Video gamers have long been seen, rightly or wrongly, as the primary domain of the male gamer, but recent trends show that a great number of females are enthusiastic participants in gaming as well. To demonstrate this fact and to champion the cause for female gaming, members from Women in Games International (WIGI) have announced that they will debut the new non-profit organization with their first meeting conducted on the campuses of Electronic Arts, located in Redwood City, California.
Conferences and roundtable panel discussions will delve into topics related to women in terms of video game production, careers, video game content, and marketing techniques. Lucy Bradshaw, Vice President of Maxis-EA, said "To put it in financial terms, the game industry leaves money on the table by focusing primarily on male consumers. But that’s because most developers haven’t figured out how to make games that appeal to a broader audience. I think we can make a strong case for the idea that if we involve more women in the development process."
Sheri Graner Ray, Executive Chair for the WIGI steering committee praised EA for its support of the WIGI conference. "We’ve received numerous requests since 2005 to create a conference program that brings focus to game design and marketing issues when it comes to the female video game consumer. Electronic Arts has provided an outstanding opportunity for Women in Games International to talk about the value of the female audience, not only as a consumer market, but as an untapped resource of talent for this industry."
WIGI certainly has the potential to become a force in the gaming industry, thanks to the support of a major publisher in EA, as well as an extremely large community of potential members. When considering the valid point that they are promoting, you can expect to hear a lot more from WIGI in the future.
