Kim Blake gives a presentation on why women would want to work in the video game industry. She notes that while women currently make up a small percentage of the industry, around 30% of gamers are women. The presentation discusses the variety of career opportunities available in game development and argues that passion for games is not necessary to enjoy making them. Blake emphasizes that jobs in game development allow one to engage in creative work, collaborative problem solving, and continuous learning while working with intelligent colleagues.

1. Why Would A Woman Want To Work In Games…? Kim Blake, Blitz Games 20 th April 2007

2. Introductions Kim Blake, PA to the Directors Gremlin Interactive / Infogrames Development support & education 12 years in games project management Particle Systems / Argonaut Headfirst Productions

3. Blitz Game History

4. Today’s talk What we all know… A new perspective What does working in games really involve? Why a woman would want to work in games! Why does anyone want to work in games? Recent involvement with promoting jobs in games

5. The Usual Statistics 10% - 18% of development staff 47% of US gamer parents are women Women aged 18 or older = 30% of US game-playing population (Boys aged 17 or younger = 2 3% of US game-playing population) 70 % of online casual American gamers are women aged 40+ Stats from ESA and itfacts.biz

6. “ I suspect that the percentage is still so low because teen girls are not likely to consider making games as a potential career.” (Michelle Clay of Turbine Games, Dec 2006)

7. Computer Clubs for Girls Blitz Challenge Creativity and technology can co-exist Easy familiarity with technology Wide variety of jobs in development Designing games is complex and fun!

8. Student Open Days at Blitz

9. Why does anyone want to work in games? I love playing games! I’ll get to make the next Gears of War! I’ll make enough money to buy a Ferrari! I’m an obsessive nerd with no social skills! It’s so cool!

10. Warning : development heresy! Do you need to love playing games… … to love making them?

11. Game knowledge necessary…!

12. A Developer Speaks… “… On the other hand I figure that my creative skills are transferable and lend themselves well to this industry and that diversity is important in a company structure in order to add balance and an alternative viewpoint.” “ I sometimes feel a bit of a fraud working in the games industry when I am not a big gamer…”

13. How do we make games?

14. Pick a career… Admin Office Manager Senior Administrator Administration Assistant Accounts Accountant Accounts Assistant IT Support IT Manager Network Administrator IT Technician IT/Facilities Technician Admin Assistant Human Resources & Recruitment HR Manager HR Co-ordinator Public Relations PR Graphics Manager PR Graphics Manager Assistant PR Assistant Graphics Co-ordinator

15. Any career… Assistant Project Mgr / Tech Mgr / Creative Mgr / Design Mgr Pitch phase: Creative Visualiser Senior Designer Concept Artist + QA (testers) Alpha and beyond: Full development phase: Designers Level Designers 3D Artists Games Programmer(s) Audio Programmer Special Effects Programmer Animators Technical Manager Design Manager Concept artist(s) Scriptwriter Tech Team Creative Manager Project Manager Audio designer(s) Pre-development phase: Designer(s) Programmer(s) Concept artist(s) 3D Artist(s) Project Manager Creative Manager Design Manager Technical Manager Audio Designer

16. Game knowledge necessary…? Game knowledge necessary…?

18. Blitz Company Day 2006

19. Human-ness and constant learning

20. Passionate About Games!

21. This Is Why A Woman Would Want To Work In Games! Creative work, in whatever role Close team work & communication Creative planning & problem solving Constant learning Might quite like playing games…? Intelligent, interesting colleagues!

22. Thank you! Kim Blake, Blitz Games 20 th April 2007