Closing Keynote added to Women in Games International Conference
Posted by: EG Admin on January 16, 2007 1:20:58 PM
Game Designer Ernest Adams Addresses Women in the Workplace
Women in Games International announced today the addition of recognized
game designer and author Ernest Adams as keynote speaker at the Women
in Games International-San Francisco conference. The conference is
titled "From Production to Profit: Creating and Marketing Games for
Women," and will be held at Electronic Arts in Redwood City, CA on
Tuesday, March 6.
At this half-day conference, WIGI will discuss
the future of game design and game marketing as the female player
marketplace matures and expands. Ernest Adams, an accomplished game
designer and published authority on a wide range of games industry
topics, will close the conference with a keynote speech entitled,
"Developing Backwards and in High Heels," a phrase coined from the fact
that actress and dancer Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire
did, only backwards and in high heels.
Adams will explore at the
past and future of women in gaming: what they contributed to the early
development of the medium and how they will change it in the 21st
century. He will examine several different aspects of the question,
including the way women are portrayed in games; women as designers and
developers; and the wants and needs of the female player.
Adams
offers, "Everyone knows that the game industry has ignored the female
market for far too long, but many developers don't have any idea what
to do about it. My keynote discusses how the roles of female
characters, players, and game developers all relate to each other in
gaming culture, and how this knowledge can be used to attract more
women players. WIGI is the ideal organization to spread the message, as
well as working to help women get ahead in the business. I'm honored to
have been asked to speak at their conference."
A game industry
veteran, Ernest Adams is well-known as a freelance game designer,
writer, and teacher, working with the International Hobo Design Group.
He has long been interested in issues related to women and gaming. A
widely-published journalist, Ernest has also published several
significant books on the game design and working tin the games
industry, including "Break into the Game Industry: How to get a job
making video games" and "Game Design and Development: Fundamentals of
Game Design." Ernest is also the founder and first chairman of the
IGDA, and established as one of its major tasks the goal attracting
more women to the industry. His website is www.designersnotebook.com.
Sheri
Graner Ray, Executive Chair of the WIGI steering committee states,
"Through his writings and talks, Ernest Adams has served as the voice
of vision for the game industry for many years. He has always been a
strong advocate for women in games and celebrates their contributions
to the industry. We know that the audience at our San Francisco
conference will benefit greatly from his expertise and vision on these
topics."
Conference sponsors include platinum sponsor Electronic
Arts, and series sponsors Game Developers Conference (GDC),
International Games Developers Association (IGDA), Mary-Margaret.com,
Girls in Games, ThemePark Studios, WomenGamers.com and BusinessWire.
The
Women In Games International Conference“San Francisco will be held at
the Electronic Arts campus, Milestone Auditorium, which is located at
250 Shoreline Drive in Redwood City, CA. Attendance is $45 for general
attendees, $35 for WIGI members and $30 for students with I.D. Space is
limited, so interested attendees are encouraged to secure their spot by
registering online today at www.womeningamesinternational.org.