ITP Techblog

Video games are big business for New Zealand with the game development industry worth $276 million last year according to the New Zealand Game Developers Association.

However, as with many areas of technology, it struggles with a gender imbalance, with the NZGDA data showing that just 19% of people in the industry identify as female. That’s despite large video games markets like the United States having a fairly even gender split when it comes to who is playing video games (55% male, 45% female in 2021).

It means that women are playing games that are mainly designed by men, a situation that doesn’t serve female gamers well and sees women missing out on the opportunities the highly creative and high-paying industry offers.

Auckland’s Media Design School is seeking to change that with the return of its Senior Girls in Games full-day on-campus event featuring immersive workshops on game design, game art and game programming.

The event on July 7 is for students in years 11 - 13 that identify as female.

“Over the course of the day, you will be introduced to creating art assets for games in 2D or 3D,” the Media Design School promises.

“You'll also create your own games by using a game engine and gain valuable insights from Media Design School's Game Development faculty, so you can hone your skills to pursue your future studies with a strong foundation.”

The day is free to attend and will be anchored by a keynote address from Dr Hazel Bradshaw, the emerging technology lead for Datacom. Dr Bradshaw is the emerging technology lead for Datacom, where she supports business leaders in exploring the growth opportunities of an Industry 4.0 world. She specialises in the exploration, development and adoption of new technologies.

You can find out more about the Senior Girls in Games event here.