Just finished giving my presentation at the institute on the theme “What do women want…. when it comes to gaming?” The presentation went quite well I think; at least I had fun giving it. Tried a new presentation strategy of using lots of graphics and practically no written text. It was the first time that I just spoke freely and though this was initially quite a terrify leap for me to take, I did better than I thought I would.
In a nutshell, the hour long presentation develops as follows: most women like content/storyline (e.g. television drama series, so called “chick flicks”, women literature and magazines); guys like action and interactivity (e.g. see computer games); most media today (print, film (DVD), television, Internet, and gaming) promotes some successful products which contain both components though, obviously, of different proportions concerning storyline development and interactivity; my concept for a successful women’s game does not emulate a computer game but rather, it is simular to the experience of watching American television (60-70% viewing film (storyline development), and 30-40% gaming elements).
Think the fact that there wasn’t any text made it hard for some of the (male) audience to understand what I was talking about. They found it hard to listen. They also found it difficult to understand/accept/internalise some of the topic material. You could even say that some of them got a bit huffy about some of the things I said, suggested or even blatantly threw on the table.
I talked things over with two colleagues after it was over and it was surprising how much the fellows just didn’t hear. Was it because it did not present it succinctly enough, or did I not repeat myself enough at relevant moments in the presentation, or did the guys just turn off their ears and minds? They obviously “got” what I was saying on some level, but there were a few questions and observations posed which I was completely puzzled by. Oh, well, tant pis.
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