Girls on Games Tells Women's Tabletop Industry Stories

MarlaDesat

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Girls on Games Tells Women's Tabletop Industry Stories

[kickstarter="elisa-teague/girls-on-games-a-look-at-the-fairer-side-of-the-in"}

Kickstarter campaign for a book about women in tabletop boasts essays by designers from Paizo Publishing, Looney Labs, Lone Shark Games, Wizards of the Coast and more.

The Kickstarter campaign for a compilation of essays about women working in the tabletop industry has hit its $2,500 goal in less than 24 hours. Girls on Games [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/625614616/girls-on-games-a-look-at-the-fairer-side-of-the-in] collects essays from ten industry professionals, with topics ranging from how to break into the industry and games made "for girls", to advice for dealing with sexism and improving representation in the field. The money raised by the Kickstarter will pay the contributors and cover graphic design, layout, printing and fulfillment costs for the book. The funding campaign began August 27 and ends September 26.

"Girls on Games is a new book written by a compilation of female game industry professionals, with the aim to engage, entertain, and educate both seasoned gamers and game-makers as well as novice game inventors and those seeking positions within this amazing industry of ours!" writes project creator Elisa Teague, tabletop consultant and former Senior Director of Production and Design at Playroom Entertainment. "Girls on Games is for everyone. Seriously," adds Teague. "While our writers are female and our main target audience is female, all of the advice and tips for breaking into the industry, as well as the funny (and serious) stories are for everyone - not just women." The ten announced contributors work in all areas of the tabletop industry, including design, promotion, and production.

Contributor Peggy Brown has done design and development work for many major publishers, including Hasbro, Mattel, Warner Brothers, and Disney. Brown has contributed to the development of hundreds of games, and began her career as a staff designer working on the classic games Girl Talk, Outburst, and Pretty Pretty Princess. Kristin Looney is the co-founder and CEO of Looney Labs, best known for the chaotic card game Fluxx. Tanis O'Connor is a designer and organized play coordinator for Wizards of the Coast [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tag/view/paizo?from_search=1] and Lone Shark Games. Gaby Weidling, currently at Lone Shark Games, has developed puzzles for Microsoft, Wired, and convention events including PAX and Gen Con.

On the business and promotion side of the industry, Rebekah Zetty, Director of Operations at Playroom Entertainment, works with factories to get games made. Model and artist Toni Darling has promoted several tabletop companies, including Calliope Games, Japanime Games, and Arcane Wonders. Illustrator and entertainer Satine Phoenix, who appeared in The Escapist's Celebrity Charity Dungeons and Dragons [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/i-hit-it-with-my-axe]. Also announced as contributors are Jessica Blair, Trin Garritano, and Teeuwynn Woodruff.

If the project raises $3000, a foreword by game designer Mike Selinker [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tag/view/mike%20selinker] will be unlocked. Nicole Lindroos of Green Ronin Publishing will contribute a chapter if the project raises $4000. Later stretch goals add additional, secret contributors.

Source: Girls on Games on Kickstarter [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/625614616/girls-on-games-a-look-at-the-fairer-side-of-the-in]


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CaitSeith

Formely Gone Gonzo
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Jun 30, 2014
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Bolo The Great said:
We need more female voices that aren't screaming to tear down aspects of games and gaming. Hopefully this will show many outside that the 'boys club' is an oversimplification.

There is a lot of good crowd-funding going on at the moment. If you would like to support women in other areas of geekery like Video Games The Fine Young Capitalists are running an Indie-go-go campaign to make game ideas from women with no previous experience in games. Proceeds will go to the creators and charity. Check it out.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-fine-young-capitalists--2
It would be better not to mention them right now. They are part of a serious and toxic controversy that's better to stay out of until the fallout becomes non-hazardous.
 

josemlopes

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CaitSeith said:
Bolo The Great said:
We need more female voices that aren't screaming to tear down aspects of games and gaming. Hopefully this will show many outside that the 'boys club' is an oversimplification.

There is a lot of good crowd-funding going on at the moment. If you would like to support women in other areas of geekery like Video Games The Fine Young Capitalists are running an Indie-go-go campaign to make game ideas from women with no previous experience in games. Proceeds will go to the creators and charity. Check it out.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-fine-young-capitalists--2
It would be better not to mention them right now. They are part of a serious and toxic controversy that's better to stay out of until the fallout becomes non-hazardous.
No one liked to talk about how Ubisoft didnt have any female protagonist in AC:U but for some reason no one shut the fuck up about it so lets not have the community pick what is and what isnt safe to talk about.
 

Frozengale

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Is there a pledge level to make sure Anita Sarkeesian and Zoe Quinn are never brought up by anyone in the comments section of this project? Because if there is I'll donate to it like 10 times.

EDIT - Welp, I was gonna donate then I looked at some of the rewards and the planned chapters for the book. I'm not going to donate to a book that's going to be just another whine session.
 

scotth266

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Jan 10, 2009
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Perhaps it's a stylistic quibble on my part, but I hate the color pink and the use of the term "fairer sex" coupled with the "girly" font. I would be interested in watching a documentary about women in the tabletop gaming industry but this one's hitting all the wrong buttons for me in terms of advertising based on that video thumbnail.
 

CaitSeith

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Bolo The Great said:
That is why most sites are blacking them out. Because something does not fit a comfortable narrative does not make it unworthy of coverage and does not stop it being a cause worth funding. Judge the campaign on it's own merits instead of covering your ears and eyes. Why in the world deny publicity to a cause supporting women in games just because there is a shit-storm going on right now? They're running the campaign RIGHT NOW, if we wait for everything to become all nice again they will miss out on their goals.
josemlopes said:
No one liked to talk about how Ubisoft didnt have any female protagonist in AC:U but for some reason no one shut the fuck up about it so lets not have the community pick what is and what isnt safe to talk about.
OK. If you have your radiation proof vest covered with anti-projectiles protection ready, be my guest.
 

Jupiter065

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Sounds like a good project, I hope they and their project are met with respect and fairness from the tabletop community.

I really, really hope. Hoping hard over here.
 

SacremPyrobolum

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"Creating balanced game design for both men and women"

Do men and women play table top games that differently? This seems like the only chapter I would even consider reading in the whole book, because that sounds like a fascinating question.

Ehhh, it's probably just more bitching.
 

Harry Mason

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Jupiter065 said:
Sounds like a good project, I hope they and their project are met with respect and fairness from the tabletop community.

I really, really hope. Hoping hard over here.
I think it will be. The tabletop community is less volatile than the video game community in my experience, but, hell, I've been proven tragically wrong before.

OT, Backed.
Also, as a general response to the comments I've read so far on this thread...

DISCUSSING SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU UNCOMFORTABLE ≠ WHINING OR PANDERING

These discussions are going to be opened up and examined at this point, and no amount of people pissing and moaning about how they're tired of them or summoning the specter of the "Feminazi" boogieman is going to change that. No one is coming to take the fun out of your games, and no one would still be having these discussions if they weren't still relevant. Period.

The comments on any website discussing feminism justify feminism.
 
Jan 12, 2012
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scotth266 said:
Perhaps it's a stylistic quibble on my part, but I hate the color pink and the use of the term "fairer sex" coupled with the "girly" font. I would be interested in watching a documentary about women in the tabletop gaming industry but this one's hitting all the wrong buttons for me in terms of advertising based on that video thumbnail.
Not just you, my friend. I'm automatically predisposed to dislike anything that promises to tell the story of women in a male-dominated field that uses pick and curly letters; it seems to undermine any attempt to give weight to something.

OT: I like how Satine Phoenix is credited as an "entertainer" in the Escapist's blurb which in the same breath mentions that she hosted a show whose whole gimmick was "porn actors playing PNP RPGs".
 

144_v1legacy

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Apr 25, 2008
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Who needs women when so many of the male players are pussies to begin with?

(note to mods: that was a joke. Yes, it was off-color, but, if that garners me a warning like my hot dog joke then I'll again be disappointed in you and wonder how ZP gets away with it).
 

Zanderinfal

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Thunderous Cacophony said:
scotth266 said:
Perhaps it's a stylistic quibble on my part, but I hate the color pink and the use of the term "fairer sex" coupled with the "girly" font. I would be interested in watching a documentary about women in the tabletop gaming industry but this one's hitting all the wrong buttons for me in terms of advertising based on that video thumbnail.
Not just you, my friend. I'm automatically predisposed to dislike anything that promises to tell the story of women in a male-dominated field that uses pick and curly letters; it seems to undermine any attempt to give weight to something.
Same here. I saw that and immediately thought, "are they trying to break stereotypes or enforce them?" As tiny as it may be, it seems pretty dumb to me.

OT: This could either be something relatively interesting, or it could be something not worth talking about. I'll see how it turns out. If it works out well (i.e. it's released and is good) I might give it a look.
 

Bara_no_Hime

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Harry Mason said:
Also, as a general response to the comments I've read so far on this thread...
DISCUSSING SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU UNCOMFORTABLE ≠ WHINING OR PANDERING
Thank you. Guys? This, right here.

While I am often the first to criticize Second Wave feminist comments about the patriarchy, the "glass ceiling" is a real thing. There are certain industries where it is difficult for women to find jobs. And I'm not talking 50/50 number splits here, I'm talking talented women who don't get the kind of attention or promotion they deserve. So yeah, maybe give the book a chance before you start assuming you know what the chapters are going to say on those topics?

Although, I will say one thing:

Booth Babes? Really? Isn't that more of a video game thing? This is supposed to be a book about Tabletop games. Did Magic: The Gathering have booth babes while I wasn't paying attention?
 

IvoryOasis

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Bolo The Great said:
We need more female voices that aren't screaming to tear down aspects of games and gaming. Hopefully this will show many outside that the 'boys club' is an oversimplification.
EDIT: **looks at chapter names** oh well i guess we can't have everything. I was hoping it would be a celebration of women in table-top gaming but it looks more like another finger-waving session. I hope one day we can actually have a positive discussion about this.

There is a lot of good crowd-funding going on at the moment. If you would like to support women in other areas of geekery like Video Games The Fine Young Capitalists are running an Indie-go-go campaign to make game ideas from women with no previous experience in games. Proceeds will go to the creators and charity. Check it out.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-fine-young-capitalists--2
How are they supporting women??

Their studio is 11 men...and 4 women (but they only show the women, of course).

They are just taking some womans idea and making a simple mobile game with it. Then, the PROFITS (after they pay their entire studio) are split up....8 percent going to the woman whos idea was selected...and 92 percent going to charity.

In what way is this about supporting women in "leadership roles' (as they claim).

It is exploiting women. Using them as token media bait to get funding to boost their portfolio and get publicity / some work.
 

elthingo

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Mar 7, 2013
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IvoryOasis said:
Bolo The Great said:
We need more female voices that aren't screaming to tear down aspects of games and gaming. Hopefully this will show many outside that the 'boys club' is an oversimplification.
EDIT: **looks at chapter names** oh well i guess we can't have everything. I was hoping it would be a celebration of women in table-top gaming but it looks more like another finger-waving session. I hope one day we can actually have a positive discussion about this.

There is a lot of good crowd-funding going on at the moment. If you would like to support women in other areas of geekery like Video Games The Fine Young Capitalists are running an Indie-go-go campaign to make game ideas from women with no previous experience in games. Proceeds will go to the creators and charity. Check it out.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-fine-young-capitalists--2
How are they supporting women??

Their studio is 11 men...and 4 women (but they only show the women, of course).

They are just taking some womans idea and making a simple mobile game with it. Then, the PROFITS (after they pay their entire studio) are split up....8 percent going to the woman whos idea was selected...and 92 percent going to charity.

In what way is this about supporting women in "leadership roles' (as they claim).

It is exploiting women. Using them as token media bait to get funding to boost their portfolio and get publicity / some work.
Literally all the woman did was give them an idea. The entire presentation of the idea, the art, programming and every single other thing is done by them. I really don't understand how 8% of the profits for an idea, something very solid to put on the CV for several women and a large amount of money going to a cancer charity is a bad thing...
 

Ranorak

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Feb 17, 2010
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And here I was thinking that board games such a DnD and Shadowrun where far more women friendly due to the whole "here are the rules, male and female have no stat differences, make your own protagonist."

Maybe an argument could be made about sexy armour on females, I don't know how the female community looks at that.