Get in the Game

Above: (l-r) Maria Pacheco, Stephanie Huynh and Tameka Kee

On Thursday April 30, 2009 the IPG Emerging Media Lab hosted the latest SheSays LA event, Ms. Gamer, on women and gaming. Attendees were able to test their skills on the Wii and then settled in to hear our expert panel share their various experiences on the state of the industry and and how they first got into the game.

Maria Pacheco, of MoboGift and formerly of Vivendi Games Mobile, shared how she successfully marketed the mobile gamer, Surviving High School, and engaged users by utilizing viral tactics, including contests, quizes and Facebook widgets.

Stephanie Huynh from Denuo talked about the changing market of gaming–with tweens and teens now generally playing the same games, the lines between hardcore (typically male) and casual (female) gamers will begin to blur as audiences mature into future.

Finally, Tameka Kee from ContentNext Media presented perspectives on life and careers in the gaming industry. She shared advice from four female industry leaders on how women can enter and advance in fields related to gaming in the marketing, media and development arenas.

During the Q&A session, our panelists discussed trends in gaming and shared their personal stories on how they got into the industry and provided their own tips for the women who’d like do the same.

The fun-filled evening, sponsored by Weber Shandwick, ended with a raffle with great prizes provided by Namco Bandai. Stay tuned for details on the the next SheSays LA event, on Cause Marketing. If you’re a woman in digital marketing and advertising and would like to get more involved in SheSays LA, please contact Kim Hoang.