>BEHAVIOR | 07.06.2022

A little bit about the feminine influence in the gaming universe

Thought you had no references in this area to inspire you? Well, check out this great post!

Who here likes games? Let's face it, the experience is one of the coolest! And you don't even need an elaborate console, specially when you have the research to prove it. But what do you mean? Look at this: according to Pesquisa Game Brasil (PGB), 51.5% of gamers in the country are women, and they are the majority playing on smartphones. Pretty cool, isn't it?

A participation that did not start happening in digital times. In the general history of games, women have contributed to the creation, marketing, scripting, illustration, research and opinion writing. And it all took place back in the early 1970s, a period when the video game market was booming. From there, opportunities arose in the areas of design/programming in order to create more games, and one of the expressive people in this context is Carol Shaw. Her career started at Atari (famous at the time), being the only woman in the development team. The best-selling game called River Raid is hers.

To play this online: Play River Raid.

Another important woman was Roberta Williams, a computer game designer who designed, wrote and illustrated the first graphic adventure game, Mystery House. There is also Ms. Bailey, who worked at the same company as Carol Shaw ( I wonder if they swapped stickers, like we do with our BFFs?), becoming Atari's first programmer and operator. Her credit is Centipede, an arcade game that became a fever in the 80s, attracting female and male players.

To play online: Play Centipede.

 

And wait a little while, because this story is not over yet! 

 

Women and the arcade games

 

The arcade (intimately called "flipper") was a sensation among the #youngpeople of the 70s/80s/90s. You have probably seen a model in your favorite series of that time, like Stranger Things. The visual appeal was the first thing that attracted people, and once playing, there was no bad time! And of course there is female digital, specially when the industry started to need visual and graphic artists. Evelyn Lim (Seto) is memorable, particularly for having made and signed a cover suggestion for a panel featuring Wonder Woman. Unfortunately, the job was not used, but she is remembered for it to up to this day!!

 

And speaking of remembering: Jan Hendricks! She was the only woman to sign the design of the arcade game called Joust. And did anyone there ask about character creation? Well, we have Reiko Kodama, one of the first women to create art and characters, introducing the world to the iconic RPG called Phantasy Star.

 

#Womenresearch and #Womenwrite about games!

 

Back then, many women worked in the back office of game companies, researching players' preferences or working in assembly and testing. And we have one standout woman: Colette Weil, who, together with Mary Takatsuno and Linda Butcher, started the first games research group. And do you know what the three of them have in common? Actually who: Carol Kantor, who is considered the video game industry's first market researcher. Is it small world you call it? We sure do!

 

And the video game phenomenon has reached the print media. Many of you must follow reviews of products before you buy them online, and the same happened with the games that were booming, bringing together writers and publishers who helped create the games press. Margot Comstock is a big name for having helped found Softalk, a magazine for computer users that covered news from the industry and prepared what we love today: big lists about the best-selling software. The power!

 

#PlayLikeaGirl

 As you have noticed, the history of gaming is huge and so are the number of women who took part in it. To our joy, this has not changed, as the internet has created several ways for all to express their love for games and even pursue careers. It doesn't matter if the gamer profile is casual or #hardcore, because, on both sides, the feminine influence in this universe grows and, fortunately, continues to expand.

 

Making room for new platforms, such as Twitch, known worldwide for its live streaming service. Meeting the streamer demand and that makes us mention eSports - which transformed electronic games into a competition modality. In Brazil, Júlia "Mayumi", who stood out in League of Legends, and Danielle Cherna, who founded the Brazilian Feminine Gaming Association (AFGB) to protect women in the gaming world, are names that inspire girls and women in and out of their positions as players.

 

Ohhh! talking about organizations, which is totally #GirlPower factor, there is also Sakuras eSports, created to improve the eSports scene for women, and the You Go Girls, which welcomes players and brings news, including about the championships! Everything nationwide  for you to follow!

 

Did you see how the gamer world has several types of activity areas? You can participate in any way you want, as long as you feel comfortable. You can write, play, research, you can do anything! And count on Moleca's HQ, which will continue to gather the best information so that you feel inspired and do not give up on your dreams!