Considered to be the “longest-serving woman in computer games,” Brenda Brathwaite entered the video game industry in an unorthodox fashion at the early age of 15 – after offering a cigarette to the right person. 26 years later, she has been involved in the development of several award-winning series, including Wizardry, Jagged Alliance, and several others. In 2006, she was named one of the top 100 most influential women in the game design industry by “Next Generation” magazine. She is currently on the Board of Directors for International Game Developers Association (IGDA), and is also Chair of the Interactive Design and Game Development Department at the Savannah College of Art and Design.
As a woman in a predominately male industry, Brenda has an interesting and unique perspective on what it takes to make it as a game designer. Below is Brenda’s story, as well as her advice to aspiring game designers:
