Gamer girls :

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Gamer girls :

Title :

Gamer girls : 25 women who built the video game industry / written by Mary Kenney ; illustrated by Salini Perera.

Title:

Gamer girls :

Author:

Kenney, Mary

Format:

Books

Physical Description:

xii, 148 pages : color illustrations ; 25 cm

Edition:

First edition.

ISBN:

9780762474561

Production / Publication Information:

Philadelphia : RP Teens, 2022.

Summary:

"Discover the women behind the video games we love--from the iconic games they created, the genres they invented, the studios and companies they built--and how they changed the industry forever. From classic games like Centipede and Solitaire to popular modern games like Final Fantasy, Uncharted, and Halo, this book explores the work and history of 25 influential women in the video game industry and how their contributions ultimately built and transformed the medium that we know today. Gamer Girls explores each woman's contributions to the industry, but also their inspirations and hardships as they worked to create the games that they wanted to play. Including smaller sidebars about other influential women, a glossary, additional resources page, and stunning profile and spot illustrations of influential pixel queens such as: Roberta Williams (creator of the adventure genre) * Mabel Addis Mergardt (the first person to write a video game) * Muriel Tramis (the French "knight" of video games) * Keiko Erikawa (the creator of the otome genre) * Yoko Shimomura (the composer for Street Fighter, Final Fantasy, and Kingdom Hearts) * Rebecca Heineman (first national video game tournament champion) * Jade Raymond (builder of the modern game engine) * and many more"--

Bibliography note:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 138-147).

Target audience note:

Ages 12-18

Language:

English

Added Author:

Perera, Salini, 1986-

Subject Term:

Women video game designers -- Biography -- Juvenile literature.

Video games -- Design -- History -- Juvenile literature.

Women video game designers.

Women -- Biography.

Video games -- Design -- History.

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Material Type	Library	Call Number	Item Barcode	Location
Book	Searching... Andover - Memorial Hall Library	794.8 KEN	31330009221973	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Burlington Public Library	YA BIO WOMEN	32116003895311	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Dracut - Moses Greeley Parker Memorial Library	J/794.8/KEN	31482003060111	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Groton Public Library	YA 794.8 KEN	37003701650641	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Hamilton-Wenham Public Library	Y 794.8 KEN	30470002025574	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Haverhill Public Library	YA/794.8/KENNEY M	31479007556946	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Ipswich Public Library	YA 794.8 KENNEY	32122002964538	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Lawrence Public Library	794.8 KEN YA	31549004969548	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Lawrence Public Library	794.8 KEN YA	31549005036933	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Middleton - Flint Public Library	Y 794.8 KENNEY	32126001877591	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... North Andover - Stevens Memorial Library	TEEN PEO GAMER	31478010217454	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... North Reading - Flint Memorial Library	YA 794.8 KEN	31550002528237	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Tewksbury Public Library	TEEN GAMES / KEN	32132003332726	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Topsfield Town Library	YA 794.8 KENNEY	32133002637362	Searching... Unknown
Book	Searching... Wilmington Memorial Library	TEEN 794.8 KENNEY	32136003642521	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Discover the women behind the video games we love -- the iconic games they created, the genres they invented, the studios and companies they built -- and how they changed the industry forever.

Women have always made video games, from the 1960s and the first-of-its-kind, projector-based Sumerian Game to the blockbuster Uncharted games that defined the early 2000s. Women have been behind the writing, design, scores, and engines that power one of the most influential industries out there. In Gamer Girls, now you can explore the stories of 25 of those women. Bursting with bold artwork, easy-to-read profiles, and real-life stories of the women working on games like Centipede, Final Fantasy, Halo, and more, this dynamic illustrated book shows what a huge role women have played--and will continue to play--in the creation of video games.

With additional sidebars about other influential women in the industry, as well as a glossary and additional resources page, Gamer Girls offers a look into the work and lives of influential pixel queens such as: Roberta Williams (one of the creators of the adventure genre) Mabel Addis Mergardt (the first person to write a video game) Muriel Tramis (the French "knight" of video games) Keiko Erikawa (creator of the otome genre) Yoko Shimomura (composer for Street Fighter , Final Fantasy, and Kingdom Hearts ) Rebecca Heineman (first national video game tournament champion) Danielle Bunten Berry (creator of M.U.L.E. and early advocate for multiplayer games) and more! Whether you're a gamer girl who plays video games, a gamer girl who makes video games, or a parent raising a gamer girl, this entertaining, inspiring book will have you itching to pick up a controller or create your own video games!

Reviews (3)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 7 Up--Video games wouldn't be what they are today without the contribution of women from all around the world. Women have been integral in shaping the field, from some of the first text-based games in the 1970s to the high-tech games players know and love today. This engaging book features 25 women, including women of color, trans women, teenagers, and women who changed careers later in life. Throughout each chapter, readers get tidbits on other influential women in the field, aptly labeled "Side Quests." Kenney, a video game writer, shares her insider knowledge and research to help readers understand all the terms and technical talk that comes with discussing game development. The layout is easy to follow, and the illustrations are bright and appealing. This book celebrates inclusion and proves that diversity in cultures and opinions is needed to create great games. Readers do not need to be well-versed in gaming lingo to understand and appreciate this book. VERDICT Witty, engaging, and informative, this book will inspire all types of readers to do what they love, whether in the gaming industry or not.--Carleigh Obrochta

Kirkus Review

A collective biography of women pioneers and stars of the gaming industry. Repeated questions from girls about whether it was worth it to enter this field in the light of things like Gamergate, the racist and misogynistic mid-2010s harassment campaign that still affects online gaming communities, prompted Kenney, a game developer with an impressive resume, to highlight the triumphs of women in the industry and demonstrate that women have been influential players in the industry for many decades. The brief biographies are tightly focused on the women's careers and what brought them to gaming, with interests in storytelling, puzzles, and, naturally, computers frequently recurring. They open with a framing of the individuals' best-known accomplishments and number of years in the industry. Kenney infuses humor where she can as a counterbalance to industry jargon and the unavoidable repetition in the women's stories. While most of the women appear to be White in the stylized illustrated portraits and lack racial descriptors in their chapters (Kenney cites 2019 data that, of the fewer than 25% of game designers who identify as female, 81% are White), Asian and Black women are also represented as well as trans women. Sidebar paragraphs spotlight even more women in the industry. Perera's arresting full-page portraits rendered in shades of purple and orange with black and white accents open each entry; spot art adds further visual interest. A solid reference work that shows aspiring female game developers the legacy they'd be joining. (glossary, bibliography, notes) (Nonfiction. 12-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

Women still comprise less than a quarter of video game developers, but Kenney, an "AAA" developer who works on games with blockbuster budgets, seeks to remedy this by spotlighting 25 prominent females (historic and modern) in the gaming industry. From Muriel Tramis, the first Black woman to design video games, to Brenda Laurel, who started the Games for Girls movement, to Yoko Shimomura, a Japanese composer of video game music, each profile covers the developer's formative interest in such areas as coding, gaming, and writing, as well as her entry and influence in the field. Organized conceptually rather than chronologically, the book arranges the profiles so that their content builds on one another, with Kenney referring readers back to previous concepts and developers as needed. She also uses the biographies to discuss early innovations and trends and broach relevant topics, like the industry's lack of diversity, oversexualization, and initial emphasis on binary genders in gaming. The conversational tone and accompanying digital images clinch this as a hit for gaming fans.