MAKING A NAME IN GAMES

Abstract

This article explores the development and implementation of a Toronto-based incubator supporting local women in developing their own games. The incubator was created to help change the current (male-dominated) status quo of game production, promising participants skills sharing, support for the development of a new game, and entry into the local community of indie games developers. It was at the same time part of a large network of commercial and non-commercial interests with a shared agenda of promoting the local digital innovation scene. These different motivations and actors are considered to understand the nature of this complex social network market and the circulation of particularly feminized affective labour therein, detailing how value, reward, and benefit are conceptualized throughout this network. The article focuses on how and where these understandings are in alignment and where they fall apart, revealing problematic structures of power and control linked in particular to gender and entrepreneurialism in the area of digital innovation.

Keywords:

• independent game development
• social network markets
• gender
• immaterial labour
• feminism
• digital innovation

Notes

Please note that this is the most recent report on game industry demographics from the IGDA and as such may not fully reflect the current state of workplace diversity.

Feminist theories aim to understand the nature of gender inequality and have a social change goal to promote women's rights, interests, and issues. Participatory Action Research involves relevant parties in actively examining current situations which they experience as problematic in order to change and improve it. Both are concerned with challenging systematic subordination such as power arrangements and mechanisms that are enacted in everyday relationships, organizational and economic structures, and cultural and institutional practices. This applies not only in the ‘field’, but also to how the research is carried out or conducted.

The full list of partners can be found here: http://www.omdc.on.ca/Page5409.aspx#2011–2012%20Recipients