Getting girls into the game: Towards a "Virtuous Cycle"

This paper was authored by Ludica, a game design and art collective devoted to developing innovative design concepts that explore the potential of games to express women!s narratives, aesthetics, culture and play. Ludica!s members combine experience in virtual reality, art and technology collaboration, game design, computer science, academic research, the game and theme park industries, fine art, photography and graphic design. A critical component of Ludica!s mission is to identify and develop methodologies and organizational contexts that provide more inclusive and productive environments in which women can actively contribute to the game design process. In this paper, we bring to bear our own experience as designers, authors, researchers and teachers, as well as conversations with women in industry, academia, and current and former students, to outline a vision for a future in which the culture of game design is more conducive to female participation