Freeman+Szabo+Lollipop+Love: Get 'em on Your Radar!

Hey peeps, 

One of the biggest challenges of maintaining a blog, website, podcast, vlog series or any other form of media is that metaphorically, you're a grain of sand on the beach. You have to think, "Ok...what is it about me and my ramblings that could be important to people?" 

As a viewer or reader, you also have to grab the sifter every morning and go hunting for the grains of sand that are most important to you. To be honest, I don't follow a ton of bigwigs on social media. Not because I think they're unimportant, but because I eventually hear about them by osmosis anyway. 

I might be biased, but I also prefer to follow people who still have time to connect with their fans personally and who have worked hard to carve out their own niche. I love to get into quirky, personal, nitty-gritty conversations with people. And I love it when people share that kind of thing through their own writing, videos, games, music and so on.

This week I'm introducing you to 4 women who I want you to know about. Not only are they bold entrepreneurs, but they address a lot of topics with integrity, style, humor and passion. Between the 4 of them, there's a little bit of everything, so grab your morning coffee and play, watch, listen!

Nina Freeman

(Photocred: from Embed with Games)

Nina is an independent game dev whose work often focuses on sex, women's bodies and body image, family relationships, and childhood curiosity. For me, her work evokes some of the intimate excitement and discomfort we go through growing up, but she leaves coming-of-age cliches behind. Her games are simple, poignant and poetic.

She is also the co-founder and instructor at Code Liberation which was created for women who want to dive in to the world of game-making. 

Click here play Nina's games. (If you think Barbies are nostalgic but kind of weird play this one now!)

To learn more about her work, I also recommend reading this great interview she did for Sex Magazine (don't be scared away).

Erika Szabo

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(Photocred: Our good friend Sam Motala over at MixTapePhotos. Recognize the character??)

Erika's one of those people who instantly makes you feel comfortable. Not because she sugar-coats things, but because you're bound to have something in common. Her YouTube Channel is down-to-earth and thought-provoking while still being pretty darn adorable. Not only does she have a vast wealth of gaming, comics, and anime knowledge, but she shares it with you in a way which makes you feel like you're hanging out together. Erika is a great person to follow or get in touch with for anyone who feels like they're lacking a geek community to relate to.

He's a sample just to whet your appetite:

Lollipop Geek

(Image cred: Mighty Ink Comics)

Ok so Lollipop Geek is not just one woman but actually three! Jennifer, Danielle and Kelly are a collective of geektastic friends who get together to discuss everything from gaming to books, movies, TV, comics and tech. Click here to listen to the podcast on iTunes (free). If you're the kind of person who'd rather spend Friday nights hanging out with the crew where you're free to let it all out, this is for you. If you're interested in hearing multiple perspectives and in-depth analysis on your favorite geeky things, this is for you. They're witty, hilarious and very real. 

I recommend the latest episode on female characters in gaming--something which I'm sure we all have a lot to say about! 

Christine Love

The title of Christine's site pretty much sums up her work: Lover Conquers All. As an indie game developer, Christine writes narratives that delve into our secret desires and break apart conventional thinking about gender, technology, desire, privacy and romance.

It's rare that someone puts this much love and thought into their text and dialogues. I adore Christine's work because it proves that cuteness and controversy can go hand-in-hand; we can say the hard things we want to say and still make them beautiful.

Last winter, I had a chance to steal Christine away from her duties for an interview at the Fancy Video Game Party held at the Art Gallery of Ontario. For those of you who are unfamiliar, the video below should give an idea of the event (through our eyes anyway).

(Photocred: From Love's site, photos by Paul Hillier)

Fancy Video Game Party:

...and now for the interview with Christine:

Now my question to you is, who else should be on my radar? Feel free to post on the She Got Game FB page or to comment below if there are more amazing women in gaming who we should be following. Cheers.

Amnesia Followup: Why We Crave Fear

Leah's post last week on creating her own Amnesia Custom Story really got my brain percolating. It had been a long time since I'd played any horror survival games and in the midst of a breezy summer day while everyone else was out on a patio, I felt the strong urge to hole up in my woman cave and dive back into the creepy world of Amnesia. 

There are lots of definitions of fear, but the kind that Amnesia inspires is one of those that slowly seeps in and leaves you feeling strange for a long time after you've already quit playing. Every time I jump back into the game, I'm good for about 15 minutes and then it starts: I start to feel a bit sick to my stomach and I can feel that I've stopped breathing deeply. I start pausing the game to go get random snacks or to check FB (argh!), desperate to release the tension...but ultimately I can't tear myself away from it...

Now I swear if anything in my daily life made me feel that way, I'd be working overtime to put an end to it. I'd probably be consulting someone about my intense psychological stress fits. But nope, somehow it feels good to enter the mind of someone who's just on the edge on insanity. It feels good to make decisions that go completely against your instincts. It puts you in the realm of dreams where you fulfill the urges of your psyche that don't have a chance to be exercised in real life. 

I was talking about this while I was in Japan with a friend of mine who had actually been recruited for a pro Call of Duty team. She said that she used to end a session shaking, covered in sweat and with her heart beating so fast it was like she had just finished sprinting. It was a mental workout that brings you to a state that you hope never to experience in real life. But that's exactly what kept her playing for so long. Not only that, but she said that playing video games helped her move away from some more self destructive activities, because they fulfilled the need for extreme experiences.

About 6 months ago a friend of mine gave me a copy of Dead Rising II. The premise is that there's a game show where contestants slaughter zombies for cash, and you're competing in it cause you need cash to buy the zombie antidote for your daughter. Unlike in Amnesia, where you're mainly exploring spaces and hiding from things, in this one you're mostly on a killing spree. To be completely honest, I didn't get very far in this game cause it made me kind of nauseous and I wasn't a big fan of Chuck. But that's not a criticism. It means the atmosphere and situations they made were as effective as hell.  

In our every day lives, we've tried to eliminate every possible form of inconvenience, let alone danger. There is an undeniable appeal to things which make us feel a little bit sick, but which have built in security measures; we can press a button and wake up from the nightmare in a flash. Ok well it's even more fun sometimes when you can't wake up right away and have to wait it out, like when you're half way up a roller coaster.

There is something deeply ingrained in us as animals that I think needs that kind of fear and anxiousness to be present to maintain equilibrium. At some subconscious level, we need to feel a sense of threat to ensure us that we are in fact alive and are really surviving, not just aimlessly existing. In my opinion, it doesn't need to be something as violent and disturbing as the Saw series to have an impact. It can be something much simpler. 

As a final thought, for any of you who are into this kind of thing and live anywhere near NYC, you have to go see Sleep No More. Without giving too much away, you enter a mysterious hotel where you are free to explore any place of your own will. Every room is an elaborate masterpiece done in an eerie 1920s style--like the apothecary, the speakeasy, the tailor's, the taxidermist's and so on. As you explore, you encounter strange scenes and interactions and an elaborate plot unfolds; each person will experience the story differently depending on his or her actions. The immersive quality and the sheer power of the performances is somewhat terrifying, but completely unforgettable. It was enough to keep me dreaming about it for months. 

Re-writing Our Favorite Games: Leah's Amnesia Custom Story

I will never stop being impressed by people who manage to work all day and then continue working all night on creative projects. As a super creative person myself, I know how easy it is to make "TIME" into a big excuse not to start something I've been wanting to do for a while.

Today's guest post is by Leah, who's decided that being a busy high school student won't stop her from writing, designing and coding her own Amnesia Custom Story. Here are some screenshots from the original Amnesia series to give you an idea of the fantastically creepy vibe:

For any of you who are interested in writing your own version of an Amnesia horror adventure game, Leah's a great one to ask. Her are her thoughts on the process along with some original scans of her plans and sketches. I'll make sure to get a followup post later on, so we can check up on her progress! 

(PS. Leah, I think you're super cool. I couldn't have done this at 15.)

Leah:

Everyone’s had moments of unexplainable inspiration, right? Pretty much that’s how this all started. I’m Leah, I’m 15 and I am currently writing, designing and coding my own Amnesia Custom Story.

On a usual day, I’m going to school, maybe doing leftover homework, working with the band and stuff like that. But a huge part of my life is my gaming. I personally work more with PC games, but I’ve played a couple console and handheld system games too. Let’s just say games have gotten me through a lot in life (well, as much of a “life” a 15-year-old has had), especially horror games. I’ll never be able to explain why or how, but I have an UNDYING love for the Amnesia and Outlast series (which is surprising, since I’m naturally a timid person). Games like the Slender series, SCP etc. have never really caught my eye. To me, they’re just jump-scares and overly extensive mazes all mixed in one. The Amnesia and Outlast series hold storylines. Intense storylines. They were the first jumping point to my game’s idea.

           First you have to learn the difference between modding a game and creating your own, which varies from game to game. When you’re making an Amnesia Custom Story like I am, even though you’re using the main games as a base, you have to code, write and create a lot of things which mimic creating a game all on your own.

  

The title was fun to write for me. I decided to go with something traditional. My story takes place in France, roughly around the 1750's. I picked France because I’m currently in my third year of French, so I felt I could put some of the language into the game without the worries of going through Google Translate!. Also, like any good story from the Amnesia series, I used two plot devices: memory loss and mental illness. The first one is easy. The main, playable character wakes up in a seemingly unknown place, not knowing who they are or why they're there. See? easy.

The second one is very difficult and can/should only be done after months of research. After months of research, you should have a basic grasp of that illness. My example was one that I learned about in English class, so I was able to research less. Plus, you always make the story first. The story and the tropes have to easily be played up by the scares. For my story, I'm using the more psychological scares, where I use the story and memories from before the story to make the player go "Whaaaaaa?" I think jump-scare games can usually skimp out on storyline.

If you’re ever thinking about making a game of your own, you have one major choice that will pretty much determine EVERYTHING. Is it going to be a jump-scare-based game or a story-driven game? In my case, it was an easy choice. I personally knew I could write better scares than I could code. That also helped me pick what I was going to make the game with. The Amnesia Custom Stories always had a certain beauty to them and they never seem to be copies of the original game or other custom stories. Other games have limited textures, so you end up with a lot of the same ideas over and over again. That’s the easy part.

The next part--and probably one of the hardest--is creating and developing an idea. I was lucky that it took me under six months to get the basics of my story worked out (as I go along, I edit little things here and there). But you have to constantly be checking if you have to ability to make you story a reality. One of the most upsetting things that can happen is when you have the perfect idea for a game, but the platform you use can't support it.

The next part is my personal favorite. After months of planning, you can finally start designing. That includes voice acting, the coding and the graphic design of the game. Next to developing the story, this will likely take the longest. I've just started this stage (the tryout scripts for my voice actors went out on Tuesday and Wednesday). This part has the most human interaction, unless your game doesn't have voice actors, then you don't have to worry. It's one of most final parts, too.

As of this point, I only have two regrets. That would be the fact that the sister-game/sequel to this one never got much thought and that I didn't incorporate stronger female characters into the one I am currently working on. The sister game to this one might be worked on once this one is done.

That was just a super basic timeline of coding a game. I have had so much fun just getting to put my ideas into reality! With the voice acting tryout scripts being sent out in the last couple of days, I can easily say this is one of the most eye-opening experiences I’ve ever had, and I would recommend it to anyone!

What Does it Mean to be a "Girl Gamer"?

This week's guest post is right on track with a topic that keeps coming up during the making of She Got Game. A lot of people ask me "who qualifies as a girl gamer?" (as if it's up to me to be the judge of that! Whaaaaaaaat?) They want to know how many hours you spend playing, how many games you play, how much you need to know about it in general to be considered a "real girl gamer." A lot of people have also asked me if the term "girl gamer" has some kind of special meaning they don't know about. Well, rather than trying to compile some kind of generalization on girl gamers, I want to share this fantastic piece by Kirara Koneko, a self-identified gamer girl who's here to help explain what that means from a personal stand point. Her blog can be found here if you're interested in honor of her "three loves, Japan, Video Games and Life."

________________________________________

Kirara:

What does it mean to be a "girl gamer"? This isn't really a question that I ask myself, I don't really ever even think about that question. Until I see the look on people's faces when they find out I play games. For me, and I would assume for most of us "girl gamers," we don't think about it, because this is just the way that we are. 

I am female, an adult, and I like, no dare I say, LOVE video games! I am just like the men/boy gamers of the world. So why are we seen so differently? For some reason females in gaming are seen as this elusive species, a legend, an urban myth, a unicorn. So let me let you in on a little secret, we exist! We are out there, you walk by us every day, you talk to us, you interact with us, in some cases we might even be your boss. And just in case nobody noticed there are females in the gaming industry working hard to create these games we have all dedicated countless hours to, and guess what...they are doing it right alongside the men!

So why am I asking this question now? I don't think most people realize what women take on when they find themselves drawn to what, from an outsider (and even some insiders) feel, is a boys club. Most of the time we are dismissed, and it is automatically assumed that we can't play or that all we play are Hello Kitty and Disney games (absolutely nothing wrong with that) but there is so much more to us. We don't all get into gaming because our brothers or boyfriends taught us too. Most of us found ourselves attracted by the amazing worlds that opened up literally at our fingertips. Most of us taught ourselves how to play with countless hours of sometimes frustrating gameplay, and for most of us years later, we still love it!

So let me share with you the story of one such "girl gamer." I was young and completely unaware of the video game world. I had seen my uncle play with an Atari, but I was never allowed to play, because of course... I was a girl. One day I happened to find myself staring wide eyed at a Sega Genesis, I still remember what it felt like. I was just walking by, minding my own business at the local toy store, and all of the sudden behind this glass cabinet was this amazing shiny black box that literally screamed out my name. It was indescribable, I had to 
have it! It looked beautiful, and the worlds it promised, I literally stood there enthralled. I pressed my little face up to the glass hoping that somehow magically through osmosis I could just touch it. Fortunately the gods were smiling down on me, and my mom decided I had been a good enough little girl to warrant such a gift. 

You see I am the oldest of four--the only girl--and she was about to have my first of three younger brothers. So really, I think she was just trying to butter me up for permanent baby sitter availability. This one moment is what started it all, and from that moment on I was hooked. I spent hours completely immersed in so many games that to this day I still absolutely love. Fortunately some of them have even been remade, Castle of Illusion being one of those games I loved, and after having a chance to play it again recently it is still amazing. I have to say my only regret of those early gaming days is never having beat Ecco the Dolphin (those were definitely my first nerd rage moments). As I continued to grow and my desire for games increased I discovered Nintendo, and let's just say they stole my heart. 

Throughout the years there have been so many games that I have enjoyed and I literally own every gaming console and handheld, in some case multiples that have come out since the Genesis (except a Neo Geo Pocket that was stolen and never replaced). But for some reason there is no other that speaks to my heart the way Nintendo does. There is a small exception to that, Gears of War, and I don't know what it is about that series that touched me but I actually cried more than once as I played through the trilogy (I say that because I didn't play the last one, a slight boycott since Cliff Blezinski had nothing to do with it). So many years and so many games, but one thing remains the same I am a gamer!

I wait with baited breath for word on the latest releases from my favorite developers. I subscribe to numerous gaming magazines. I follow news online about the goings on of the gaming world. I have even been known to cosplay now and again. It's no secret to those that know me that if you just but peaked inside my bag you would surely find my 3DS XL. My little friend and I have only been parted twice, once for surgery, and once because it was stolen, the latter a very sad experience as not only did I not have my little friend but OH MY GOD, my save data!

It is also no secret that I'd rather spend quality time at home playing my latest game on a day off than wasting it at the mall or some other place that us girls are supposed to go. I strategically organize my schedule to ensure that I have the release day and a couple of days off after the launch to make the most of my gaming time (can't wait for the Destiny launch and 3 days off). My most recent acquisition was Diablo III Ultimate (not enough games like this). I find myself wanting to jump out of my comfort zone and try games that I might not be as great at but where I am drawn by the world. I will even share another little secret with you... I am a damn good sniper!

So you see, we are not all that different from all the other gamers you know. So I ask you, in the end aren't we all just gamers that love, hate, and dive in to these vast universes time and time again to experience and enjoy the possibilities at our fingertips?

Laughing at Gamer Girls: Portrayals in Comic Culture

I decided to continue comic-hunting this week and I thought we could share a few laughs over the English version of "Living with Hipster Girl and Gamer Girl." As you can imagine, this comic has gotten the full range of reader commentary from raving reviews to scathing complaints, maybe stemming from the fact that the girls are sexy and the author is a man. Anyway, these may not jive with everyone's sense of humo(u)r but I thought I'd post them as food-for-thought on the public image of gamer girls.

Funny or not? Accurate or not? The main question I'm interested in today is: what kind of portrayal is worth getting upset about? What kind of image are women gamers trying to make or break? Where do we draw the line when it comes to "gamer humor"? And when do we think things are just plain funny, without worrying about whether or not they're PC? Let me know what you think!

(Sexual content, just to warn you if you're at work or anything...also, I apologize about the different image sizes which I couldn't fix using this blog template. Luckily all of the originals can be found on the website above!)

Quick intro: The redhead is the hipster, the brunette is the gamer and the guy with the black hair is the self-declared non-emo roommate. Each character gets made fun of throughout the series but each one has some slick one-liners too.

Awkward Zombie: Something that'll make your day!

Hi! 

In light of still being on the road, I decided that this week should be a fun "vacation from blogging" week. Whether you're secretly reading this at work, or on your phone on the bus, or just at home in your living room, I want to wish you a happy Thursday by sharing my favourite excerpts form Awkward Zombie!!!

Last month I met Katie Tiedrich, the fantastic auteur behind the comics, at ConBravo in Hamilton. I found her very charming and easy to talk to. She has a totally laid back and macabre-but-cute sense of humour which I'm quite in to. AND a lot of her in-jokes are Nintendo-related which is just great. 

So enjoy! And definitely check out the rest of Katie's work. If you love it, post it on your friend's wall! Or even better, ORDER SWEET PRINTS! Ok now for the comics.

Katie commented: 

"The original female vampire costume in Bravely Default was actually considered TOO SEXY for American eyeballs, so the localized version of the game threw some more layers on there! I guess it's still supposed to be way hot, but I thought it was funny that it was also the class that mimics gross monster attacks like barf jets."

How you feel when you're playing Fallout:


No caption necessary!

...and 2 Zelda ones since I'm doing the picking:

That's it for today! Enjoy your Thursday and don't forget to tell the world about Awkward Zombie!!!

So I'm in Japan! ...and Madly Hoping Google is Wrong About Japanese Women Gamers

Hey, how's it going? 

Good, good. I'm doing pretty well myself. Currently lying on a nice comfy futon with a belly full of tempura and sashimi enjoying the air conditioning after spending a fun 35-degree day in my beloved Japan! For anyone I haven't told already, I lived in Japan for two years after my undergrad working as an English teacher in a public junior high. I was living in Yamagata, which is a beautiful, rural, mountainous area in the north of the main island. I can't explain what that experience meant to me, but it's something that'll probably stay with me forever.

Since I started working on She Got Game, a lot of people have asked me whether living in Japan really got me into gaming. In fact, the thought never really occurred to me. Of course Japan is a total gaming mecca, but I never heard a single word about gaming the whole time I was living here. Seriously (Ok--maybe one of my students mentioned Pokemon once or twice cause they were all like 12 years old, but that was about it.) I never once met anyone who identified as a "gamer" or who was really into the fan culture. I was living in an area that still used blackboards and fax machines...so needless to say it wasn't rocking out in the technology department.

Anyway, this summer my boyfriend and I decided to come back not only to visit everyone and to explore, but also to do a little research for this project. It's actually been tricky to find any personal content--you know like blogs, vlogs and articles by Japanese women gamers. If I were to only rely on English Google, here's what I'd get when searching "Japanese Girl Gamer":

First we've got Otome Games which I find pretty fascinating. For those of you who aren't familiar, they're like interactive visual novels which are targeted at women by giving the main character some racy, romantic encounters with the hot guys in the story. Something like this scenario:

Now maybe this isn't your cup of tea, but the interesting thing is it's totally consistent with other aspects of the culture which cater specifically to women's romantic fantasies. Hell I once found myself in a Butler Cafe with a friend of mine where everything I said was met with, "Yes, my Princess." Never have I ever been so embarrassed in my life. Moving on.

Anyway, whether or not the women in these games match up with our idea of great female characters, there is something to be said for the fact that there's a distinct market devoted to what we all supposedly, secretly want. 

Next on the Google list is this thread on Where to Find a Gamer Girl, which doesn't say anything about Japanese women, but which says:


"If your looking for places to find girl gamers, your best options (from what ive learned) are A: Japanese produced games. Harvest Moon is almost a chick magnet. Everyone female gamer ive met has played, and enjoyed a Harvest Moon game. I think its because of how much more adorable and fun Japanese games can be. (Im not saying women ARNT into hardcore gaming, im just saying its slightly less likely from my own experience.)"

Harvest Moon, ladies and gents:

One of the only thoughtful articles I read on the subject was written by Jacqueline Cottrell who was working for the Jace Hall Show. She interviewed Ryako Asumi, a close friend and avid gamer, to find out what it's like to be a girl gamer in Japan.

According to Ryako, "In Japan, women who game, or just the average otaku woman in general, can be looked down upon by both men and women." She also mentions that, "being a woman in Japan who games is kind of like waving a red flag in front of a bull: If I were to announce I’m a gamer in a crowded room of men, maybe 90% of them would try and have sex with me."

WOW. Sounds just fabulous, doesn't it? I actually messaged Jacqueline about the article and she said she'd pass on the word to Ryako. With any luck, I'll be able to meet her in person while I'm here and talk about these issues in more detail.REST ASSURED there's got to be way more to Japanese women gamers than the internet lets on. From my experience of living here, personal introductions make all the difference. I'm hoping that my visit here will help to flesh out the paltry image that dominates the web.

Wish me luck on my hunt for interviews!
皆さん、いつも読んでくれてありがとうございます。またね

Cheers