Mary Kenney and a selection of accomplished women address the joy and sorrow that come from the gaming industry. The books main audience is girls of all ethnicities that are interested in making videos games, as well as, working in the industry. Although the book titles says 25 Women, some chapters contain Side Quests with snapshots of more women in the industry. That makes the 25 the Main Quest to me. Deciding who you’ll read first maybe harder than you think.
If you planned to skip around to Women that only worked on your favorite games, it’s not going to be that easy. The Table of Contents only displays each woman’s name. Since the book doesn’t have an index, you can’t single out the woman your looking for either. Still, there’s an assortment of sources used to profile each woman. You might be able to use clues from there. Some readers only have time to gloss. There’s nothing wrong with that. There’s 137 pages worth of profiles within Gamer Girls.
Kenney’s Introduction
Mary Kenney makes it clear that their is demographic of girls that want to make it in the gaming industry, but their is a fear. Their concern for gaming industry is not misplaced. This is why she and the ladies within these pages don’t suger coat their experiences. Recognition and accolades can take decades to recieve. The Final Fantasy franchise is a good example of “Thanks for your help, but I’m not sharing the stage with you.” That’s just the end product. Game development comes with its own obstacles. Truthfully, most people aren’t fully equipped to take on their career of choice right out of the gate. Surrending to the fear of failure crushes more dreams than effort can.
Content
- Introduction
- Glossary
- 25 Profiles (Chapters)
- Epilogue
- Bibliography and Notes
- Acknowledgements
Epilogue
To true the end, Mary Kenney acknowledges the fact that women are still severely out numbered in the Gaming Industry as of 2019. Of the women present, a majority are white. Gamer Girls was printed July 2022. What a difference a few years can make. Girls of all ethnicities don’t have to do this alone. There are organizations dedicated to bringing diversity to the gaming industry. That’s support isn’t limited to a specific race of women either. Those groups are the following:
- Women in Games International
- Women in Game Jobs
- IDGA’sWomen in Games Special Interest Group
- IDGA’s Black in Games
- Latinx in Games
- I Need Diverse Games
Reading Beyond Gamer Girls
I appreciate books that can be used as secondary sources. You’d be surprised the type of topics that become scholarly articles. Gamer Girls bibliography and notes, challenges the reader to go beyond the book. Girls aren’t restricted by the author’s point of view. I found a few to add to my TBR list. I don’t have academic reason to read them. They just sound interesting to me.
The Uncredited Work, Women, and the Making of U.S. Computer Game Industry
Ready Player Two: Women Gamers and Designer Identity
Beyond Barbie and Mortal Combat: New Perspective on Gender and Gaming
Women in Gaming: 100 Professionals of Play
Magnify Your Style 
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