Equalities Minister Calls for More Women in UK Videogame Production
In a letter at the Develop Conference 2010, Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone MP has warned about the videogame industry’s gender inequality in the UK. The letter was part of the “Women in Games” secton of the Brighton conference, which highlights the work and role of women in the videogame sector.
The Liberal Democrat MP said in the letter that “organisations filled with people who look the same, sound the same and have the same life experiences can all too easily end up thinking the same.” She argues that “the likes of Lara Croft, Jill Valentine and Alyx Vance are well established on the nation’s consoles”, but that most of the designers are men, “perhaps explaining why the likes of Miss Croft look the way they do!” Featherstone called companies who don’t see the value of women “extremely short-sighted as they lose out on talent and skills of half the population.”
Women are under-represented in the actual videogames too, with a 2009 report suggesting that 85% of videogame characters are male compared to a 49% male US population. As Featherstone notes, the small number of female characters in games can sometimes be unhealthy portrayals of women anyway. The root of this could come from the fact that, stereotypically, videogames are seen as a male hobby. While that isn’t the case, the idea of a “boy’s club” could be off-putting to women looking for a career in the industry.
Of course, let’s not forget about the videogame press, who often post offensive portrayals of women, furthering the idea that videogames are only for men, with women only there to serve as male masturbatory aids. The Gamer’s Guide!!!
News Tags: Develop, industry, minorities, UK, women
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AND WHAT IN FUCK IS WRONG WITH ALYX VANCE?! Jesus… such ignorance. Again, something I refuse to tolerate. and the assertion that we all in the game industry look, sound, and possibly think the same is a completely disrespectful comment. Also, we’ll start hiring more women when you start fighting for tax relief for British game companies.
@Hawkeyed One: Hmm, I’m not sure that “tax breaks or women don’t get jobs” is really the way to go. That Guardian report says that only 11% of game designers are women. Granted that was in 2009, but that’s quite a small figure.
Sorry, but so far as actual games go it is still a ‘boys club’. From even my extended circle of acquaintances I can name only five gals who play games (Farmville doesn’t count) compared to a few dozen guys. Of the people doing gaming related courses at university at least 90% were male.
I’m all for equality in industry but you don’t need to force it when there isn’t interest anyway.
@Callik: Could there not be a lack of interest because it’s a boy’s club? Fostering interest for women to go into videogames isn’t forcing it, especially when there’s such a disparity.
tic-for-tat mate. And who says that we’re not hiring? Maybe women aren’t putting their names up for consideration.
@Hawkeyed One: But why aren’t they? Because none of them want to make games, or because they don’t see it as a viable/attractive industry for women to be a part of?
I don’t really understand the thing about Alyx Vance. I would have thought she would be a perfect example of how to do a fairly realistic woman.
Am I the only one who thinks it’s sort of weird that this women is criticising the fact that aren’t many women in the games industry when she most likely doesn’t play video games herself? Obviously I might wrong, but I can’t imagine an actual gamer bringing up two now-irrelevant 15 year old video game characters and Alyx, who I think we can all agree on, is one of the best representations of a woman in a game ever.
As for the point about ’85% of videogame characters are male compared to a 49% male US population’, perhaps the governments of the world could allow women to serve on the frontlines during wars. Then perhaps they could be included into video games about war, which let’s face it, have always been some of the most popular types of games.
The full quote about Alyx Vance:
“With the likes of Lara Croft, Jill Valentine and Alyx Vance well established on the nation’s consoles there are no shortage of female characters in videogames, but behind the scenes things have for too long been dominated by men – perhaps explaining why the likes of Miss Croft look the way they do!”
She’s not saying the Vance is a bad portrayal, and you can’t deny that Lara Croft is unrealistic.
@ Sam Jordan- I’d say the second one. Admittedly, gaming has been a boys club for quite some time, but so has all of nerd culture when you think about it. Its just the way things kind of are. Would I be happy to see more female influence in te gaming scene? Hell yes I would. But I just don’t think they’re that interested. I dunno
there are so many “girls clubs”, so what is so offensive with boys clubs?
There is a pretty important component that Lynne Featherstone conveniently leaves out. Women vastly under represent themselves in computer science programs at colleges and universities. And computer engineering, information technology, etc.
When women chose to under-represtent themselves educationally in a field, is it not natural see an proportionate under representation in the professional field? You can’t just snap your fingers or pass a law and have qualified, educated professionals appear who fit some politician’s desired set of demographic characteristics appear from thin air.
I would say the industry at times bends over backwards to showcase women. Jade Raymond, for example, is now the managing director at Ubisoft’s Toronto office. What’s on her resume’? Jeopardy!, Trivial Pursuit, There(defunct MMO) The Sims Online(defunct MMO) and Assassin’s Creed. She’s already more or less running the creative side of a large studio, without having an actual good game to her credit. It’s possible she has a larger impact on the production side than what she’s credited, but when your best contribution is Assassin’s Creed, a game where the nicest thing you can say about it is that it sold more than it deserved, I find it odd that she is already managing director of a studio.
Whoops, thanks for that full quote there.
She’s not saying that all men should stop making games and let women do it all, she’s saying that more women would be a positive impact on videogames. I think we all agree that it’s male dominated industry, but I think it can’t turn into “us vs. them” or “men vs. women”.