EQ2_Bloggers
03-23-2011, 07:02 PM
G.I.R.L. Talk with Jennifer Chan
By Emily “Domino” Taylor
http://eqplayers.station.sony.com/images/articles/gtkad/jenn_chan.jpg
Jenn works at SOE San Diego as Assistant Lead Programmer on the EverQuest Live team, and took the time to answer a few questions about her role as a programmer in the games industry!
[Emily] Give us a summary of your background, and how you got into the games industry?
I got started in the gaming industry when I was seven years old.* I wrote a computer game I called “Capture the Flag”.* No one ever saw that program except for me, but it played the same game that everyone was playing outside, only on my computer.
I became a system administrator during my high school years.* I oversaw the security on roughly 400 computers for my high school.* At the time, I also designed some websites and wrote web applications (online shopping-cart software and stuff like that).
During high school I developed an avid interest in theatre. So I started out as a double major in computer science and theatre.* Most of the time in college I tried to find ways that I could combine the two; you know, build on one from the other.* For the most part, these things didn’t mesh too well in college until the Rosco Keystroke™ project.* A theatre professor and an electrical engineering professor had an idea to create devices for use in theatre performances.* There were all sorts of initial designs, slide projector controllers, fog machine activators, but Keystroke™ allowed a light board operator to control a remote computer using the lighting console.* (The really important thing here is that it was on the Keystroke™ project that I met a really great friend who later got me an interview with Sony Online Entertainment.* More on that later.)
Three years after attending Colorado State University I graduated with a double major in Computer Science and Theatre. Set free upon the world, I got employment making glorious charts for the bigwigs at a very big telecomm corporation.* It actually was interesting, really.* Truly!
Fast-forward a couple of years and one day I received an email.* Remember that friend I mentioned earlier? This is where he comes in!* His email asked if I was still interested in making video games… so I sent him my resume, and well… let’s just say that I surprised my interviewers by completing a test that wasn’t designed to be, well, completed in the given amount of time.* I was just really “on” that day, eh?!
I returned home to Colorado and didn’t hear anything from SOE for almost 4 months.* I later learned that I was way too qualified for the position I had applied for, but fortunately one of the Senior Programmers left the company and the Lead Programmer did me a great favor by saying I was the person he wanted to have replace him.* I’ve been at SOE ever since.
[Emily] Tell us a bit about the area of gaming you’re currently involved in – for example, where are you working, what is your job title, what do you do on a day-to-day basis?
My current title is Assistant Lead Programmer on EverQuest®.* I work with designers, artists, other coders, and the producer to define and develop new features of the game.* Typically, designers write the content and coders make it possible for the designers to implement their ideas.* We also work with artists to get their models and designs into the game and interacting with the players.* A bulk of my day is spent in designing, writing and testing code in C++, but that’s if you already have the specifications nailed down.* When there’s a new feature or we want to revamp how a current system works, we can spend days or even weeks working out the details on whiteboards and e-mail.
[Emily] How common is it to find women working in your specific area of gaming?
The last report I read said that 10% of all programmers are women and that 4% of all game programmers are women.* So, I guess it’s kind of like finding that curly fry in your bag of tater tots.
[Emily] How do you feel that being a woman helps or hinders you at work, if at all?
I don’t think gender has any bearing on what I do.* My computer’s not going to ask and frankly it doesn’t care, just as long as I don’t spill any water on it.
[Emily] What types of games do you enjoy playing?
It depends on my mood.* I’m a big RPGer, but I’m also into puzzle games, hockey, shooters, tower defense, fighting, and of course the old school games like Dune, King’s Quest, and Dig Dug!* Obviously, I could go on, but let’s just leave it at any good game.
[Emily] What games have you most enjoyed recently?
EverQuest, Plants vs. Zombies, Minecraft, DC Universe™ Online, Dungeon Overlord™, Celebrity Deathmatch, Capcom Classics Collection, and Gurk on my mobile phone. (I just had a vacation.)
[Emily] What gaming work have you done that you are most proud of?
I’m proud of everything I’ve worked on.* I’ve enjoyed all the projects that I was in some way a part of; there really isn’t one in particular above any other.* To me, the most important thing is that I’m able to put out a game that people enjoy and can really get lost in.
[Emily] Which issues (if any) do you feel are most important to women either working or playing in gaming these days?
I think being able to play a game without having to feel like you’re proving yourself to anyone and that sense of being able to “be anyone” is a strong connection that we need to emphasize.* In gaming today, women are drawn to games that allow them to be who they are, that don’t force them to be someone who they aren’t, you know, allowing them to do as they want as the character in the game. The same goes for working in the gaming industry; women are drawn to roles on which they don’t have the pressure of remaining inside anyone’s box. The stereotypical woman is no longer tapping away at the keyboard simply transcribing memos.* Now she can blast things to kingdom come and collect loot along the way!
[Emily] How do you think that the game industry in general might attract more women, both to work within the industry, and to play more games in general?
Start early!* Not all women want animated pink fluffy things.* At an early age, introduce gaming as an acceptable thing to do for girls.* Make more games that are flexible with how the character progresses and how they are rewarded.* When there are more women gamers, there will be more women interested in making games and thus continues the cycle.
[Emily] What specific actions (if any) would you encourage women working in gaming to take in order to make the industry more friendly to women?
Let your ideas be heard.* Be a voice in your workplace.* Let people know what you do, what you get from it, and what you put into it.* Let people know that the industry is now ANYBODY’S game.
[Emily] Any other thoughts you’d like to share about women, gaming, or what it means to you to be a woman in gaming?
I just want anyone reading this to remember that if you really want something and you keep working towards it, it can happen.
EverQuest is a registered trademark of Sony Online Entertainment LLC in the United States and/or other countries. DC UNI
All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.
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Author:
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By Emily “Domino” Taylor
http://eqplayers.station.sony.com/images/articles/gtkad/jenn_chan.jpg
Jenn works at SOE San Diego as Assistant Lead Programmer on the EverQuest Live team, and took the time to answer a few questions about her role as a programmer in the games industry!
[Emily] Give us a summary of your background, and how you got into the games industry?
I got started in the gaming industry when I was seven years old.* I wrote a computer game I called “Capture the Flag”.* No one ever saw that program except for me, but it played the same game that everyone was playing outside, only on my computer.
I became a system administrator during my high school years.* I oversaw the security on roughly 400 computers for my high school.* At the time, I also designed some websites and wrote web applications (online shopping-cart software and stuff like that).
During high school I developed an avid interest in theatre. So I started out as a double major in computer science and theatre.* Most of the time in college I tried to find ways that I could combine the two; you know, build on one from the other.* For the most part, these things didn’t mesh too well in college until the Rosco Keystroke™ project.* A theatre professor and an electrical engineering professor had an idea to create devices for use in theatre performances.* There were all sorts of initial designs, slide projector controllers, fog machine activators, but Keystroke™ allowed a light board operator to control a remote computer using the lighting console.* (The really important thing here is that it was on the Keystroke™ project that I met a really great friend who later got me an interview with Sony Online Entertainment.* More on that later.)
Three years after attending Colorado State University I graduated with a double major in Computer Science and Theatre. Set free upon the world, I got employment making glorious charts for the bigwigs at a very big telecomm corporation.* It actually was interesting, really.* Truly!
Fast-forward a couple of years and one day I received an email.* Remember that friend I mentioned earlier? This is where he comes in!* His email asked if I was still interested in making video games… so I sent him my resume, and well… let’s just say that I surprised my interviewers by completing a test that wasn’t designed to be, well, completed in the given amount of time.* I was just really “on” that day, eh?!
I returned home to Colorado and didn’t hear anything from SOE for almost 4 months.* I later learned that I was way too qualified for the position I had applied for, but fortunately one of the Senior Programmers left the company and the Lead Programmer did me a great favor by saying I was the person he wanted to have replace him.* I’ve been at SOE ever since.
[Emily] Tell us a bit about the area of gaming you’re currently involved in – for example, where are you working, what is your job title, what do you do on a day-to-day basis?
My current title is Assistant Lead Programmer on EverQuest®.* I work with designers, artists, other coders, and the producer to define and develop new features of the game.* Typically, designers write the content and coders make it possible for the designers to implement their ideas.* We also work with artists to get their models and designs into the game and interacting with the players.* A bulk of my day is spent in designing, writing and testing code in C++, but that’s if you already have the specifications nailed down.* When there’s a new feature or we want to revamp how a current system works, we can spend days or even weeks working out the details on whiteboards and e-mail.
[Emily] How common is it to find women working in your specific area of gaming?
The last report I read said that 10% of all programmers are women and that 4% of all game programmers are women.* So, I guess it’s kind of like finding that curly fry in your bag of tater tots.
[Emily] How do you feel that being a woman helps or hinders you at work, if at all?
I don’t think gender has any bearing on what I do.* My computer’s not going to ask and frankly it doesn’t care, just as long as I don’t spill any water on it.
[Emily] What types of games do you enjoy playing?
It depends on my mood.* I’m a big RPGer, but I’m also into puzzle games, hockey, shooters, tower defense, fighting, and of course the old school games like Dune, King’s Quest, and Dig Dug!* Obviously, I could go on, but let’s just leave it at any good game.
[Emily] What games have you most enjoyed recently?
EverQuest, Plants vs. Zombies, Minecraft, DC Universe™ Online, Dungeon Overlord™, Celebrity Deathmatch, Capcom Classics Collection, and Gurk on my mobile phone. (I just had a vacation.)
[Emily] What gaming work have you done that you are most proud of?
I’m proud of everything I’ve worked on.* I’ve enjoyed all the projects that I was in some way a part of; there really isn’t one in particular above any other.* To me, the most important thing is that I’m able to put out a game that people enjoy and can really get lost in.
[Emily] Which issues (if any) do you feel are most important to women either working or playing in gaming these days?
I think being able to play a game without having to feel like you’re proving yourself to anyone and that sense of being able to “be anyone” is a strong connection that we need to emphasize.* In gaming today, women are drawn to games that allow them to be who they are, that don’t force them to be someone who they aren’t, you know, allowing them to do as they want as the character in the game. The same goes for working in the gaming industry; women are drawn to roles on which they don’t have the pressure of remaining inside anyone’s box. The stereotypical woman is no longer tapping away at the keyboard simply transcribing memos.* Now she can blast things to kingdom come and collect loot along the way!
[Emily] How do you think that the game industry in general might attract more women, both to work within the industry, and to play more games in general?
Start early!* Not all women want animated pink fluffy things.* At an early age, introduce gaming as an acceptable thing to do for girls.* Make more games that are flexible with how the character progresses and how they are rewarded.* When there are more women gamers, there will be more women interested in making games and thus continues the cycle.
[Emily] What specific actions (if any) would you encourage women working in gaming to take in order to make the industry more friendly to women?
Let your ideas be heard.* Be a voice in your workplace.* Let people know what you do, what you get from it, and what you put into it.* Let people know that the industry is now ANYBODY’S game.
[Emily] Any other thoughts you’d like to share about women, gaming, or what it means to you to be a woman in gaming?
I just want anyone reading this to remember that if you really want something and you keep working towards it, it can happen.
EverQuest is a registered trademark of Sony Online Entertainment LLC in the United States and/or other countries. DC UNI
All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.
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Author:
Visit This Blog Page... (http://stationblog.wordpress.com/2011/03/23/g-i-r-l-talk-with-jennifer-chan/)
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