Women in the Gaming Industry

Posted on March 14, 2005

The trend in gaming and technology is more focus on women as gamers and buyers of technology products. Marketers understand the purchasing power women have and also that they enjoy gaming and technology as much as men. Just read the Girl Gamers Turn Pro entry from last week if you don't believe girls love gaming and competing. But what about women working in the game industry?

Killer Betties, a website covering entertainment for women, notes that "Women who are gainfully employed in the games industry are becoming more and more common. The assumption that video games are a man's domain is finally becoming outdated. Women are playing and working with video games in astounding numbers. According to the ESA, 39% of game players are women. While the percentage of women working in the industry is still small, these women are paving the way for equality in this environment as well. More and more young women are going to technical schools and getting hired by game developers who see the value of a female perspective when creating video games."

This was posted on KillerBetties.com in the intro to an interview with with Terri Perkins, the Online Product Manager for Funcom. In the interview Perkins says you need to be tough to make it in the gaming industry regardless of your gender.

Perkin said:

At some conventions for example, you are assumed to be a receptionist, secretary, booth babe or someone's girlfriend just due to your gender. If you are working in a role that is normally handled by males then you have to do the job wonderfully and be much more aware of your actions and how they will be perceived, and still some will assume you got a job because of sleeping with someone. Maybe men get this too? As women take on more of the senior roles I believe this issue will diminish over time as it has with other industries. Bottom line is this: If you're a weak person (no matter your gender) this industry isn't the right place for you.

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