How to attract more women into game development

Media Molecule studio director Siobhan Reddy believes a significant increase in the number of women working in games is the best way to make the industry more inclusive to females.

"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."

Reddy was named one of Britain's most powerful women by the influential Woman's Hour show, as well as the UK's 'Australian Woman of the Year.' "I know there are all sorts of discussions about where it is now and where it has been but I am interested in where it's going," she said.

She was asked how women might best be attracted to working in gaming. "That's the million dollar question," she said. "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.

"I think that is incredibly sad because it is a massively exciting industry and it's still very very young. I feel like now is the time when we really need to be looking at how we can encourage young women to see games as an exciting industry."

She pointed towards programs designed to teach girls and young women programming and game design, as well as game-jams, and advised budding game designers to work on creating their own projects, most especially in collaboration with other people.

Media Molecule is best known for Little Big Planet, which Reddy said is a game that is equally attractive to both genders. The company is currently working on Tearaway, a third-person adventure for Vita.

Reddy said she takes the responsibility seriously, of showing women that gaming is a great career option. "We get here by different ways," she 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."