Recap of last night’s Microsoft Women in Gaming event & key takeaways

Last night, the Microsoft Sydney store hosted the Women in Gaming launch event. It was great to hear from the panellists and meet some of the people who attended the event. 
Let’s face it, gaming has been around a long time but like society in general, women still face challenges. (Quick FYI: I am a cisgendered hetero woman). It’s up to women to help empower other women because when we help each other out, we’re all better off as a group in the end.

The panellists

So, “Who was on the panel last night?” you ask. Here are their names and handles:

And here are the bios from the Microsoft event page:
Microsoft Women in Gaming launch speakers

How it all went

I’m not sure exactly what time I arrived. The event was meant to start at 6 pm but there was already plenty of people waiting through the front door of the store. I would say there were at least 50 people there all up so that was exciting to see! I’m glad to have seen a few young women there too including one person who is clearly still in high school. Of course, we had some men supporting us women too so there was plenty of love around ❤
Here are some highlight posts from the event:


https://twitter.com/Shadowfax/status/1001417295279747072


https://twitter.com/allymcleangames/status/1001607224588886018


I’m looking forward to more events like these. It sounds like this is just the first of many. I really think that we can all help each other out in different ways and develop a supportive local community of women in gaming.

The key takeaways from Women in Gaming you should take away

For those of you that were there, these will be good reminders. And, for those of you that weren’t there, I hope this will be a good summary of important points shared by the speakers. They aren’t word-for-word as such but what I absorbed from the evening. For fun, I’ll also tack on some of my own personal points towards the end.

Be confident

Confidence is really important in everything that you do. It means believing in yourself and taking chances you otherwise wouldn’t.

Be authentic

Authenticity is an easy enough word to throw around. But, when it comes down to it, you’re the only person that’s good at being you.

Work with a mentor

Again, a mentor is one of this that’s important whether or not you’re focusing on the gaming industry. Mentors are people with vast experience. And, that vast experience will definitely help you grow and avoid common mistakes made by others.

Surround yourself with good people

Personally, I like to think of this advice in terms of this: If you surround yourself with people smarter than you, it will only help you be better and smarter. Good people are those that have your back, support you and cheer you on.

Enjoy yourself

I think this is just a good general life tip. It’s hard to stay motivated and productive if you aren’t enjoying yourself. Take pride in what you do and be passionate.

Some of my own advice

  • Play in the space: Be involved in the space/industry/community even in small ways. Attending events like the one last night is a good step to learning and meeting new people.
  • Don’t let uncertainty hold you back: This is another general life tip. Ask questions, research, find information, talk to people to help yourself be less uncertain.
  • Make use of your existing skills: If you’re interested in being in the gaming industry but have never been involved in it, this one is for you. Gaming is vast and needs everyone from programmers and engineers to designers and video creators to marketers and organisers. Skills are more transferable than you’d think.