GeekGirl
Obliviot
Being, so far, the only girl on the Frappr, it's my place to stand on this little soapbox and shout 
<blockquote>
Now is the Time for Women in Games
The Women in Games International Conference featured a rousing keynote address by Midway Austin studio head Denise Fulton, who outlined what’s right and wrong in the industry, and why this is a great time for women in games.
Fulton, a veteran game developer, has worked for Microsoft, Dreamworks Interactive, Electronic Arts, Ion Storm, and currently heads Midway’s Austin studio. At the Dallas WiGi conference last week, she delivered a keynote address titled: “The Best Defense…Why Gender Doesn’t Matter (As Much As You Might Think)”
<li>The Landscape
“This is a great time to be getting into the industry,” Fulton said first off. “If you take nothing else away, I want you to take that away. The game industry is continuing to grow. You hear a lot right now about it being a platform transition.”
“What that means to you, as prospective employees, is that everyone is hiring right now, like mad. There are tons of jobs out there. People are looking for artists, designers, programmers, producers, you name it, they’re looking for it, believe me.”
Fulton then cited workforce statistics, showing that in 1950, 30 percent of women worked, compared with 70 percent six years ago. “We’re rapidly becoming equal players in the larger workforce.”
“More women are playing games.” Citing a study that showed women outnumbered men as players in the 24 to 35 year-old demographic, Fulton granted that casual games were a factor.
“However I think there’s an appetite there. As we get online, as the games start getting more interactive, more social, women are getting more and more interested in what it means to play games.”
Fulton concluded by citing the Game Developer Magazine salary survey which showed an increase of female developers, from 7 percent two years ago to 10 percent this year, which is still a minor rate of increase. “That fact is, women are not applying for the job," she said.
<li>Survey Says
“I’m a hiring manager,” Fulton explained. “I’ve been a hiring manager for a number of years. One out of maybe twenty resumes I see is from a woman – that’s not about who’s good, who’s bad – you’re just not seeing them apply.”
Fulton found it interesting that girls are opting out early. One national study she mentioned took into account 13-year-old through high school graduate girls. The survey was conducted across different ethnic groups about careers in computers. "What they found is that the girls had the aptitude – that was clear," Fulton said.
“They could do the math and science, if they wanted to,” Fulton said. “They were choosing not to. They described what videogames and what technology meant: a boy, by himself, sitting in the dark, who didn’t have any friends.”
“And that’s the reason the girls said, ‘we could work with computers, but we want to participate in the real world.’ That’s a very pernicious undertone that affects all of this other stuff.”
<li>Perceptual Reality
“That’s where we need to focus: changing that perception,” Fulton said. "It's really unfortunate that a lot of girls are thinking like this, because the fact is there are a lot of things about this industry – increasingly so as it matures – that girls are going to like.”
“It’s a creative environment, and more than other mediums they could get into, you can have a much broader impact on videogames. As an individual contributor, you have huge, huge impact on the final game.”
“It’s no longer programmers sitting in a garage,” Fulton said. “It’s artists, designers, programmers, writers, actors, you name it: they’re there, and helping to make these games.”
<li>Environmental Factors
“When you’re working in a place that’s 90% men, the language, the jokes, the pictures on the wall… these sorts of things are going to reflect a male bias,” Fulton said. “Some women are uncomfortable, because of that.”
Fulton then cited a typical stereotype: “A woman gets excited or passionate about something, and she’s characterized as being emotional. ‘Do you have PMS?’ That sort of thing still happens.”
Fulton said of isolation, “I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve looked up in a meeting, and realized I’m the only woman in the room. It sounds small, but it gets to you sometimes. It really does. Because the fact that you’re going to be the only woman in the room a lot of times.”
<li>The Key to Success
“Ask for what you want,” Fulton emphasized. “This is real basic, but if I look back on my career, it’s dotted with instances of where this came up. [Just like] in my first job at Microsoft. I liked graphic design okay, but I found out early that I liked management. I liked organization. I could naturally take charge of things.”
"Rather than waiting around for someone to come and say, ‘Hey, Denise, you’ve got some talent,' I went to my boss and said, ‘This is something I want. I think I’d be good at it. Help me get there.’ And you know what? Within six months, I was managing people.”
Fulton’s career has many similar examples. “If you think you can’t do it, you’re probably wrong. A lot of times, they’re just waiting for people to step up. Believe me, managers and people who run companies are looking for strength. They’re looking for people who are willing to stand up and stand out from the pack and distinguish themselves.”
“It’s not that hard to effect positive change.” Fulton said, telling a story of instituting a maternity program during her EA tenure. “A lot of things are like that. It’s not necessarily a bias where people are being malicious, or not wanting something to happen, it’s just that it hasn’t come up. You, as a woman – or as anyone in this industry – can make these changes: if you just trust that it can happen.”
<li>The Best Defense
Fulton believes that more women in the industry will make a difference.
“Change your work culture.” Fulton advised. “A workplace that’s 90 percent male is very different from one that’s 50 or 60 percent male. It’s a positive change. And the men appreciate it, too. It brings a better vibe to the office space, I’ve found.”
"It also helps bring more women in, believe me, if there are a couple women in the interview booth when a young woman comes in -- she’s more inclined to want to work there. She’s more comfortable. She sees, ‘These are people like me.’”
“And finally – this is a big one, and I know it’s contentious – but ultimately I think this is what’s going to change the nature of games. There are a thousand small decisions we make, every single day that affect the final product. If more women are there, and in positions of power, it begins to shift what comes out the other side.”
"It’s important these women keep in mind how they approach their job.” Fulton said. “Focus on doing the best job possible. Ultimately, this is what guides us; this is what they need to do. This is what anybody needs to do, to succeed.”
<li>To Succeed
“Tell people what you want,” Fulton said. “Again, you’ll be surprised how often you’ll get it.”
“Don’t let gender define you. The very best people don’t think about their gender a whole lot, male or female, because it’s beside the point.”
"Enjoy yourself,” Fulton reminded. “After all, we’re making games, and we can’t take ourselves way too seriously.”
<li>Final Words
“For now, I really believe this sort of conference is really useful and good,” Fulton said. “However, a few years down the road, five years maybe, I’d like us not to have these anymore. Right now we’re this [slide: Women Game Developers.] What we really need to be is this [slide: Game Developers]”
“Once we get past this, we can leave the names aside, and define ourselves by what we do and who we are -- not by our gender.”
“How do we get there?” Fulton asked. “Yeah, there are problems, but we can work through them. We really can. They are not insurmountable. A lot of these issues, particularly the ones women talk about, would affect them in any industry that is male dominated. It’s not about games. In fact, talking to people, I think it’s a little easier here.”
“Teach younger women that this is a good place to be,” Fulton said. “It’s different than they think it is. It’s collaborative, it’s creative, it’s fun. You get to work with a bunch of different types of people. It’s very social. There’s lot of stuff to recommend itself.”
"To the women and men in the industry, take the time to actually mentor and talk to those young women who are coming in, because it’s intimidating," Fulton said.
“And, finally, focus on the achievements, not the gender, because ultimately, that’s what we’re measured by.”
</blockquote>
Originally published here
<blockquote>
Now is the Time for Women in Games
The Women in Games International Conference featured a rousing keynote address by Midway Austin studio head Denise Fulton, who outlined what’s right and wrong in the industry, and why this is a great time for women in games.
Fulton, a veteran game developer, has worked for Microsoft, Dreamworks Interactive, Electronic Arts, Ion Storm, and currently heads Midway’s Austin studio. At the Dallas WiGi conference last week, she delivered a keynote address titled: “The Best Defense…Why Gender Doesn’t Matter (As Much As You Might Think)”
<li>The Landscape
“This is a great time to be getting into the industry,” Fulton said first off. “If you take nothing else away, I want you to take that away. The game industry is continuing to grow. You hear a lot right now about it being a platform transition.”
“What that means to you, as prospective employees, is that everyone is hiring right now, like mad. There are tons of jobs out there. People are looking for artists, designers, programmers, producers, you name it, they’re looking for it, believe me.”
Fulton then cited workforce statistics, showing that in 1950, 30 percent of women worked, compared with 70 percent six years ago. “We’re rapidly becoming equal players in the larger workforce.”
“More women are playing games.” Citing a study that showed women outnumbered men as players in the 24 to 35 year-old demographic, Fulton granted that casual games were a factor.
“However I think there’s an appetite there. As we get online, as the games start getting more interactive, more social, women are getting more and more interested in what it means to play games.”
Fulton concluded by citing the Game Developer Magazine salary survey which showed an increase of female developers, from 7 percent two years ago to 10 percent this year, which is still a minor rate of increase. “That fact is, women are not applying for the job," she said.
<li>Survey Says
“I’m a hiring manager,” Fulton explained. “I’ve been a hiring manager for a number of years. One out of maybe twenty resumes I see is from a woman – that’s not about who’s good, who’s bad – you’re just not seeing them apply.”
Fulton found it interesting that girls are opting out early. One national study she mentioned took into account 13-year-old through high school graduate girls. The survey was conducted across different ethnic groups about careers in computers. "What they found is that the girls had the aptitude – that was clear," Fulton said.
“They could do the math and science, if they wanted to,” Fulton said. “They were choosing not to. They described what videogames and what technology meant: a boy, by himself, sitting in the dark, who didn’t have any friends.”
“And that’s the reason the girls said, ‘we could work with computers, but we want to participate in the real world.’ That’s a very pernicious undertone that affects all of this other stuff.”
<li>Perceptual Reality
“That’s where we need to focus: changing that perception,” Fulton said. "It's really unfortunate that a lot of girls are thinking like this, because the fact is there are a lot of things about this industry – increasingly so as it matures – that girls are going to like.”
“It’s a creative environment, and more than other mediums they could get into, you can have a much broader impact on videogames. As an individual contributor, you have huge, huge impact on the final game.”
“It’s no longer programmers sitting in a garage,” Fulton said. “It’s artists, designers, programmers, writers, actors, you name it: they’re there, and helping to make these games.”
<li>Environmental Factors
“When you’re working in a place that’s 90% men, the language, the jokes, the pictures on the wall… these sorts of things are going to reflect a male bias,” Fulton said. “Some women are uncomfortable, because of that.”
Fulton then cited a typical stereotype: “A woman gets excited or passionate about something, and she’s characterized as being emotional. ‘Do you have PMS?’ That sort of thing still happens.”
Fulton said of isolation, “I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve looked up in a meeting, and realized I’m the only woman in the room. It sounds small, but it gets to you sometimes. It really does. Because the fact that you’re going to be the only woman in the room a lot of times.”
<li>The Key to Success
“Ask for what you want,” Fulton emphasized. “This is real basic, but if I look back on my career, it’s dotted with instances of where this came up. [Just like] in my first job at Microsoft. I liked graphic design okay, but I found out early that I liked management. I liked organization. I could naturally take charge of things.”
"Rather than waiting around for someone to come and say, ‘Hey, Denise, you’ve got some talent,' I went to my boss and said, ‘This is something I want. I think I’d be good at it. Help me get there.’ And you know what? Within six months, I was managing people.”
Fulton’s career has many similar examples. “If you think you can’t do it, you’re probably wrong. A lot of times, they’re just waiting for people to step up. Believe me, managers and people who run companies are looking for strength. They’re looking for people who are willing to stand up and stand out from the pack and distinguish themselves.”
“It’s not that hard to effect positive change.” Fulton said, telling a story of instituting a maternity program during her EA tenure. “A lot of things are like that. It’s not necessarily a bias where people are being malicious, or not wanting something to happen, it’s just that it hasn’t come up. You, as a woman – or as anyone in this industry – can make these changes: if you just trust that it can happen.”
<li>The Best Defense
Fulton believes that more women in the industry will make a difference.
“Change your work culture.” Fulton advised. “A workplace that’s 90 percent male is very different from one that’s 50 or 60 percent male. It’s a positive change. And the men appreciate it, too. It brings a better vibe to the office space, I’ve found.”
"It also helps bring more women in, believe me, if there are a couple women in the interview booth when a young woman comes in -- she’s more inclined to want to work there. She’s more comfortable. She sees, ‘These are people like me.’”
“And finally – this is a big one, and I know it’s contentious – but ultimately I think this is what’s going to change the nature of games. There are a thousand small decisions we make, every single day that affect the final product. If more women are there, and in positions of power, it begins to shift what comes out the other side.”
"It’s important these women keep in mind how they approach their job.” Fulton said. “Focus on doing the best job possible. Ultimately, this is what guides us; this is what they need to do. This is what anybody needs to do, to succeed.”
<li>To Succeed
“Tell people what you want,” Fulton said. “Again, you’ll be surprised how often you’ll get it.”
“Don’t let gender define you. The very best people don’t think about their gender a whole lot, male or female, because it’s beside the point.”
"Enjoy yourself,” Fulton reminded. “After all, we’re making games, and we can’t take ourselves way too seriously.”
<li>Final Words
“For now, I really believe this sort of conference is really useful and good,” Fulton said. “However, a few years down the road, five years maybe, I’d like us not to have these anymore. Right now we’re this [slide: Women Game Developers.] What we really need to be is this [slide: Game Developers]”
“Once we get past this, we can leave the names aside, and define ourselves by what we do and who we are -- not by our gender.”
“How do we get there?” Fulton asked. “Yeah, there are problems, but we can work through them. We really can. They are not insurmountable. A lot of these issues, particularly the ones women talk about, would affect them in any industry that is male dominated. It’s not about games. In fact, talking to people, I think it’s a little easier here.”
“Teach younger women that this is a good place to be,” Fulton said. “It’s different than they think it is. It’s collaborative, it’s creative, it’s fun. You get to work with a bunch of different types of people. It’s very social. There’s lot of stuff to recommend itself.”
"To the women and men in the industry, take the time to actually mentor and talk to those young women who are coming in, because it’s intimidating," Fulton said.
“And, finally, focus on the achievements, not the gender, because ultimately, that’s what we’re measured by.”
</blockquote>
Originally published here
