This post is about the excellent show by the CBC’s By Design show about female game designers. Check it out here. It is really interesting and has some great conversation.
While female game designers and other women in the games industry do make more than most women (84 cents to the male dollar compared to 77 cents across all other industries), it is still a very “boys only” club.
Thankfully, I think it is my generation of game designers that will be leading the charge with a warcry of apathy. Why apathy? Because, to my direct peers, the idea of a woman being treated differently is a very confusing and illogical idea. It’s just… very dumb to think that way. It’s like caring about whether a person is left or right handed when they code. I can only speak for my personal experience, so do not take this as an indication that the global climate is changing. I am just saying I can see progress in the very young students.
That is not to say that most other organizations and companies are not inherently sexist. I read many a horror story about games being dropped just because they were headed by women, and I have heard the shocked voices of online game players to hear that their Medic is a girl. Not to mention all the Princess Peach’s in gaming, and how some games are only judged based on their female characters.
Personally, I think that gaming, as it is such a meritocracy, will be at the forefront of gender equality, and I can’t wait until everyone else is just as confused at the idea of sexism as I am.
gamesofawe.com 