{"id":7876,"date":"2020-07-29T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-28T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.x4-technology.com\/2020\/07\/29\/interview-with-the-studio-operations-manager-at-big-pixel-studio\/"},"modified":"2022-03-21T17:30:23","modified_gmt":"2022-03-21T17:30:23","slug":"interview-with-the-studio-operations-manager-at-big-pixel-studio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.x4-technology.com\/us\/interview-with-the-studio-operations-manager-at-big-pixel-studio\/","title":{"rendered":"Driving inclusivity in the games industry"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row” el_class=”dark”][vc_column][vc_column_text]Article written by Andy Turton, Director of X4 Technolo<\/span>gy.<\/span><\/p>\n

The games industry has experienced tremendous growth globally and is now a legitimate entertainment medium and a booming industry. Nearly half of all global gamers are women but the representation of females in the games themselves are much lower. Gender representation and equality is an issue that has been the focus of much inquiry and consideration in the gaming community.<\/p>\n

New data from the University of Sheffield, shows that things are changing. Backed by games industry trade body Ukie, it conducted\u00a0a census of\u00a0<\/a>more than 3,200 game developers in Britain<\/a>, and discovered a young and increasingly diverse workforce. The researchers found that two-thirds of the UK\u2019s game development workforce is 35 or under; 28% are women and 2% non-binary; 10% come from BAME backgrounds; 28% come from somewhere other than the UK; and 21% identify as LGBTQ.<\/p>\n

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In 2009<\/a>, according to the International Game Developers Association, only 11.5% of game developers identified as female so the number of women involved in all areas of the games industry has been creeping upwards.<\/p>\n

I have been speaking to female leaders<\/a> in the industry who feel that gaming is behind other areas of entertainment and there is a lot to be done to achieve more inclusivity in the industry. In my recent\u00a0 interview with Georgina Felce, Studio Operations Manager at Big Pixel Studio, she shares how the career paths in gaming aren\u2019t communicated clearly enough and how gaming studios must work alongside educational institutes to continue producing top gaming talent that\u2019s ready to jump straight into the industry.<\/p>\n

Check out the full interview below.<\/p>\n

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Where do you think the gaming industry could make initiatives to make more access points for careers in the gaming industry?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The industry needs to work with education a lot more, from schools and universities to parents. I don\u2019t think gaming as a career when you are younger is taken seriously by parents in comparison to if you wanted to be a lawyer, but it\u2019s a huge industry where there\u2019s lots of money to be made.<\/p>\n

We need to do more outreach and promote the university courses that are out there as lots of them don\u2019t have a great rep in the industry as they don\u2019t teach what we practice. It\u2019s gaming studios\u2019 responsibility to share their knowledge to help more people get into the industry.<\/p>\n

We also need to send more BAME and female individuals into universities and schools to chat about the career opportunities and showcase the different types of people that work in the industry.<\/p>\n

Do you think individuals should pursue existing computer science degrees, or computer science degrees, or actively seek out new gaming courses and alternative routes into the industry?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think the industry should work more with higher education establishments to rework their framework. The industry needs to do more paid apprenticeships and internships, so people learn about how to work in a studio, which is a big part of it.<\/p>\n

I think Abertay University do it well as they produce a lot of great gaming talent that is ready to move on into the wider industry. We need to build bonds with universities to create more opportunities in the workforce.<\/p>\n

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What advice would you have for individuals just starting out in the industry?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My advice would be that if you see a job that interests you, apply for it. I know that statistically women are less likely to apply for jobs if they don\u2019t meet all the criteria.<\/p>\n

As and when events start happening again, there are lots of free events to attend that are great for networking. Take people that you know with you so you can go and meet new people. The industry\u2019s very small so if you attend events, you\u2019re bound to start seeing people you recognise which will make it easier to approach them.<\/p>\n

Understand your transferrable skills. There are obviously hard skills that you need in disciplines, but there are also lots of transferrable ones such as people skills that you can practice outside of your education.<\/p>\n

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As a female figure what do you think helps you in the industry?<\/strong><\/p>\n