investiGaming - Research Findings on Gender and Games
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investiGaming is a publication of the Serious Game Design group in the Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media at Michigan State University, 2007-2009

This gateway is partially supported by grant 0631771 from the National Science Foundation.

The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent Michigan State University or the National Science Foundation.

Investigaming tag: Workforce

investiGaming ›  Tags ›  Workforce

Selected highlights from the WORKFORCE tag (scroll down to see the full list of entries with this tag, including links to the entries)

Encouraging Women to Enter the Game Industry
• If a player likes a game enough, they too want to work for that company (Fullerton 2008).
• Creating more games that appeal to women will help to create a “virtuous cycle” to draw more women into game creation (Fullerton 2008).
• An ideal female-friendly job environment encourages creativity, new ideas, interaction and communication, with open space to think instead of the cubicle (Fullerton 2008).
• Industry needs to show adolescents that not everyone working in technology is an engineer and that companies need project leaders and business analysts (Twentyman, 2008).
• The more women play video games, the more they will come to see the industry as a serious career path (Pham, 2008).
• The gender gap in the IT workplace can be reduced by introducing flexible schedules, and training for workers who temporarily leave and need to catch up again, to accommodate work/family balance (Lanzalotto, 2007).
• Some game executives see women as a largely untapped audience for games and believe that having more women developers will increase the likelihood that more women will buy their products (Pham, 2008).

Designing Games for Girls
• It cannot be assumed that 8-year-old girls in 2008 have the same interests and attitudes as that same age would have had even five years ago (Dillon, 2008).
• Girls interests change from age to age and cultural moment to cultural moment (Dillon, 2008). 

Male-Oriented Game Industry
• From recruitment techniques to trade show entertainment the game industry is marketed towards males (Pham, 2008).
• Due to long hours during “crunch time” the game industry makes it difficult for women to take time off to have a baby or switch to part-time hours to raise young children.  Therefore, to increase women’s participation in the industry companies should build more realistic schedules that minimize long hours (Pham, 2008).
• Game designer tutorials follow a distinctly male learning paradigm (Pratt, 2007).
• Women are discouraged from the game industry because of the negative portrayals of women and strong anti-female bias in popular games (Pratt, 2007).
• There is evidence for discrimination that partly explains the lower percentages of women and minorities in science and engineering (Sevo 2008).

Game Industry Statistics
• Fewer than 1 in 5 game industry professionals are women (Pham, 2008).
• Women in game-related jobs make less money on average than their male counterparts.
• According to the International Game Developers Association, only 11.5% of the gaming industry workforce was female as of 2005 (Pratt, 2007).
• 75% of women surveyed said that they would encourage other women to pursue similar career paths (Perelman, 2007).
• 52% of women surveyed believed that their organizations offer a favorable climate for female employees (Perelman, 2007).
• 48% of women surveyed felt that their views were not as acknowledged or welcomed as that of their male counterparts (Perelman, 2007).
• 44% of women surveyed reported that women in their company received fewer invitations to participate in and lead large projects (Perelman, 2007).
• 73% of women surveyed felt confident that they could influence their bosses (Perelman, 2007).
• 53% of women surveyed described themselves as broadly influential in their organization and in control of their careers (Perelman, 2007).
• 88.5% of game industry professionals were male and 11.5% were female (IGDA, 2005).

Bedigian, Louis (2004)


http://www.gamezone.com/

Synopsis:

Interview with Mary Margaret Walker and Robin McShaffry of Mary-Margared recruiting and business services.

Keywords:

industry, media-press, interview, game industry, workforce

Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes


Brathwaite, Brenda (2008)


http://www.gamecareerguide.com

Synopsis:

Brenda Brathwaite was tired of being asked what it means to be a ‘women in games,’ so she called up a few male colleagues and asked them what it’s like to be a ‘man in games.’

Keywords:

industry, media-press, workforce, game industry

Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes


Committee on Maximizing the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering, National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine (2007)


http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11741

Synopsis:

A national report on women in science and engineering with recommendations for action.

Keywords:

academia, book, gender equity, workforce, it careers, working conditions

Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes


Dillon, Beth (2008)


http://www.notesongamedev.net/

Synopsis:

Interview with moboid game designer Heather Kelley about her involvement in everything from AAA next-gen console games, interactive smart toys, handheld games, to web communities for girls.

Keywords:

interview, media-press, industry, workforce, game design,

Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes


Fullerton, Tracy, Fron, Janine. Pearce, Celia, and Morie, Jacki (2008)


in Beyond Barbie and Mortal Kombat: New Perspectives on Gender, Gaming, and Computing, edited by Yasmin Kafai, Carrie Heeter, Jill Denner, Jen Sun, MIT Press

Synopsis:

Discusses what draws people to work for a game company and increasing the number of women going into the industry.

Keywords:

game industry, workforce

Full Text: No | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes


IGDA (International Game Developers Association) (2005)


International Game Developers Association (http://www.igda.org)

Synopsis:

6500 game industry professionals were surveyed about their demographics including age, race, sexual orientation, and education.

Keywords:

survey, industry, game industry, ethnicity, workforce

Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes


Jacobs, Stephen (2008)


Serious Games Source (http://www.seriousgamessource.com)

Synopsis:

Outlines Stormfront Studios president Don Daglow’s closing speech given at the Future Play 2008 conference.

Keywords:

media-press, industry, workforce, game industry

Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes


Kafai, Yasmin, Heeter, Carrie, Denner, Jill and Jennifer Sun (2008)


in Beyond Barbie and Mortal Kombat: New Perspectives on Gender, Gaming, and Computing, edited by Yasmin Kafai, Carrie Heeter, Jill Denner, Jen Sun, MIT Press

Synopsis:

Interview with Megan Gaiser, president and CEO of Her Interactive, a pioneering company in interactive entertainment targeted toward female play preferences.

Keywords:

book, chapter, game industry, workforce, game design, interview

Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes


Kafai, Yasmin, Heeter, Carrie, Denner, Jill and Sun, Jennifer (2008)


in Beyond Barbie and Mortal Kombat: New Perspectives on Gender, Gaming, and Computing, edited by Yasmin Kafai, Carrie Heeter, Jill Denner, Jen Sun, MIT Press

Keywords:

book, chapter, pink games, workforce

Full Text: Yes | Abstract: No


Keave, Vincent (2008)


http://www.escapistmagazine.com/

Synopsis:

An interview with Tracy J. Butler, the creator of web comic Lackadaisy and a 3-D artist for online MMOGs, about the industry.

Keywords:

industry, media-press, interview, game industry, workforce, working conditions, IT careers, what women want, gender inclusive

Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes


Lanzalotto, Jim (2007)


Computerworld

Synopsis:

The article discussed the low percentage of women in the information technology workforce.

Keywords:

media-press, IT careers, workforce, working conditions

Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes


Perelman, Deborah (2007)


eWeek

Synopsis:

2,000 women working in technology-related fields were surveyed about their perceptions of their careers.

Keywords:

media-press, IT careers, workforce, working conditions

Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes


Pham, Alex (2008)


Los Angeles Times

Synopsis:

Explores women’s roles in the game industry, why they are underrepresented, and ways to increase their participation in the industry. 

Keywords:

media-press, report, game industry, workforce,

Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes


Pratt, Mary K. (2007)


Computerworld

Synopsis:

Game industry professionals discuss the reasons women are underrepresented in the game industry and ways to draw women into the industry.

Keywords:

media-press, girls designing games, workforce, game industry, game design

Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes


Ruberg, Bonnie (2008)


Gamasutra, May 21

Synopsis:

The first Gamasutra list of Top 20 women working in the video game industry in 2008.

Keywords:

Industry, media-press, work force, game industry, gender equity, IT careers

Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes


Schiebinger, Londa (Ed.) (2008)


Stanford University Press, http://www.sup.org/book.cgi?book_id=5814%205815%20

Synopsis:

A book of edited papers by prominent scholars on research and design projects that were influenced by gender analysis.

Keywords:

Academia, Book, IT Careers, workforce, working conditions, gender theories, gender equity, psychology

Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes


Sevo, Ruta (2008)


http://momox.org/10x10.html

Synopsis:

A list of about 100 recommended resources on the issue of women in science and engineering.

Keywords:

blog, workforce, it careers, girls designing games, working conditions, computer skills, classroom context, gender equity, self-efficacy

Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes


Sevo, Ruta and Daryl Chubin (2008)


http://momox.org/biasliteracy.html

Synopsis:

A digest of basics regarding discrimination, with an emphasis on women in science and engineering:  laws, terminology, concepts in research, intervention programs, organizations, and metrics.

Keywords:

literature review, academia, workforce, IT careers, working conditions, gender equity, harassment, gender stereotypes

Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes


Twentyman, Jessica (2008)


Financial Times Digital Business (05/14/08)

Synopsis:

Women are a “drastic minority” in science- and technology-related studies and the numbers are shrinking at every stage.

Keywords:

Industry, media-press, work force, programming, IT Careers, gender equity

Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes


Yasmin Kafai, Carrie Heeter, Jill Denner, Jen Sun (2008)


in Beyond Barbie and Mortal Kombat: New Perspectives on Gender, Gaming, and Computing, edited by Yasmin Kafai, Carrie Heeter, Jill Denner, Jen Sun, MIT Press

Synopsis:

An interview with Nichol Bradford, the senior global director of strategic growth at Vivendi Games (VG) who works on strategic planning and special projects.

Keywords:

book, chapter, interview, game industry, ethnicity, workforce

Full Text: Yes | Abstract: Yes | Highlights: Yes