Women in Games Conference Canceled Due to Lack of Delegates

[SinEstelle]

Seriously, women need to stop pulling shit like this. What are they trying to accomplish by holding conferences like these?
You never see guys starting male video game conferences.

Few things in this world fill me with seething, incoherent rage. The news about the cancelled conference didn't even quite get me there. This comment does.

Special conferences for women wouldn't be necessary if sexism didn't exist. But it still does. As made obvious by the comments on this article, it's still rampant. And anyone who thinks differently is probably a white male with little education on the subject. And those particular people can take their opinions and perform some miscellaneous sex act with them.

Did you even think about what you wrote? It's almost like you believe that singling women out and making special events for them is the best way to solve the issue of sexism.

Were there such a huge issue of women being downtrodden in the industry, would it not be better to hold a conference which is open to both genders. That way it would be possible to promote women and the fact that we're just as able TO the men who are being sexist?

But personally, I haven't come across any issues to date that merit anything like that. The only issue with women in the industry is that not many want to be involved in it, there's nothing stopping them at all.

 

[Sennz0r]

Seriously, women need to stop pulling shit like this. What are they trying to accomplish by holding conferences like these?
You never see guys starting male video game conferences.

Few things in this world fill me with seething, incoherent rage. The news about the cancelled conference didn't even quite get me there. This comment does.

Special conferences for women wouldn't be necessary if sexism didn't exist. But it still does. As made obvious by the comments on this article, it's still rampant. And anyone who thinks differently is probably a white male with little education on the subject. And those particular people can take their opinions and perform some miscellaneous sex act with them.

Yes, sexism still exists, but it exists in every major industry. You want to start a conference for Women in Office Equipment too?

We're not talking about sexism as a whole here, we're talking about women in the gaming industry and the people who apparently think they don't get the attention they deserve at every other VG conference there is, which are incidentally mixed gender. From what I hear women in the gaming industry aren't being bashed on too much to warrant a conference like this. I don't know a lot of people who'd consider game design strictly a man's job, what with all the different aspects that are concerned with it (coding, level/character design etc.). It's a versatile business, and personally I don't see any of it to be more fit for either gender.

Yes it's a relatively new phenomenon, but apart from the douchebag masses who shout women don't exist on da intarwebs I haven't heard of women being actively discriminated in the gaming industry.

However I'm not omniscient of course, so if my perception is completely off base then please direct me to the "proof", so to say, of the contrary and I'd be happy to review my take on this, but please don't tell me to perform miscellaneous sex acts with my opinions. That's just sexist.

 

[slopeslider]

I think Lifetime Movie Network should show more programs for men. Most of their stuff is MADE by men, why can't we have the odd terrorist attack or some bullet time?

I think I'll start a confrence for men who like lifetime but wished it catered more to us.
There's NO WAY it can backfire!

 

[Stabby Joe]

The line in the article that strikes me is "to give women in the gaming industry a voice"...

...BS! Women HAVE a voice. The gaming industry is NOT gender basis when it comes to jobs. Just because the average women isn't as interested in gaming a men does not mean they're being repressed somehow.

And anyone who thinks differently is probably a white male with little education on the subject.

Can I assume I would not be allowed to say in contrast a black female?

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Perhaps it would have more delegates if it was advertised?

I mean, I keep a reasonable eye on the gaming world and I didn't see anything about it.

 

[WorkerMurphey]

Why undertake the expense of having a separate conference? Why not just have special break out sessions or discussion tracks at GDC or SXSW that could accomplish the same thing? It's obvious there isn't ENOUGH of a willing (i.e. paying) audience to support a independent conference. There's no reason to make it a all or nothing decision.

You make a good point. I think the woman's angle in gaming is something worth attention in some form or another. Although certainly there are female gamers in the spectrum of gamers out there I think attention ought to be paid as they are an oft ignored or underrepresented, as far as I can tell, segment of the industry. Everyone brings something different to the table, sure, but some voices are a little different to the mainstream and are worth hearing.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

And anyone who thinks differently is probably a white male with little education on the subject. And those particular people can take their opinions and perform some miscellaneous sex act with them.

And BANG, there goes that argument in a ball of flames.

Reasons to have conferences for a specific group is NOT to attack non-members of that group. It's to bring members of the group together. Now, if gamer-women don't feel the need to attend, perhaps it's because they either
a) Don't feel the need to bond or
b) Will bond with non-members or
c) Don't really need a conference in the first place to play/write games.

Perhaps, and I know this is a MAD idea, they just want to create/play great games, like Dona Baily, Carol Shaw, Carla Meninsky, Julie Hoshizaki, Roberta Williams, Dani Bunten Berry, Brenda Brathwaite and Anne Westfall.

As well as one or two that might just be on these very forums.

 

[Sennz0r]

And anyone who thinks differently is probably a white male with little education on the subject. And those particular people can take their opinions and perform some miscellaneous sex act with them.

And BANG, there goes that argument in a ball of flames.

Reasons to have conferences for a specific group is NOT to attack non-members of that group. It's to bring members of the group together. Now, if gamer-women don't feel the need to attend, perhaps it's because they either
a) Don't feel the need to bond or
b) Will bond with non-members or
c) Don't really need a conference in the first place to play/write games.

Perhaps, and I know this is a MAD idea, they just want to create/play great games, like Dona Baily, Carol Shaw, Carla Meninsky, Julie Hoshizaki, Roberta Williams, Dani Bunten Berry, Brenda Brathwaite and Anne Westfall.

As well as one or two that might just be on these very forums.

Hear hear. I love you Root.

I'd also like to add that I think it might be a good idea to listen more to women in the business, although I think that's already being done quite a bit more than it used to.
Seems to me we get a bigger palate of games that way, including a number of female characters who don't look like they've been dressed with just a clothes line. I just don't think a separate conference is necessary. I don't see female speakers getting boo'd out at every other conference.

 

[hypothetical fact]

Seriously, women need to stop pulling shit like this. What are they trying to accomplish by holding conferences like these?
You never see guys starting male video game conferences.

That's because guys are 90something% of the people in the game industry. Honestly, it might not even be expressed in sexism sometimes. Instead it would be expressed in games that cater mostly to the male audience, which is also the majority, like Bayonetta.

The majority of the market is male, to aim at a minority is to deliberatly decrease profit potential and why would men or women want to do that?

 

[ezeroast]

Since when are women aloud to play video games?
Next thing you know they'll be aloud to vote....

 

[Orcus The Ultimate]

problably on Facebook playin Farmville or some crappy/adict games like that...

 

[chozo_hybrid]

I know that when people think of gaming they tend to think of guys, but honestly, these people touting around the idea that being female and being a gamer somehow makes you special are beginning to annoy me. As far as I'm concerned, we're all people united by our love of games. Why can't we leave it at that?

This is what I was thinking and have for quite a while, it doesn't matter whether you're male or female, it's about how you play the game.

 

[Dr. Paine]

Heh.

Honestly, I don't feel too bad if it was shut down. Yeah, women are still a 'minority' (by what, two percent now?) in gaming, but it doesn't need special attention.

Real equality of the sexes is just shutting up and getting on with things, skill taking precedence over gender.

I think we'll be seeing that around the time of the next Duke Nukem game, but it's worth throwing out there.

 

[walmartius]

I really don't see how pointing out how you as a member of group X are different from group Y is supposed to help you be accepted as a equal by group Y. If anything it seems to me that having a special group X conference only serves to strengthen the divide between the two groups. Instead of bringing male and females together to foster a sense of unity and understanding, you are alienating the males and potentially creating a us and them mindset as opposed to a us mindset.

 

[Nerf Ninja]

If people want to battle sexism in the game industry they need to look at the games first before the gamers/developers.

You have a medium perfectly poised to educate as well as entertain and all they seem to be capable of is creating eyecandy women as opposed to strong and equally capable female role models, admittedly there are one or two exceptions as usual but most are rather one dimensional except for around the chest area.

Why couldn't Dom have been a woman hunting for her husband in Gears of War? Or even Marcus could have been Margaret.

Women are not fragile angels or scullery maids. They're farting, fighting, fucking animals just like men.

 

[tkioz]

Sub-title made me laugh a little, I know I'm a bad person

Though seriously I'm not a big fan of "woman's" events, sure it might have merit in some places, but really, it always makes me roll my eyes and think of "it's all the males fault!!!!" feminist speeches.

 

[Solivagus]

...Well that is depressing. You'd think this would be an interesting topic to at least SOME people.

Have to agree. This is actually quite depressing. Especially considering how popular gaming is now as a for of entertainment.

 

[Wicky_42]

Women shouldn't play videogames- they're busy enough with their bedroom and kitchen duties!
Joking! I'm a girl, I can make remarks like that.

Ah, so you've got a computer in the kitchen? That's pretty smart... for a girl J/k - though am I not allowed to make remarks like that cos I'm a guy?

I'm just messing - I blame sickipedia

OT, I wonder what the point of the conference was. Was it really to give women in the industry a voice? If that was the case, does that mean that women in the industry feel like they already have a voice, or that they don't need one, or that they don't have anything worth saying that isn't being said already?

Was it to demonstrate the female presence in the industry? Or to increase the female profile in the industry through the media, encourage more girls to get interested?

What ever it was intended to do, its complete failure is hilarious, as things tend to be when they are perceived as pushing an agenda and then failing.

As to the remarks deploring the 'women only' aspect, it's evident that the organisers felt that there was sufficient gender bias within the industry against females that they felt they needed to draw attention to it. There's no 'male only' conferences, because there's no need for it - we generally have a comfortable position in the social hierarchy and so there's no need to point that out.

As with most things, it's the persecuted or disadvantaged that feel the need to make themselves heard, not those happy with the status quo. Someone who is being discriminated against is infinitely better qualified to point that out than someone who isn't.

 

[Shapsters]

In other breaking news!!!!

[HEADING=1]Mens Dear John/Notebook Movie Night Canceled Due to Lack of Delegates![/HEADING]

SHOCKING!

 

[Cryo84R]

Seriously, women need to stop pulling shit like this. What are they trying to accomplish by holding conferences like these?
You never see guys starting male video game conferences.

Few things in this world fill me with seething, incoherent rage. The news about the cancelled conference didn't even quite get me there. This comment does.

Special conferences for women wouldn't be necessary if sexism didn't exist. But it still does. As made obvious by the comments on this article, it's still rampant. And anyone who thinks differently is probably a white male with little education on the subject. And those particular people can take their opinions and perform some miscellaneous sex act with them.

Sorry. Most sexist are women. Men just say what they think more often.