status quo. "But although the characters change, the setting is the same, and the hostility and ignorance we have all faced continue to be a defining part of many women's experience of games." "If there is one thing you get from reading this book, I hope it is to recognize that there is no single narrative of being a 'woman in games,'" writes Hepler.
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