#4: Charmaine Duff (Women-Led Games)

Charmaine Duff is the founder and Director of Women-Led Games, an organization dedicated to recognizing the contributions of innovative women in gaming by creating spaces to showcase their work at events like the Game Awards and Summer Games Fest. In this episode, we discuss the challenges and sexism women face in the gaming industry, including the uphill battle women must navigate when fundraising. Charmaine reflects on the importance of finding characters we identify with, sharing a powerful childhood story about her deep connection to Aerith from Final Fantasy VII. She also urges men to become more active allies and mentors by speaking up and advocating for women. We also share our predictions for 2024's Game of the Year and explore the growing trend of cross-media storytelling. Learn more about WLG by visiting: https://www.womenledgames.com  Join their Discord: http://discord.gg/ffGubbcPVd  Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Women-LedGames  Follow on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/womenledgames  ========== Join us on a challenging quest to discover how we can make the industry a better place for everyone who loves to play. In each episode, we'll speak with industry professionals to learn how we can resolve conflicts and bridge divides between players and game developers. We are always looking for more speakers! Contact us if you're interested in applying to be a guest.  ============ LinkedIn: @DanielJLipson Twitter/X: @danjlipson Web: bettergamesbettergamers.com Discord: https://discord.gg/y2YdjENnPS