WSS Annual Conference 2009 Program

Bibliography of Web Sources on Women and Gaming

(handout for the 2009 program "Gaming, Film, and Ephemera: Women’s Studies and Academic Collections")

• WomenGamers.Com
  http://www.womengamers.com
  Caters to the interests and needs of women gamers. This is a network for women who play video games, buy videogames and work with videogames.
• Women in Games International
  http://www.womeningamesinternational.org/
  Works to promote the inclusion and advancement of women in the global games industry.
• Workforce and Player Statistics - International Game Developer's Association (IGDA)
  http://www.igda.org/diversity/
  Support for women and minorities in the Gaming Industry. Of particular interest: http://www.igda.org/diversity/IGDA_DeveloperDemographics_Oct05.pdf
  2005 Demographic Survey that explores of work force diversity throughout the industry
• Player Statistics - Entertainment Software Association (ESA)
  http://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/ESA_EF_2009.pdf
  The ESA's yearly "Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry”. Includes statistics on gender and games, as well as age, and what kinds of games people of different genders and backgrounds are playing.
• Women in Computer Science: "Gender, Lies, & Video Games: The Truth About Females and Computing"; Maria Klawe, PhD; U of I Distinguished Lecture Series; February 13, 2006. Video of talk online: http://www.researchchannel.org/prog/displayevent.aspx?rID=3928
• Lesbian Gamers
  http://www.lesbiangamers.com/
  An online community for lesbians who play games. Very pop-culture-ish, with links to other things that may be of interest, like "Lesbian Geek ", a website that reviews technological gadgets and other non-tech elements of geek culture (like anime, science fiction, fantasy, table-top gaming, etc).

Bibliography compiled by Anne Odom, a Project Manager in game development at Volition, Inc., a studio of THQ. Anne has worked on the titles Saint's Row and Red Faction: Guerrilla, and uses this bibliography as the foundation for presentations on gender, gaming & game development. Also available in pdf.