Women in Game Development: Breaking the Glass Level-Cap

Description

Videogame development is usually seen as a male dominated field; even playing videogames is often wrongly viewed as a pastime for men only. But behind the curtain, women have always played myriad important roles in gaming. From programmers to artists, designers to producers, female videogame developers endure not only the pressures of their jobs but also epic levels of harassment and hostility. Jennifer Brandes Hepler’s Women in Game Development: Breaking the Glass Level-Cap gives voice to talented and experienced female game developers from a variety of backgrounds, letting them share the passion that drives them to keep making games. Key Features Experience the unique stories of nearly two dozen female game developers, from old-school veterans to rising stars. Understand the role of women in videogames, from the earliest days of development to the present day. Hear first-hand perspectives from working professionals in fields including coding, design, art, writing, community management, production and journalism. Get tips for how to be a better ally and make your company and teams more inclusive. Learn about the obstacles you face if you’re an aspiring female developer, and how to overcome them. Meet the human face of some of the women who have endured the industry’s worst harassment... and kept on going. Content: Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Contents Acknowledgments Contributors 1 Introduction 2 Brenda Romero 3 Rebecca Ann Heineman 4 From the Beginning 5 Judy Tyrer 6 Brianna Wu 7 Karisma Williams 8 It Starts in the Classroom: Women and Computer Science 9 Jane Ng 10 Kimberly Unger 11 "You Must Be an Artist": Stereotypes and Realities about Female Game Artists 12 Laralyn McWilliams 13 Elizabeth LaPensée 14 Elizabeth Sampat 15 Erin Hoffman-John 16 Don't Girls Hate Combat?: Variety in Game Design 17 Jennifer Brandes Hepler 18 Sheri Graner Ray 19 Write What You Know: How Female Writers expand a Game's Audience20 Megan Gaiser 21 Kari Toyama 22 Good, Fast, or Cheap: What Does a Game Producer Do, Anyway? 23 Katie Postma 24 Donna Prior 25 "Just a CM ... ": Why Community Management Is Judged So Harshly 26 Sheri Rubin 27 The "Average Player": How Game Testing Departments Can Bias Their Results 28 Leigh Alexander 29 Mattie Brice 30 Anita Sarkeesian and Laura Hudson 31 Conclusion Index