Chicks Who Make Games - Stevie Case

Hey ladies and gents, I am freshly returned from this years GDC (alright, it’s been about three weeks) and I am happy to say that I had a great time and met some great people who I’ll be telling you ALL about (and hopefully be profiling soon on gameDiva). One of the best parts of the show was getting a chance to meet and speak with this weeks’ gameDiva, the lovely Stevie Case. Stevie is not just your average gaming gal but has been a part of the gaming industry for ages. She now works as the COO for Monkeystone Games. So without further delay, I invite you to read this weeks’ gameDiva and read about Stevie and all the wacky stuff she has been up to!

GameDiva- Who are you?

SC- I am Stevie “KillCreek” Case, Chief Operating Officer at Monkeystone Games, a developer and publisher with a focus on handheld and wireless games.

GameDiva- How did you get involved in the video game industry?

SC- By accident, really. I got into playing Quake in college, and long story short I ended up as the first Cyberathlete with the organization now known as the CPL (http://www.thecpl.com). As a player, I got to know a bunch of gamers and game creators in Dallas, and I liked what I saw. With the help of some great friends, I began learning level design and started a small company with some friends.

GameDiva- What is your favorite video game?

SC- Very tough call there. I’ll give you my Top 4 favorites on the PC: Quake (classic, of course), Grim Fandango, Tetris Attack (SNES), and Rollercoaster Tycoon.

GameDiva- What is the first gaming system you owned?

SC-The first machine I ever really played games on was an Apple IIe.

GameDiva- Would you buy one of the new gaming systems? If yes, which one? If no, why not?

SC- Yeah, I would buy all of them! If I had to pick one I would go with GameCube, because it has more of the kind of games I enjoy.

GameDiva- Who is your favorite video game character?

SC- Manny from Grim Fandango!

GameDiva- What is your favorite kind of video game accessory?

SC- I love my new Mouse Bungee (http://www.mousebungee.com/)! I am not normally big on accessories, but this one rocks.

GameDiva- What is your favorite thing about working in the industry?

SC- Going gold! The wonderful torture of development, the 20 hour days, and the months-long crunch mode all seem worthwhile in that short little golden honeymoon.

GameDiva- Do you think the video game industry is directed more at men then women? Do you see that trend continuing or do you see it changing?

SC- Well, the part of the industry I spend my time in is most certainly geared towards guys, and honestly I don’t see it changing at a very rapid pace. I wish I could say different, but unfortunately that’s the kind of change that takes a looooong time. It also requires that parents empower their female children. Our society still wants girls to be pink, and boys to be blue. As long as it stays that way the disparity will show itself in gaming and the high tech sector in general among other pursuits.

GameDiva-Do you feel that being a woman in the video game industry has helped or hindered your career?

SC-Both. Any time some guys see a woman in a man’s industry, they ask “Why does she deserve that job?” We don’t ask this about guys, because they are all guys! We just assume that a guy got his job because he applied and met the qualifications. Women, however, are thought of differently. Most peoples’ answers about why a woman got her job bring into play a woman’s appearance, attitude, friendships, relationships, personality. So as all women do, I suffer from many of these assumptions made by people who don’t know better. That said, being a woman is also a bit of a novelty, and has helped to get my name out there and has lead to my introduction to many interesting folks.

GameDiva-How did you come up with the company and the type of games to make?

SC-When we started Monkeystone Games (http://www.monkeystone.com) we knew we did not want to just do another standard game company. Mainly that was because we were all quite tired of the whole multi-year dev cycle. Big games require a ton of money and lots of managers and that was the antithesis of what we were looking for. We just wanted to work on games. Focusing on handheld and wireless games (and small games for bigger systems in general) seemed like the perfect fit. It has turned out to be just right for us. We get to explore all sorts of genres and platforms from phones to the Pocket PC to the Game Boy Advance and more. In the span of a few months we have worked on everything from puzzle games to action games to party games. Our first game, Hyperpsace Delivery Boy! (http://www.monkeystone.com/products/hdb/) is a action-puzzle hybrid. We are very happy with how it turned out. It’s a big departure from all of our most recent projects, but it was a blast to make. We will soon have a PC port of it, as well.

GameDiva- What is the weirdest job you have ever had leading up to your work in the video game industry?

SC- Growing up I worked summers at my dad’s summer nature camp for kids, first as a “Grub” (a glorified snake cage cleaner and barn sweeper) and later as an instructor to the kids teaching them about everything from spiders to the food chain. My dad is a biologist, and because of the camp we always had all sorts of animals around from lizards to turtles to prairie dogs and even 15-foot long pythons. It was great! I have also worked at White Castle flipping burgers, as an ambassador for the dorms at the U of Kansas, and in tech support (I was in overflow for people who had been on hold for more than an hour wanting help with their Toshiba laptops). Yech. I once spent 30 minutes trying to explain to a poor laptop-owner how to double-click.

GameDiva- What are your favorite things that you have done in the video game industry?

SC-I don’t know that I could narrow it down to a specific moment or thing. I think the thing I am most proud of is persevering and continuing to learn and grow in my job daily. My favorite thing has always been to defy the odds. :) So, for example, right now I am learning to program (C++). That’s probably my favorite thing so far, because it is the last thing people expect of me. Well, people who don’t know me well, anyway!

GameDiva- What is your funniest gaming anecdote?

SC- I am trying to think of a safe one. :) Man, there are so many! Ok, how about some weird facts? I got into Quake through a college boyfriend, Entropy, who happened to be the guy who lost the Ferrari to Thresh in the big tourney way back when (he was robbed!). Also, of course, there is the whole Romero vs. KillCreek battle from back in the day. Everyone told me that if I beat him he would start throwing chairs through windows! About halfway through the game I was losing, and someone came over to remind me of all of the sexist things that would be said if I lost. Magically, a few minutes later I turned it around. It was on DM2 in Quake, he was hiding in the little button area near the lava floor. I saw him, turned, and blasted him with a rocket. At that point the score went from 16-2 in his favor to my win at 25-19. We have a video of me making that kill. That single moment my life changed – and on film! He was very nice about it when he lost!

GameDiva- What advice do you have for other people who want to get involved in the video games industry?

SC- Be a finisher. Anyone can start a game, or come up with a game idea. That’s the easy part. The initial spark may get you in the door, but you must be able to follow through. The tough part is the actual execution and completion. It takes dedication, perseverance, and skill.

GameDiva- What is the Arcade game you enjoy playing the most?
SC- Oh boy! Oddly, I really enjoy Police Trainer. I always head for that first. I also love Tokyo Wars, Samurai Showdown II (which is now quite tough to find), and Ms. Pac Man!

GameDiva-Who do you think is the best-looking video game character out there?

SC-I don’t put a lot of stock in all that, so I am probably not the best person to ask. The characters in Grim Fandango are so unique and colorful – I guess I’ll go with them!

GameDiva- What kind of game would you most like to see come out on the market?

SC-I want to see more adventure games!! Especially if they are made by Tim Schafer. :)

GameDiva- Anything else you want to tell people out there?

SC- Get used to me. I am going to be here for a while. :)

GameDiva- What is your favorite thing to do when not working on video games?

SC- Hang out with my wonderful boyfriend, John. He is tons of fun and he always makes me smile. He is absolutely the nicest, kindest, most gentle guy I’ve ever met. Right now we are having a blast playing Ghost Recon and watching old X-Files on DVD.

Now before I sign off, I wanted to tell you guys that I am happy to brag that I have been profiled on SiliconSalley.com, a great site about and by women in technology. Drop by the site at http://www.siliconsalley.com/, read what I had to say, and then come and let me know when you think of the profile. Just email me at gamediva@thrustmaster.com with any and all of your comments (and kudos, I'll accept those too!). That’s it for this weeks gameDiva…what did you all think? I want to thank Stevie for being one of the gameDiva’s and being so enthusiastic about taking part. That’s it for this week. I am off to sleep off my jetlag and take it easy. Drop me a line and let me know if you have any suggestions for future columns or if you want to volunteer to be one of my gameDiva’s! Tune in next week for an exciting profile of one rockin’ cool gaming journalist!