NYT: Zynga's Tough Culture Risks a Talent Drain

“We’ve learned that when companies treat talent as a commodity, the consequences are severe,” said Ms. Toledano of Electronic Arts. “It takes years to repair a reputation.”

For full article, click the link above.

The three biggest myths about women in tech

For full article, click on link above.

"One common response from the mostly male responders was that these data must be incorrect and misleading because they personally have not witnessed these issues. In other words, if I haven’t seen or experienced bias, it cannot possibly exist.

Interestingly enough, when presenting these findings at different companies and organizations, we got the same response time and time again from the women and people of color who work in IT: “This data doesn’t surprise me at all; it is perfectly aligned with what goes on here.”

Booklist: Walking Out on the Boys

Frances Conley was the first woman ever appointed to a full professorship of neurosurgery at an American medical school. But she resigned due to sexual harassment, revealing tales of fondling in the operating room to Time magazine. In 1998, she published a tell-all book called Walking Out on the Boys.

The publication of this book coincided with the results of a 30-year MIT study on female faculty members. The study concluded that there was a generational pattern: that while junior faculty thought sexual discrimination was a thing of the past -- when they were promoted, they felt "invisible" and excluded.

One even wrote: "I mean literally not heard! Where you say something, and it's just ignored until one of your male colleagues says the same thing 10 minutes later!"

The study concluded that "in no case was this discrimination conscious or deliberate. Indeed, it was usually totally unconscious and unknowing. Nevertheless, the effects are real."

Between the 1960's and 1990s, there was a big increase in the number of women earning Ph.D.s in math, science, and engineering. Yet, the number of female research faculty members at MIT remained at 9%.

For PapyaMobile, women are the "whales"

Papaya Mobile finds that "whales," or users spending more than $100 on a game, accounts for 60% of its revenue.

Excerpt:

As is customary in games, PapayaMobile depends heavily on the tiny proportion of users who pay for goods in social mobile games. But one of the surprises is that some of the most enthusiastic customers, known as “whales,” are for the most part women. Papaya found that 69 percent of its big spenders in games are women.

For full article, click on link above.

Gaming with Your Daughter is Good for Her

Link to full article above:

This study linked positive outcomes for parents playing video games with daughters, but did not find the same results for parents playing video games with sons. The authors theorize that it may be because sons have more video game time with friends.

In addition, parents (usually fathers) playing video games with boys played games like Halo while games like Mario Kart were usual when playing games with girls.

Another interesting note:

The BYU researchers found that 31 percent of the children reported playing age-inappropriate games with their parents (42 percent of boys, 15 percent of girls) and they report that "heightened parent–child connection was not found for girls who played these age-inappropriate games with their parents."

Where Are the Women in Tech, You Ask?

"So why don't we know about these women in tech? Simple. Women are far less likely to be in love with the technology for its own sake vs. their male counterparts, so they tend to be low key in talking about the technology itself. You're not likely to hear a woman say that her technology is "sick," though I've heard that term used by not a few men CEOs . These women are not likely to be found in tech meet-ups as they are far more likely to be found helping their kid with homework. All of which is to say, women tech CEOs may not have the brash bravado of her male counterparts, but their relative silence should not be mistaken for absence."

To see the full article from Advertising Age, click on the link above.

WIGI channel on mygameIQ

Women in Games International (WIGI) and mygameIQ are pleased to announce a partnership to promote Women in Games. We are looking for games produced by and for Women to become part of the WIGI channel on mygameIQ.

Receive 40% off your purchases thanks to WIGI.
Link to discount code above.

Young women possess characteristics of inventors, but do not see themselves as inventive

MIT study:

"Further demonstrating inventive traits, young women show a strong affinity for math and science — two of every five female respondents (42 percent) rate these as their favorite subjects in school. More than half of male respondents (53 percent) agree. 35 percent of young women also say they have a family member working in a field related to science, technology, math or engineering. The results reveal young women’s innate interest in inventive fields; however, recent statistics show while more women are entering college and obtaining degrees, less than ten percent earn them in technical majors such as computer and information sciences, engineering or math. This proportionately small group indicates a need to educate women about translating their skills and academic interests into inventive careers."

For the full article, click on the link above.

Women in Games Photo Shoot

IGDA Women in Games and Women in Games International invite you to participate in the upcoming Ubisoft photo shoot of "Women in Games—E3 2010," hosted by the Frag Dolls. Scheduled for Thursday, June 17 at 9:30 am, all women in the games industry attending E3 are invited to show up at the south side of the plaza in front of South Hall, located at Pico and Figueroa. The photo shoot will only take a few moments, so be sure to show up on time!

This potentially historic photo is a reprise of the Frag Dolls invitation in 2006 to all females in the gaming industry for the first annual group photo of women at E3. Along with our partners and sponsors, we will be gathering together as many industry and gamer females as possible for this event to demonstrate the significant presence of women in gaming. Spread the word to every woman you know in games, student or professional…we want to see you there!

Date: Thursday, June 17, 2010
Time: 9:30am - 11:00am
Location: south side of the plaza in front of South Hall, located at Pico and Figueroa

WIGI Volunteer Meet-Up at E3

Local and regional active Women in Games International volunteers to meet for drinks Tuesday night at E3. Say hi to folks you don’t always get to see and connect on plans for the year.

Please come if you can!
Tuesday June 15th, 5:00 pm
gLAnce Lobby Wine Bar & Lounge
The place to meet and greet. Located on the first floor of the Hotel Tower in the JW Marriott L.A. LIVE.

WIGI L.A. Women and Men Mixer

Date: Monday, June 7, 2010
Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: The Arsenal Bar, West L.A.
Street: 12012 West Pico Boulevard
City/Town: Los Angeles, CA

On the first MONDAY of EVERY MONTH, please join local video game and related industry folks at a monthly networking event. The party runs from 7:00 to 9:00 pm with extended HAPPY HOUR PRICING!

Eat, drink and socialize with old friends and new. Bring your business cards!!

WIGI Promotes networking and career building for everyone in the video game industry, women and men.

The Arsenal Bar is less than one block east of Bundy Drive on the south side of Pico Boulevard. Valet and metered street parking are available.

BIG/WIGI Party at E3

Join Women in Games International and Blacks in Gaming on Wednesday, June 16th from 6-9PM at Zucca Restaurant and Art Garden for drinks, fine food, and giveaways!

(Zucca is just three blocks north of the Convention Center on Figueroa)

RSVP Required
Our generous sponsors make it all possible! Thanks to: Disney Interactive Media Group, Sony Computer Entertainment, Social Gold, and Peanut Labs Media!

Inside the Minds of Girl Gamers

Click the title link for a presentation with stats on female gamers.

WIGI L.A.: Your Evolving Career in Gaming

WIGI D-L-C Event this Wed: Your Evolving Career in Gaming: How to stay relevant, stay in the game, LA Film School this Wednesday, April 28th at 7pm!

D-L-C events (Drinks, Learning, Community) are held quarterly and move WIGI's mission forward to create a community interested and engaged in the gaming industry. Our D-L-C topic is “Your Evolving Career in Gaming: How to stay relevant, stay in the game, and switch to other gaming arenas”.

Confirmed Speakers:

Alana Chan
Lead Producer
Disney Interactive Media Group

Kamalina Evans
Global Talent Acquisition
EA Interactive

Mark Vulcano
Studio Animation Director
Heavy-Iron Studios

Paul Cunningham
Co-Founder / CEO
CreativeHeads.net

Shannon Henry
Manager, Talent Acquisition
Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC

All are welcome and encouraged to attend. RSVP here.

WIGI L.A. Networking Happy Hour

The next Women in Games International WAM (Women And Men) networking event is happening this Monday, April 5th from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. We'll be having a pre-meeting at 6:30 for all those interested in getting involved in the WIGI LA chapter including organizing for this year's E3 bash. Check this link for details.

Gender discrimination linked to poor project management

There's also evidence of bias against women in recruitment and job assignment in places where high-tech corporate cultures thrive on this "hero mindset" that "rewards a 'last minute' crunch where 24/7 work becomes necessary to 'save' a project, failing to acknowledge family responsibilities and flexibility needs," the report says.

Seattle WIGI Happy Hour

Seattle WIGI invites all games and digital media professionals and interested parties to join us at POST 1914 in Post Alley, Seattle for a relaxed social Happy Hour on Tuesday March 23rd from 5-8 p.m..

*Networking
*Prizes
*Upcoming events for LOGIN
*WIGI Brain-Bank topics for Seattle

Bring a guest along and get an extra entry into the Prize drawing!

WomenGamers.Com Scholarship to National Computer Camp

For the June/July 2010 enrollment, WomenGamers.Com and National Computer Camp (NCC) are once again offering a scholarship valued at $985 to a female student (age 8-18) for one week.

Scholarship applicants need to submit an essay in response to the following question: "What is your favorite video game, and how would you change the design to improve it?"

The 500 - 600 word essay must be submitted to scholarship@womengamers.com no later than May 14th, 2010. Along with the essay, include your name, address, telephone, email address, and age. The winning essays will be posted on WomenGamers.Com. The essays will be judged by a WomenGamers.Com panel and the scholarship recipients will be announced on May 21st, 2010. For a scholarship to be awarded, at least five entries need to be received. Former scholarship winners are not eligible. Essays submitted previously will not be accepted.

For more information on the scholarship, visit http://www.womengamers.com/scholarships/

IGDA WIG sessions at GDC 2010

ROUNDTABLE MEETING: Annual SIG roundtable meeting on Thursday, March 11, 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm in Room 230, East Mezzanine. The roundtable meeting will be moderated by Tina Tyndal, SIG steering committee member and newsletter editor. Bring fresh ideas and enthusiasm, plus stick around for the latest news on our primary initiatives during 2010, including GameMentorOnline and Games2Girls.

SESSION: Starting Something New – Women in Games
Thursday, March 11, 3 pm to 4 pm in Room 130, North Hall
Moderated by Sonja Kangas, Head of Game Lab, Paf and IGDA Women in Games advisor, with speakers Tiina Zilliacus, CEO of IronStar Helsinki; Celia Pearce, Director of Experimental Game Lab at Georgia Tech; Megan Gaiser, CEO of Her Interactive, and Julia Brasil, the first G.I.R.L. scholarship recipient, SOE.

SESSION: Are Women the New Hardcore Gamers?
Thursday, March 11, 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm in Room 130, North Hall
Moderated by Shanna Tellerman, Founder and CEO, Wild Pockets, with speakers Amy Jo Kim CEO of ShuffleBrain; Wanda Meloni, Market Analyst with M2 Research; Morgan Romine, Community Manager and Online Marketing Manager for Ubisoft (plus Team Captain, Frag Dolls), and Jessica Tams, Executive Director of the Casual Game Association.

SOCIAL GATHERING: Annual SIG social gathering at the IGDA booth on Friday, March 12, 3 pm to 4:30 pm at front of the South Hall. Join our sponsors BingeGamer.net, GamingAngels.com, Gas Powered Games, Her Interactive, Naughty Dog and Obsidian Entertainment for refreshments, door prizes, networking and fun! Expo pass badge holders are encouraged to attend.

WIGI L.A. Chapter Monthly Networking Happy Hour

“WAM—Women and Men”

On the first Monday of every month starting Monday, March 1st, 2010, please join local video game and related industry folks at a monthly WAM networking event. WAM runs from 7:00 to 9:00 pm with extended Happy Hour pricing!

Eat, drink and socialize with old friends and new. Bring your business cards! WIGI promotes networking and career building for everyone in the video game industry, women and men.

The Arsenal Bar
12012 West Pico Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90064-1127
(310) 575-5511

The Arsenal Bar is less than one block east of Bundy Drive on the south side of Pico Boulevard. Street parking at meters is available. (Be sure to check west of Bundy!)

Monetization in Gaming WIGI event

Women in Games International D-L-C event (D=drinks, L=lectures, C=community).

D-L-C events are held quarterly and move WIGI's mission forward to create a community interested and engaged in the gaming industry.

The upcoming topic will be "MONETIZATION IN GAMING (both in the casual and social gaming arena)". We have brought together a panel of industry leaders with a myriad of experience and insight.

Confirmed Speakers include:

EDDIE CHEN - CFO and Co-founder of ICE Entertainment, an online game developer and operator based in Shanghai, China. Eddie also serves as the CEO of THQ*ICE, a joint venture between ICE and THQ, one of the World’s leading video game publisher.

ALI MOIZ - Co-founder at Peanut Labs, one of the leading virtual currency monetization networks in what has become a $1.5bn industry in 2009. Before Peanut Labs Ali ran Xuqa a social gaming site which was one of the pioneers of the virtual currency model for free-to-play games and virtual worlds.

THOMAS LEE - A video game executive with a deep understanding of social networks, and free to play online games, and he is currently building the Micro transaction focused online game business initiative for Gamepot USA, the US publishing division of Japan’s Gamepot, Inc. Prior to Gamepot, Thomas was at the Korean game giant, Nexon America managing their business and focusing on Prepaid Card distribution at national retailers, including Target, 7-Eleven, Duane Reade, Rite Aid, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, and CVS, with the focus on promoting free to play micro-transaction item sales model.

More speakers TBA soon!

Doors open at 6:30pm.

The panel discussion will begin promptly at 7:00pm and will last one hour. Space is limited to 100 attendees for the panel discussion (first come first serve seating).

Join us afterwards at El Torito (just a few doors down) to continue the conversation over drinks.

Date:	Thursday, February 4, 2010
Time:	6:30pm - 8:00pm
Location:	The Art Institute Santa Monica
Street:	2900 31st Street
City/Town:	Santa Monica, CA

GameMentorOnline Seeking Web Sponsor

IGDA Women in Games, in partnership with WIGI, is seeking an an-kind sponsor to develop and maintain a basic 5-7 page web site for GameMentorOnline.  We already have URL, copy, links and navigation.

Are you a freelance web designer or boutique web team seeking some exposure in the games industry?  We can offer a selection of marketing benefits in exchange for your web design and management services.

If you are interested in learning more, please contact wigsig@igda.org 

Women earn more than men in UK games industry

"Whilst women are still a minority in the sector’s workforce, they are earning more than their male counterparts, according to research conducted by MCV.

Average female annual salaries are £2,000 higher than the male wage, at £33,260."

Longer Vacations = More Productivity

In Europe, 4 to 6 weeks of vacation are mandated by law. Compare that to the U.S., where we have no such mandates and are sometimes asked to give up our vacation time for a pressing project. According to Joe Robinson, author of Work to Live, those European countries with mandated vacation are all as productive or in some cases, more productive than the U.S. Studies have shown that when you do take time for vacations, your overall performance improves. Vacation time, which doesn't include "working vacations" of checking e-mail and still actually working, renews the spirit and provides fresh inspiration.

The news is worst for women workaholics. The Marshfield Clinic in Marshfield, WI conducted a study of 1500 working women and found that women who only had a vacation once in 6 years were twice as likely to report damaging problems to their health such as hypertension, anxiety, and depression, than women who took regular vacations each year.

WIGI Happy Hour Hang Out

Attn Seattle!

Seattle Women in Games International is having a meet-up/greet-up Happy Hour on Tuesday Dec 8th at Post in Post Alley, Seattle, WA. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

This meeting we will be focused on Social Games and Mobile Games/App's professionals, but all are welcome.

Bring a business card and relax with us -Leave the holiday nuttiness aside for a couple hours - Men and Women alike who are interested in the Women in Games groove.

One sponsor spot left for $300 is anyone wants to join in. We will also be taking suggestions for our 2010 panels at conferences at this and the next event.

Gender & Educational Computer Games

from Serious Games Interactive Newsletter:

"Designing an educational computer game is not a gender-neutral process. Understanding the relationship between gender and computer games is essential for creating games. For educational games to be successful, they must be of a high quality and contain themes that appeal to the game preferences of both genders.

Most researchers have come to agree that although boys and girls are equally skilled at using computers and computer games, boys are more likely than girls to play with them. This is a concern when considering incorporating computer games into a educational system. However, by understanding the causes of the gaming gender rift, educators and game developers, like us, can create successful educational computer games"

Read the rest of the article here.

WIGI Reception at AGDC

Please join The Guildhall at SMU and Women in Games International for our Austin Game Developers Conference Industry Reception Sept. 17 at Iron Cactus Mexican Grill and Margarita Bar!

What: AGC Reception
When: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Where: Iron Cactus Mexican Grill and Margarita Bar
606 Trinity Street
Austin, Texas 78701

Please RSVP to Diane Urquhart

Click here to get directions to Iron Cactus.

Women are over-worked and under-served by businesses

Excerpt:

Mr. Silverstein added, “Companies are failing to meet the needs of women in five key ways: Poor product design and customization for women; clumsy sales and marketing; inability to address the need for time-saving solutions; inability to provide a meaningful hook and differentiation, and failure to develop community.”

Leadership Development Forum

The Leadership Development Forum, held the day before Casual Connect Seattle, is a special one-day event organized by Women in Games International, Women in Games Vancouver and the IGDA Women in Games and is focused on personal development. All registered attendees to Casual Connect Seattle 2009 have access to the LeadershipDevelopment Forum. If you will not be attending Casual Connect Seattle, development professionals may purchase a special one-day pass for $25. One-day pass is only available to artists, producers, designers and programmers.

Date: July 20, 2009
Location: Triple Door, 216 Union Street, Seattle, WA
Includes lunch

Women in Games Lunch at Develop Conference

Time: Thursday 16th July, 12:00 onwards
Venue: Good Friends restaurant (Chinese), 24-25 Preston St.
How to get there: 0.2 mi from Develop. Exit the Hilton and turn right,
take the 4th right into Preston St. 4 mins walk.

A chance for women working in the industry to meet and network, just a
stone's throw away from the Hilton. Open to women of all games
industry sectors and disciplines, and to anyone interested in
supporting, investigating issues relating to, and celebrating gender
diversity in the industry.

Game Developers Gunning for Girl Power

"In the U.S. alone, video games for girls ages 2 to 12 generated sales of $1.4 billion for the 12-month period through April, according to sales tracker NPD Group. The girls segment represented about 7% of the total video game market for the period."

Luna Online - FTP MMO-Date-RPG

"This level of compatibility is shown to the players via a heart alarm. A heart alarm works the same as emote animations. It’s visible to all players and only activates when 2 characters are over 90% compatible. This Alarm lets both characters know that they have the possibility to date. To go on a date, the characters go to an NPC and after having a conversation with the NPC, they are teleported to the “Date Instance.”"

Industry comes clean on crunch

Results from Develop's Quality of Life in 2009 survey:

"Ninety-eight per cent of game developers across the world do not receive paid overtime, despite being frequently asked to work an extra ten to fifteen hours per week."

Deadline Extended for Womengamers.com Scholarship

The deadline for the WomenGamers.com - National Computer Camps Scholarship for Girls application has been extended to Friday, May 22.

WomenGamers.Com and National Computer Camp (NCC) are offering a scholarship valued at $985 to a female student (age 8-18) for one week. The National Computer Camp is America's original computer camp with locations in Connecticut, Georgia, New York, and Ohio.

WIGI/BIG E3 Mixer

Date: Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: ESPN Zone
Street: 1011 S. Figueroa Street
City/Town: Los Angeles, CA

This event is sponsored by Disney Interactive Media Group and Sony Computer Entertainment.

Be sure to RSVP and bring your E3 pass for admission. (No admission without E3 pass.)

Click here for info on how to RSVP.

Video Game Girls Burlesque Show

Hmm. I suppose this is a natural extension of cosplay.

Since male video game characters are not included in this show, which ones would you want to strip for you?

Beyond 'Sweetie'

New York Times Article that looks at female learning styles. Does the Socratic method put women at a disadvantage? How can we incorporate knowledge of female learning styles into our games? Now that there are more women in higher education, classroom dynamics have changed...

"The criminal lawyer Alan Dershowitz, an advocate of the Socratic method who has taught at Harvard for four decades, has found that classroom dynamics have ''changed dramatically'' with the increase in women's enrollment. After he commented in one class that rape was -- statistically speaking -- ''a rare crime,'' a group of women complained to Professor Minow. When their concerns were relayed to Professor Dershowitz, he asked them to teach a lecture on rape from the victims' perspective. The women assigned the class to read the standards of consent to sexual intercourse and argued that statistics on rape could be inaccurate because of underreporting."

WIGI Mixer at GDC Canada

Date: May 13th
Time: 6-9 pm
Where: Uber Lounge @ Steamworks (375 Water Street)

Plus, discount code for WIGI members attending GDC Canada.

Register and receive CDN $100 Discount on GDC Canada All Access and Main Conference passes. Enter code GCA09WIGI during the registration process.

Action-Packed Short-Form Games: An Ideal Date?

This blog entry originally appeared on Game Design Aspect of the Month for April 2009's topic Designing Quality 2 - 3 Hour Games.

At GDC 2005 and GDC 2006, as co-founders of the non-profit, Girls in Games, Inc., Michelle Sorger and I conducted the popular "Attracting Women to Game Development" roundtables, which focused on recruitment and retention of women in the game industry. One comment during a discussion about bringing games into the lives of teenage girls has intrigued me over the years: a suggestion that the industry create 2 - 3 hour narrative-based games that teenage boys and girls could enjoy together, akin to going out to the movies.

Young girls, according to research, are enthralled by video games just as much as young boys, but in their teenage years, girls' interests typically turn to issues dealing with dating and socialization. Video games just like any type of sciences or maths are commonly viewed as interests for females who are socially awkward and undesirable. Therefore, girls veer away from the very subjects that could make them employable in the video game industry years from now. For years, people have said the issue is not that young female college freshmen are not interested in computer programming, but that teenage and middle school girls are not interested in computer programming. We're wasting our efforts if we devote all our energies to the college level.

But by transporting video games into the realm of social interaction and dating, the act of playing a video game become socially acceptable to teenage girls. It becomes part of the dating ritual, like going to a club or a movie. But what sort of short-form game would be appropriate for a date? And how would that dynamic be?

Normally, when boys and girls play video games together, boys end up playing the game. This has been noted in several studies of games used in educational settings. There are many explanations for this: girls typically are not video game literate and girls' play patterns differ from boys. Noah Falstein in a GDC 2009 session noted that when girls play, one takes the steering wheel while the others crowd around and give comments. For girls, no particular person is in control whereas boys are continually jockeying for control of the controller. Moreover, girls are not comfortable playing a game without knowing exactly how everything works. As Sheri Graner Ray has often stated, even back in the arcade age, a boy was playing the game while a girl stood watching.

However, I would posit that while girls' lack of controller dominance may discourage educational theorists who would want girls to participate (and learn) from games, this is perfectly OK in a social setting. No girl wants the possibility of failure in front of boy and repeated failure only leads to frustration. As casual game developers know, the more a casual player fails at a game, the more likely she is to stop playing the game. Moreover, when considering gender play patterns, it simply follows that a boy playing the game and a girl watching is a normal situation. And a girl's lack of controller dominance does not mean that she is not enjoying the game.

Anecdotally speaking, when a couple of game designers and I went through Gears of War 2 in one sitting, I was quite happy to let the guys go through the game because I knew they could get through it faster. Yet, I felt like I was participating because at choice points, I could voice my opinion, yelling "Right, Right!" or "No, Left!" when we drove over the frozen lakes. Normally, I find it silly to yell when I watch DVDs with friends, but because this game was interactive, I could participate in that way.

I might add that I typically do not enjoy action flicks on the wide screen. I have even fallen asleep during a Vin Diesel film because of the lack of deep characterization. So, it is somewhat surprising to me that I have come to this conclusion that action-packed short-form games would be ideal date material. Simply, in my experience, no other genre of games seemed to be right for this purpose. I have played Braid with the same guys and even though I used the controller with others commenting to me, a puzzle game is simply too slow-paced and furthermore, does not deliver a satisfying shared experience at 2 - 3 hours. I have found the same to be true for RPGs, which often meander and have a slow build-up.

Scientists have said that in the science of love, increased adrenaline output is part of falling in love, which is why television matchmakers try to hook couples up by giving them exciting dates like race car driving or bungee jumping. Fast-paced action games, if at 2 - 3 hours, incite adrenaline and are spectacles to be watch. The narratives, while they could be better, are straightforward and usually on rails like a movie. To top it off, if the couple had something like the Rez trance vibrator, then every time the boy blew away demon-alien hybrids, the girl would receive a happy jolt. However, that's not for first-date hijinks!

So what do you think? Should video games be part of the dating ritual?

Women in Games U.K. @ DIGRA 2009 Call for Papers

In partnership with DIGRA 2009, Women in Games U.K. are honored to issue a general call for papers to be presented at this year's DIGRA event at Brunel University, London, September 1-4. http://digra2009.newport.ac.uk. The submission form is available at: http://digra.newport.ac.uk/openconf.php. Submission deadline is Thursday, April 30, 2009.

Currently in its fifth year, Women in Games U.K. is an annual conference with the distinct aim of highlighting the most recent, groundbreaking work in computer game research and development to both academic and industrial worlds. WiG has consistently addressed the empowerment and professional development of women working in, and researching into, games and the games industry. In 2009 with the objective of widening the audience and reach of the initiative WiG is running a series of activities in parallel with key games events, both academic and industry, to deliver focused work to the wider community.

Microsoft Recognizes Game Industry Women

This article originally appeared as part of Edge Online's coverage of GDC 2009.

Microsoft held its first ever Women in Gaming Awards Luncheon on Wednesday during GDC, an intimate event recognizing the accomplishments of all women in an industry currently dominated by men.

Winners in the four award categories were:

Art
Kiki Wolfkill
Executive producer, director of art, Microsoft Game Studios, working on the Halo franchise

Design
Robin Hunicke
Designer and producer at EA, working on MySims, Boom Blox!

Programming
Corrinne Yu
Principal engine programmer, Halo Team Microsoft

Production
Siobhan Reddy
Producer on LittleBigPlanet at Media Molecule

Attending the luncheon via video was Sims and Spore man Will Wright, who was unable to make it to the event in person. But in his message he said that in his experience in working with women, they aren’t necessarily any better than men at design, but they are able to see things differently, and bring new depth to game design. In all, he’d like to see more women in senior management positions in the games industry

Sande Chen contributed to this report.

GDC: We Need More Women in Games

This article originally appeared as part of Edge Online's coverage of GDC 2009.

It's more critical than ever for women to get into games, whether it's as a player or as a developer.

That's according to a panel comprised primarily of women on the closing day of GDC. But women don't always recognize or even have confidence in their ability to be game designers.

“The game industry has created a box around itself that says 'get out,'" says Tracy Fullerton, associate professor of interactive media at University of Southern California. "If you’re not dedicated to hardcore games, you’re not a gamer," some believe. That leads some aspiring female designers to doubt themselves because they prefer so-called "casual" games, not Gears of War or Halo.

"I think the industry has to invite people to come in and play.” Nintendo, she notes, is a prime example of making gaming more inviting.

Attracting more females to actually work in the games industry is also tied to encouraging more women to play games. Men and women often play games in very different ways, and the best games encompass all play styles.

Fullerton talked about her experience in a Halo clan that was comprised of both men and women. “I realized we weren't playing the same game. The guys were playing ‘I beat that guy,’ whereas I was playing ‘I am hanging out with my friends,’ yet we were both having fun in that same game.’”

Noah Falstein, president of consulting firm The Inspiracy, was fascinated when he watched girl friends of his 10-year-old daughter play Diablo II. One of them wasn't interested in slaying monsters; she played it like a shopping game, buying different items.

“One of the effects of getting women into game design is that they are going to add play patterns," says Fullerton.

And with wider-appealing game design comes a wider audience, a good thing for the games industry as well as gamers.

Sande Chen contributed to this report.

Play Games to Work Smarter: Why It is More Critical than Ever that Women Play and Develop Games

This article originally appeared as part of GameDev.Net's coverage of GDC 2009.

by Sande Chen

In this panel put together by the IGDA Women in Games SIG, academics and business leaders came together to discuss the importance of video game literacy for women in the upcoming years. In addition, the leadership skills involved in playing some video games can help women succeed in their jobs.

"Cyber-socialization is different from socialization," said Diane Pozefsky, a research professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. With businesses increasingly using distributed teams of people who have never met face-to-face, women who want to succeed in business will need to understand the subtleties of communication between avatars versus body language.

Moreover, the skills involved in running a remote team are the same ones needed to run a successful guild. As Phaedra Boinodiris, Serious Games Product Manager for IBM Software Group, revealed, IBM has been studying MMORPGs to see how they can be used in leadership and teamwork training. The military has even used fantasy raids in video games in its training.

Tracy Fullerton, Associate Professor of Interactive Media at the University of Southern California, agreed with this practice: "Games naturally help us to understand the forces that are at work in the leadership process. It allows us to rehearse bad and good strategies in leadership."

Online games can also teach women how to deal with environments dominated by males, something that may come in handy if they decide to work in game development.

But more and more, video game technology and video games are entering fields where women, rather than men, are the dominant population. These serious games, as they are called, will become part of the tools used in corporate culture, in the classroom, and in healthcare.

Noah Falstein, a serious games consultant, noted that at the most recent Games for Health conference, the audience there was much more balanced than at GDC. There was no gender or age bias since the teams and audiences for these games exhibit diversity.

That's an ideal the panelists hope can happen for regular game development, although they acknowledge that obstacles exist.

Fullerton observed that when young women come to her game design class, they often sit in the back and think that they don't belong. She has to convince them that they do in fact play games, even if the games they like are not Halo 3 but some Facebook app. These young women could not imagine themselves as game designers.

Falstein relayed a similar story: "I talked to a young woman on Monday and she said, 'I was a psychology major in college and I design games on my own, but I'm not sure if I would be a good game designer." The punchline was that the young woman was Erin Robinson, who two days later was one of the winners of the Game Design Challenge at GDC.

It's a familiar sentiment spoken by women, who have been beaten down by the prevailing judgment, that women aren't gamers and women shouldn't be in game design.

"The game industry has created a box around itself that says GET OUT," Fullerton said. "If you're not dedicated to hardcore games, then you're not a gamer." Instead, Fullerton felt that it was up to the industry to invite women into the fold. Research has shown that this could have a beneficial effect for games.

For instance, when boys and girls are asked to develop games, it's the girls' games that are enjoyed by everyone whereas only boys seemed to like the games they developed. Women developers tend to add more play patterns, enabling more people to enjoy the game.

Falstein remarked after telling the story of his daughter's playtime with Diablo 2: "Watching a bunch of 10-year-old girls play Diablo 2 was eye-opening. It was completely different from boys." The girls tended to play collaboratively whereas boys would compete for control of the avatar.

The panelists agreed that more mainstream games, such as Wii Sports, are a positive trend for the industry. If more women play games and more women develop games, then they can be part of this growing trend.

"Hopefully, we won't have stereotypical games that young male designers think little girls want, but about what people want," said Falstein.

National Computer Camp Scholarship

WomenGamers.Com and National Computer Camp (NCC) are once again offering a scholarship valued at $985 to a female student (age 8-18) for one week. The National Computer Camp is America's original computer camp with locations in Connecticut, Georgia, New York, and Ohio. Applications are due by May15th, 2009.

2009 G.I.R.L. Scholarship

Applications are now being accepted for the 2009 G.I.R.L. Scholarship to help educate and recruit more women into the field of video game production and design. Sponsored by Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) a global leader in online gaming, and administered by Scholarship America®, a leading non-profit educational support program, applications are available at https://www.scholarshipamerica.org/gamersinreallife and more details, including official rules for entry are available online at http://www.station.sony.com/girl/.

For 2009, the scholarship winner has the option of working at SOE San Diego on our forthcoming MMO Free Realms.

Applications are due by April 29, 2009.

Call for Submissions: Randy Pausch Scholarship Fund

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) has announced the call for submissions for the 2009 Dr. Randy Pausch Scholarship Fund, established to support students in pursuit of careers in game design, development and production. The AIAS will award four $2,500 scholarships to students attending accredited universities.

The scholarship fund honors Dr. Randy Pausch, professor of computer science, human-computer interaction and design at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). Dr. Pausch, a co-founder of CMU’s Entertainment Technology Center (ETC), has had great influence within the industry through his teachings, sabbaticals at Walt Disney Imagineering and Electronic Arts and consultation with Google on user interface design.

Information on the Dr. Randy Pausch Scholarship Fund and the application process will be available beginning March 31, 2009 at www.interactive.org.

Girls in Tech NYC Relaunch Party

The NYC chapter of Girls in Tech has relaunched with a new Managing Director and organizing team. Our goal is the enrich the experience of women in technology in the New York metro area, helping them to make connections, learn valuable career and life skills, and, above all, have FUN with other like-minded women in the thriving New York tech community.

(Pssst...this event is co-ed. Gents are welcome too!)

RAFFLE PRIZE

We'll be raffling off a hot KaraB laptop bag courtesy of eBags. Your ticket for the door gets you a ticket for the raffle!

GUEST SPEAKERS

Juliette Powell is a media entrepreneur, a community catalyst and author of '33 Million People in the Room: How to create, influence and Run a Successful Business with Social Networking' http://www.juliettepowell.com/book.php

Drawing on first hand experience as a social media expert and co-founder of The Gathering Think Tank, an innovation forum that connects technology, media, entertainment, and business communities, Powell writes about the patterns and practices of successful business leaders who bank on social networking to win. Powell’s background includes a decade of experience in broadcast television as well as in interactive/new media content and formats, and a lifelong interest in people and community-building. With her deep knowledge of the people and technologies at the forefront of social media, Powell has gained a solid reputation for discovering the latest developments and distilling their social and business implications. Her consulting services have been employed by corporate,government and new media organizations, including Red Bull, Mozilla,Microsoft, Compaq, Trump International, the United Nations, the Departmentof Justice, Paltalk, Rocketboom and Nokia.

Joanne Colan has 7 years experience hosting, writing, co-producing and creating broadcast television and radio for major networks and cable channels across international markets.

A recognized name in New Media, Joanne currently hosts daily the video blog Rocketboom <http://www.rocketboom.com/>. With over 100,000 downloads per episode, Rocketboom has been awarded Vloggies Best News Vlog and was an honorary Webby Award 2007 winner.

When: Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Where: M1-5 Lounge
Cost: $10 advance, $15 at the door
RSVP: http://gitnyc033109.eventbrite.com/

Could You Imagine "Blind" Interviews?

from Women for Hire newsletter:

Before blind auditions became common in the 70s, just 10% of new hires at major U.S. orchestras were women. The theory was that women weren't very good musicians. But labor unions protested the hiring process and pushed for blind auditions where musicians would try out behind a curtain so appearance and gender were concealed. In studying personnel from 11 major orchestras, Harvard economist Claudia Goldin and Princeton’s Cecelia Rouse found that 29% of females and 20% of males advanced to the final round in blind auditions. When auditions were not blind, only 19% of women advanced compared to 23% of men. Even though sex discrimination is hard to measure, those stats speak volumes. Fortunately, since the 80s, about half the new hires at the New York Philharmonic, 40% at the San Francisco Symphony and more than a third in Boston and Chicago have been women.

Paid Maternity Leave is a Win-Win Formula

In this op-ed for the Financial Times, Michael Skapinker argues that even in these times of economic downturn, it is more beneficial to companies and to society to have paid maternity leave than to force a mother to resign if she wants to stay with her baby. Some say that it imposes extra costs -- but on the other hand, perhaps in these times, companies may want a valued worker who comes in part-time to the office.

An excerpt:

There are not many countries in the world with no paid maternity leave. The International Labour Organisation lists only four others: Lesotho, Swaziland, Papua New Guinea and the US. To anyone living in a country where paid maternity leave is well-established, the consequences of not having it are arresting. In the US, the law requires companies with more than 50 employees to offer at least 12 weeks' unpaid leave after childbirth. What do US mothers do after that?

Why Women Managers Shine in a Downtown

In this article, Michel Ferrary, Professor of Management at Ceram Business School in France, finds that his research shows that companies with more women in management seem to be better protected against financial crisis. In contrast, companies with mainly male management had their stock prices decrease more than the French CAC 40 stock exchange index. The more women in the management, the less the share price decreased. There is a significant coefficient of correlation.

Excerpt:

In conditions of high uncertainty, financial markets value companies that take fewer risks and are more stable. Several gender studies have pointed out that women behave and manage differently from men. They tend to be more risk-averse and to focus more on a long-term perspective. A larger proportion of female managers appears to balance the risk-taking behaviour of their male colleagues.

WIGI Community Mixer at GDC 2009

Location:
The Art Institute of California - San Francisco
1170 Market Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(Just a few short blocks from Moscone center at 7th & Market Streets)

Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Time: 6:30 p.m. — 9:00 p.m.

RSVP through Facebook, LinkedIn, or Evite

Women who hit glass ceiling are pushed to start new businesses

"New research from the University of Illinois at Chicago's College of Business Administration suggests Parry is correct. Professors found that the perception that women will have more family-work conflicts than men exists today, even when evidence runs to the contrary.

They also found the stereotype affects women's upward mobility, said Jenny Hoobler, an assistant professor of management who led the study.

"We found that rather than women's actual family-work conflict, bosses' biased perceptions" of it account for why women are given fewer promotions, she said."

Petition to Congress for Equal Pay Remedy

Dear Friend,

Last year, the Senate failed to get the 60 votes necessary to force an up-or-down vote on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which would mandate that women receive equal pay for equal work. Now, with a new session of Congress in place, the House is ready to take up the fight again.

With President-elect Obama soon to take office, we now have a real chance to pass this legislation that could do so much for so many American women. There will be a battle in the Senate, and the best way to come out of the gate strong is for the bill to pass by an overwhelming majority in the House.

Women across America are counting on Congress - I just took action to tell my member of Congress to support the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. I hope you will, too.

Please have a look and take action.

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/support_ledbetter/?r_by=-1935465-3wAQb9x&rc=paste

Thanks!

Animation Army WIGI Mixer in L.A.

Date: Sun, Jan 18, 2009
Time: 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm
Hosted by: Animation Army & WIGI

This month's PRESENTER: Richard Taylor - EA Games
Richard has been working on the cutting edge of visual CG production for decades. From directing effects on Disney's TRON to winning CLIOs and HUGOs for directing huge commercial campaigns like the 7 Up "Spot." Richard is now the Cinematic Director at Electronic Arts L.A. Studio where he designs and directs cinematic sequences for games such as: Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth, I & II, Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars.

THANKS TO RICHARD & EA GAMES SOME LUCKY ATTENDEES WILL WIN SOME NEW EA GAMES FOR
XBOX AND Wii...DON'T MISS IT!!

We are also giving away a "resume overhaul" ($600 value) from the Mary-Margaret Network and a career coaching session from Pamela Thompson recruiting, fully rigged 3D character design from Evolver and games from Electronic Arts.

Our generous sponsors include: Mary-Margaret Network, Evolver, Pamela Thompson Recruiting, Electronic Arts and Sheppard Mullin.

WIGI Vancouver Fundraiser

Tuesday, December 9, 2008
6 pm to 9 pm

Co-hosted by Wired Woman & Women in Games International
$25 members (visit www.wiredwoman.com > -
membership is free! so subscribe and then register) / $35 non-members

Special $10 student rate:
email mentorship.van@wiredwoman.com to obtain your student rate! (Please
show valid student ID at the door).

Secretly wanting to expose your inner Rock Band? Have a competitive edge in
you? Or just want to come out and have fun, network, and mingle? Join us for
a pre-Christmas mixer! This event is going to be a blast! Lots of door
prizes, games, contests, great people, food, drinks, engaging conversation
and a whole lotta fun!

PLUS.... BREAKING NEWS:
We'll be rockin'. Battle of the Bands - ROCKBAND

This event is a fundraiser. Funds will enable our Vancouver chapter to
grow, and other directives to be determined at upcoming focus groups.

Women in Games International Launches Online Auction

eBay Auction Raise Funds for National Games Non-Profit

Women in Games International (WIGI) presents their WIGI Celebrity Ebay Auction, a collection of over a hundred video games and game-related merchandise items -- much of it signed by industry leaders -- being auctioned to raise funds for Women in Games International.

If there's one thing gamers love more than games themselves, it's awesome game-related merchandise. That's why Women in Games International is happy to announce their 2008 celebrity auction, a collection of over 100 items generously donated by leaders in the video game industry -- including Bungie, Microsoft Game Studios, Electronic Arts, and many other game companies.

WIGI auction items include everything from signed blockbuster games to game design books to hard-to-find vintage paraphernalia. You can check out their website for a full list of items. A few items that may pique the interest of bidders include Halo 3 high-quality black messenger bag with Halo figurine, books, and posters, signed special edition Xbox 360 copy of Frontlines with signed Kaos shirt, signed Gears of War messenger bag, Gears of War bottle opener, and An Inside Look at Gears of War 2 book, and much, much more.

To find the WIGI auction items online and starting the bidding process, visit: http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/silvar1_W0QQ_nkwZQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZQQ_mdoZ, or just go to eBay.com and search for "2008 WIGI Auction." Bidding for the auction begins Saturday, 11/22, in conjunction with the Philadelphia event VGXPO. All proceeds go to support Women in Games International, a non-profit organization that has been working over the last four years to further the inclusion and advancement of women in the game industry.

Visit www.womeningamesinternational.org to see the complete auction item list. Just in time for the holidays, you can begin your bidding online for unique game gifts on Saturday, November 22.

Recession dents image of macho management

"It has been suggested these women will be able to guide the banks through tough times without taking the kind of aggressive risks that brought the country's banking system to its knees. One government official said at the time: "The men make the mess and the women come in to clean it up."

Yet, according to analysis of British companies carried out by the Financial Times, troubled companies would be misguided to rely on female chief executives derisking their operations after male misadventures.

If anything, the research suggests that companies with female CEOs tend to be even more aggressive - with many pursuing ambitious expansion strategies and borrowing large amounts."

Where Are the Video Games Women Really Want?

"The notion, however, that men alone rule the gaming realm is as outdated as the Atari 2600. Men, women and children alike have answered the call to play. While the gaming industry has long tailored its approach to gaming for young men and boys, women and girls have been largely left out."

Female Representation In Games Across Genres, Consoles

Which Genres Provide Male-Only, Female-Only Protagonists?

Women left on sidelines in video game revolution

L.A. times article looks into glass ceilings and the gender gap in salaries.

"Those who do land game-related jobs make less money on average than their male counterparts. Women at all levels of the field earned an average of $64,643 last year, while men earned $74,459, according to the survey."

Co-worker hobbies encourage synergy, productivity

Staff sing from one hymn sheet

Take a leaf out of these corporate bibliophiles' book, FT, Oct 14, 2008

"Reading, especially high quality reading, is the mental equivalent of losing weight, eating better or going to the gym and has similar benefits."

2 articles from the Financial Times highlight that corporate programs done for seemingly frivolous entertainment have led to synergy and increased productivity.

The Sony Philharmonic Orchestra, composed mostly of engineers in Sony's divisions, has had the positive side effect of collaborations between departments. Reading programs have led to reading groups and book clubs. Reading not only improves communication skills but also, research of brain scans indicate that people who read literature, such as Shakespeare, have dramatic spikes in positive brain activity.

New Video Game Aimed At Teen Girls Made In MN

PopStar - a Guitar Hero clone for teenyboppers

Meeting The Needs Of Hispanic Girls With Hip Chicas

"Hip Chicas recently launched a beta for its Latina-themed virtual world hoping to change that. It's a Latina-themed virtual world for tween girls with a strong theme of "helping improve the planet" -- instead of the "traditionally negative" themes Fuentes has noticed in products targeting Hispanic girls, like "bling-bling, shopping or lipstick."

If Women Were More Like Men: Why Females Earn Less

Evidence of sex discrimination in the workplace?

The first ever transgender study of the wage gap shows that men who become women do not do as well financially as women who become men.

In addition, when musicians auditioned behind a screen, this increased the likelihood of a woman getting hired for the symphony.

"He told Schilt that after he transitioned from female to male, another lawyer mistakenly believed that Susan had been fired and replaced by Thomas. The other lawyer commended the firm's boss for the replacement. He said Susan had been incompetent; "the new guy," he added, was "just delightful.""

Hand over the controller, girl gamers say

Females accounted for 21% of the total sales growth last year:

In the U.S. economic slowdown, much is riding on the female gamers said Edward Williams, managing director of equity research at BMO Capital Markets.

"Publishers and developers need to create the right content that appeals to more girls in order to maintain the health of the industry," Williams said.

Special Edition Pink Madden NFL

"EA is supporting charitable efforts by releasing a limited-edition version of Madden NFL 09 that displays a pink ribbon logo in support of breast cancer awareness. Proceeds from "Madden NFL Pink" will support the Deanna Favre HOPE Foundation."

Study Reveals Women Choose Video Games Instead of Sleep

"According to the E for All / PoshMama survey, more than one-third of those surveyed say that they play video games when they should be sleeping. Women in the survey also say they play video games in other unusual circumstances, including: while on the phone (32%); while at work/in a meeting (20%); and, while preparing for work (12%). When it comes to spare time, nearly twice as many women say that, if given an extra hour of free time at home, they would rather play video games than catch up on sleep."

Commentary on NY Games Conference

I've just returned from the first annual NY Games Conference in NYC, which was held on September 25 - 26, 2008.

Reality Check! Q&A with our Panel of Gamers from the Millennial Generation

What struck me about the teenage girls' comments was that they mostly found out about games through their brothers... and did not have much of an idea of how their brothers found out about games. As for the purchasing of games, they said they bought games for their brothers.

This mirrors previous research that was presented at a past GDC. College-age women mostly found out about games through their husbands or boyfriends. This is why women are typically the "2nd user" of a game. If the game is in the household, they will play it. College-age women also typically bought games for boyfriends or husbands as gifts.

Games of Tomorrow and the Future of MMOGs
John Smedley, President of Sony Online Entertainment, revealed that the EverQuest demographic was 85% male, with an average age of 33. This is why with FreeRealms, SOE wants to appeal to girls and try to get the male-female ratio to 50:50. Smedley explained that since combat appeals to boys more, making combat optional is a way to appeal to girls. Smedley also pointed to the recent success of the movie Dark Knight in asserting that DC Universe Online, as a licensed property, will bring in younger and female players.

Fernando Paiz, Executive Producer of Dungeons & Dragons Online at Turbine Entertainment said that because Turbine's MMOGs, Lord of the Rings Online, Dungeons & Dragons Online and Asheron's Call, were fantasy games, the user base is predominately male, older, with significantly longer play sessions of 2-3 hours at a time.

A Bad Boss Can Send You to an Early Grave

Fear the seagull manager!

"Then—-instead of getting the facts straight and working alongside their staff to realize a viable solution-—seagull managers come swooping in at the last minute, they squawk orders at everybody, and deposit steaming piles of formulaic advice before abruptly taking off..."

WIGI/GamerVixens Mixer at E for All

From 8 pm to 11 pm, the Angels & Vixens party will take place at the Broadway Bar. Please RSVP for the party at the following link. RSVPs are required.

http://www.gamervixens.com/party/

Games Women Play

Robert Norton, Managing Director, North America of King.com, reveals research on female casual game players.

Is Lara Croft Sexist?

"The question of whether or not Lara is sexy or just plain sexist is not such a cut and dry issue. With Eidos' introduction of a new living, breathing (gymnast) Lara Croft model, we asked women of the games industry about Lara's evolving role as the iconic front-woman of the hit Tomb Raider franchise..."

WIGI Celebrity Ebay Auction

For those of you attending the Austin Game Developer¹s Conference, WIGI is
having a fabulous celebrity auction to raise money for the group. The WIGI
Celebrity Ebay Auction is a collection of over a hundred video games and
game-related merchandise much of it signed by industry leaders auctioned off
to raise money for the Women in Games International. Please watch out for
the items on display and bid on your favorites. All the items have been
donated to WIGI to support the organization.

Items include autographed Law and Order TV script + Law and Order game (Ed Zuckerman, Legacy Interactive), autographed Mass Effect poster + XBox Game + PC Game + Demiurge Studios T (Bioware, Demiurge), autographed Witcher UK version(CDProjekt RED, Writers Cabal), lots of Halo 3 swag (Microsoft), autographed Frontlines: Fuel of War special edition Australian tin + XBox Game + T (THQ/Kaos), autographed Bioshock strategy guide (2K) and lots more!

The auctions will run on Ebay so if you're not at the conference, you can still bid on the items.

WIGI Community Mixer - Vancouver

Join us for the highly anticipated Women In Games International - Vancouver BC - YALETOWN FUSION MIXER!!!

Come fuse & mingle with current and future game pros,
in conjunction with the SIGGRAPH/SPARK Animation
event in Vancouver, British Columbia.

HOSTED BAR/HOSTED APPETIZERS & DOOR PRIZES

All genders welcome

Sponsored by Big Fish Games.


Thursday, September 11, 2008
Time:
6:00pm - 9:00pm
Location:
Goldfish Pacific Kitchen
Street:
1118 Mainland Street
City/Town:
West Vancouver, BC

Tecmo Settles Overtime Suit

"The suit, which was filed with the Tokyo District Court in June 2008, claimed that under Tecmo’s "flexible hours" work scheme, employees were not paid appropriately for their overtime hours, which often exceeded 100 hours per month. The suit also alleged that the company created false documents to cover up the accounting documents..."

Maternity leave in the U.S.

from New York Times article "Give a Break to Americans Giving Birth," November 4, 2006

According to a 2004 study by Jody Heymann, an associate professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, more than 160 countries offer some sort of leave for new mothers, paid by the government. Those that don't include Papua New Guinea, Swaziland, Lesotho - and the United States.

The Family and Medical Leave Act provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for men and women. And even then it covers only people who have worked basically full-time for at least one year at companies with 50 or more employees. That means about 40% of working women don't qualify for leave under the FMLA.

Women in Games Conference

Women in Games Conference
University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
10-12th September 2008


This year’s conference will be looking at such things as what the perception of the games industry is to outsiders and reasons why girls are turned off technology at a young age.

Sign up rates of students studying Computer Science have fallen in recent years and women are very much in the minority. This is why Jane Sinclair and Sara Kalvala, both Associate Professors in Computer Science at nearby Warwick University, wanted to get involved in the conference. Computing in games is one career choice available to Computer Science graduates, though not always obvious to all, but a very attractive and creative industry to be in.

There is plenty of research going on into why and how women play games, and the way they are portrayed, and this is another aspect of the Women In Games conference that makes it so fascinating. Bringing together academia and industry to discuss all these ideas, and explore ways in which more women can be encouraged to seek careers in games makes for a unique conference.

Although concerned with women this conference is also open to men! The industry needs a meaningful dialogue between the sexes as it moves forward.

Deadline for registration is Friday 5th September, sign up now to ensure your place. Conference-standard accommodation is available on campus - no need to drive during the conference, parking is free, and evening meals and entertainment all included! Just sign up for accommodation when registering –follow the registration link on the 2008 page at www.womeningames.com.

Why Women Must Self-Promote

Fiona Cherbak of Game Recruiter gives advice on the job search.

"Through social conditioning that has nothing to do with our industry, but simply our society, women are less inclined to be assertive in such situations because they’re afraid of being judged or told "no." Meanwhile, there are men who quite easily put themselves out there and say, “Here’s what I’ve done, here’s what I can do and here’s why it’s valuable to you.”...

Woman to Woman, Online

"Heather Armstrong’s wickedly funny blog about motherhood, Dooce, is more than just an outlet for the creativity and frustrations of a modern mother. The site, chock full of advertising, is a moneymaking machine — so much so that Ms. Armstrong and her husband have both quit their regular jobs...."

This article isn't about the game industry, but it does show advertiser interest in reaching the online female segment.

Women and Games: What We Know and Don't Know About the Casual Link

"A recurring topic of discussion among casual game developers is Women Game Players. When casual games are taken into consideration, adult women make up more than half of all video game players by some measures. And when looking at only casual games, most authorities say their audience is predominately female by a shot... "

The Growing Role of Women in Gaming

This short article has quotes from Arkadium and Rebel Monkey about designing games for women and the growing presence of women in game companies.

Researchers Study Software Gender Gap

"For more than a decade, academics and technology executives have been frowning at the widening gender gap in computer science....

Now, some computer science researchers say one solution may lie in the design of software...."

Girls Bridge Gender Divide in Math

"Researchers looked at standardized test scores of more than 7 million students, ranging from the second grade to high school junior. Whatever gender differences there once existed between girls and boys in terms of math performance are gone..."

You’ve Played ‘Em, Now Make ‘Em: Careers In Game Development

Who:
Lance Powell, Electronic Arts
Tim Trzepacz, softegg.com
Bill Kroyer
Anne Toole, Writers Cabal

What:
Women in Animation

When:
Thursday, July 17, 2008, 7pm

Where:
DreamWorks campus

RSVP and for more info:
Women in Animation

Video game industry tries to broaden its appeal

"These video games don't sound like anything that would grab a teenage boy's attention, and that's the point. They are part of an important expansion of the video game industry as it works to pull in women, girls and other demographics and cement its place as mainstream entertainment..."

Video Games It's a Girl Thing

"The two middle school girls had never had a lesson on video game creation before this week, but on Tuesday they were learning how to make their ideas appear on a computer screen at the free Tech Savvy Summer Girls Camp run by Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology...."

WIGI Community Mixer - Seattle

Women in Games International and Big Fish Games invites casual games professionals and those wanting to break into the industry to their first annual social event at Casual Connect ‘08.

Casual Connect is an annual conference for the casual games industry with over 3,000 professionals attending. The Women in Games International (WIGI) mixer will be held Thursday, July 24, at 7 pm at Dragonfish Asian Café in Seattle, a few short blocks from the Casual Connect site (Benaroya Hall), in the heart of downtown Seattle.

Those attending the WIGI mixer can expect delicious food, cocktails, goodies and amazing chances to network. Meet e-mail buddies face-to-face and mix-n-mingle with industry insiders. All attendees are reminded to bring their business cards to make the most of the event and to qualify for door prizes and giveaways. The event is hosted by Big Fish Games and Women in Games International. Goodies and giveaways will be provided by Big Fish Games, a global leader, developer and distributor in the casual games market.

Women in Games International Community Mixer at Casual Connect 2008
Sponsored by Big Fish Games
Time: 7 pm – 10 pm
Location: Dragonfish Asian Cafe
www.dragonfishcafe.com
722 Pine St
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 467-7777

There is limited space at this venue, so please RSVP early!
RSVP HERE: http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/DVJMALYWVTLXMSZLSGVR/BFG/WIGIMixerCC08

About the Sponsors/Hosts

Big Fish Games
Big Fish Games is a global leader and innovator in the online games industry, producing and delivering the world's best games and game experiences. Big Fish Games Studios develops and publishes the industry's leading brands for computers, mobile devices and consoles. Its portfolio of hit games includes Mystery Case Files®, Hidden Expedition™, Azada™ and Fairway Solitaire™. Big Fish Games' portal at www.bigfishgames.com distributes more games worldwide than any other online site and offers visitors a rapidly expanding selection of content by launching A New Game Every Day!™

Women in Games International
Women in Games International was founded in 2005 in response to a growing demand around the world for the inclusion and advancement of women in the game industry. Women in Games International is managed by a steering committee comprised of like-minded individuals, is supported by corporate and media sponsors and directed by a global advisory board. www.womeningamesinternational.org

More "Chick Flick" games on the way?

""Chick flick" games may become more prevalent as game makers begin to wake up to new opportunities, Rebel Monkey CEO Margaret Wallace tells Next-Gen...."

Aspiring Women Game Artists Competition

Open for Entries
Deadline Friday, June 20th

Something is terribly wrong with the Game Development Industry and you can fix it… but only if you are a woman.

9% of game artists are women and they make on average over $10,000 less per year than their male counterparts. (Source: Game Career Guide, 2007.)

Notes on Game Dev invites all women aspiring game artists to submit an essay to the 2008 NoGD Aspiring Women Game Artists Competition for a chance at a full time scholarship to Sessions Online(SM) School of Game Art.

Sessions Online School of Game Art, an accredited online program that can be accessed anywhere, wants to provide education to women and diversify the industry. Students leave the program with a strong portfolio and reel reviewed by faculty and industry professionals before graduation.

Entries will be judged by female leaders in game art and education including Heather Kelley, Sheri Graner Ray, and Cristin McKee. Prizes to be provided by Sessions Online School of Game Art, IGDA, and Game Developer Magazine.


PRIZES:

Two Grand Prize Winners will receive:
• A fully paid grant for the Accredited Game Art Certificate Program at Sessions Online School of Game Art. ($5355 value)
• The right to use the NoGD Grand Place Award Winner digital seal in their future portfolio / reel.
• A one year membership to the International Game Developers Association.
• A one year subscription to Game Developer Magazine.

Two Runners Up will receive:
• The right to use the NoGD Grand Place Award Winner digital seal in their future portfolio / reel.
• One year subscription to Game Developer magazine.


HOW TO ENTER:

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES:
Friday, June 20th.

GUIDELINES FOR ENTRIES:
Write a 500 word essay that answers the following questions:

- Why do you want to be in the game industry?
- What is your past experience with art?
- What is your dream art job in the game industry?

Submit entries as an email or PDF to competitions@sessions.edu with your name, email, and phone. Deadline is Friday, June 20th.

The winner will be announced on July 1st.

Women in Games Conference Call for Papers

Women in Games Conference
University of Warwick, UK
10-12th September 2008

Call for papers and participation

The Women In Games conference encourages research and seeks to promote careers for women within the games industry. If games are to become a true sibling medium to music and cinema, the industry needs greater balance in its audience and its workforce. The Women In Games conference welcomes participants from both industry and academia, providing a forum for presentation and discussion of issues relating to all aspects of women's involvement in games, including game development, game playing and women as portrayed within games.

Although this conference is concerned with women and games please note that men are also very welcome to participate! The industry needs a meaningful dialogue between the sexes as it moves forward.

Further details of the conference and this year's themes are available at the conference website: www.womeningames.com

Call for Girl Games

Synaptic Gaming & Simulation, LLC will soon launch an exciting new
website focusing on games specifically designed for girls between the
ages of 10 and 18. Independently developed games for tweens and teenage
girls are being sought. While all games will be considered, games which
contain some educational element in one or more of the following areas
are preferred. Of special interest is the objective to engage more
girls in virtual worlds to the extent that they have an opportunity to
learn lessons in:

Money management
Math
Science
Technology
Engineering

Games must be rated E for Everyone.

Games must be playable on standard home computers (Windows 2000 or
later) and should not require the latest graphics, sound, or video
cards.

Selected games will be published with very favorable terms for the
developer. Details will be contained in confidential communications
with selected developers.

For immediate consideration, reply in confidence with the following to:
Elizabeth Hubbard
Synaptic Gaming & Simulation, L.L.C.
Managing Member
ehubbard@synapticgaming.com

Name of the Game
A summary of the game (limit 500 words)
If the game contains an educational element, identify the learning
objective(s)
6 screen shots
Brief statement of what makes the game appealing to girls
System specs for the game's optimal play
Game credits (including writers and artists)
Contact information

We invite you to share this Call for Games with other independent game
developers. This is an open and on-going call. There are no deadlines.
All submissions will be evaluated as they are received. The target
launch date for the new website is June 1, 2008.

How stereotyping affects testing and performance

The group is developing an online game called Trait Mate to measure and modify children's stereotypical beliefs. By the age of 5, stereotypes about gender have been indoctrinated.

Excerpts:
"
“Stereotype threat can be induced by a variety of subtle cues in the
testing environment,” McGlone said, “such as the gender composition of a
class or being asked to indicate one’s ethnicity or gender on a test
demographics question. These cues heightened awareness of people’s
‘ascribed identities’—for example, identities based on things about
themselves that they can’t easily change.”

McGlone acknowledged that many aspects of personal identity are
achieved—membership in social categories based on individual
achievements—rather than ascribed. He contended that deficits in test
performance caused by stereotype threat could be mitigated by reminding
test takers of the achieved identities they possess for which there are
positive performance expectations.

“In other words, by putting women in a situation where they’re not
preoccupied with negative gender stereotypes, you can significantly reduce
the gender gap in standardized testing performance,” he said.
"

Pair Programming and Women

ABSTRACT:

Pair programming, when used as a form of collaborative learning, has been
shown to increase the number of women (and men) persisting in their
previously stated intent to pursue degrees in computer science. In
addition, paired teams have been found to significantly outperform
individual programmers in terms of program functionality and readability,
to report greater satisfaction with the problem-solving process, to have
greater confidence in their solutions, and to be more likely to complete a
programming assignment.

Surprise Surprise Video Game Study Discounts Girls

Surprise, Surprise...video game study discounts girls

by Suzanne Freyjadis-Chuberka

"
Two Harvard researchers have just released a book based on a study about
the nature of violent games and their effect on youth...

In an interview the lead researcher, Prof. Cheryl Olson says, "Since we bought into the myth that girls don't like violent games, we didn't recruit them for focus groups in this set of studies." ...
"

Diary Girl

Konami sent out the following press release for well, it's not really a game, more of a social networking tool:


KONAMI SHIPS DIARY GIRL TO RETAIL STORES NATIONWIDE

Make Friends Around the World With New Children's Title on Nintendo DS™

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - March 18, 2008 - Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today announced that Diary Girl™ has shipped to retail stores in North America. Developed for Nintendo DS™ system, this title provides girls of all ages the ability to interact with friends through their own customizable avatars, as well as organize a calendar and address book in their own password-protected electronic journal.

"The Diary Girl package gives young gamers an organizational tool, mini-games, and a social interactive component, all on their personal DS handheld system," said Rozita Tolouey, Director of Marketing for Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. "Kids increasingly crave games with a social networking aspect and Konami is dedicated to giving them that and more with this new title."

Diary Girl packs friends, fun and organization in a password-protected electronic journal for Nintendo DS. Featuring a daily calendar and an address book, Diary Girl is a lifestyle accessory for the busiest girl around. Players are given their own avatar to customize with various clothes and accessories, as well as make-up and hair. For the girl on-the-go, advanced DS capabilities allow young gamers to talk to their friends in real time without a cell phone using the WiFi voice chat function of the game, and instant message with the Picto-chat style text messaging service. To complete the Diary Girl package, players can also participate in mini-games including mazes, jig saw puzzles, card matching, and personality quizzes. No girl's DS collection can be complete without Diary Girl.

Little Girl Games

This article from the Escapist, while titled "Little Girl Games," seems to be more about working with licensed IP.

An excerpt
"It's easy to see how these kinds of elements might get overlooked by a development team comprised primarily of young men. But as Corbetta explained, one of the first things he learned in working on licensed titles is you're not making a game for yourself."

Interview with Per Rosendal of Guppyworks

Interview with Per Rosendal, CEO, Guppyworks. Guppyworks is working on Guppylife, a MMO for girls. This interview was conducted in behalf of GameDev.Net

Sony Scholarship

Wed Feb 20, 7:37 PM ET

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) said Wednesday it is luring women into video game design with a 10,000-dollar scholarship and paid internships.

"We are under-represented," Devra Pransky of SOE told AFP after the announcement of the scholarship at a major Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.

"Video game making is male dominated and we need to change that."

A Sony-sponsored survey in January of female students enrolled in game design and programming at The Art Institutes showed that about half of those surveyed think more women would play video games designed by women.

The perception of the video game industry being a male bastion deters women from getting into the field, those surveyed agreed.

"It is a misdirection that women don't like video games," said SOE publicist Taina Rodriguez, who sported a lime green t-shirt with the acronym G.I.R.L. -- Gamers In Real Life.

"If more women make games, then more women will play games and get excited about making games. We want to strengthen that cycle."

Students enrolled in The Art Institutes schools can begin applying for the SOE scholarship in April. The winner will get 10,000 dollars for tuition and a paid internship at an SOE studio.

The Art Institutes has 35 campuses in the United States and offers online education.

"I love games, but I'm a bit old school," said Niki Dominguez of The Art Institute of California in San Diego. "I'm an Atari fan."

She also boasts a nine handicap playing golf on Nintendo's Wii video game console.

Students enrolled in accredited universities or trade schools can also apply for SOE internships.

NYT article: Vital Signs (Men and Video Games)

Vital Signs
Patterns: A Video Game, an M.R.I. and What Men's Brains Do
By ERIC NAGOURNEY
Published: February 19, 2008

Why does it often seem that men enjoy playing video games more than
women? Perhaps because they do.

A new study finds that when men play the games, a part of the brain
involved in feelings of reward and addiction becomes much more
activated than it does in women.

This may explain why men are more likely to report feeling addicted to
video games than women are, the researchers say in an online article
in The Journal of Psychiatric Research. The lead author is Fumiko
Hoeft of the Stanford University School of Medicine.

For the study, the researchers took a group of 22 young volunteers —
half men, half women — and had them play a game as an M.R.I. machine
looked at what was happening in their brains. The study found that in
the men, there was much more activity in the mesocorticolimbic system.

Given the abundance in video games of violence and other themes near
and dear to many men, there may be a natural explanation for why their
brains light up more. But the senior author of the study, Dr. Allan L.
Reiss, said the researchers made a point of steering the game they
used in a more neutral direction.

The volunteers played a simple game in which they were told only to
click the images of balls they saw, with no mention of a goal.

The players soon figured out that if they kept the balls from
advancing too close to a wall, they gained ground. Both the men and
the women did well — but the men did a lot better and appeared more
motivated to acquire terrain.

Link to article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/19/health/19patt.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin