Gender Inclusive Game Design

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Gender Inclusive Game Design

• What it is and why we need it

Sheri Graner RayScreenBurnSxSW Interactive
FestivalMarch 10, 2006
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Sheri Graner Ray

• Game designer since 1990
• Author of Gender Inclusive Game Design Expanding
  the Market
• Worked with Origin Systems/Electronic Arts, Her
  Interactive, Sony Online Entertainment, Cartoon
  Network and more
• Chair and Co-founder of Women in Games
  International
• Recipient 2005 IGDA's Game Developers' Choice
  Award for work in gender and games
• Hard Core Gamer (20 hours/week)

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Pink Poison

• a brief history of the girls game
• movement in the U.S.

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1995
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Why should we make games for girls?
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1996
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How do we make games for girls?
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1997
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1997-1999
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• March 1999
• Big Pink Buys Purple Moon 

• Oct 2001
• Mattel Sells Interactive Division

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See? We told you girls dont play computer
games!
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Why did this happen?

• The industry took an entire market of women and
  defined it as a genre of fashion, shopping, and
  makeup games for girls ages 6-10.

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• Computer game revenues have topped 9.4 billion
  dollars, outranking Hollywood box office
  receipts.
• Salon magazine.
• So whats the problem?

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• The traditional target market of males ages 15-25
  is not growing as fast as the games industry.
• Salon Magazine

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• Today, females between the ages of 15 and 25
  control over 14 billion dollars a year in
  disposable income.
• -Newsweek Magazine

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Houston, we have a problem
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What does work?

• We can identify and remove the barriers that
  prevent women from accessing the titles we are
  making today.

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An example of areas where barriers exist in our
games

• Learning styles
• Avatar representation

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Warning

• The following information is based on broad
  population generalities. It is highly likely you
  will know of someone that does not fit exactly
  into these profiles.
• (If you are female and you are in the audience
  todaythen that person will most likely be you!!)

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Gender Differences in Learning Styles

• Males

• Females

• Risk-takers
• Explorative

• Want to know how it works first
• Modeling/Imitative

Most of the tutorials in todays games are
designed to appeal to an explorative learning
style.
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• Avatar \Avatar"\, n.1. An image representing
  a user in a virtual reality space.

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• Because they represent heroes, male and female
  avatars will often exhibit exaggerated physical
  signals of youth strength, and fertility/virility

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Youth, Strength and Fertility/Virility

• Males
• Large Shoulders
• Slim waists
• Slim hips
• Large thighs and calves
• Long, thick hair

• Females
• Large breasts, placed high on the chest
• Slim waists
• Round derrières
• Long, thick hair

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• Very often female avatars display exaggerated
  physical signals of sexual receptivity.
• Male avatars rarely display these signals.

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Sexual receptivity

• Red, full lips
• Heavy lidded eyes
• Heavy breathing (usually indicated by a slightly
  open mouth)
• Erect nipples

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Solutions

• Design tutorials that use imitative models as
  well as evaporative models
• Use educational software as models
• Make your female characters heroic, but do not
  hypersexualize them
• Use female athletes as body models

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Sometimes the best man for the job is a woman

• The game industry isnt on womens career radar
• Must recruit in non-traditional areas
• Build today for employees tomorrow

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Production Environment

• Quality of life issues
• Women have less leisure time
• Benefits are very important
• Physical space
• Keep it clean
• Appropriate facilities

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Solutions

• Understand you will have to recruit women and
  get creative in your recruiting
• Address quality of life issues in your office
  including - but not limited to over time,
  benefits, and actual physical space

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Traditional channels do not reach female consumers
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Traditional box and ad images can actively stop
female consumers
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Ad messaging can adversely affect not only
product but corporate image
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The Second Best Thing To Do In The Dark Ad for
GBA
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Where to start

• Adjust tutorials to allow for modeling learning
  styles
• Consider forgiveness for error rather than
  punishment
• Make female avatars attractive, but not
  hyper-sexual
• Clearly state you intend your audience to contain
  females
• Seek out qualified female candidates

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But what if the player is female?
Sheri Graner RayScreenBurnSouth by
SouthwestMarch 10, 2006