A New Legacy: The Female Gamers' Movement
By Katherine Anna Kang

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Many times a movement is started by a few who see the need for a change. In a way, that's how the All Female Quake tournament began. Someone sees a void, believes it can be filled, and off they go to fill it. The work is hard, the rewards are small, and the details are complex but people do it because they see a need and look towards a brighter future. Hopefully the success of a few is significant enough that the torch gets passed on to make room for future successes.

The All Female Quake Tournament (AFT) made its debut during the summer of 1997. I can say with pride that with the help of a few good friends, supporters and sponsors, the first tournament of its kind was heralded as a success. Why an All Female tournament? Three main reasons:

This summer, two years later, the Female Frag Fest (FFF) made its debut. The ladies of Lilith and Eve spearheaded the event and much like the AFT, through the help of supporters and sponsors, the event was a great success. The reasons for the FFF may have been slightly different than that of the original AFT, but the fundamentals are still there. Women, who make up the minority of FPS gamers, want to meet, support, and play their favorite game with other female gamers.

When a group of women get together it almost always draws attention (both good and bad). While criticism runs rampant when anyone organizes a tournament on a large scale, the number of critics grows exponentially when that tournament is an all-female event. One major criticism is that all-female events are sexist. If one defines sexism as discriminating based on sex, then yes, the event is sexist; but so are the following:

• women's/men's bathrooms
• women's/men's sport teams
• private girls/boys school
• girlscout/boyscout

If one defines sexism as discrimination against women, to keep opportunities from women and keep them as second class citizens, then no, all-female Quake tournaments are not sexist. These all-female gaming events are in fact doing their part to fight sexism. These events introduce a lot women to a world they would otherwise not be a part of.

Things have progressed since 1997, we hear a lot more about female action gamers and their presence is rarely denied. There are more female clans, more female web sites, and more female presence in the gaming industry but women are still regarded as novelties in FPS gaming. Something that I hope will change as women become more involved and less afraid to join the fray.

In organizing and putting the AFT and QuakeCon 99 together I made a discovery. For males, playing games is as much of a networking tool, as it is fun. This is a tool that most female gamers are an outsider to. This is a world that most females are oblivious to. Males bond through games. They befriend one another, learn to help each other, and discuss subjects as diverse as networking, programming, design, and art. With contacts, skill, and perseverance, these men find jobs in the industry. Much like playing golf is to the business world, playing FPS is to the gaming world.

Events like the AFT and the FFF brings this world closer to women in ways that no other event can. It gives women the opportunity to get to know other gamers in an environment that makes them feel comfortable. Rather than feel like an outsider, they become part of a group. Rather than feel alone, they are often, for the first, time together. It's a good thing to see a lot women enjoying a great game but it's even a better thing to see opportunities open up to 50% of the world's population and talent pool through the love of a game. What female gamers do today may help pave the way for female gamers of tomorrow. If events like the AFT and the FFF makes it easier for women who dream about making their careers in gaming come true, I hope there are many more such events in the future.