Gaming

Zynga Honors 22 Female Employees Who Are Helping to Break Gender Bias in Gaming

Published

3 years ago

March 9, 2022

Zynga Honors 22 Female Employees Who Are Helping to Break Gender Bias in Gaming

To celebrate Women’s History Month, Zynga Inc., a global leader in interactive entertainment, is recognizing the achievements of 22 female employees who are helping to #BreakTheBias, the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day.

Throughout March, Zynga’s social channels will be shining a spotlight on its female executives for their roles in promoting a more inclusive workplace at the company’s family of studios around the world:

Phuong Phillips, Chief Legal Officer, Zynga: “We have a huge opportunity to make gaming more diverse and inclusive by reflecting the ever-increasing number of women playing games in the industry. At Zynga, we’re taking action – from mentorship programs to networking workshops – to ensure that women have the skills, opportunities and support to advance their careers. With these efforts, and other measures that the industry is making, I’m excited about the future of gaming.”
Amy Rawlings, Chief Accounting Officer, Zynga: “To change the narrative about gaming being a male-dominated industry, we need more female characters in games and more women to play a bigger role in making and supporting games.”
Rebecca Lau, Vice President of Investor Relations and Corporate Finance, Zynga: “It is incredibly important to have women working on games to ensure that women are equally accessible and empowered as other characters in the game. Women make up a significant portion of gaming communities and should have a chance to identify with characters in games in a way that can also be empowering in real life.”
Kate Huber, Vice President of People Operations, Zynga: “Recognizing the diverse makeup of players, especially in mobile gaming, makes the industry much more accessible. You can see yourself making games for people like you.”
Claudia Sanchez Wilson, Vice President of Legal, Zynga: “We change the narrative by being the change – by showing up every day to claim our space and share our voice in this industry, in our company, on our teams and in our roles.”
Gemma Doyle, Vice President of Player Success, Zynga: “It’s not just about owning your seat at the table – it’s about being vocal on the others who should be seated at that table with you.”
Nicole Hartvig-David, Vice President of Marketing, Zynga: “I lead a team where women make up half of the group, so I know how critical female leadership is to help attract female talent and to act as role models and mentors to others. We need to ensure that women are well represented as the face of gaming.”
Janice Lansing, Vice President of Business Operations, Zynga: “Women are critical to the development of games. So, it’s important to provide internal support, mentorship and an inclusive environment where they can thrive.”
Nubia Palacios Mora, Vice President of Art, Zynga: “Be seen and don’t hold back. Our opinions, our thoughts and our experiences should be an active part of the decision-making process.”
Gabrielle Heyman, Head of Global Brand Partnerships, Zynga: “Changing the narrative about gaming is all about representation. The more women make, appear and play in games, the more women will participate across the board in any position.”
An Vu, Chief Marketing Officer, Small Giant Games: “Until there are more inclusive games for women to work on and contribute to in an authentic and meaningful way, we can’t expect to change the narrative overnight. Inclusive games are designed consciously; it’s never an accident.”
Bhavna Talwar, Senior Director of HR, Zynga: “We’ve only just scratched the surface of how powerful a medium gaming can be, whether that’s to encourage more women to play or to work in the industry.”
Jennie Lees, Director of Engineering, NaturalMotion: “By showing up, making a great game and mentoring other women, I serve as an example that women can be successful at all levels and that the sky’s the limit when it comes to our impact.”

Nine other female employees selected for their efforts in promoting diversity at the company by Women at Zynga (WAZ), the company’s female-focused employee resource group, are featured in the group’s video to highlight International Women’s Day.

Zynga has led and partnered with many organizations to provide coaching, leadership and mentorship opportunities to help female employees succeed and become leaders in their careers and communities.

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Related Topics:BreakTheBias International Women's Day Zynga

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Gaming

SPGA Announces Social Sweeps Game Sector Video Briefing

Published

1 month ago

October 9, 2024

Adrienn Sarkany

The Social and Promotional Gaming Association (SPGA) has released a video briefing designed to provide insight and information on the social sweeps gaming model. This briefing is designed to address the growing attention and interest in how the social casino with sweepstakes prizing functions and why millions of players across America enjoy this safe and legal form of entertainment.

This inaugural SPGA briefing features insights from Matt Kaufman, Managing Director, Digital & Interactive Gaming at Eilers & Krejcik Gaming, and Jon Kaplowitz, CEO and Co-Founder of Clubs Poker. The discussion is moderated by prominent sports betting industry founder and investor Chris Grove.

eSports

CS2 Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2024 SuperComputer: NaVi to bounce back after Blast Fall Final loss

Published

2 months ago

October 7, 2024

Adrienn Sarkany

Final: Natus Vincere (36.5%) to beat Team Vitality (28.1%)

Semifinal 1: Natus Vincere (52.6%) to beat MOUZ (16.3%)

Semifinal 2: Team Vitality (47.7%) to beat G2 Esports (18.7%)

Quarterfinal 1: G2 Esports (39.8%) to beat FaZe Clan (32.8%)

Quarterfinal 2: MOUZ (35.9%) to beat Eternal Fire (24.7%)

Group stage:

Natus Vincere – 48.7% to finish 1st; 17.0% to finish 2nd; 84.1% to make playoffs
Team Vitality – 40.8% to finish 1st; 17.4% to finish 2nd; 77.7% to make playoffs
G2 Esports – 19.3% to finish 1st; 20.4% to finish 2nd; 56.7% to make playoffs
MOUZ – 14.5% to finish 1st; 21.8% to finish 2nd; 53.0% to make playoffs
FaZe Clan – 13.9% to finish 1st; 21.0% to finish 2nd; 50.2% to make playoffs
Eternal Flame – 40.7% to finish 1st; 16.2% to finish 2nd; 40.7% to make playoffs
Liquid – 16.3% to finish 7-8th; 35.7% to make playoffs
Virtus.pro – 15.4% to finish 7-8th; 29.9% to make playoffs
Astralis – 28.9% to finish 9-12th; 31.5% to make playoffs
The MongolZ – 32.7% to finish 9-12th; 25.4% to make playoffs
Complexity – 34.3% to finish 9-12th; 21.2% to make playoffs
Heroic – 26.8% to finish 9-12th; 23.5% to make playoffs
paiN – 36.5% to finish 13-16th; 21.0% to make playoffs
FURIA – 36.4% to finish 13-16th; 20.9% to make playoffs
9z – 44.7% to finish 13-16th; 14.6% to make playoffs
Imperial – 49.1% to finish 13-16th; 13.9% to make playoffs

It has been quite the run for NaVi despite their loss with back to back grand finals in recent weeks but CSDB.gg’s predictive model suggests there will be no let up for the Ukrainian esports organisation.

G2 will also be looking to build more momentum in preparation for Majors season with NiKo on a quest to finally get over the line this year to win his first major title. Hopefully Rio won’t have to see a repeat of his reaction in the semifinals at BLAST Premier Fall Final 2024 where he punched a hole in a table after losing out to Team Vitality in a key moment.

However, the hosts of Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2024 may want to lockdown any nearby furniture and reinforce their desks if G2 are set for disappointment at the semifinals stage as predicted by the CSDB.gg SuperComputer.

A victory in Rio could be even more consequential for how the end of the year shapes up for the leading teams on the circuit. The Valve Global rankings have both teams close at the very top (NaVi at 1988 and G2 at 1953) meaning a win for either team could hand them a key advantage when it comes to who enters the Majors as top seed.

Back-to-back wins in T1 events for G2, should they prosper in Rio, would set the Berlin-based team on an incredible trajectory going into the winter months.

Meanwhile, Brazilian hopes for glory look slight according to the CSDB.gg SuperComputer with FURIA, the team co-owned by Neymar, having only been given a 20.9% chance of even making the playoffs.

They are the leading contenders to make an impact for the home crowd but there are other teams flying the flag for Brazil with paiN and Imperial also set to give it their best to give local fans something to cheer on.

In terms of forecasted matchups of note, G2 and FaZe Clan could offer up a fascinating encounter in the quarterfinals should both teams qualify, with each organisation rated as having a strong chance of making the semis with little to separate them should they meet.

How was the CSDB.gg CS2 Tournament SuperComputer created?

The CSDB.gg CS2 Tournament SuperComputer is a predictive model created using world ranking points, team quality ratings and performance trends. An element of randomness is also included in the model to avoid the best teams and players always winning, to reflect the fact that upsets can happen.

Every tournament is simulated 1,000 times with the results aggregated into a percentage rating of the chances teams or players have to achieve the predicted result.

Gaming

NASCAR launches persistent world on Roblox where players can become racing tycoons

Published

4 months ago

July 18, 2024

Peter Tolan

NASCAR is once again taking the virtual racing world by storm, this time with the launch of “NASCAR Tycoon” on Roblox created by Dubit.

Building on the success of its previous “NASCAR Speed Hub,” this new experience promises to deliver an even more immersive and interactive NASCAR world.

Developed in partnership with the renowned metaverse studio Dubit, “NASCAR Tycoon” allows players to dive deep into the management and racing aspects of NASCAR, offering a unique blend of strategy and high-speed thrills in a distinctly Roblox-native way.

Players will have the opportunity to jump in the driver’s seat of cars styled after NASCAR’s Next Gen Cup Series vehicles, competing against each other and managing teams in thrilling races. Earning fame and fortune as they build their virtual tycoon, players can make passive income while they play. As players progress in “NASCAR Tycoon,” they will unlock exclusive perks such as building their own NASCAR racing teams, expanding their garages, collecting new cars, accessing customizations and attracting sponsors.

The launch comes hot on the heels of recent Fortnite activations and follows the debut of NASCAR in Jailbreak and NASCAR Speed Hub last year – a virtual environment built by Dubit, for players to race around tracks linked to real-world races.

“We’re thrilled to launch ‘NASCAR Tycoon’ on Roblox, developed in partnership with Dubit, marking a key milestone in our ongoing efforts to authentically engage with the Roblox community,” said Nick Rend, VP of Interactive and Emerging Platforms at NASCAR. “This initiative is about more than reaching new audiences; it’s about deepening our connection on a platform where we see tremendous potential. By blending the excitement of NASCAR with the interactive and dynamic environment of Roblox, we’re enhancing traditional fandom in ways that are engaging, fun, and distinctly forward-looking.”

With over 300 million monthly active users, Roblox is ripe with opportunities for sporting organisations like NASCAR and offers a chance to engage with audiences in an immersive and interactive environment.

Andrew Douthwaite, Chief Commercial Officer at Dubit, shares his excitement: “We’re thrilled to bring the next phase of NASCAR to life on Roblox, building on the success of previous activations. NASCAR Tycoon allows Roblox players to experience the excitement of NASCAR racing like never before, blending the strategic elements of team management with the adrenaline-pumping action on the track. It has been a true joy working with such a forward-thinking, iconic sports brand in NASCAR, and we look forward to continuing to push the boundaries together”

Dubit has created Roblox activations, virtual merchandise ranges and experiences for global brands including Unilever, Samsung, Reckitt, Kraft, H&M and adidas.

“NASCAR Tycoon” is now available on Roblox.