7 influential women in gaming

A look at women who've left lasting marks on the gaming industry.

Thousands of developers come together to make games, but we usually only see a small number of the faces behind our favorite worlds. Here at AllGamers, we wanted to take a closer look at notable women within the gaming industry.

Over the years, women have made major contributions to gaming in a multitude of ways from game design and development to writing and management.

After reflecting on our own gaming experiences, we decided to put together a list of seven influential and inspirational women within the gaming industry.

Carol Shaw – First Female Game Programmer/Designer

© Vintage Computing and Gaming / Fair Use

Shaw’s initial impact in the world of gaming dates all the way back to 1978 when she became the first female game designer and programmer. Her first project? 3D Tic-Tac-Toe for the Atari 2600.

Following the release of 3D Tic-Tac-Toe, Shaw went on to design and program the game Happy Trails in 1983 before taking a quick break from the industry.

When she returned in 1988, she oversaw the production of River Raid II at Activision. While Shaw has since retired from game design, there’s no doubt that her contributions in the late 70s through the 1980s helped pave the way for female programmers moving forward.

Morgan is a writer, indie game lover, and socially awkward coffee addict. Need something? Morgan can be reached at morgan.shaver@allgamers.com or if you like, you can say hello using GIFs on Twitter.

Keyboards

Shop Now

Playstation Products

Shop Now