Especially for International Womens Day (and continuing all week) we’ve created a series of interviews to co-incide with the annual celebration of women’s achievements all around the world.
There’s great advice for women who want to be part of the gaming world and we find out what’s changed, what’s changing and what still needs to change if women’s voices are to be heard and gaming is to become more inclusive, more entertaining and more engaging for everyone.
We spoke with Agnė Vitkutė, head of publisher relations at G.Round, part of global video games solution GXC. This includes video game accelerator Global Top Round, video game investment fund Round Ventures and the data-driven feedback platform G.Round. All three combine to deliver a data-focused approach to improving video game projects and driving growth and investment toward them.
PocketGamer.biz: Firstly, tell us about your work at G.Round
Agnė Vitkutė: I’m head of publisher relations at G.Round. We’re a public playtesting service for PC games and we help indie developers and publishers improve their games based on community feedback.
What made you want to work in games?
I have been a gamer since I was very young, playing some memory block games in the early 90s. However, I never considered working in the games industry, simply because it never crossed my mind, and there was no gaming culture or industry in Lithuania. Then my sister got me an internship at a videogames PR agency nine years ago, and now I couldn’t imagine leaving this industry.
Women bring different leadership styles that benefit everyone, not only other women. Also, it’s proven that women in leadership positions increase innovation revenue.
Agnė Vitkutė
Do you feel like attitudes towards female gamers and women working in games have changed and are changing?
It was like the wild-west back when I started, with misogyny and sexual harassment being the norm. There was much less support among women; it felt that only the toughest women succeeded, and those just starting out weren’t taken seriously. It felt like I had to prove myself every time, even to get a chance to talk business.
Thankfully, it’s a different world now. There’s much more respect and so many women joining the industry and supporting each other. Seeing women in leadership positions is very encouraging and hopefully attracts more women to the industry.
What do you think having more women in games brings to the industry and the games we make?
While misogyny still exists, and some people still gender stereotype gaming and job roles, things are improving. Women bring different leadership styles that benefit everyone, not only other women. Also, it’s proven that women in leadership positions increase innovation revenue. So, the world benefits from a broader range of awesome games, and more people can find something they enjoy.
What’s the road ahead? How can we encourage more women to get involved and make a difference?
Mentoring and an abundance of role models are crucial if we want more women to join the games industry and succeed. I wouldn’t be where I am if I didn’t have other established women tell me I was good enough and encourage me to see myself as an equal to any male applicant.
