“but what if the player is female?” gender inclusive game design sheri graner ray gencon...

“But what if the player is female?”

Gender Inclusive Game Design

Sheri Graner RayGenConIndianapolis, INAugust 2006

Sheri Graner RayComputer game designer since 1990Worked with such companies as

Origin/EA, Her Interactive, SOE, Cartoon Network, and others

Recipient of 2005 IGDA's Game Developer's Choice Award

Author of “Gender Inclusive Game Design: Expanding the Market”

Co-founder and Exec. Chair of Women In Games International

Pink Poison

a brief history of the girls’ game movement in the U.S.

1995

“Why should we make games for girls?”

1996

“How do we make games for girls?”

1997

1997-1999

March 1999

Big Pink Buys Purple Moon 

Oct 2001

Mattel Sells Interactive Division

“See? We told you girls don’t play computer games!”

Why did this happen?

A lot of bad assumptions were made regarding girls and games

Bad Assumption #5

Girls love BarbieTM! We'll make all our girls' games just like BarbieTM!

Bad Assumption #4

Girls would love our game if they played 'em! We just need to trick 'em into playing them!

Bad Assumption #3

Girls hate violence. We'll make non-violent versions of our game!

Bad Assumption #2

Girls love cute cuddly things! We'll make games about that!

Bad Assumption #1

If we make a girls' game, we'll make a fortune because all the girls will play it!

The Dark Side By stating “Girls don't like ______ type of

game” we are blaming the GIRLS for not playing because they are GIRLS.

By making it the “girls' fault” that they don't play computer games, designers have let themselves off the hook for making any changes to what they are doing.

Believing that there is one “silver bullet” game that all girls will play, is a little like believing there is one game that all Japanese people will play.

Broadening your audience

DISCLAIMER #1

In this talk I'm going to discuss developing games for an audience that is expected to contain females, but are not targeted directly FOR females.

DISCLAIMER #2

When I say a particular trait is a “male” or “female”, I mean the population that expresses that trait is made up predominantly of that gender. However, it is by no means exclusive to that gender.

DISCLAIMER #3

I am speaking in broad population generalities. It is highly likely that you will know someone who does not fall within these descriptions. If you are female and and in the audience today, that person will likely be YOU!

Broadening the audience

Decide if you are making a title for a diverse audience or a specific audience

Identify a market you wish to include in your target audience

We can remove barriers from our titles today that prevent women from accessing them.

What can we do?

Just a few areas where barriers exist

Learning stylesCharacter RepresentationConflict ResolutionReward and punishment

Gender Differences in Learning Styles

Males Females

•Risk-takers•Explorative

•Want to know how it works first •Modeling/Imitative

Most of the tutorials in today’s games are designed to appeal to an explorative learning style.

SolutionDesign tutorials that use imitative

models as well as explorative modelsLook at educational software for

examples

Character RepresentationGame artMarketing materials IllustrationsBox/book coversGame avatarsMiniatures

We need a hero!

Because they represent “heroes”, male and female characters will often exhibit exaggerated physical signals of youth strength, and fertility/virility

Youth, Strength and Fertility/Virility

Males Large Shoulders Slim waists Slim hips Large, muscled legs Long, thick hair

Females Large breasts,

placed high on the chest

Slim waists Round derrières Long, thick hair

Very often female characters display exaggerated physical signals of sexual receptivity.

Sexual receptivity Red, full lips Heavy lidded eyes Heavy breathing (usually indicated by a

slightly open mouth) Erect nipples

These signals are the same for the human male body as they are for the female body.

SolutionBuild attractive, heroic female figures

that are not hyper-sexualized.Use female athletes as body models.Focus group test your art with female

players.

Conflict ResolutionMales and females deal with conflict

situations in very different ways.

Conflict Resolution DifferencesMales

Prefer a confrontational, “head to head” situation

Prefer a binary “win/lose” resolution

Prefer direct competition

Will attempt to dominate the group to enforce their rule set

Females Prefer indirect

competition Prefer to use

negotiation, compromise and manipulation

Prefer emotional resolution

Will build consensus

SolutionsConsider providing for indirect

competitive models Include emotional resolution as well as

“win/lose” resolution.

Response to Error

Males and females will choose to impose different responses to error upon their fellow players

Response to Error

Males Prefer to impose

punishment for error

Females Prefer to impose

forgiveness for error

Forgiveness for error encourages play.Punishment for error tests tolerance.

Solution

Design your victory/loss conditions so that error on the players part does not lead to irretrievable loss of progress

.

Where to start:Adjust tutorials to allow for modeling

learning stylesMake female avatars attractive, but not

hyper-sexualConsider alternative conflict resolution

modelsUse alternative error response models

“But what if the player is female?”

Sheri Graner Ray GenConIndianapolis August, 2005