At some point in your life, as a female gamer, or a female involved in the gaming world, you get a moment where you are Recognised, or at least, given a tip of the Hat of Respect/Appreciation, by whoever you’re talking to, in regards to the world you move around in.
For me, the majority of the time and having dominantly been involved with the Press, I get lots of quirked and interested ‘ooooohhhhs’ and ‘aaaaahhhhs’ and the occasional polite ‘uuummmms’ when I’m press-mingling and it comes to explaining what it is I report in/on. But once in a while (and ladies, this is on the rise), I get ‘Oh wow, how cool! That’s awesome that you get to do that!’
And they’re referring to the fact that I get to meet, be actively connected to and engage with an expanding community of proactive, driven and independent women. In the games world no less! Included in that – as I go on later to explain when their interest is truly fired and they like to know more – is obviously the chance to research, explore and write about topical issues on the subject of women, games and the industry. And that’s when things always get interesting, because people always have their own nugget of insight to add to that, they always want to know more and more than often, they’d like to know how they can get involved.
And it’s during times like those, that I realise I am living on a rapidly changing pulse that not many are privy to and hells yeah, I’m lovin’ it. It’s a Moment to be proud of. And whenever I get a chance to ask other women gamers when their Moment is, I seize it.
So, at last week’s Develop Conference, I asked Sheri Grayner Ray, the conference’s guest speaker, what her Moment was. Sheri told us:
I walked into GDC last year, and I was standing there, waiting for someone, and I had a woman make a beeline for me. And she got up to me and she grabbed a hold of both my hands and said: ‘Sheri, I’m so glad to see you!’
I’m going ‘Eeerrrp, I have no idea who this is!’ But she said, ‘I know you don’t remember me, but I heard you speak two years ago. And because of what you said, I’m in the games industry and I’m a programmer. I’m here, because of you and I want to tell you how much you mean to me and how great you were; you made me feel so warm and welcomed. You’re why I’m here.’
To have that affect on somebody, and to know that I can be a role model like that; that just makes it for me.
And if that isn’t a Moment, then I don’t know what is.
SO, I’d like to put this out to our readers; please let us know what your Moment was! Be brave, step up and share with us the time you went – Oh yeah, that’s me. That’s what I do and that’s why I do it.
So come on, throw those hands up at me!
