Women In Games Vancouver » News

Interview – Silicon Sisters: gamer women for women gamers

TaraZM — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 23:11:10 +0000

Great interview with our very own Kirstin Forbes on co-founding Silicon Sisters with our Brenda Bailey! Can’t wait to see what Silicon Sisters will do next…

Are women getting what they want from video games? Although they are playing games in large numbers, few companies are trying to appeal to women, and most of those that do merely release pink controllers or stereotypically “girlie” games. Silicon Sisters wants to help change that, with the first “female owned and operated video game company,” operating out of Vancouver. READ MORE

The Making of ModNation Racers

TaraZM — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:10:12 +0000

Come along to the Vancity Theatre on Tuesday the 29th of June to find out how Vancouver’s own United Front Games went about creating ModNationRacers. Visit SIGGRAPH for more details and to purchase tickets.

SOE G.I.R.L. Competition Winner Awarded

TaraZM — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 15:42:19 +0000

Sony Online Entertainment’s Gamers In Real Life design competition has awarded a 10-week paid internship and $10,000 scholarship to Art Center College of Design student Sylvia Liu, to help in her pursuit of a creative arts career.

Liu’s application for the G.I.R.L. scholarship, which aims to bring more women into the creative arts and eventually bring more women-friendly games to market, included concept art for a new EverQuest II environment and a new EverQuest II boss character.

Interview with Shannon Lee – VFS/WIGI Game Design Scholarship Winner

TaraZM — Tue, 18 May 2010 15:09:50 +0000

Check out our three part interview with VFS Student and scholarship winner Shannon Lee. She discusses her expertise, passion and studies in video games, including her experience as a women in games, and her inspirations.

WIGeh GDC Canada 2010 Mixer

TaraZM — Mon, 03 May 2010 01:30:40 +0000

What: Women in Games GDC Canada 2010 Mixer

Where: Century Restaurant and Bar

432 Richards St

Vancouver BC

After an informative and through provoking day at GDC Canada, wander a few blocks in our direction, to talk, meet and mingle with fellow GDC Canada attendees and Vancouver industry professionals.

Come and find out what Women in Vancouver Canada (WIGeh) are about, and participate in our topic of the month, what is the Future of Gaming?

Many thanks to Annex Pro http://www.annexpro.com/ for their involvement!

RSVP on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/wigehmixer

Article “Women’s work: entrepreneurs can revitalize the global economy”

TaraZM — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:00:25 +0000

Toronto – Canadian companies have the power to drive the world’s economic recovery by propelling women into leadership positions and investing in female entrepreneurs, according to Ernst & Young’s report, Scaling up: why women-owned businesses can recharge the global economy.

“Women own and operate up to one-third of all private companies around the world and are the fastest-growing segment of the small-business sector,” says Colleen McMorrow, National Director of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards. “This is strong evidence that women are becoming increasingly instrumental in creating new jobs and jump-starting the economy.”

Scaling up brings together compelling research suggesting that investing in women entrepreneurs can play a pivotal role in accelerating economic recovery:

- The number of self-employed women in Canada has surged 50% since the early 1990s – to about 800,000 currently.

- The number of women-owned businesses is growing 60% faster than those run by men, according to CIBC World Markets Inc.

- Women in Canada make up a larger share of the self-employed than in any other country, according to data from the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development.

- Women in Canada own and/or operate 30% of all firms, according to the Bank of Montreal’s Institute for Small Business.

McMorrow says that Canada has made significant progress in narrowing the gender gap and efforts continue in support of women’s in equality in education, wages, political empowerment and economic participation. As the journey towards equality continues, there are many immediate opportunities for women to be supported and recognized for their entrepreneurial efforts and economic contributions.

Women In Games International Announces New Leadership, Fresh Direction

Michelle — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:53:59 +0000

This press release from our sister group Women In Games International announces their new incorporated status and the appointment of new leadership to accomplish their 2010 goals:

Top Officers Named, 2010 Roadmap Underway

LOS ANGELES – Feb. 16, 2010 – Women in Games International (WIGI), the premier organization for advancing women in the video game industry, proudly announced today its new status as an independent organization, incorporated under the laws of the state of California. WIGI, formerly part of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA), has further announced the appointment of a new leadership team to guide the organization in implementing its fresh direction.

Effective immediately, Belinda Van Sickle, former WIGI community event chair and a steering committee member since 2006, will become WIGI’s new president and CEO. Noelle Hunt-Bennett will act as secretary, while former chapter chairperson Krissie Franco will take over responsibilities as treasurer and CFO.

“We’re excited to be able to take on these new tasks,” said Van Sickle. “Our focus for 2010 is on rejuvenating the organization, offering immediate and tangible value to members seeking jobs, career development and networking opportunities. Our Los Angeles and San Francisco chapters have already lined up some wonderful partnerships to get WIGI off to a great start in 2010 and we hope that they will serve as models for other chapters in this pivotal year of our new mission.”

One of the premiere WIGI events for this year will be the Industry Mixer 2010, to be held on March 10 during the upcoming Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco. This year’s GDC mixer will be an evening filled with fun, food, networking and game tournaments for everyone. For more information on the WIGI Industry Mixer 2010 or to inquire regarding sponsorships, contact Belinda Van Sickle (Belinda@gamedocs.com). To learn more about WIGI, visit http://www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=2058&trk=anet_ug_grppro.

About Women in Games International: Women In Games International (WIGI) was founded in 2005 to support the inclusion and advancement of women in the global games industry. Since then, WIGI has grown to include advocacy for industry diversity, leadership through educational talks and individual career impact from networking opportunities for women and men alike. www.womeningamesinternational.org