Work For The Working Man...

Aside from a shameless plug for one of my favourite songs off the last Bon Jovi studio album (The Circle), I thought I would talk about gaming at work today. Given that I currently work for a travel agent (oh the irony), there really isn't a lot to do inbetween taking calls. So it has begun - most of the girls (and guys) manning the phones have taken that awkward first step into casual gaming.

I found this rather amusing at first. Being a battle-weary veteran of the industry and as a voracious consumer of the same, I was vaguely smug that my "new" colleagues were experiencing games in the workplace. While they played online versions of SMB, I was quietly training my team of Pokemon to take on the Elite Four. Not that I was against online gaming, quite the opposite. I am quite the fan of Kongregate's Super Stacker.

But it got me thinking. Previously, they were all very interested in what I was playing in my DS, asking me about the games I owned (answer: quite a few, but restricted to a few favourite series), where I was up to in the game and how long I had been playing for. Since most of the shifts I do are long-haul, I take advantage of the time to do some serious training (more recently, I have been serious about EV training. Who knew stats could be so important?). The next logical step, I suppose, is therefore taking advantage of my knowledge of games (console and online based) and exploring their options.

The funniest moment in all of this was when I turned around from my computer and found four of my colleagues all playing the same game. On the exact same level. Each was employing a different methodology of completing the level (completist, speed-run, careful progression), but they were all talking about it. Now, I've read articles in the past that have talked about gaming in the work place and I've even heard the argument that it can be considered unprofessional and childish. I would disagree. What struck me in this particular circumstance was the team-building that was going on. Not only were these people reinforcing crucial social networks, but they were working as a team to finish the game.

I'm not saying that I'm the leading expert in all things gaming, nor am I a psychologist, but it occurs to me that perhaps instead of less fun 'team-building' exercises, maybe a good round of CoD in the boardroom would encourage healthy working relationships.

It might also do something towards improving hand-eye co-ordination in offices.

Games for Girls?

I was reading a blog over at the Frag Dolls site and I was interested in what they had to say about games made specifically for girls. Having done marketing for games - which is no picnic but worth it - I've not found much difference in the games girls like to play. They seem to want everything that a guy wants from a game, they just want better representation.

Which is all fine and good, but very few are willing to fight for that kind of equality. We barely have a reasonable representation in the companies that make the games, let alone the testing groups. Working on my first PC title at the beginning of the year, I put a call out to the general public for testers. I do believe only one girl answered the call up and there were Tim-Tams on offer! How can any woman turn THAT down?

While I was pushing for an alternative female protagonist in-game, the boys eventually over-rode my decision, but it never sat quite right with me. Being the voice of progression is never easy, even more so when you are lost under a cacophony of other voices. I was lucky - I had a champion in the design team who took my side and fought with me for some of my game mechanics and characterisations. But nevertheless, it's my belief that the guys who want to tap into this demographic need to pull their fingers out of their ears and listen to the shrill whining of the girls who feel misrepresented.

Maybe if they do that, those girls will buy their games.