Siobhan Reddy: It Takes Women Working on Games for Games to Change

LONDON, Uk. July 17 - The reason why games tend to appeal to male audiences is attributed to the highly disproportionate involvement in males in the games industry in comparison to females, with males having a clear dominance in the number game. In order to balance the ratio we need more women working in the games industry in general, according to Media Molecule studio director Siobhan Reddy.

"It takes women working on games for games to change," she said, in an interview with BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour. "I have had a unique experience. I was hired into a studio by a woman (Perfect Games) and the next studio I worked in I was hired by a woman (Criterion). It takes women working on games for games to change.

The Woman's Hour deemed Reddy one of Britain's most powerful women, the game developer was also acknowledged as UK's Australian Woman of the Year.

"I'm involved in a BAFTA group looking into why young girls aren't going into technology. There are some sad statistics on why young girls, by year 8, have been put off working in tech or games within the home, or by a teacher or by friends."

Since the industry is in its more nascent years it's important to cultivate young women into the industry now, according to Reddy.

Reddy cited programs that are designed to teach girls and young women about programming and game design. Encouraging girls to play games in general could lead to an interest in the field, as societal standards sort of steer them away from the medium.

Media Molecule developed Little Big Planet, a cute game that you could call amicably both gender friendly. The company's current project is Tearaway, a third-person adventure game for Vita.

"We get here by different ways," Reddy said. "We change things from within. I definitely will always do that. I will never make a game that does not take that into consideration."

SOURCE: BBC Radio 4