I don’t know what this fuss of genderness in Gaming Industry is all about – considering that two of the true pionieers of the gaming industries are actually a couple: Ken and Roberta.
When I grew up, absolutely nobody was wondering that „Hey, a girl was the designer of this game.“ I can’t remember one day were I (or my friends) wondered, that a lot of Sierra’s greatest minds where women… Jane Jensen, Loreley Shannon or Roberta Williams. We played their games and were blown away. So we admired them – regardless of their gender.
That was back in the 80ies and early 90ies.
And then, suddendly, someone said that it’s somewhat unusual to have girls in the gaming Industry. Or that we have too little of them. Or that they destroy our classics (What Classics? All of my classics, Phantasmagoria and Gabriel Knight, have been written by women ages ago!). I have played games from women that could be my mum since 25 years! That’s why I just don’t contribute to these issues. I feel them to be a huge step back from a reality I’ve been living in already and everybody felt comfortable. I really don’t get it.
You could call me a denier or someone who doesn’t care, but I really do belief in rather living a premise then discussing it – especially as discussions have been led badly and accusations from both genders have made things worse. It may sound controversial, but I’d rather live in a world of equality by innocence and ignorance than in a world where possible problems have been debated to death.
Saying that: Congratulations Roberta! 35 years since your first game. What a wild ride! So well deserved: