GMG @ Xbox

Could there be a better place to learn how to make videos games than one of the top game companies? For the last 4 summers, Xbox has hosted GMG’s flagship 3 week long summer camp where 24 lucky girls learn how to make their own games in one of the coolest spaces imaginable.

Not only do these campers design and code games, they also meet with incredible female role models in the industry - women like Helen Chiang, Head of Minecraft Studios, Katy Jo Wright, Director of Gaming for Everyone and Jessie Thomas, from Xbox Research.

Meeting these women shows the girls how everybody has a place in gaming - whether you’re a writer, a coder, a musician or an artist.. there’s tons of pathways in to the industry.

Jessie, for instance, has a PhD in neuroscience (!). At Xbox she uses her background to study how game design influences decisions, and find answers to questions like how different players interact with games, what is perceived as ‘fun’, and ultimately help create better gaming experiences.

This past summer we sat down with some of the amazing women leaders at Xbox to hear their stories and bring them to you —