Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2011 - 67

In large game projects, the creative aspects
of the game are managed by an art director and
an audio director, who work alongside the lead
designer. The audio director corresponds to the
sound designer in theatre. Again, as games are
becoming more sophisticated, they are moving
into more nuanced sound environments, well
past the "waka-waka-waka" sound of Pac-Man
swallowing his pellets. Often this crossover into
game design is not one that a sound designer
may have considered, but it could provide an interesting alternative in a fast-growing industry.
In theatre, set and costume designers often have a wealth of knowledge of historical
periods that is critical in designing the world of
video games. For instance the medieval period
is popular in role playing games like World of
Warcraft, where we see arms and armor directly influenced by original metalwork dating
back to the fourteenth and fifteenth century.
Increasingly, games are set in historically significant locations. A notable instance is Renaissance Florence, which is beautifully rendered
in Assassin's Creed. This is a visually stunning
game, dealing with competing factions creating intrigue in locations like the Uffizi Gallery
and clamoring atop the Duomo. There are also
video games based on actual historical periods, like Age of Empires and the Civilization
series, which is one the best-selling computer
games. In these games the player builds civilizations based on actual historical architecture,
props, and costumes. For instance, if the player
chooses to represent Spain as their civilization,
then their players will look like Spanish Conquistadors and will use "Santiago" as their war
cry. Props people who like to design arms and
armor will be in familiar territory since weapons are a key component in a majority of video
games. A thorough knowledge of arms and armor would stand a props person in good stead.
Knowledge of art and costume history
carries equally into clothing images in game
design, which is often heavily influenced by periods like the medieval. The flowing gowns lend
themselves to mythical characters such as elves
and romantic quest clothing. Although most
gamers would be oblivious to this fact, the lines
of the garments can be referenced in the illuminated manuscripts of medieval and Renaissance
Europe. Artifacts like these are old friends of the
experienced costume designer.
As the level of realistic detail in games increases with graphic capabilities, it is important
to understand how garments are made and how

women in the video game industry

by sydney warshaw

According to the Entertainment Software Association, video games are now played in seventy-two percent
of American households. This may account for the fact that entertainment software is one of the fastest
growing industries in the U.S. However, despite its widespread influence, it is still a field dominated by
male programmers who create products perceived to be largely for boys and young men. This raises the
question of whether a career in video game design is a good opportunity for women.
To answer this question I talked to five women currently working in the gaming industry. Stephanie
Bouchard, 26, is a game designer for Miralupa in Montreal and for Concordia University's Center for
Technoculture, Art and Games. Sawssan Kaddoura, 27, is a digital illustrator and graphic artist who
completed a graduate program in game design at Université de Montreal. Roxanne Blouin-Payer, 24,
is a video game designer specializing in artificial intelligence for the video game company Funcom. Pia
Olstad, 26, is the project manager for Funcom's massive multiplayer online role playing game Age of
Conan. Z. Lynda Bathory, who prefers to describe her age as in her mid-forties, is an image editor for
the Toronto-based company Visual SKU and a character modeler for Mega Pickle in Montreal.
While the women all followed different routes to their current positions, there are distinct similarities in their early experiences. In particular, they all played video games when they were young. Many of
them, however, stopped playing video games when they got older because of the belief that it was not "cool"
for girls to play games. None of them imagined that they could turn this pastime into a career.
A common theme in the interviews was their disappointment with games marketed specifically for
girls. The women disliked the way these games perpetuated such girl stereotypes as a preference for the
color pink and obsessions with shopping and wearing makeup. Bathory noted that storylines in girls'
games are superficial when compared to the more complex and challenging plots in boys' games. Since
"girl games" are aimed at very young girls, up to age ten, older girls often find themselves stuck with
games that are expressly marketed for a male audience. Of course, many women enjoy shooting guns,
going on adventures, and managing armies, but the most popular games today-Call of Duty: Black
Ops (Activision 2010), Madden NFL 11 (EA Sports 2010), and Halo: Reach (Microsoft Game Studios
2010), to name the top three video games of 2010-tend to turn women off because of their explicit
exclusion of women. Some games encourage overtly sexist behaviors. Metal Gear Solid (Konami 1998)
includes the option to zoom in on a woman's backside. Assassin's Creed (Ubisoft 2007) encourages
the player to pay "courtesans" to distract their opponents. Even if these games are enjoyable to play, it is
hard to get past the idea that a woman player is in the wrong place doing the wrong thing.
Games that do feature female characters in a leading role can also alienate women. This is shown
famously in the game Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (Core Design 1996), where Lara Croft's cleavage and
long legs are prominently displayed in her skin-tight outfits. Many games have customizable armor for
the male characters-full metal protection, including helmet, face plate, and visor. The women's armor,
on the other hand, is impossibly tight and is designed to leave as much skin uncovered as possible.
Some of the women interviewed expressed dismay at the prevalence of shooting and killing in
many games. Bouchard, however, cited one study in which girls said they did not have a problem with
playing shooting games and using guns as long as there was a developed story and reasoning behind the
motivation to shoot. They all agreed that while there are many interesting games that don't over sexualize women, these are often not promoted as much and are thereby more difficult for the casual female
gamer to find.
When asked how they felt being minorities in their workplaces, which they characterized as being
seventy-five to ninety-nine percent male, none of the women said she felt discriminated against because
of her gender. Olstad said her co-workers often react with surprise and interest to her presence, but not
disrespect. Blouin-Payer said she had faced more discrimination working as a waitress in a bakery and
as a receptionist in an office, both jobs that are more traditionally associated with women.
The video game industry may be big and economically influential, but it is still relatively young and
changing quickly. As more women enter the field, they will have an important role to play in shaping the
ways interactive games appeal to both genders, and all ages.
Sydney Warshaw is entering the final year of her Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Studies at McGill University in Montreal. Her main research interest is the focus on the Holocaust in the artwork
of second and third generation Jewish Americans, on which she will be writing her honors thesis
this coming school year.
summer 2011

theatre design

& technology

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2011