WIGI Austin Conference Gets Dona Bailey Keynote

Representatives from Women in Games International (WIGI) have announced the non-profit organization’s conference scheduled for September 8 in Austin, Texas will feature a keynote presentation by veteran game programmer and Centipede arcade game creator Dona Bailey. Entitled "She’s Got Game," the half-day event will take place as part of the CMP Game Group's larger Austin Game Developers Conference, taking place September 5-7. The conference aims to offer a forum for discussing industry trends in workplace diversity and the general state of the industry from a career perspective, now and in the future. Developed by Bailey along with game designer Ed Logg in 1981, Centipede was remarkable for its time as the first game to incorporate artificial intelligence. In her keynote address, she will take a historical look back at the video game industry, and offer her unique insight into what direction she would like it to head. “These events have been increasingly successful thanks to the high caliber of speakers we’ve been able to deliver year after year,” said Tamir Nadav, WIGI Steering Committee Member and Program Chair. “Each one brings a seasoned and unique perspective to how we look at the industry. Dona is no exception.” In addition to Bailey's address, the event will also offer feature a panel discussion titled “Diversity Equals Dollars: Why having a diverse development team is good for your bottom line,” during which industry representatives will discuss how workplace diversity impacts profitability, and how this has changed over the previous two decades. Another panel, “Her Virtual Life: Women and Online Games,” will aim to discuss how game developers can best take advantage of the MMO genre's growing appeal with female audiences in order to expand content and gameplay. The event will also host multiple roundtable discussions covering topics such as “Attracting and Retaining Female Players in Virtual Worlds,” “Looking Good on Paper,” “Handing Your Daughter the Controller,” and “Making Good Industry Connections.” The Women In Games International Austin Conference will be held at the Austin Convention Center, and further information can be found at the organization’s official website.