The present day, March 8commemorates the International Women’s Day. Since its inception, women have made important contributions to the video game industry and some of today’s most popular franchises actually owe it to them. That is why, on the occasion of this day, we have decided to prepare a list with the five most important developers of the moment.
Siobhan Reddy, Director of Media Molecule
Siobhan Reddy joined Media Molecule in 2006, and since then, has worked on all sorts of projects including Burnout 3, Burnout 4, the LittleBigPlanet franchise, Tearaway and Tearaway Unfolded, and most recently Dreams. Her creativity has fueled the talent within this studio and as a result we’ve had some pretty fun and fresh productions. We don’t know what Media Molecule is currently working on, but rest assured that Reddy will play an important role during development.
Bonnie Ross, Corporate Vice President of Xbox Game Studios and Head of 343 Industries
This talented developer came to Microsoft in 1994 and has contributed to major franchises like Counter Strike, Gears of War, Psychonauts, and Mass Effect. However, she currently stands out for leading the people at 343 Industries, developers of Halo Infinite. Ross has not only shown incredible skills as a developer, but also as a leader for one of the most talented studios today. In addition to the above, she also serves as corporate vice president of Xbox Game Studios.
Jade Raymond, Founder of Haven Entertainment Studios
Assassin’s Creed is one of the most popular franchises today, and Jade Raymond played a huge role in its creation. Additionally, Google hired her as vice president and director of Stadia Games and Entertainment, and after the company had undergone a major restructuring, Raymond decided to set her aside to form his own studio known as Haven Entertainment Studios, who are currently working in a new IP for PlayStation.
Kim Swift, Senior Director of Cloud Gaming for Xbox Game Studios
Kim Swift is nothing more and nothing less one of the main responsible for the creation of the acclaimed Portal. Not only did she lead the development team, but she did the design of multiple levels herself. Within Valve, Swift also worked on the two Left 4 Dead games and was subsequently recruited by Amazon, before Electronic Arts decided to add her to her team along with Jade Raymond. After the restructuring of Google Stadia, Swift left for Microsoft where she is now responsible for leading the cloud gaming team at Xbox Game Studios.
Amy Hennig, President of Skydance New Media
For decades, Amy Hennig served as the lead writer for multiple games from Nintendo, Electronic Arts, Eidos Interactive, and more. However, it was her work on the Uncharted series that really gave her the recognition she deserved and she has since become one of the most important women in the industry. Not too long ago, Skydance New Media recruited her as president to lead their video game division, who are already working on a new Marvel-related IP.