@LesserAngel That's like saying that I'm not paying to go into the movie theater because I already paid Ford for my car.

I'm not usually one to criticize the contributors / editors of this site, but sending up this entire article with references to the "XBOX 720" is just dumb as hell. You guys should know better.

@hrst1 I would probably object to the games you're playing on the *opposite* grounds that they may contain content that isn't appropriate for a 12-year-old. But if your mom objects to gaming in general regardless of content, then I feel your pain, bro.

@ACWH Further explanation?!? The guy's argument against somebody is that he's a Jew, and that just "seems" like a racist comment? Wow. The "race card" deniers can't even call it racism when it's explicit and in black and white huh?

Honestly, I'm surprised that the comment is still there.

@bluefox755 This is a fair question, and I'm not going to pretend I have the answer, but let me give you my thoughts.

There aren't many women in game development, and that's a fact. The question is whether or not there's something happening that is preventing potentially qualified women from becoming game developers. And no, I don't mean to suggest some sinister plot to keep the all-boys club intact. But there may be subtle things (like the type of games that are the current industry hallmark) that create an unwelcoming environment. It may be that young schoolage girls are being given signs that programming and videogames are mostly for boys. I certainly reject that women are less capable of doing this particular job if they're interested in it.

Look at the NFL for instance. Most popular sport in America *mostly* because they've drawn in women in huge numbers. And yet, when you look inside the industry, it's clear that women aren't welcome. I understand why they don't suit up and take the field, but on the sidelines, the booth, or front offices? When a woman does make it to "sports analyst" she gets ripped for not knowing her stuff or has people speculating that she's getting gangbanged in the locker room. No wonder there aren't more women trying to enter that industry.

I didn't mean to be long winded, but what I really want is two things: (1) acknowledge that this is a real thing and not just people finding stuff to complain about and (2) make sure that the same doors, opportunities and invitations that are open to white males are open to everyone else.

I'm not saying there *must* be more women in game development, I'm saying let's make sure that there are no unintentional barriers keeping them out. Once the playing field is even, whether women decide to enter the field or not is up to them.

@bluefox755 I think more diverse teams of people can create more diverse games. How does that make me insecure?

As far as your supply and demand argument goes, I'll just point out that there's zero demand for a game that never gets made.

@dangermouse2k Wow, you really told me. I guess I didn't stand a chance against your flawless logic, insight, and razor-sharp wit.

@Eric8315 I'm glad you stopped pretending to give a damn about gender issues and just cut to the chase with your third point. It'll save a lot of us time with attempts at responding.

@moveonjenkins @Blazed @XCyberForceX It sounds easy, but that's not how marketers think. They believe that if the lead character is Latino, for instance, then the game is "for Latinos" and mainstream audiences won't buy it. If the lead is a woman, it won't sell unless we sex her up...make her boobs bigger and give her pouty lips.

This isn't confined to the game industry either. Look at TV, movies, comic books, novels, etc. The "norm" is for straight white folks to take the lead and men to do all the action / heavy lifting. That's the only way they know how to package and sell it.

@dangermouse2k That sounds like the talk of a straight, white guy...

I actually find it *more* dangerous that any complaints of discrimination are immediately met with assertions that somebody is "playing the race card" or "gender baiting." If you knew that people were going to jump on you with those type of claims as soon as you even hinted at discrimination, how eager would you be to "play the race card?" Trust me, I don't think the "race industry" is as big as you think it is.

But back to the point, as @zyxe mentioned, this isn't even about discrimination so much as it is about diversification. And even on *that* point, most of the commenters here seem to think that its either (a) not a real problem or (b) will only make things worse if we try to change the status quo.

If there's a race industry at work, I'd say its on the other side of the argument.