WHEN it comes to gaming many would think that it's a male-dominated world, be it on the player side or even the game development area.
However, today, this career line is no longer specifically dominated by males. We talked to two female game developers Sapphire Wong and Sebastian Wang, who both work at both work at a studio called Kurechii, an indie game development studio based in Cyberjaya.
Both Wong (the art director) and Wang (UI/UX designer) are involved in different aspects of game creation.
Wong (34) is a graduate from The One Academy with a Bachelor's Degree in Communication Design majoring in Illustration, while Wang (27), known as the "the girl with a boy's name" also graduated from The One Academy with a Bachelor's Degree in Interaction Design.
Q: How long have you been working in the gaming industry, and what attracted you to gaming?
Wong: I have been in the industry for roughly 6 years. For most of my lifetime, reading and gaming have been my main forms of entertainment. For someone who was mostly confined at home during her early childhood years, gaming opened a gateway to a world of imagination and served as a great way for me to escape mundane daily lives. I also enjoyed the satisfaction of overcoming challenges from beating a game, though I wasn't very good at gaming as a child. Old school games from the NES/Mega Drive era are typically hard, so my list of completed games wasn't long back then. But now I find myself enjoying challenging games such as Cuphead and Celeste.
Wang: I have been in the gaming industry for almost 4 years, though I began as a lifestyle app developer. I made the switch when I discovered that I could turn my love of video games into a career. Video games have always been part of my life. The most vivid memory of mine would be the moment I got my first Pokemon game on the Game Boy. At that time, my passion for video games was only limited to the entertainment level. However, it wasn't until I discovered Kurechii that I learned about game design. What attracted me to gaming was the creator's passion shining through the product. To me, it is the cornerstone of what defines a good game, an important key that inspires ideas and motivations in others, which in turn leads to further innovations of design. It is from that where I have developed my design philosophy.
Q: What do you do in your line of work? How do you see gaming as a career?
Wong: As an Art Director, my job is to provide a vision and find an aesthetic that complements our games. More specifically, I produce concept art, design ideas, and game assets such as characters' sprites and backgrounds. At the same time, I direct the art team to maintain a consistent style and direction when producing assets. Occasionally, I will provide key visuals for marketing such as the ones you see on our websites and trailers.
I like being able to share my vision and have it materialised into a game. There's something magical about seeing your designs brought to life on a media that you love so much. And to work with a wonderful team that shares the same goal, which is to make a memorable game to be proud of, is something I value greatly.
While playing games is all fun and joy, working on one can be quite a different experience. Developing games is a time-consuming project. Passion is usually what's said to keep us going, but to make it work realistically, knowledge, skills, and perseverance are all required. It helps to do some research and equip yourself with the right mentality and necessary requirements before jumping into the industry.
Wang: Both UI/UX (user interface and user experience) are two interdependent design approaches. In games, UI is the core of the graphical presentation of the interface: buttons, menus, fonts, and more. It allows players to interact in the game world through said interfaces. UX, on the other hand, is the logic of interaction with the game, setting the usability and satisfaction that the player receives when interacting with a game.
So as a UI & UX designer, I am responsible for rendering a prototype based on the experiences of our target audience. This requires development from research and mock-ups to create an engaging gaming experience.
Game design and I have a love-hate relationship. The process of creating is never pretty, it is filled with blood, sweat, and tears. However, I still find game design very fascinating because it allows us an avenue to feel and express ourselves in the virtual world, a place for people to escape from the struggles of real life. What could be more perfect than that?
Q: What is your biggest achievement so far and what's next in the pipeline?
Wong: I think that would be producing memorable games such as King's League II and the Postknight series and having inspired other people to pursue the same career. I have heard feedback from people who were inspired by our games and have aspired to become game developers, and I'm glad to serve as a steppingstone in their career paths.
I will keep creating fun and inspirational visuals, and hopefully, be able to provide art for a console game when we tap into the console market one day.
Wang: My biggest achievement so far is that I got to be involved in the full process of game development for two games: King's League II and Postknight 2. Most times, game projects may be cancelled due to many difficulties and may never see the light of day. From conception to release of a game, it is a long and tough journey, but also an invaluable experience as well. Thankfully, I was a part of two successful releases.
We're working on more updates for King's League II and Postknight 2. As for what's next, we'll reveal in due time. Regardless, I would like to inspire people who are interested in games, especially our local game designers, as it is still a relatively uncommon career in Malaysia. I hope to see a future where making games is accepted as a viable profession.
Q: Your thoughts on the industry in Malaysia, and the importance of female perspective in game development?
Wong: The Malaysian gaming industry has a lot of potential. Our gaming scene is still in its infancy stage but that's what makes it exciting and hopeful. More local games are surfacing, which opens more job opportunities and demands. Some foreign game studios are also setting up branches here, a sign that our talent pool is slowly gaining attention around the globe. Naturally, there will be challenges and obstacles, but the interest in gaming has only become stronger. The potential to grow in this industry is endless. Gaming has become a part of our culture and is heavily ingrained into many Malaysian lives. It is safe to say that I'm expecting the gaming industry to keep rising from here onwards.
That said, having women on the team can help deconstruct a certain stereotypical view of women that was established in the industry many years ago. Other than doing the same tasks as our male colleagues, we are also able to provide relatable feedback on certain topics such as the way women are written or designed. Not to completely disregard the decisions that were made to appeal to half of the population, but it would be nice to have an option to see ourselves in a more realistic and comfortable manner in games, which is something that has been happening in more games nowadays, thankfully.
Wang: In Malaysia, most local game studios provide outsourcing services for the biggest international publishers and cater to the AAA (Triple A - higher budget video games) game market. As such, a disproportionate amount of attention goes to companies with the most famous names in the gaming industry as their clientele, instead of companies that have accomplished much under their own steam. Undoubtedly the local gaming industry is moving at a rapid pace now, with significant changes focusing on the development of the creative sector. However, the local market is still not conducive to give major recognition or appreciation for local indie game developers.
On top of that, I believe we should encourage gender diversity in game design courses and in the industry. That will allow us to create change and enrich the ecosystem by providing fresher perspectives in what has predominantly been stereotyped as being a boy's area of interest.
At the end of the day, however, this change should stem from both genders in the industry, as it cannot be the onus of just one half of the party to improve upon the gaming environment. In addition, I wish to see more gamers, programmers, artists, and designers who can be widely recognised as professionals, removing the trivialisation of this industry in comparison to more traditional professions.
Q: How can we encourage more female participation in the gaming world?
Wong: Normalise women in the gaming industry by showing our involvement and encourage more girls to play games without fitting into society's conventional standards. Make games that make us feel welcome and treat our interest with equal respect.
Wang: The issue on why women are less likely to see themselves represented in game design and any other development roles can be attributed to them not feeling like they belong due to under-representation in the game industry.
A more traditionalist sense would assert that video games are a male-dominated field. I was always told even from an early age that I was unusual for enjoying video games. Such an archaic mindset has no place in the modern era, and we need to rectify it. Women themselves also need to shift away from allowing such stifling sentiments to hold back progress, least of all in themselves. There's no simple answer, but ultimately, you can't be what you can't see.
Q: What are among the challenges of being a woman in the male-dominated world?
Wong: It's the age-old battle of taking down stereotypes. Unsavoury remarks often happen indirectly or subconsciously in a modern, patriarchal society, which usually result in certain biases in the system. While I'm fortunate enough to not encounter any direct discrimination, the thought of knowing some parts of modern society still see women in an outdated light is concerning and it's something I hope to change for future generations.
Wang: I get this question quite often actually and believe me, I have spent a lot of time scratching my head just thinking about it. As a woman in a male-dominated world, we often face societal expectations and beliefs about the leadership abilities of women, as well as pervasive stereotypes or only being relegated to supporting roles.
And in some cases, women feel compelled to accept masculine cultural norms and act like "one of the boys" to fit in. To progress beyond these obstacles still presents a challenge to all of us, but I believe we are ready to make a difference.
Q: What's your overall experience creating games for the App Store, including Postknight 2, and Apple Arcade game King's League II?
Wong: As an indie studio that started out with a small following, the App Store helps expose our games to a much wider audience. We've had some of our games such as featured in the App Store's editorial stories, which has been a big help in creating visibility and reaching more people. We also received a lot of feedback from the App Store team which helps refine our games even further.
It was also an honour to have one of our games - King's League II, selected to be a part of Apple Arcade's catalogue of games. Not only was it something new but we were able to share the same spotlight with many other well-known developers. It was truly an exciting moment for us and one we will remember fondly.
Wang: Throughout the development of Postknight 2 and King's League II, the App Store and Apple Arcade have always provided international standards of guidance and quality control.
We have evolved and grown significantly along the way, especially with Apple Arcade. As being part of the original batch when it was first released, it gave new opportunities to small indie developers like us in the process. Through its massive user base, it offers developers a unique opportunity to reach different sectors of players. Apple Arcade is also designed to allow players to access their games across their Apple devices, from their iPhone and iPad to Mac and Apple TV. It's an insightful approach when you compare it to other platforms of entertainment.
Q: What's your advice for young women who want to consider game development as a career.
Wong: If you enjoy games and would like to be part of the industry, work hard to prepare yourself with the necessary qualifications and apply away. More and more women are involved in the game development scene and the numbers will likely keep increasing. We all began from the same starting line regardless of gender, so don't think any less of yourselves when pursuing your career in game development despite the stigma. Changes are happening and it's for the better.
Wang: Do your research about game design courses or related fields, to avoid entering the industry blindly. Take your time to consider other potentials and passions, and whether this is really for you.
Lastly, "embrace yourselves" is my advice for all women in the world, of all ages, career stages, cultures, and backgrounds. Use your actions to tell the people of the world that you can make a positive impact. We need people from all kinds of backgrounds and life experiences to bring their unique perspectives and creativity to the table.
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