GCON - Women Game Developers and Gamers Community

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GCON - Women Game Developers and Gamers Community

Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaRiyadh, Saudi Arabia
Year Founded:
2012
Organization type: 
for profit
Project Stage:
Start-Up
Budget: 
$1,000 - $10,000
Website:
https://www.changemakers.com/www%2Cgcom-me.com
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Project Summary
Elevator Pitch

Concise Summary: Help us pitch this solution! Provide an explanation within 3-4 short sentences.

40% of all gamers are women, yet only few are actively working in the industry, & the percentage is even lower in Saudi Arabia and ME countries. Our objective is to help women enter the Gaming industry professionally & create unique work opportunities for women in the field

WHAT IF - Inspiration: Write one sentence that describes a way that your project dares to ask, "WHAT IF?"

What if women can become active members in the game development industry & create meaningfull entertainment?
About Project

Problem: What problem is this project trying to address?

- Lack of attention and opportunity for women game developers, game artists and other related fields in the region - Lack of access to training and monetary resources for independent developers

Solution: What is the proposed solution? Please be specific!

- Established a community for women gamers and developers, connecting them together through small gatherings and an official annual Gaming Convention. This is our second year organizing the convention supported by sponsors - Continuing to build and foster relationships with companies and studios in the region - Currently working to develop monetary incubation programs and access to training
Impact: How does it Work

Example: Walk us through a specific example(s) of how this solution makes a difference; include its primary activities.

In April 2013 GCON hosted and launched a unique game development competition for women only, where 20 all female game development teams applied

Impact: What is the impact of the work to date? Also describe the projected future impact for the coming years.

- 6 teams made it to final stage of the competition, submitting 6 unique prototypes - 3 teams were able to win an incubation contract value at SAR50,000 to further develop and publish their games
Sustainability

Financial Sustainability Plan: What is this solution’s plan to ensure financial sustainability?

Main resources of financial support are the annual convention event and various crowd funding activities

Marketplace: Who else is addressing the problem outlined here? How does the proposed project differ from these approaches?

There are a few active communities helping developer in the region, however, GCON is mainly focused on women as developers and students in the college level.
Team

Founding Story

We first met at university, joined by our shared love for games. As CIS students we wondered about career opportunities for women in technology and why very few ever enter the gaming industry. The idea for a girls only gaming convention came after hearing about a local gaming convention we were sadly unable to attend, as the event was males only and no women were allowed, additionally, the organizers never considered dedicating a female day, as it was believed that girls and women have no interest in gaming. So, we decided to take a stand, stop waiting to be recognized and host a large scale convention of our own.
About You
Organization:
GCOM - The Women Game Developers and Gamers Community
About You
First Name

Tasneem

Last Name

salim

LinkedIn URL
About Your Organization
Organization Name

GCOM - The Women Game Developers and Gamers Community

Organization Country

, Riyadh

Country where this project is creating social impact

, RD, Riyadh

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Impact
Full Impact Potential: What are the main spread strategies moving forward? (Please consider geographic spread, policy reform, and independent replication/adoption of the idea or other mechanisms.)
Barriers: What barriers might hinder the success of your project and how do you plan to overcome them?
Sustainability
Partnerships: Tell us about your partnerships.

Local incubators, Gaming gaints, local artist communities and independed developers

Closing the Loop
How does your project primarily ensure that feedback delivers results?

Facilitate a conversation that combines wisdom of the crowds with the perspective of experts.

Please elaborate on your answer to the above question.
Languages: In what languages are you able to read and write fluently?

English, Arabic.

2nd Round Questions
Thinking about your feedback loop; what information are you trying to get from whom, to whom, and to bring about what change?
What is the purpose of your feedback loop?

If other, please specify
What mediums or mechanisms do you use to collect feedback? (check all that apply)

If other, please specify
Could you briefly describe the way you collect the feedback?
What mechanisms are in place to protect people from retribution?

If other, please specify
What are the immediate benefits or incentives for people to provide feedback?

If other, please specify
How do you ensure new and marginalized voices are heard?

If other, please specify
What are the incentives for the intended recipient to act on the feedback?

If other, please specify
How does the feedback mechanism close the loop with those who provided feedback in the first place?

If other, please specify
How is feedback published/transparent?

If other, please specify
Give two concrete examples of how feedback loops have brought a program or policy more in line with citizens’ desires.
If there was one thing you could change to increase the impact of your feedback loop, what would it be?
What are your biggest challenges or barriers in “closing the feedback loop”?

If other, please specify
Are you aware of The Feedback Store?

What are the main uses you can envision for the Feedback Store?
What is the one thing you would most like to see changed to improve the competition process?
What are you doing to make sure that feedback providers know that they are empowered by the information they can give and that they know exactly what the information they are providing?

Comments

Can Gaming empower women and help make a positive change? please share your thoughts with us!