By: Jennifer Lane, Design Director at Turn 10 Studios and Co-Leader of Xbox Women in Gaming.
As video game developers, we must take responsibility for creating amazing games that are inclusive for everyone, championing the gamer experience, and building positive gamer communities. With almost 20 years in video game development, creating a space where everyone on the planet can experience the joys of video games remains paramount for me.
My current job at Forza Motorsport continues to teach me invaluable lessons on great and inclusive game design. I will always champion video game culture for everyone, so that it is directly a part of the video game development process. First and foremost is ensuring that game designs are adaptable and support diverse styles of play for our diverse player equals. Another valuable lesson is the importance of creating boundaries to support safer communities, as part of creating gaming experiences. I bring this knowledge with me as I continue my work on Xbox games and take gamer experiences to new levels.
I want to inspire our next generation of innovators and creators, and I look forward to making a difference through intentional inclusion, support, and mentoring, especially for women just beginning their journey. As the co-leader of Gaming at Xbox, along with Ivory Harvey, we remain committed to fostering connections between women and the gaming community, to support each other and raise awareness.
To commemorate International Women’s Day and the Women’s History Month, I join the Xbox team as we focus on recognizing the amazing women in video games and creating a space for them to shine. As Xbox Director Phil Spencer puts it, “In the video game industry, we have seen tremendous contributions when women are empowered in key roles of leadership, development, design, and throughout the creative team. We need to focus on bringing more women to video game careers, in all stages and disciplines. “
Xbox will continue to advocate for content that represents the diversity of today’s gamers, and will continue to empower and support women across the industry. Here are some of the ways Xbox plans to commemorate women in video games on International Women’s Day and during Women’s History Month:
Xbox programming to celebrate Women’s History Month
We will dedicate our live stream content throughout the month to commemorate Women’s History Month and feature women in various categories: Game Stars, Developers, Content Creators, and Streamers! Stay tuned for Twitch so you don’t miss out on all the action!
Women’s History Month Tournament in Gears 5
We will also launch a Gears 5 online tournament with all female gamers, which will be streamed on Twitch.tv/Xbox, on Saturday, March 13, 2021 at 10:30 am PT. This will be a collaboration between Xbox, The Coalition, and Smash.gg. See here the official rules.
Minecraft: Women’s Equality Lessons on Education and the Right to Vote
Minecraft: Education Edition has launched two new lessons on International Women’s Day, to explore the work of Malala Yousafzai in advocating for girls’ education, and Emmeline Pankhurst in pursuing the right to vote for women in Victorian Britain. Look for these lessons in education.minecraft.net o and Minecraft Marketplace.
Queen’s Clash Tournament and Celebration of Women in History, World’s Edge and Age of Empires
Queen’s Clash Tournament: Prepare to draw your sword and raise your shield, March 13-14, 2021, for the first Queen’s Clash, a tournament of Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition to commemorate International Women’s Day. Queen’s Clash is run by Age of Queens, a group led by women from the community of Age, and sponsored by World’s Edge. Prepare your battle cry and support your sisters in arms! (https://www.twitch.tv/tinytriss)
Celebrating Women in History: Age of Empires celebrates stories from around the world. Throughout March, the stories of influential women throughout history will be told in ageofempires.com and on the social channels of Age of Empires! (https://www.ageofempires.com/news)
Videojuegos e impacto con Microsoft Rewards: Girls Who Code, Black Girls Rock
Through Xbox, Microsoft Rewards members will be able to earn and donate points to organizations that support women in video games. All Microsoft Rewards donations made to the organizations listed below will be matched by Microsoft for the month of March 2021.
- Girls Who Code is an organization that values diversity, equity and inclusion as essential to its mission. They seek to inspire, educate and equip girls with the computer skills that enable them to become agents of change in their communities.
- Black Girls Rock is a non-profit organization committed to guiding, enriching and educating the next generation of young women leaders, by providing girls with the tools necessary to develop leadership skills, improve academic achievement, refine critical thinking, promote social awareness, and increase civic engagement.
Xbox gamers can earn Microsoft Rewards points in a number of ways, such as playing or purchasing games after downloading the Microsoft Rewards app on Xbox. Earn points and exchange them for real rewards. Join today Y donate via Xbox.
Discover games, movies and TV shows curated by women at Microsoft
This March and beyond, we’re highlighting games, movies, and TV shows, selected by women at Microsoft, that focus on content created by women, women leaders, affirmation experiences, and more.
Take a look at some highlights of the complete collection of games with creators, protagonists, playable characters Y character creation options:
Control – Jesse Faden is the new director of the Federal Bureau of Control, who wields telekinetic powers and is praised for her skills, thoughtfulness and power.
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider – Billie Lurk is a black woman, embodying remarkable depth and intersectionality, who lost her eye and her arm.
Never Alone – Nuna is an Iñupiat girl at the center of this puzzle platformer adventure, who was created to be a strong, resourceful, smart and courageous role model for girls.
Beyond Eyes – This unique game is developed by Sherida Halatoe and follows the journey of Rae, a ten year old girl who is blind and who is in search of her lost cat.
Browse movies and TV shows with similar themes here.
See the full collections in the Microsoft Store on Xbox, the Microsoft Store on Windows, and the Xbox app on Windows. After March 31, 2021, visitors to the Xbox and Windows Stores can find selections from the women’s community at Microsoft by searching for “Women’s History Month” and related terms.
Women of Xbox UK: Video and Visual Podcast, March – June 2021
In honor of International Women’s Day, the following video from Women of Xbox UK will be released today, and will feature Rare’s Louise O’Connor in conversation with Mary McGuane (Staff Director at Xbox Game Studios), Nina Kristensen (Development Director at Ninja Theory’s) and Rose Buahin (Senior Category Manager for games in the UK marketing team). During the talk, these outstanding leaders will share their reflections on the challenges they have faced and how their experiences have fueled their success.
In addition, we announce a nueva serie del podcast Women of Xbox UK. The podcast will feature women from Xbox Game Studios and other teams, who will comment on their experiences, share tips, and encourage listener aspirations. Each episode will focus on where these women began their journey, where they are now, and what they see for the future. The first episode will be available at the end of March. Check out the podcast here.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection – Women’s History Month “Spartan Kat” Dog Tag
In Halo: The Master Chief Collection, our players can personalize their profile with special nameplates to commemorate in-game activities or celebrate special events. Any player can log in during the month of March and automatically gain access to this unique nameplate featuring Spartan Kat from Women’s History Month!
Xbox Ambassadors Share Their Stories
Highlighting and amplifying the voices of the community is essential to the mission of Xbox Ambassadors. To commemorate Women’s History Month, we asked members who identify as women to share how games with diverse representation have impacted them, and to share their own stories about being part of the video game community. These are their stories.
Xbox Community Game Club
Xbox Community Game Club is a weekly way to play, share and discuss games together as a community. To commemorate Women’s History Month, we feature games featuring women in important leadership or support roles. Visit each week to discover your next favorite game and use #XboxGameClub to tell us about some of your favorite women in video games and how they have impacted them.
In recognition of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, we hope to commemorate women in video games and highlight women leaders on Xbox. As we honor their achievements, we hope to inspire the next generation of innovators and leaders in the video game industry. We will also continue to advocate for a safe and inclusive space where everyone can experience the joys of video games.
PLAY. CONNECT. IMPACT
Learn more about everything Xbox and Microsoft are doing to commemorate International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month at Xbox Community Hub Y Microsoft | Women’s History Month.
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