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Women’s growing inclusion in gaming has lessons for business

  • min read
    • At a TED talk in California in 1998, pioneer games designer Brenda Laurel asked why gaming companies weren't making games for little girls when the market was worth six billion dollars? She concluded the male-dominated games industry was missing out on so much money because it only knew how to appeal to its own demographic. The games industry may have heard her. Soon, the race was on to diversify game themes, characters and spaces. Most gamers welcomed diversity, but some saw it as a threat – typified by a large, highly organized misogynistic harassment campaign, #Gamergate, emerging in 2014. Diversification in gaming was, however, unstoppable. Although today's gaming sector is still male-dominated, there is growing involvement of girls, women and non-binary people. In the 2020s, a rising four in ten gamers are women. I am the writer and presenter of Season 2 of Kaspersky's award-winning podcast Fast Forward, examining trends shaping technology from the perspective of the recent past. In Episode 2, I interview leading women in the gaming sector to discover how the industry is changing for women and non-binary people, and what other businesses can learn. Women-centered events and targeted mentoring In parts of the world where cultural and religious beliefs make it hard for women to game, some are working to create a smoother, safer path for young women who want to game or work in gaming. Many women's gaming events and networks have emerged worldwide. The expansion of game content and formats has helped – popular titles now include adventure games, role-playing games, cultural games that aim to solve local or global issues, and more. Ghada Almoqbel, Chief Executive Officer of Saudi Arabia's convention for women and girls in gaming, GCON, says that today women make up around 46 percent of Saudi's gamers, but were once much rarer. Ghada tells how she got involved. "I started playing video games when I was little. The only girls I knew that played were me and my sister. In 2012, I heard of the girls' convention, GCON. I didn't go, but the pictures and videos on social media were amazing." Ghada started with GCON as a volunteer, writing articles and helping organize events like 'game jams' – where everyone works together to make a game from scratch. She became Chief Executive Officer in 2018. Ask women what they need to succeed Through Ghada's leadership, GCON is growing and changing. "Our new strategy involves three departments: Game development, eSports and entertainment. Before we plan events or activities, we ask questions like, what do women need in eSports or game development?" Ghada elaborates on GCON's eSports program. "It aims to identify talent, support and empower. We want to make them role models. We want them to have more exposure in Saudi Arabia and internationally. But we're careful with eSports, because there's still lots of harassment." Have clearly communicated anti-harassment strategies In its 2021 survey, global anti-hate organization ADL found five in six adults who played online multiplayer games experienced harassment. Research has also found hostile sexism is a significant motivator of in-game harassers. David advocates for clear ways to report harassment. "In situations involving trolling, abuse or anything harmful, players need to know how to report it." He also thinks male-dominated game design may contribute to the problem. "We must see more women involved in game design and production so that the environment reflects all genders." But gamers aren't always using all available security features. "There's a fear that protecting a device might slow down the computer, but that doesn't have to be so. Gamers should check internet security solutions will work around their gaming experience. Look for gaming or do-not-disturb modes, which turn off notifications while you're playing." Ask non-binary people what they want from your products Jennifer Donahue is Head of Publishing and Marketing at HiDef games in California, US. She's worked in gaming for 25 years. Jen believes players care about being able to be themselves through their character or avatar. "Growing up, there were no strong female Jedi in Star Wars, so I wanted to be Luke Skywalker. I ended up mainly being male characters because I wanted those powers. Today, you have more options. You can largely create a character that looks like you." However, some groups are still largely marginalized from game character development. "We know non-binary folks have difficulty finding representation in avatars and gaming." Non-binary people are those who see themselves as neither male nor female. HiDef learned a lot from asking non-binary people directly what they wanted. "We did focus groups with non-binary players to understand what they wanted from game avatars. We found you have to let them do whatever they want with an avatar – whether it's accessories or customizing size and shape, or adding prosthetic limbs if you're disabled and want to show that." The non-binary players also suggested recording non-binary people dancing, as their dancing may differ from that of men or women. Jen says, "It's not just the avatar's appearance, but their actions. All these things help players authentically connect with their character." Leaders ensuring other leaders are respectful of women Jen feels the behavior of men in the workplace can still impact some women who work in gaming, but those at the top can change that. "Many men in the industry have grown up behaving in a certain way. As I have status in the industry now, I can help the next generation by calling out actions in the moment, in a professional, respectful way." She thinks more accepting, nurturing workplaces will pay off for companies. "When I'm in a safe space, I can bring my authentic self to work each day. That means I can perform at my best, as can my coworkers. Representation from different groups can only make products better." The gaming sector is growing fast with the evolution of immersive virtual worlds. It's an important future work sector. Today, huge groups of diverse players collaborate in-game to make environments they want to be in and share – homes and social spaces, festivals and galleries, even governments and schools. This is called 'world building' – it's opposite to the competitive, conflict-driven games of the last decades. There's more space opening for women and non-binary makers and players, and other diverse communities. Finally, games and virtual worlds could be part of the solution for some real-world problems we face.
deepwell gaming therapy

Are games the future of mental health treatment?

  • min read
    • In Kaspersky's Bring on the Future series, we meet people and businesses worldwide who are changing things for the better. One of the biggest challenges for mental health treatment is reaching more people who need it. Some don't realize they're mentally unwell. Others can't access therapy because of costs or waiting lists. Many don't like the idea of discussing their problems with a stranger. DeepWell DTx aims to change that by bringing mental health therapy to the masses – especially hard-to-reach patients – through gaming. Co-founders Ryan Douglas and Mike Wilson speak about why games are a great way to treat mental health issues – if you get the formula right. 1. Why did you decide to start DeepWell now? We found that mental health came up constantly in our respective careers – Mike in gaming and Ryan in creating medical devices and therapies. We saw many people were missing the resources or help to treat disorders like anxiety and depression. We often talked about what we could do to address this unmet need, then the deepening mental health crisis alongside the Covid-19 pandemic pushed us to start DeepWell. 2. What's DeepWell's philosophy? We put games and game developers first. There is no treatment without player engagement, so therapy must be embedded in a fun and engaging game. 3. How has your team of 40 experts across gaming, science and mental health helped your success? Our diverse team is made up of professionals at the top of their fields. Neurosurgeons, lawyers, creative strategists and others all work in service of the game developer. Without the game's fun, there is no therapy. 4. What can players expect might change after playing your games? Our games aim to help players improve their physical and emotional functioning. After playing consistently, you should notice greater resilience and capability to handle the stress and anxiety of daily life. 5. How has gaming supported your mental health? Which games do you recommend for therapy? At the moment we're focused on virtual reality (VR,) using games like Pistol Whip and motivational fitness apps like Supernatural for leisure and exercise. These games have especially helped during the pandemic for getting off the couch and quelling anxiety with movement. We've also found immersive fantasy games like Lorne Lanning's Oddworld and American McGee's Alice, role-playing games (RPGs) like Wizard101 and world-builders like Minecraft therapeutic for us and our families. Any game that takes you out of your head has potential benefits. 6. Who are your customers? Are businesses investing in these games, such as the healthcare industry, or any business hoping to improve employee wellbeing? We're reaching out directly to folks with mental health issues. We also partner with game developers, publishers and platforms to create new games or repurpose games that are already therapeutic. We hope our games will make mental health treatment accessible to a broader audience. 7. Serious games have evolved as a genre in recent decades, especially in academia and healthcare. Do you align with it? We are not serious games. We rely on the power of play and engagement that good games provide. While we see the value of other approaches, this is what makes us different. 8. How will your FDA games certification project benefit the industry and gamers? Being able to make claims and develop games with therapeutic intent, and to have players understand the therapeutic benefit of engaging, will change game development and the audience games can reach. 9. Can you tell us about games you plan to launch? The first game we're working on focuses on addressing stress, anxiety and symptoms of depression on a VR platform. More to come closer to launch. 10. How will you keep your products secure and safe for users? We closely follow the FDA and HIPAA guidelines and requirements for data management in prescription games. 11. What will success look like for DeepWell? Widespread recognition of the power of game developers to develop Immersive Medicine and being able to produce many therapeutic options for a range of cultures and mental health conditions.
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Secure Futures magazine is your go-to business guide for opinions, trends and insight into the world of technology and cybersecurity. We help your business to bring on the future. Brought to you by Kaspersky, the global cybersecurity experts.

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