The gender gap in the game development community isn't how you might think it is.

Let me begin by saying I know this subject is a zombie dead pirate ship with a crew of clichés. But there’s something I really wanted to discuss about this subject, which rises up more than it appears to ever exist and that’s the approach and attitude people have towards raising awareness and creating actual change.

Unfortunately because most media articles are designed to grab the attention of the viewer and relate to their readers emotions they play out this fictional drama, which in my opinion has a negative impact on women in the games industry. I'm going to start off by discusses the benefits of raising awareness to a subject, then talk about the benefits of the actual content and the impact of such content.

So there are obvious advantages which come to raising awareness to a subject, in that support for the issue can appear more legitimate and people are more willing to acknowledge and discuss how to deal with the issue, even if they would otherwise wish to look the other way. I think most of us in industry have acknowledged the gender gap as an issue for a long time; it’s not only something that’s been a recent concern. It has been a rising concern with the increased numbers of women playing video games in general.

So do I agree it’s good to raise awareness to acknowledgement of the subject? No. Now before you ready your rifles carry on reading, the reason lies entirely on the content and approach you are raising awareness towards, it’s not important to simply raise awareness to something people are already aware of. What is important however is raising awareness to help create a community, which helps avoid this issue for the future. This brings me on to what I have to discuss about content.

The content and approach to dealing with the issue is far more important than just awareness. It doesn't help to remind people of something they’re unaware of how to improve and unfortunately most the content I have read and seen does very little to discuss how you can actually address the issues raised in the long run. I sympathise that this isn't entirely the media's fault, as the solutions aren't going to come from people who are only in the gaming or gaming media community. The real solutions lie in the game developer community.

Now before people start pointing fingers and gnawing away at game developers and companies let me make it clear. The game development community is exactly that, a community it’s not some hierarchical structure or dictatorship and it involves a lot more than the average person not involved within it realises. This is why I feel compelled to write and discuss about it, it’s something I've been part of and have been involved in online for 14 years.

You see people fail to address how people become game developers and get involved in the community in the first place. So let me start by mentioning the average person I know in a none QA role in industry has spent at least 4-5 years practicing to become a game developer. Many more have been part of the community for over 5 years like myself, it is a difficult creative community and industry and developers usually become part of it long before being involved in the commercial side of it. I mention this because is the point where people start to become game developers and this is the stage in which the problem people have with the gender issue begins. It doesn't begin in the job sector, it begins in people choosing to live the lifestyle of creating video games.

As a Englishman the best none video games example I can give is football, ignoring the physical differences involved in sports. If you’re hiring football players regardless of gender, you’re far more likely to interview more men. This is because their are far more men to choose from, who have likely played football from an earlier age. This mainly because the environment, community and male role models involved in football has developed this way and inspires more young boys to play football than it does girls, the only way you can address this if it’s an issue is for women to help contribute and build a community for female football players who can also become female role models for the future.  

If you are looking to create a more gender balanced community this is the place it must start, you can only unfairly alleviate the symptoms to create equal numbers from there otherwise. When those boys and girls grow up into awesome developers the only thing that should get them through their job interviews is what they’re capable of, there experience and their character.

The average person can have a great impact on both society’s perception of and supporting a community, just as they can be at tearing it apart. So I ask you before you throw you negative actions towards people you don’t even know, be considerate. Don’t intentionally go hating upon a community which isn't seeking you harm and if you’re a women come and contribute to it. After all isn't that what the people concerned want? If you want the issue to change, that is what it will take.