:: WomenGamers - National Computer Camp Scholarship for Girls
:: 2007 Scholarship Winners

What a pleasure it was to read through the excellent array of essays from some bright and enthusiastic budding female game developers! If it were up to us, we would send you all to camp. Unfortunately we only have two scholarships to give away.

We read each essay carefully, looking for the girls who were the most innovative, who could communicate their ideas, who showed the most potential. We found far more than two essays that fit our criteria. There is great potential in ALL of you and we hope one day to see your dreams become a reality. So please remember, if you did not win do not give up.

In the end, we agreed that two essays in particular rose above the rest. These essays belonged to Briana F. (age 16) from Illinois and Elizabeth H. (age 12) from Michigan. Briana and Elizabeth, you will be receiving email confirmations of your win. Congratulations! And please do let WomenGamers.Com know how you've enjoyed your camp experience this summer.

I would like to take this moment to send a hearty thank you to ClearImage PR for their scholarship donation and support. We greatly appreciate it!

 

Essay by Scholarship Winner Briana F., Age 16:

It seems today that everywhere I turn that there is another video game title being released. As an avid game player, it would seem logical that the choices would be overwhelming or--perhaps more appropriately--exciting. However, sadly, this is not the case. Year after year, I seem to remain in a constant state of being underwhelmed. Embarrassing amounts of titles are intriguing or innovative. The majority of games seem to follow the same guidelines. Save the princess. Level up. Finish that quest. Ogle Lara Croft's backside (because gamers are multitaskers!). Republish, regurgitate, and repeat.

I believe this is the fault of those who think that developers have pushed the boundaries of technology to their limit. When I see reviews that say, "the graphics make the grass look incredibly realistic! It's almost as if the player could reach out and touch it!" I stop to think 'Well, why can't you?'

In the mid 90s Nintendo developed a game called Virtual Boy that allowed players to interact in a three dimensional environment through the use of a head-mounted display. Due to a lack of interest, the company discontinued the product. The abandonment of such technology echoed throughout the years; there are no current games that deal with the idea of "true" immersive 3D environments (or, at least, no popular ones a.k.a the ones that make an impact.)

This, unfortunately, might be the undoing of the future of video games. When people play them, they are looking for a form of escapism. They want to feel empowered, take part in something fantastical, and act as the exact opposite of their roles in real life. If this progress were stymied, then what would be the point of even playing at all? If the answer is for fun, then I ask where is the fun in re-playing a game with the same rehashed structure?

Another problem, at least in my opinion, is the marketing involved with recent games. Boys must play Gears of War while girls need to play Barbie Horse Adventure. There seems to be a clear definition of gender roles among gamer society. This is a pointless tactic. To put it simply, a gamer is a gamer. At the core of our beings, we all want and enjoy the same things. I hope in the years to come that companies will realize that by creating these niches that they’re only hurting themselves; it is easier to sell to one group rather than two.

The future of videogames lies in those who create them. If I were to create a video game, then it would be the antithesis of the games in the current market. Video games need to be as they were in the eve of their creation: enthralling, amusing, technologically advanced, and with an indefinable mass appeal. Games today are pre-packaged and ready for public consumption. While there are whispers of games as an art form and games that are groundbreaking, that time has not come to pass. Without the drive to create new technology and new ideas, the industry will never move forward, and I hope to be there when that time comes.

 

Essay by Scholarship Winner Elizabeth H., Age 12:

I am sad to think about what video games of the future will be like. We live in a world where kids at a very young age are exposed to quite a bit of violence. These games teach kids that destruction is acceptable. It makes me worry about who will help save the world if kids are taught that violence is the only way to get things done.

I believe that the games of the future will look even more life like. They will also have the ability to interact with the emotions of the player. For example, if the player is angry the games control levers will be able to sense this. The games will also be able to learn from mistakes so that as levels get more difficult the game will improve keeping the player challenged.

I do believe that we will continue to see even more violence on video games. It is kind of scarey to think this way but this is what I see it happening now and the games just seem to be getting worse. That is why I think we need to look at what the future will be like and think ahead on what kids will help kids see the world around them instead of just what is on the video screen.

If I was in charge of designing a game it would be a game to teach people about peace and how to care for our earth. Instead of weapons destroying people the people would destroy the weapons. There would be opportunities for the players to go to other countries, or places and learn how other cultures live and in some cases survive. It would take kids through different situations to teach survival that does not involve machines. My game would teach the importance of community service throughout the world. No one would die in my games instead there would be others that are waiting to help them and just like in the real world others not willing to help.

This game would have focus on one continent at a time. The series would have each continent available for purchase. For example, let’s say that we are in Africa. There would be 20 countries within Africa that you choose from. A player could experience people who are faced with a drought, animals that are close to extension, and people who have weapons that need to be destroyed. Each time the player would have to come up with stratifies that would help save people or the world. If the player failed they would be given the opportunity to go back to their own country to find someone to help. For example they could go get a farmer to teach people about irrigation and how to grow things. The player would also have and option to send someone else which at that time the game would end. If the player would go back to the country at another time they would be asked to join the team and once again be given the opportunity to help that country. This same game could take someone to jungle where an animal is become extinct and it is up to the player to figure how to save the species.