NSBE - November/December 2008 - (Page 62)

cAreer SPoTlIGHT making Games for the masses Shari Bryant, Associate development manager, compliance electronic Arts Tiburon, eA SPorTS NsbE: Give us some insight into the experiences of African-American game developers. bRyANT: Being a black woman in the gaming industry, I think I’m a rarity twice over. I don’t know if I can say my experiences as an African American in gaming have really differed that greatly from anyone else’s…. The Tiburon studio is under the EA SPORTS label, so it makes sense that the overwhelming majority of our products are sports video games. I, for one, have never been that heavy into sports, as I think is the expectation with most women. I’ll occasionally watch basketball or the major tennis tournaments. In general, there can be this perception that a woman might not be as capable in the gaming industry, because women don’t play games, right? Well, actually that’s not true. Lots of women play games; we may just not broadcast it… And I believe that as the gaming options are expanded, the female audience will continue to grow and diversify. “It’s definitely possible to break into the gaming industry, but you often have to start at the bottom and work your way up.” B y R a c h e l ir v i n g NsbE: How long have you been in the gaming industry? bRyANT: I started working for EA Tiburon back in January of 2004, so I’m closing in on five years in the gaming industry. NsbE: What are your responsibilities? bRyANT: Currently, I am the head of the Compliance Group in the Quality Assurance (QA) Department. The QA Department is where we test for “bugs,” which we report back to the Development Team. The Compliance Group is a specialized testing group responsible for ensuring our games adhere to specific guidelines as defined by Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo. My group reviews all the titles Tiburon releases in addition to a number of external products. The size of my group and the QA group is variable throughout the year, but, at peak, I manage a team of around 33 testers. 62 • november/december 2008 • NsbE: What career tips would you suggest for a young, black aspiring engineer starting a career in the gaming industry? bRyANT: Well, for any aspiring engineer, the first thing is to keep at it. It’s definitely possible to break into the gaming industry, but you often have to start at the bottom and work your way up. I began at Tiburon as a quality assurance tester…. I also have a sister who began as a tester and five years later is now an associate producer at Capcom. Working as a QA tester can get you experience in the industry and help you learn the ins and outs of the game development process. In the movie industry, everyone wants to direct. In gaming, everyone wants to design. It’s all possible, but it’s not like you’ll start as a tester on day one and be deciding the next big feature for “Madden” on day two. There’s a lot of great talent in the industry. I have friends in production, design, art, audio, QA and development. They’ll tell you this, as with anything: Hard work is always the key — hard work and perseverance. When you get there, it’s worth it. ■ www.nsbe.org http://www.nsbe.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NSBE - November/December 2008

NSBE - November/December 2008
Contents
How We Got Over
Obama Wins!
LaTanjia Robinson of Aerojet
Membership News: You Did It Again!
Cash In Your GPA!
NSBE-AE Signs On
Growing from One Love
New York Renaissance
Toronto Welcomes NSBE Convention Planners
Regional Officer Reconnects in Ghana
Texas A&M - College Station, NSBE's Distinguished Chpater of the Year
Lifetime Members: 118 and Counting!
NSBE Midshipmen
Vision and Change
The AE Niche
Thinking Green
Blacks in Computer Science: The Secrets of Their Success
NSBE Calendar
AE Programs Address Critical Goals
AE Members on the Move
Making Games for the Masses
Advertisers Index

NSBE - November/December 2008