Get A Degree In Technology And Start A Career In Gaming!
It's long been accepted that video gaming is a male-dominated form of entertainment. Reports state 62% of all gamers are male. If that isn't enough, the industry site GamesCareers.biz, reports 10% of all job applications received are from women. It's a situation the industry feels must be changed as soon as possible.
A degree from accredited online schools will allow entry into a field that is much more than just programming.
It isn't hard to see why women are generally turned off by the industry. At gaming conventions, the bulk of females present are convention employees, booth models and bored dates/mothers. To the industry, it means missing a large chunk of the general population. They feel the best solution is to employ more women, both in the research and development, as well as marketing side.
The employment gap is considered so dire that Microsoft held a conference at its headquarters in the state of Washington. CNET pointed out approximately 150 pros attended and the vast majority (90%) of them were women. The cable news service then joked Microsoft managed to reach about all the women in the field.
Yet if one reviews the work environment, one can see why many women don't want to work there. The gaming giants EA and ActiVision are facing lawsuits about their work environment. Developers work longer-than-average hours with little overtime compensation. As personnel are younger than most software designers, this situation isn't particularly conducive to mothers with infants to pre-teens. They do want to see their kids every so often.
One company that's taking the lead in this problem is Sony Online Entertainment, another leader in the video game field. According to CNN, they have created a program they've called G.I.R.L., for Gamers In Real Life. Led by Torrie Dorrell, Sony's Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing, it's a scholarship program designed to lure young women into game development.
Gamers In Real Life has already granted two sums of $10,000 each to two deserving candidates, and intends to have a third scholarship out in May, 2010. That isn't all. Another reward is the recipients also are hired as interns by Sony. To learn more about this program, see the Sony site.
This isn't the only program available for ladies who desire to play games as a career. Game development is a part of computer science, and as such is a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) field.
Contacting the National Science Foundation about an S-STEM scholarship/grant should be seriously thought about. After all, even the military uses game simulation as a way to train its young warriors.
Finally, as many accredited online schools offer game development as part of their curriculum, they should be thought about for more information about the industry. Women should contact a university's financial aid officer to see what other opportunities are out there to help them obtain a technology degree online. One shouldn't be surprised if there are many more. As it is, the gaming industry is aware of the need. It's up to enterprising women to put down their gaming consoles and seize the opportunity.
- Article Word Count: 442
- |
- Total Views: 28
- |
- permalink