November 2024 - Womenize! Action Program

Monthly Archives: November 2024

27. November 2024

Sonja Körfgen – Womenize! – Inspiring Stories

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories is our weekly series featuring inspirational individuals from games and tech. For this edition we talked Sonja Körfgen, Head Of DACH Retail Sales & Partner Accounts at astragon. She speaks about the value of embracing change, balancing strategic leadership, and the role of mentorship in personal and team growth. Read more about Sonja here:

Hi Sonja! From your start in banking to your current leadership role in the gaming industry, what has been the most surprising lesson you’ve learned along the way, and how did it shape the way you approach your work today?

One of the most surprising lessons I’ve learned along my journey is the power of embracing new experiences and changes. Transitioning from banking to the gaming industry was a big leap into the unknown, but it taught me that embracing change often leads to incredible opportunities. Change is the only constant in life, as Heraclitus wisely said. It’s one of my favorite reminders to be brave, to face fears and to leave the comfort zone.

This mindset transforms challenges into adventures, allowing me to grow both personally and professionally. I inspire my team to embrace innovation and take bold steps forward, knowing that each experience is a steppingstone toward our collective success and allows us to discover new facets and skills of us.

As Head of DACH Retail Sales & Partner Accounts, your role likely involves a range of responsibilities. Can you walk us through a typical day in your position and highlight the key tasks and challenges you manage? How do you prioritize your time to balance both strategic planning and hands-on leadership?

A typical day in my role starts early and I cherish those quiet morning hours in the morning to reflect and plan. After catching up on emails, I gather my team for a quick huddle to share updates and connect. After this I’m diving deeper into my different responsibilities as they vary like mentoring team members, troubleshooting challenges, attending meetings and managing key accounts. I’m also deeply involved in refining our processes, especially as we navigate the exciting merger of two areas within our company.

For me, the key to harmonizing strategic planning with hands-on leadership lies in setting clear priorities and maintaining a comprehensive overview of our operations. This approach helps me to stay informed, respond swiftly to emerging challenges and offer support to my team in their daily tasks. By keeping the bigger picture in mind, I can ensure that we’re not just moving forward but doing so in a way that aligns with our goals.

As someone who has successfully progressed through various roles at astragon, how has mentorship played a role in your development? What advice would you give to others looking to grow within their companies?

Throughout my career at astragon mentorship has been one of the biggest impacts. The difference between merely existing in a role and truly thriving often comes down to having leaders who believe in you and support you to reach your fullest potential. I’ve been lucky enough to have mentors who not only opened doors I didn’t know were there but also believed in my potential.

For those looking to grow within their companies, my advice is simple: don’t be scared to communicate your goals and admirations. Be proactive in seeking out projects that challenge you. I also recommend not only focusing on your own development but actively helping others grow as well. Sharing what you’ve learned reinforces your own knowledge while sharpening your leadership skills. It creates a supportive environment where everyone can thrive together. And remember, growth is a unique journey for everyone. It takes time, and the path to your goals can be just as thrilling as reaching them.

Thanks for this interview, Sonja!

Sonja’s links: LinkedIn

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories Feature by Madeleine Egger

20. November 2024

Agnès Vuillaume – Womenize! – Inspiring Stories

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories is our weekly series featuring inspirational individuals from games and tech. For this edition we talked to Agnès Vuillaume, Company Director & Solo Developer of 2054. She speaks about moving from IT to starting her own game studio, merging creativity with technical skills, and navigating the challenges of game development as solo creator. Read more about Agnès here:

Hi Agnès! You’ve transitioned from working in IT for other companies to becoming a solo game developer with your own studio “2054”. What inspired you to take that leap, and how has your career evolved since starting your own studio?

In the various positions I’ve held, I’ve always been looking for meaning in my work. I’ve also always wanted to express my creativity through images.

When I started out as an IT developer, I wanted to work in fields that were meaningful to me, such as healthcare, and I always set aside time to practice drawing and painting, until I took a degree in Fine Arts at the same time as I was working as an IT developer, 10 years after I started in the profession.

Just before setting up my own video game studio, I tried my hand at painting for 2 years. But the job didn’t suit me. That’s when I asked myself what profession could combine my technical skills in IT with my drawing skills, while allowing me to be autonomous in my work.

And that’s when the idea of starting a video game studio just occurred me. I embarked on the adventure 6 years ago, and I have no regrets whatsoever, because I’ve learned so much and I feel I’m in the right place, even if I have to adapt, because selling a video game isn’t the easiest task.

Today, thanks to this decision, and after having created a company and produced a game, I feel able to do what I like and what I decide, without having to conform to external standards or expectations, and without considering myself less talented than others, which is a big step forward in the way I perceive myself, and therefore in my career. It opens a lot of doors for me, because I don’t censor myself as much as I used to.

As the creator, designer, and programmer of The Sundew, how does your artistic background influence your approach to storytelling and world-building in a dystopian, cyberpunk setting? What message or experience do you hope players take away from the game?

I think my atypical background allows me to tell stories that are a little outside the established imaginary. Of course, I take my inspiration from a lot of pre-existing imaginary worlds, and I follow certain standards of dystopia and cyberpunk, drawing inspiration from the great references of the genre. Because I like them and they make sense to me. But I bring to it all the experiences I’ve had, particularly in my life abroad, where I’ve had the opportunity to meet artists with different aspirations (in England and Belgium) and to mix with cultures different from my own (even if I’m aware that I’ve remained within a European culture).

Otherwise, technically speaking, I incorporate a lot of my past as a painter into the way I construct my images. I let all those parts that don’t belong to the world of video games speak for themselves as much as possible, in order to open up other horizons, while still trying to fit into an existing “mythology”.

What I want players to take away from the game is what I’m trying to do for myself: open myself up to things other than my established patterns. Science fiction, I think, is a way of escaping from an everyday life full of norms, duties and clichés. I try to get away from all that, and I suggest that players try to see things differently too. It’s difficult for everyone, but I think it’s important.

Managing the technical, creative, and business sides of game development as a solo developer is no small feat. What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced in this role, and how have they shaped your vision for the future of 2054?

The biggest difficulty for me is managing the commercial side, the communication and the sales of the game. To produce a video game, you need money, if only to feed yourself. Finding financing is one thing, but I’m not sure that managing to finance a game without being able to sell it afterwards is a good thing. For The Sundew, I followed this process: focusing on financing and producing the game.

You have to start somewhere, and when you’re working alone a lot, unfortunately you can’t master everything at once. But I don’t want to produce a game to please myself. I want the players to like it, otherwise it doesn’t make sense to me.

I haven’t excluded this approach from my process, but I’m beginning to wonder what other options there are for financing a game, such as participatory financing, which might include constant communication about the project, something I’ve still got a lot to learn about, and which really isn’t my area of expertise. It’s still a challenge for me today.

Otherwise, the studio’s original aim was to produce pixel-art dystopian games. Today, its aim is to produce video games, and until its structure is consolidated, I no longer restrict myself to a particular type of video game.

Thanks for this interview, Agnès!

Agnès’s links: LinkedIn

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories Feature by Madeleine Egger

13. November 2024

Julia Zhytska – Womenize! – Inspiring Stories

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories is our weekly series featuring inspirational individuals from games and tech. For this edition, we collaborated with ESBD – eSport-Bund Deutschland e.V. and talked to Julia Zhytska, Director Social Media at ESL FACEIT Group. She speaks about empathetic leadership, the evolution of social media in esports, and balancing strategy with hands-on work during major esports events. Read more about Julia in this interview:

Hi Julia! As Director Social Media at ESL Faceit Group, what core leadership principles guide your approach? How do you foster an environment where your team stays both creatively driven and aligned with the strategic goals of the company, while meeting the high expectations of the esports community?

I am an empathetic, people-oriented leader, my team is always my priority. I focus a lot on listening and supporting the team, using my diverse experience in marketing and esports to provide strategic advice and tactical direction where needed, as well as soft leadership skills to make sure people in the team feel supported, motivated and empowered to do their best work.

On the other hand, I set a pretty high quality bar for myself and my team. I’d rather do less, but better and with more impact. At the same time, if someone makes a mistake, for me it’s a learning experience, both wins and failures help us improve and evolve together. I organise regular retrospective sessions and workshops to encourage identifying improvements and brainstorming innovative ideas.

Working in esports means always focusing on serving a passionate, but also demanding and diverse community. This can be both rewarding and challenging.
At EFG we are bringing our passion for gaming culture into the content we produce for gamers and esports fans around the world.

In my role, it’s also important to navigate a very dynamic environment where tasks and project priorities can change relatively quickly. As a manager, I focus on helping my team members adapt to change, build resilience, and find effective solutions to help us achieve our goals.

With your extensive experience across various esports organisations, how have you seen the role of social media in esports evolve over the years, and where do you think it’s heading next??

When I started my career in esports, the industry was not that big, many esports clubs and companies were startups. I remember the first esports job interview I had was in an apartment that doubled as a temporary office for the company. I like to say that I started in esports before it was cool.
Being a social media manager back then basically meant doing 4-5 jobs in one: I did everything from channel and content strategy to photographing esports players, creating basic social media assets, shooting videos, managing sponsor commitments, hiring and training new social media freelancers, and more. We never had big marketing and social media budgets back then, so everything I did was pretty much DIY or very low-cost.

I loved it all because I was able to live the dream of combining my hobby with my job. Looking back now, I have no regrets, but I do realise how hard I was working – hardly any free weekends, working until midnight almost every day, skipping vacation to travel to esports events… I think nowadays the role of the social media manager seems to be evolving overall, as more and more companies take social media more seriously and start to invest more budget and human resources.

My personal perception is that in esports specifically, social media roles are still very much undervalued, I know many people who are still working the same insane schedule with responsibilities of 5 roles combined into one. I hope that this will change in the future, as social media managers, especially in gaming and esports, have one of the most challenging jobs that deserves more recognition.

With major global events and campaigns under your leadership, how do you structure your day to balance high-level strategy with the tactical demands of social media? What does a typical day look like for you when working on large-scale esports activations?

During the so-called “offseason”, when I am not working at esports events, my day usually starts with a cup of coffee and a quick review of the previous day’s social media content – I always try to see how our posts are doing after 24 hours, read comments and check what other brands are posting. Then I usually answer my emails and Slack messages.

I work from home, so I save time on my commute, which allows me to have a cup of coffee on my couch before diving into meetings.
My calendar is usually pretty busy with online calls almost every day: I have regular meetings with the social team, cross-functional weekly meetings with broader marketing teams, broadcast, media production, product and player management. I also manage the relationship with a client on the current project I am working on, so there are also external meetings with them 1-2 times a week.
On Mondays and Tuesdays I have 1:1s with my team members and close colleagues.

At the end of the day, I try to set aside some time for focused work, which can be anything from content planning to strategy, reporting, presentations or workshops.

During the event season, we usually travel with the team to offline event locations, prepare content during media days, and do a lot of “live coverage” work on the ground. Events are usually one of the most rewarding parts of the job, as we get to soak up some of the esports atmosphere, get inspired by meeting players and fans, and also see “live” reactions to the content we put out on our channels.

Thanks for this interview, Julia!

Julia’s links: LinkedIn

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories Feature by Madeleine Egger

6. November 2024

Kristen Quinn – Womenize! – Inspiring Stories

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories is our weekly series featuring inspirational individuals from games and tech. For this edition we talked to Kristen Quinn, Audio Director at Bonfire Studios. She speaks about the importance of balancing innovation with practicality, continuous learning, and advocating for sustainable work practices in game audio. Read more about Kristen here:

Hi Kristen! Throughout your career, you’ve worked on a variety of high-profile projects across different platforms and genres. What are some of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned about the creative process in game audio, and how do you stay inspired?

It doesn’t have to be cutting edge to be good. At different points in my career there have been different focuses. Sometimes it was about innovation and cutting edge systems and other times it was about being lean and efficient but just focusing on making it good. The more games I’ve worked on the more I’ve come to think of audio just needing to be good at every stage. Audio for games is the sum of it’s parts. It can fall down at any stage. I think its’ about staying in service of what you are trying to achieve. Maybe sometimes that is cutting edge innovation, but sometimes its’ just thinking about the story or experience you are trying to provide players. That’s how I think about sound and how to craft immersion. There are so may different ways to break this down. Who’s perspective are you trying to share? What feelings are you trying to sell? I might craft a scene completely different based on the answers to these questions. I might focus on new systems or I might use the tools I have come to use time and time again through out the years. I think at the end of the day it just needs to be what’s right for the project and players.

I keep myself inspired by experiencing other people’s work, by working on projects that matter to me, and with people who matter to me. I believe in community and sharing, and also find being in a community that does this very inspiring. I try and go to conferences when I’m able to be around the game audio community. I get inspired by seeing others succeed. I’ve made it a big part of my career to focus on trying to clear paths for others to do their best work with the least amount of friction and in a sustainable way.

I love recording. I try as much as I am able to participate in a Field Recording Slack group that does crowd sourced sound libraries. I take Udemy classes in my spare time to learn more about game engines that I’m excited to work in and to learn more about game development outside of my discipline.

As someone who has worked with a range of audio tools and technologies, both third-party and custom, what are some of the most exciting advancements in audio technology you’ve encountered, and how do you see these shaping the future of game audio?

I have always been most excited about the game audio community itself. Tools have started to come around too that bring that community together and allow for more sharing. Things like Reaper which allows the use of custom scripts and tools to be built within it and expand on it’s already powerful functionality.
I will say 32bit has been really nice and saved many of my recordings in the past few years.
I know that AI is often a dirty word in the creative community but I see it as just another tool in the tool belt to help aid in our crafting. I think there are always new technologies in audio and game development and I think evolution can be healthy. Continued learning is healthy. I think when I look at AI and tools like Reaper, they are just more ways to speed up my workflows and help us focus on the heart of what’s important, crafting amazing content, and creating immersive player experiences.
I’m excited about new mix techniques that people have been using for the past few years. Mix in games has always been a challenge because games have a hard time being predictive. We rely on the game to build up our soundscapes and we have to use dynamic mixing tools to help us craft focus where we want it.

Your journey from a Sound Designer at Monolith Productions to your current role as Audio Director at Bonfire Studios is truly inspiring. Can you share some key moments and decisions in your career that helped shape your path and what advice would you give to women and underrepresented people aspiring to lead in the gaming industry, particularly in game audio?

Be authentic, share your voice, set healthy boundaries for yourself. Try and seek out what matters to you.

There have been a few moments in my career where I have decided to make big changes to how I was working. One of the more notable ones was when I ruptured a disc in my back and tore the disc above it while working on a Kinect title at Microsoft. It really made me think about how I show up and how I needed to work differently. I realized that I had to bring solutions to my problems. In this instance it was how do I work on a movement based game when I can’t move very well. I’ve learned that if I communicate and collaborate with the people around me, they have the potential to help solve them with me. In this instance I had to request a tester that could come into my office and play the game for me while I tested my audio content and mix.

There are solutions to every problem, even ones that seem impossible. It also made me realize that I needed to carve out more time to take care of myself. This was a big change for me and I was nervous. My entire career I had put in tons of hours and thought that mattered, but what I really learned is that by setting boundaries on my time and work life balance, it actually made me better at my job. I could think about what it really takes to make audio for a game. How many people do we really need, and then I ask for those resources. If I can’t get hires, can I get more money for outsourcing, and if I can’t get either of those can we scope the game in a way that will allow us to build it in a sustainable way. What I found is that by telling people what I was capable of and what the team was capable of with the budget that we had, people around me respected me more for it, and I respected myself more. I love being a manager and getting to be in a position to care for and advocate for audio teams health and well being means a lot to me.

Thanks for this interview, Kristen!

Kristen’s links: LinkedIn

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories Feature by Madeleine Egger

Hi Sonja! From your start in banking to your current leadership role in the gaming industry, what has been the most surprising lesson you’ve learned along the way, and how did it shape the way you approach your work today?

As someone who has successfully progressed through various roles at astragon, how has mentorship played a role in your development? What advice would you give to others looking to grow within their companies?

Thanks for this interview, Sonja!

Hi Agnès! You’ve transitioned from working in IT for other companies to becoming a solo game developer with your own studio “2054”. What inspired you to take that leap, and how has your career evolved since starting your own studio?

As the creator, designer, and programmer of The Sundew, how does your artistic background influence your approach to storytelling and world-building in a dystopian, cyberpunk setting? What message or experience do you hope players take away from the game?

Managing the technical, creative, and business sides of game development as a solo developer is no small feat. What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced in this role, and how have they shaped your vision for the future of 2054?

Thanks for this interview, Agnès!

With your extensive experience across various esports organisations, how have you seen the role of social media in esports evolve over the years, and where do you think it’s heading next??

With major global events and campaigns under your leadership, how do you structure your day to balance high-level strategy with the tactical demands of social media? What does a typical day look like for you when working on large-scale esports activations?

Thanks for this interview, Julia!

Hi Kristen! Throughout your career, you’ve worked on a variety of high-profile projects across different platforms and genres. What are some of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned about the creative process in game audio, and how do you stay inspired?

As someone who has worked with a range of audio tools and technologies, both third-party and custom, what are some of the most exciting advancements in audio technology you’ve encountered, and how do you see these shaping the future of game audio?

Thanks for this interview, Kristen!

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