Imagine for a moment, that you are a graduate student for one of the most prestigious game design programs in the country, and you get the chance to attend a school-sponsored panel discussion with heavy hitters from companies like Blizzard, Infinity Ward, and Lionsgate Interactive.
You’d probably be pretty excited for the chance to gain valuable insight from these leaders, as you make your final preparations to pursue a career in game development.
Now imagine your reaction when the event is cancelled a mere four hours before it was set to begin.
That would be pretty disappointing, right?
So try and empathize for a moment, with the gamut of emotions you might feel after you found out that the reason this anticipated event was cancelled, was because there were no women on the panel.
According to USC’s Tracy Fullerton, the wealth of experience this panel could have offered students pales in comparison with their sex.
That’s exactly what happened recently at USC .
A panel discussion entitled “Legends of the Game Industry” was set to feature a number of luminaries from a variety of publishers and developers, however because the participants who agreed to attend the panel consisted only of men, school official decided that terminating the panel hours before its start, was far more important than letting it proceed.
In an excellent op-ed piece for USC’s Daily Trojan, writer Tiana Lowe points out the irony of the blatant act of sexism that was committed in the name of preventing sexism.
In justifying her move to deny students the chance to learn from people successful in their chosen field, Director of USC’s Games Program, Tracy Fullerton told the Daily Trojan:
“There was only the choice to stand for one set of values or another. So, I chose the path I believe in. You are all free to disagree, but I think it is the right side of history.”
The lack of a female voice on the Legends of the Game Industry panel was not due to a malicious act of sexism or an unfortunate oversight on the part of the event’s organizers. As Lowe’s piece points out, an unnamed female game designer was scheduled to be part of the panel; however she had to cancel due to scheduling conflicts.
USC’s Tracy Fullerton
In cancelling the event, students not only lost out on the chance to participate in the panel, but also demonstrate their creations and receive constructive input from the panel’s participants.
Expanding the role and participation of women within the gaming industry has been a hot button topic as of late. In an encouraging sign that more women are actively seeking careers in game development, roughly 50% of the students enrolled in USC’s gaming program are female.
Do you think USC made the correct call in cancelling the all-male panel? Or is this a case of social justice and political correctness running amok? Find your own brand of justice in the comments section below.
Written by The Watchman
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