Published September 27, 2007

DigiPen Institute of Technology has announced that as part of the Educational Programs they have developed and are facilitating for the upcoming 2007 World Cyber Games in Seattle, there will be a Symposium on "Women in Gaming" Saturday, October 6th from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the East Hall of Qwest Field. The symposium and all activities in the Educational Track, are free of charge for those attending the World Cyber Games.

The Educational Track of the World Cyber Games will give participants and spectators a chance to get information from industry professionals on the aspects of what goes into the creation of videogame content. Speakers from companies such as Microsoft, Gas Powered Games, Valve, Wizards of the Coast, and others will explore the development of games from four different perspectives: programming, design, art/sound, and production.

"The educational tracks are an opportunity for people to be able to look under the hood at how games are made from the ground up," said Christopher Erhardt, Vice President of Production for DigiPen. "At DigiPen, we are excited that for the first time at the World Cyber Games, people will have an opportunity to see the development aspects of games as well as watching the top players in the world competing."

The "Women in Gaming" symposium is a segment of the overall show that is geared towards showing the variety of career options available for women in game development. "A wide range of talents are needed to bring a successful game to market, ranging from game design, project management, programming, art, sales, marketing and many others," according to Cindy Ball, CEO of Global Wonder Entertainment. "We want girls and women to be aware of the diverse career opportunities available to them in the games industry, how to prepare for those opportunities, and that we value their unique perspectives to the overall industry."

You can find out more about the Educational Track schedule, including speaker biographies and course schedules, at the DigiPen WCG site.