Before I present you the new gamer girl I would like to apologize for the long break. Work is getting in the way and it seems as if crunch-mode might last until September. Just to be warned – this could mean that the upcoming presentations might take a while as well. I will provide you with further information on the project – there might be a change in format and concept. I won’t give away too much.
But now on to another gamer girl and her presentation. Read the rest of this entry »
A few weeks ago I was asked to give an interview for a German online gaming portal that wanted to take a closer look at the company I am doing level design for and the product we are currently working on. Since it is a casual MMO that comes from an Austrian team the game and the team working on it has become the center of interest. Rightfully so. Another issue that has become another focus point is the fact that I am, genetically speaking, a woman. More so, a woman that dabbles in a male-dominated area – games and design. Read the rest of this entry »
Due to an incredible amount of crunchtime and a deadline that puts a lot of emphasis on the “dead”-syllable I have not found the time to update my blog as much as I would have wanted to.
In the last couple of weeks I have spent my freetime and weekends at work. Nonetheless, I have managed to download and play the pre-release version of Plants vs. Zombies (by PopCap), which I was really looking forward to. To be honest, this was the first time I remembered the release date of a casual game and eagerly checked out every bit of information I could get my fingers on. Their marketing strategy did feed my ever-growing curiosity (and also gave me a few good laughs, a new avatar and a song I cannot get out of my head) and constantly reminded me to look out for the new and exciting game in which – well, what exactly do these plants do in this game? And how do the zombies come in? Do they interact? How are they connected? And what kind of game is it anyway? Read the rest of this entry »
While discussing different kinds of sports today with friends following observation was shared: the male athletes tried to beat their own score each time they engaged in their chosen sport, while the female athletes focused on the physical activity itself and did not care to beat their own scores or set their goals higher. Even though this is a rather simplified and generalized theory it made me think of games and why certain games are not played by a bigger female audience. Read the rest of this entry »
Every Sunday it has become a ritual to check Postsecret for new secrets that have been sent in. For those of you who do not know the concept of Postsecret – people can send in a postcard they have created or altered themselves and share Read the rest of this entry »
As you may have noticed, the April Gamer Girl photo has not been uploaded yet, even though it is clearly April (the calendar states so). The reason behind this small delay (after all, April lasts a whole month and we are just at the beginning) is the incredible amount of work that keeps me occupied. Read the rest of this entry »
Even though I am being somewhat overwhelmed with work and work and work I cannot miss out on the fact that my favorite portable gaming gear – the Game Boy™ – made its first public appearance in April 1989 and has thus turned a solid 20 this year! Read the rest of this entry »
My thoughtful and observant partner in crime was so kind as to send me a link to an interesting TED Talk (here is the actual video) by Brenda Laurel about her research and development of games that not only appeal to young girls but also cater to their interests and dreams. Read the rest of this entry »
My wonderful and complementary partner in crime, who is originally from the Netherlands and an incredible language prodigy, came across the following and found his mind wandering and wondering: Read the rest of this entry »
A myth? Impossible? Highly improbable? Can’t work? A bad joke? Or not as unusual as people might think.
A few days ago the Spanish Inquisition came to my door to interrogate me about my job in a male-dominated area. After they had forcefully pushed open my fluffy pink door they sat me down on one of my several comfy plushy chairs to make the whole process of question-and-answer as unpleasant as possible. Read the rest of this entry »
