More Girls Need Industry Jobs

The Guardian has an editorial up discussing the need for more women in the games industry. From the article: "The development team of the Sims Online game, for example, was 40% female, while 60% of its players are female. The contemporary life-simulation setting has attracted a non-traditional (ie female) audience in a way no other game has, says the Elspa report. Jessica Lewis, producer of The Sims Online, has said: 'I think simply because more women are involved in the designs and development, a different kind of contribution happens. Diversity ... is a good thing when making a mainstream game.'"

Comments

Games industry isn't the only place for women.

[CrazyJim1]

In my science and math courses in college, there was only one woman for every twenty guys there. My guess is that a larger percentage of guys like video games than girls, and this translates into more guys in the industry.

Re:Games industry isn't the only place for women.

[koi88]

The development team of the Sims Online game, for example, was 40% female, while 60% of its players are female.

I fail to see the logic in this statement.
80% of all actors in the porn industry are female, while 90% of its users are male.
Still I don't demand more males in the porn industry.

Nonsense

[cybereal]

I'm all for female influence in games, assuming said females are just as creatively genius as their male counterparts. However, I find it ludicrous to say that women like The SIMS because women helped make it. I know 3 very different girls who all like the game. My observations point to them enjoying the fact that the game is braindead easy, obvious, and akin to playing house as a little kid. Would you claim that those aspects of the game exist because women helped design it?

Pffft.

A few points...

[Call Me Black Cloud]

1. More girls don't need industry jobs. The industry needs more "girls" to fill existing jobs.

2. Girls? No, women. You don't see articles stating most of the industry's jobs are filled with boys.

While I have nothing against the term "girls" (my wife occasionally goes out for "girls' night out"), the workplace is not a good place for that term. It's either a reflection of a condescending attitude or leads to one.

The bottom line: avoid referring to female professionals as girls. Unfortunately, many females feel the term "woman" makes them sound old, so to be safe, use the term "chick".

Ok, I had to throw in a joke, but I meant the rest.