Women and Gaming: A Moderated Panel Discussion
Female gaming experts will take part in a panel discussion at the Coronado Public Library on Wednesday, March 28th at 6 p.m. in the Winn Room. The panel will address the cultural dynamics of today’s gaming world for women. The inspiration for this panel came directly from Coronado’s Community Read project. This year’s selection, Ready Player One, centers on video games and the gaming culture around them. One of the characters in the book, Aech, disguises the fact that she is a girl when she plays. This remains a common tactic for women even in 2018. While almost half of today’s gamers are female, many have experienced online harassment, criticism and violent threats. Additionally, the world of gaming development, marketing and celebrity is dominated by men in highly visible positions. Most of the competitors in televised eSports competitions are male. Likewise, men make up the majority of senior positions at game development companies. According to Amana Cullen, a Ph.D. student at University of California Irvine, “Video games are still commonly thought of as a leisure activity for boys and young men, so the video game industry has long operated under an assumption that boys and young men are their primary audience and as a result, video gaming communities are often built to appeal mostly to that demographic.” The panelists will discuss their own experiences online as well as address changes and efforts towards inclusive gaming experiences, respectful portrayal of women in video games, and the importance of encouraging more women to pursue careers in the industry. The panel will be moderated by Sarah Gaydos, award-winning Group Editor at IDW Comic Book Publishing. Panelists include: Margaret “Luperza” Krohn, NCSOFT West Online Video Content Manager, Vlogger, Game Designer, Celebrity Gamer; Roxanne Sabo, Community Coordinator at Daybreak Game Company; Dr. Janina Scarlet, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Founder of Superhero Therapy, Author; Dr. Jenni Deveau Tremaine, Senior User Experience Researcher at Sony PlayStation, a Ph.D in the Systems Neuroscience area of Psychology. Her research has included an exploration of the positive representation of video game characters. Light refreshments will be served at a reception following the discussion. This event is free and open to the public and is sponsored by the Friends of the Coronado Library. For information call (619)522-7390.