Portal Creator Sees End to Industry Sexism in 20 Years

[Abomination]

I can only really talk about what I've experienced, but, going through the education of Game Design, I've found the following.

Four years ago, I entered College to study Game Design.

There were no females in this class.

Two years ago, I entered a University for The Art of Game Design.

20 Students total, 15 Males, 5 Females.

Last year, the intake was 10 Males, 10 Females.

Thus, I can conclude, that in 2 years time, nothing but females will be entering the Game Industry.

It must be true, satistics say so!

We better start a movement to ensure equal representation of males in the gaming industry, otherwise men will be washed aside by this tsunami of women graduates!

 

[Something Amyss]

its kind of sad that a 20 year prediction is an optimistic one...

"We're realistic."

That's the way to do it. Targeting the youth is always the best way to shift cultural ideology. Many of the white adults in the 60's that hated minorities still hated them after the civil rights movement, but most of their children didn't. Look at the issue of gay marriage in the US right now. It gets a huge amount of support from young people whose ideology is at odds with that of their parents.

The problem is, the youth were already the leading voices before hand. Now, I'm not saying that this won't happen, but the people who run the industry tend to be older and there's an issue of capacity for exposure.

TV is a much more open medium (relatively so), and we still have issues with blacks on TV well after the Civil Rights movement of the 60s.

Let's keep in mind also that the other end of the stick is the demographic for games. There's a strong market for juvenile male fantasy, because teenage boys are a huge market. And late teen to twenties is the golden market. They're often the ones online bitching out women and they're the primary market. They're the ones who get butthurt when someone brings up a bigger female presence. They're the ones who buy the most games.

Now, I'd LOVE to see more of a female presence in gaming, but we still have issues seeing women in technology, period. And the lack of a market for women is an issue, and so on. If Kim Swift can inspire little girls to grow up to be a part of the industry, great. I also think that's in itself a touch optimistic.

In the next 20 years we will have to deal with 30 or 40 apocalypses, I wonder if the lack of sexism in gaming will be one of them?

Well, it's a slippery slope from women in gaming to women running concentration camps.

Followed by at least 100 manchildren attempting to be the first ones to ask how she has time to develop games from the kitchen.

And defending whatever horrific things are said about her simply because she'd like to see women allowed into the clubhouse.

It's kind of sad but from my personal experience almost all of the sexism in regards to video games has come from women not men, anonymous internet not included. I only know of one woman (in my life at the moment) who does not think gaming is one of those "Sad things grown men do that are meant for little boys."

I wonder what kind of filter that's poured through.

 

[kburns10]

If she had said 5 years, I would have said no way. But 20 actually seems reasonable. People are beginning to speak up about the discrimination against women in the industry as well as deriding those who do it. If people continue to speak up and not passively let it happen, we might really see change. I'd love to see women becoming more influential in the gaming industry.

 

[The Lunatic]

It must be true, satistics say so!

We better start a movement to ensure equal representation of males in the gaming industry, otherwise men will be washed aside by this tsunami of women graduates!

Exactly! We need to fight for the right of representation in the industry!

 

[LazyAza]

Sadly I think Kim is right, gonna take another few more console cycles before we will truly see a big shift in peoples behavior and thinking regarding sexism in the industry in all its forms. Perhaps when the tired old marketing focused jerks in charge who still think 90% of the audience is 14-30 males who want nothing but boobs and guns in their games are retired or dead we'll make some progress. =P

 

[Moonlight Butterfly]

When someone is completely and reasonably capable of doing a thing and then is told not to "because reasons", that's ***ism in general. And it's privilege that makes it difficult for guys to see just how prevalent that is.

Please tell me where they're told "because reasons". If a girl said she wanted to be a game developer and the university told her "sorry you're not allowed in this C Programming class", "sorry no entrance to girls in this 3D Design class...because reasons", "sorry this game design school doesn't allow girls", THEN you would have a goddamn point. Show me evidence of this kind of shit happening all over the place, THEN you would have a point.

But when a girl says "I want to become a dentist!" who the hell is anyone to tell her she should pursue game design instead? Game design doesn't attract her interest, and that's the end of that!

The reason as to WHY genders sway towards certain professions is deep in the realms of science & research, not political debates about whether it's sexism or not. Men are men, women are women, there ARE differences. Let the scientists figure those differences out fair n' square. The world goes on regardless of which gender is or isn't interested in X or Y profession, and so far the world has done pretty darn well looking at how far we've come.

I will admit that the founders of game design and gaming as a whole were primarily male, so obviously gaming became a male thing and as a result most game designers ended up being male. That's how it turned out, you can't change the past. But more women ARE getting interested in gaming & game design, which is great. Except for the way some people harp on about it, making it sound like some sort of epidemic that not enough women are into game design? It's like complaining that not enough men are midwives. They are perfectly capable of doing it right? So please, none of this sexism talk.

I don't really care about gender ratios as much as I care about having good GAMES, and 2012 has been an awesome year for gaming. Who gives a shit what gender the developers were? Do we care what RACE they were? Of course not, so why gender?

Today I logged on facebook and found someone who had linked a video about specifically ganking girl gamers on wow because 'girls are ruining gaming'. It had more likes than dislikes. This is the sort of thing nerdy women have to put up with.

Being called fake, you are doing it for attention, you must be ugly if you are playing games, condescension from guys we meet on said games, on forums, on websites. All of these things turn women away from gaming not to mention getting the constant message that female characters aren't worth anything unless they are 'hot'.

As for the industry well I have heard about a indie game company that is predominantly women because when the company they worked for went bankrupt in the recession only the male workers were given new jobs. The women weren't even called for interviews despite having the same qualifications. Just look at this thread and see how many people haven't heard of Kim Swift. She was the lead on PORTAL ffs one of the lead games of this generation and no one has heard of her? That makes you think there is nothing wrong does it?

It's bullshit all of it and you don't have any right to sit there and say it doesn't exist.

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

There's all this talk of sexism in games, but people seldom note that there are prominent examples of progressive games. Mirror's Edge? Fans are clamoring for a sequel, EA has all but said they're working on it, and the game featured an unsexualized plausible female lead. (inb4 she wore a tank top so she's objectified, inb4 'but we wanna be sexy')

There's a difference between sexism in games - what is presented on screens - and sexism in the industry, what happens behind the scenes. It sounds more like the people working on games are atypically sexist. Whether or not that results in more sexist games? Maybe. But that's an issue that needs to be solved on its own. This problem we're talking about is women in the workplace kind of guff, not women in the media or portrayals of fictional women. Well. Not guff. That's a poor choice of word. ...you get my point.

I don't really care about gender ratios as much as I care about having good GAMES, and 2012 has been an awesome year for gaming. Who gives a shit what gender the developers were? Do we care what RACE they were? Of course not, so why gender?

I understand why you don't care for the behind the scenes workings of the entertainment you consume... but geez, you can't tell other people that they shouldn't care. Especially not when people's careers are on the line about this stuff. I get that you don't wanna acknowledge the inner workings of products, that's fine, but these are real people we're talking about, real people with jobs and lives and families, whose entire existence hinges on the products you buy and support. I get it. You don't have to acknowledge it. But that doesn't give you the grounds on which you can write it off completely.

It's bullshit all of it and you don't have any right to sit there and say it doesn't exist.

You're the only one in this thread so far that I actually like. Because you have a brain and you use it to adequately process ideas and concepts. ...it's so... I... I get so confused and outright upset when people seem not to be able to grasp what sexism is and what fighting it actually means. It's equally disheartening that the only person that "gets it" in this entire thread is a girl. I'm really growing to hate "nerd culture" with a passionate loathing; it's whole existence, far as I can tell, is to create an exclusive little group where those who were once ostracized and bullied and ostracize and bully others instead. It's the equivalent of the old cooties-fearing "girls nut aloud!!1!" child's mentality on a large, industry-spanning scale. And my god do I hate it. I feel more and more ashamed to like geeky things every day because it means I have to associate with this tightly wound group of utter assholes who are protecting their land like a bunch of pitbulls. Eck.

Thanks for posting, it's important that I remind myself there are those smarter and wiser than I that can actually go a way to educate about this subject with actual experience and knowledge. I want to help any way I can but I know that as a dude I really shouldn't try to do it myself. I am back-up! I am not the front line on this, and it would be pretentious of me to think so. ...or... or so I've learned.

 

[Smeatza]

Two things.

This is yet another article that seems to think the sexism only happens to women. It also seems to operate on the basis of "If there aren't just as many women as men within any given industry then it's down to sexism" which just isn't true.

And this prediction is ridiculous. The retail industry is one of the oldest in the world, then they still suffer from sexism. What's so special about the video game industry that it can eradicate sexism (something no culture/company has ever managed) within only 20 years?

I realise that this is a magazine site but does such a complicated issue have to be so simplified.


I just noticed this before I posted as well.

You're the only one in this thread so far that I actually like. Because you have a brain and you use it to adequately process ideas and concepts. ...it's so... I... I get so confused and outright upset when people seem not to be able to grasp what sexism is and what fighting it actually means. It's equally disheartening that the only person that "gets it" in this entire thread is a girl. I'm really growing to hate "nerd culture" with a passionate loathing; it's whole existence, far as I can tell, is to create an exclusive little group where those who were once ostracized and bullied and ostracize and bully others instead. It's the equivalent of the old cooties-fearing "girls nut aloud!!1!" child's mentality on a large, industry-spanning scale. And my god do I hate it. I feel more and more ashamed to like geeky things every day because it means I have to associate with this tightly wound group of utter assholes who are protecting their land like a bunch of pitbulls. Eck.

You have bought into a media narrative that does not accurately represent the culture or those within it.
It's sensationalism, nothing short of it.

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

You have bought into a media narrative that does not accurately represent the culture or those within it.
It's sensationalism, nothing short of it.

I must be a sensationalist then because I'm speaking only from personal experience. The more I interact with people who are "in the culture" - especially in person - the less inclined I am to want to be apart of it. I've met nice people too! No doubt! But so many people who associate as "nerds" and "geeks" are racist, sexist homophobes. I speak only from evidence presented to me by my own eyes - I was of this opinion before "the media" told me I should have it.

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

no kid really thinks of the people that make the games,

Except for those who grew up to be the people making games, presumably. I think there's an implication that many of the women in the industry today wanted to make games when they were but wee lasses but perhaps didn't have a female icon to look up to in the field, and now they want to be sure that for the (admittedly few!) kids that are thinking along the same lines as them, they are those role models that were vacant during their childhoods. It's like where you really want to be an astronaut but then you give up because you find out you're meant to be fit and consistently active and you really don't wanna do it? There's no doubt a girl at one point as a kid wanted to make games and then gave up because "girls aren't meant to make games" or something akin to that.

Kids aren't dumb. If you don't place many obstacles in their way they will likely grow up to be what they want to be. Encouraging a few of them along the way sure don't hurt. And every kid has an interest; I loved music, I knew who musicians were, and now I've grown up to be a musician. No DOUBT there is one kid at LEAST that loves games, knows who game developers are, and will grow up to be a game developer. Besides. Game developers are basically über-nerds, artists and programmers and real concept-minded heavy thinkers. Those kids that grew up to be game developers were likely not your... how you say it... "average" kid.

 

[Smeatza]

You have bought into a media narrative that does not accurately represent the culture or those within it.
It's sensationalism, nothing short of it.

I must be a sensationalist then because I'm speaking only from personal experience. The more I interact with people who are "in the culture" - especially in person - the less inclined I am to want to be apart of it. I've met nice people too! No doubt! But so many people who associate as "nerds" and "geeks" are racist, sexist homophobes. I speak only from evidence presented to me by my own eyes - I was of this opinion before "the media" told me I should have it.

The only "feminists" I've met have been opinionated man-haters who think females are superior to males and that we should act accordingly. All the evidence that has been presented to my own eyes points to this.
However I have taken the time to research feminism, I've taken the time to discover that those I've spoken to are extremists within the feminist community.
The same applies to you, you are allowing a vocal minority to represent the majority.
No doubt the media bias has helped solidify your discriminative opinion.

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

You have bought into a media narrative that does not accurately represent the culture or those within it.
It's sensationalism, nothing short of it.

I must be a sensationalist then because I'm speaking only from personal experience. The more I interact with people who are "in the culture" - especially in person - the less inclined I am to want to be apart of it. I've met nice people too! No doubt! But so many people who associate as "nerds" and "geeks" are racist, sexist homophobes. I speak only from evidence presented to me by my own eyes - I was of this opinion before "the media" told me I should have it.

The only "feminists" I've met have been opinionated man-haters who think females are superior to males and that we should act accordingly. All the evidence that has been presented to my own eyes points to this.
However I have taken the time to research feminism, I've taken the time to discover that those I've spoken to are extremists within the feminist community.
The same applies to you, you are allowing a vocal minority to represent the majority.
No doubt the media bias has helped solidify your discriminative opinion.

I never said they were a majority. I just they're making me less inclined to join in with them. I feel like I have to separate myself from the community to avoid looking like one of them; I'm sure "proper" feminists feel the same way about the more extreme, outspoken ones.

May I ask what you mean by "media," by the way? Do you mean the media? Or just popular opinion as reported on by media outlets? Or any site that blogs news articles and presents opinions? How... how can I be brainwashed by the media when I disregard so many sources of "the media" while consuming from conflicting, contrasting sources? Where are you drawing the line?

 

[Rednog]

Just look at this thread and see how many people haven't heard of Kim Swift. She was the lead on PORTAL ffs one of the lead games of this generation and no one has heard of her? That makes you think there is nothing wrong does it?

Actually there is absolutely nothing wrong with no one knowing her name, because she really isn't a big public figure head. She isn't a Gabe Newell, or a Cliffy B nor a Miamoto. Hell can you name any of the lead designers from the last 10 games, I sure as shit can't. Hell I probably can't name a single one from the last 50 games I played. People rarely if ever pay attention to who makes games. The people that are known in the industry are usually figureheads/legends that have built up a reputation (for better or worse) over years. She hasn't exactly been in the public eye that long, yes she's been in the industry for a while but it's not like we've seen her in articles across the board.

Speaking of Portal, hell I know Glados's voice actor because she's out there, I've seen her do a bunch of things, she pops up in a lot of discussions.

 

[Patrick Buck]

This man helped make Portal. Who are we to argue?

Jokes aside, I don't really ever see sexism leaving anything, ever. Because there will always be someone, some person ruining it for all. But it may be shrunk, but I don't think it'll ever go completely. It's a shame but it's true. :/

 

[Milanezi]

What I want to know is WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE FISH CAN PLAY VIDEO GAMES? Heh, now that's an issue to be raised I tell ye!

 

[Patrick Buck]

This man helped make Portal. Who are we to argue?

um, i can only speak for me... Who am i to argue? I'm someone who understands that appeal to false authority is a logical fallacy. I mean if this guy told us that the world was flat & was sitting atop four elephents, standding on the back of a giant turtle, he would be likewise wrong.

An please don't do the "i was kidding" thing... How does that old saying go about the things we say in jest.

I hate to go against you... but if you actually read the rest of my post, it was pretty clear I was being sarcastic. The "Jokes aside" as the next line might have clued you in a bit, but I couldn't expect you to read two sentences of writing could I?

Just kidding mate.

 

[Milanezi]

There are less female programmers / software engineers than male ones so maybe thats why the industry employs more men rather than because it is sexist for the fun of it . . . .

Shit, that's true... Like in engineering everyone jokes about "there're no girls in Engineering Campus" and the there's all the macho jokes and stuff that are basically male stupidity and that makes all of us (men) to have a good time because we probably DO have some screws lose). But you don't hear that kind of joke coming from a Lawschool or a Medical student, because, well, there are many girls in those colleges (my Lawschool class had many more women than men).
So yeah, maybe it is somehow as you said, the fact of a male dominated professional area (programming/software engineering) might impact on the audience that gets the game.

On a side note, there's also the audience that WANTS the game, if once it was determined that the main audience is a male audience, games will attend to that public's expectations and realizations, which brings me to question: is it a sexism in video games thing? Or more likely a sexism in CULTURE thing? Would you open a whole branch of barbecue stores serving cow meat in India? No, you wouldn't. You won't m ake games for girls if they don't want to play them either.
BUT, times have changed, if we get pressed about sexism is either because: a) good option: women are now into the gamer demographic in a considerable number, and are pressing for changes, those changes must be met because they are now part of the target audience; b) bad option: women are still not interested in games, but developers want to sell more games so they want to to force them into liking games, and they'll do it by getting rid of "sexism", and by that understand anything at all that doesn't appeal to women.

The (many) women I know who enjoy games already enjoy them and have NEVER raised any comments or complaints about sexism in games, they might eventually roll their eyes to one thing or another, but never in the rage filled angst.