Women who Shaped the Video Game Industry

Women in the video game industry have had a huge impact on the development of the sector.

However, as unsung heroes in a male-dominated field, they can often be left without much mention.

But, as diversity and inclusivity increase, the number of females working in the gaming industry is only going up.

So, as we look forward to the future of gaming, we must also respect the past and those women who have worked to develop this industry.

Let's look at the most influential women in gaming and how their contributions have helped the industry to develop.

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Carol Shaw

Carol Shaw is detailed as one of the first professional video game designers.

Her degree in Computer Science was revolutionary in the 70s and because of this, she went on to be hired by Atari.

The Atari 2600 was a genius piece of gaming hardware with Shaw helping to code the trickier pieces of programming.

Her influence on this console meant that she also helped pave the way for cartridge-based games to develop.

Alex Osipczak

Alex Osipczak was one of the first females to make professional FIFA players compete in esports events.

Starting a channel with her boyfriend, Spencer Owen, they both played against each other and created their own esports team.

This was back in 2016 when the term esports was very much in its early stages of life.

As of 2023, the team now plays with the Essex Senior League with Alex as their director.

For a highly male-dominated game and industry, Alex really proved that females have just as much to offer.

Amy Hennig

When speaking about Amy Henning, the popular game franchise Uncharted comes to mind.

Amy is the genius behind much of the content included in the ten games released in the series.

She surpasses the title of a triple threat as she has worked as an artist, animator, game designer, writer and director.

Her recent game released in 2023, Forspoken has become an instant hit with many in the gaming communities

Kim Swift

Kim Swift is one of the most influential game designers and is more relatable with her work on Portal and Left 4 Dead.

Her face is one of the most recognisable in the video game industry due to the quality of work that Swift has put out.

From a student to a high-class video game developer, Kim Swift ticks all the boxes when it comes to hard work and dedication.

Roberta Williams

Roberta Williams is not only a creator of video games, but she also created a whole genre of gaming which many are inspired by, to this day.

Back in 1980, Williams created her first game, Mystery House, which popularised the graphical adventure game genre.

Paving the way for games such as Undertale and Earthbound, Roberta was as innovative as one can get.

Doris Self

Doris Self was a fierce video game competitor who gained popularity in the 80s as the world's oldest video game champion.

Q*bert was her weapon of choice as an older arcade game.

She scored a whopping 1,112,300 points on Twin Galaxies' Tournament Settings at the Video Game Masters Tournament.

Laura Bailey

Many female voice actors in the gaming industry will never reach the heights that Laura Bailey has.

Her work spans over 518 different works of games, tv shows and films.

However, she is best known for voicing Abby from The Last of Us Part 2 or Nadine Ross from Uncharted: The Lost Legacy.