Q: What motivated you to get involved in the girl games industry? How did you end up at HerInteractive?
A: After 11 years as Editor/Producer for educational, documentary and corporate videos, I decided to transition into multimedia. I joined Microsoft as a Producer for 'CarPoint', the first online buying service. I was introduced to the CEO of Herinteractive.com through a mutual friend and the rest is history. We both believe in the business opportunity and mission for Her Interactive.com. Our mission is to open the doors of technology to girls through interactive entertainment. I am also a fan of Nancy Drew and was excited by the creative challenge to transform the books into entertaining interactive games.
Q: Describe your experience of being female in the gaming industry. Any advice for women interested in getting into the industry?
A: Her Interactive.com was one of the pioneers in the girls gaming industry. In 1995, when we released McKenzie & Co., the industry was asking "why games for girls?"; now they're asking "how do you make games for girls?" It has been a very positive experience for me as a woman to witness this shift in the gaming industry. I encourage women to explore this industry - there are so many opportunities to use their unique insights, talents and experience to contribute to the gaming industry.
Q: I was intrigued by the fact that HerInteractive develops their games with the help of input from an "advisory board" of girls and young women. Tell us about them: who they are, their function, their ages, the feedback they have given, etc.
A: Sonia Doughty, our Sales and Marketing Coordinator, heads up our consumer research with the girls. She has built a panel of almost 75 girls that participate in focus groups, usability and functionality testing before, during and after product development. They are computer-savvy girls ranging in age from 9-16 that enjoy utilizing technology for learning and communicating, as well as for entertainment. Their input is critical to the development of our products. We conducted over 30 focus groups and one-on-one usability tests to understand how girls use technology, what they liked and disliked about existing computer games and what their perceptions of Nancy Drew were. We factored that input into the design of Nancy Drew Secrets Can Kill and our current game Stay Tuned for Danger.
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