Women in Games International - Dallas

Advancing Your Career in Game Development: The Women's Perspective

Saturday, April 22, 1 pm to 7 pm

Hosted by The Guildhall at SMU

Keynote Address by Denise Fulton, Head of Studio, Midway-Austin

Located at SMU-in-Legacy campus in Plano

Registration begins at 12 pm - Reception begins at 6 pm

General Attendees - $45, WIGI Members - $35, Students - $30

Register online at Women In Games Internation

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At this half-day Women in Games International event, attendees will learn how to advance their game industry career in panels and round-table discussions with top experts in the field. This conference provides useful information for women and men, as well as new and veteran game developers. Meet your fellow participants, socialize and make connections at our post-conference networking party.

Women In Games International-Dallas is sponsored by title sponsor Microsoft Game Studios, event sponsor Ubisoft and series sponsors International Game Developers Association (IGDA), Game Developers Conference (GDC), Girls in Games, Mary-Margaret.com, ThemePark Studios, WomenGamers.com and BusinessWire.

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Speakers
- Norma Crippen, Sr. Account Manager, Mary Margaret.com

- Don Daglow, President CEO, Stormfront Studios

- Sheri Davenport, HR Manager, Sony Online Entertainment

- Lori Durham, Vice President of Operations, Aspyr

- Lisa Farina, Content Designer, Sony Online Entertainment

- Sheri Graner Ray, Senior Designer/Author

- Marc Holmes, Art Director, Ensemble Studios

- Sam Lewis, Cartoon Network, Lead Designer

- Karen McMullan, Game Designer, Ensemble Studios

- Mike McShaffry, Head of Studio-Austin, Breakaway Games

- Evangeline Marzec, Test Lead, GameINSTINCT

- Leah Miller, Director of Brand Management, Aspyr

- Susan O'Conner, President, Susan O'Connor Writing Studio

- Tamir Nadav, Associate Programmer, KingsIsle Entertainment

- Peter Raad, Executive Director, The Guildhall at SMU

- Niki Robinson, Programmer, LimeLife

- Karen Swanson, UI Designer, Ensemble Studios

- Spencer Zuzolo, Director, GameCamp

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Program

Denise Fulton, Head of Studio for Midway-Austin

The Best Defense...Why Gender Doesn't Matter (As Much As You Might Think)

Denise Fulton, Head of Studio for Midway-Austin, addresses looking past the issue of gender and focusing on individual accomplishments of women. This topic is useful to both those already in the industry and those who are interested in breaking in.

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Panels

Breaking In: How to Acquire The Skills and Get That First Job

This discussion will focus on the necessary skills for an entry level development job in the game industry, and different approaches to getting hired by a game studio. We'll also address whether there particular challenges that women face when breaking into the game industry.

An Array of Career Options

It's not just about programming! There are a variety of careers available in the game industry, ranging from game design, art, project management, support, marketing, and sales. Meet industry women who have built successful careers in different job disciplines.

The Ultimate Challenge: Balancing Work and Personal Life

One of the most difficult challenges facing people in game industry is achieving a work/live balance, and resolving quality of life issues. The panelists will discuss their own life choices, and the effect of these decisions have had upon their professional careers.

WIGI post-conference networking party

Meet your fellow participants, socialize and make connections! This event sponsored by Microsoft Game Studios.

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Roundtables (simultaneously begin at 5 pm)

Attracting women into games

The game industry is beginning to realize that to produce titles that reach a more diverse audience, they need to diversify their workforce. But finding women to join the industry can be a challenge. Come talk about where and how to attract women into the industry and how to keep them there!

What do Game Artists do?

3D, 2D, concept, textures and particles.there are many different ways art is used in game design. Come talk to game industry artists to learn more about what a game artist does and what skills are needed to be successful.

What do Game Designers do?

What is game design? Is it level design? Is it quest design? What does a designer need to know? Talk to a professional game designer to discover the variety of things a game designer is called on to do.

What do Game Programmers do?

Everyone knows that game programmers build the engines that run the games. But the types of programmers needed and the specialties required are growing. Learn more about what types of programming is used and specialties that are in demand.

Marketing and PR

Marketing and PR can make the difference between a game that's critically acclaimed vs. one that's a major hit. Learn more about the role of marketing and PR in the videogame industry, and the skills needed for these challenging jobs.

Meet the Recruiter

Interested in a game career but don't know where to start? Talk to recruiters from top game companies for advice on how to begin your job search.

Planning for the Long-term Career

Getting that first game industry job is hard. Building a long-term successful career can be even harder. This discussion will focus on planning for the long term, including ongoing education, networking, and setting career goals.

The Producers

What does a game producer really do? A highly experienced game producer will talk about the producer role, and the career path to becoming a producer.

Quality of Life

Balancing personal life and the demands of a game industry career is an ongoing challenge for both newcomers and veteran game developers. This discussion will focus on practical problem-solving and also ways in which we can promote change in the industry to address this issue.