Bridging the Gender Gap in the Game Industry

Holism is the idea that systems and their properties should be viewed as wholes rather than as a collection of parts. In our everyday travels and experiences, we at ModSquad seek new ways to view the bigger picture. By predicting and examining trends that will affect industries as a whole, we can provide targeted services that maximize our ability to serve the individuals and communities that are affected by these trends.

A recent opportunity to apply the holistic approach took place at E3, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, at which ModSquad visited a booth celebrating women in video game development. Increasingly, we see that conferences are looking for ways to showcase the contributions of women to the history of video games and call attention to the growing ranks of foundations that support and inspire women in this industry. These foundations aim to bring awareness and acceptance of women in the game industry, a goal that is close to our hearts as a company.

The games community is currently subject to a marked push for change in demographics. While about half of video gamers are women, only 21% of game developers on a worldwide scale are women. Considering that only one fifth of game developers come from the same demographic as half of the potential audience for these games, the disparity is striking. Causes for this inequity are being explored and bridges are being built to narrow the gap. Industry leaders are hosting rallies to discuss and explore inclusivity in game design and marketing. Foundations such as Women In Games International (WIGI), Girls Make Games, and the ESA Foundation seek to encourage and empower women from all walks of life to learn, play, and develop games.

In addition, there’s a rising call for ways to bring more women into game development, to retain women who are currently employed as developers, to give women equal voices within the industry, and to foster a lasting love of games for women and girls both in the video game industry and in the gamer community. Big game developers are not only asking these questions, they are listening to the answers.

As we work with clients in the video game industry — and all verticals — ModSquad strives to create meaningful engagement with all consumers. Our goal as community and social media managers is to help game creators establish and maintain safe and healthy communities that welcome gamers from every walk of life and foster equality and diversity. When gamers feel that they have an equal opportunity to interact with and be heard by others in their community, they become more invested in that community and more likely to engage. Furthermore, when games developed by women have healthy and engaged fan communities, the developers of these games are in the best position to receive the recognition they deserve as equal contributors within the industry.

Special contribution by Rabbit Korbin, Project Manager at ModSquad