Freeform notes from Game in’ Action Conference in Gothenburg 15th June 2007.
Tina Lybaek and Emma Witkowski: Negotiating Game Culture: Reflections on Women’s Gaming Experiences.
Gaming toolbox – creating them-selves.
Women gaming together in public room, such as internet café.
Positioning women as visible gamers.
Corinne – it’s her gender that hasn’t grown up playing, not the generation. Access and gendering collide.
Picture of nice play experience.
/* I remember when I walked around a bit lost at TGS07 and got dragged into a booth to play a platformer, how fun it was when the 3 Japanese devs, one female, successes in explaining the game play to me, which was in Japanese, and how I successed playing it, and they jumped around and applauded and gave me a price, what a great moment that was. It wouldn’t have happened unless they’d dragged me in there, I was too shy. */
Discussion
TL: great work. Network for support important.
Hilde: if fun is not the motivation when they first come, what is the motivation? So many discourses saying it’s a waste of time.
Emma: spooky for female identity if no excuse
Tina: curiosity. They also bring friends. “Maybe we should try”
Rene: the examples of risk… I also thought of my male friends who stopped playing when super Nintendo come… when they se the internet cafés it’s just beyond them, and beyond me. Maybe it could be important for males too that doesn’t want to get ganked by 18 year olds?
Emma: but they have their male network that can help them
Rene: but it’s so exclusive! Also to males.
Tina: the immediate network. Gendered.
Jenny: how are you reaching out? How do ppl find you?
Emma: we started just this summer. Started with own network.
Tina: we’ve gone to women’s counter strike networks.
Jon: great project, god, but at the same time. I think it’s dangerous to generalise “oh they have their network” I know many males who don’t. Who are trapped in the male network where “you should do this on your own." You should not ask for help”. It’s bad to generalise, no good for equality.
Emma: But how do you make women continue…
Jon: don’t get me wrong, the project is good. Just saying males not so stereotypic.
Q: how do you see this in relation to women’s IT-skills?
Tina: that’s one of our goals.
Staffan Björk. Introducing females to gaming at a certain age… you want change. Are you hoping parents will introduce their kids?
Tina: female kindergarten teacher said, in my age I miss out of a lot of opportunities.
