Interview with Morgane Falaize for the Roland Garros Eneries

• Hello Morgane and thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions for our readers/readers. For those who don't know you, can you introduce yourself and give us your journey in the video game industry?

Hello and thank you for the invitation, I am delighted to chat with Jol! My name is Morgane FALAIZE , I am the co-founder and director of the midnight twelve communication agency, specialized in video games. We work for publishers, studios and accessories manufacturers such as Bethesda , Amazon Game Studios , 2K, 505 Games , Amplitude Studios , Tactical Adventures , Roccat, Turtle Beach …

• Hello Morgane and thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions for our readers/readers. For those who don't know you, can you introduce yourself and give us your journey in the video game industry?
• We meet today, because, soon, will take place the Roland-Garros Eseries, a virtual tournament upstream of the Grand Chelem Parisien. For the occasion, the French Tennis Federation has teamed up with Women in Games France. Can you tell us more about this collaboration?
• The video game world has evolved a lot in recent years. The figures show that we reach almost a quasi-precarity between players and players (46% according to Accenture). However, the SNJV shows that the staff of the video game industry in France is made up of only 22% of women. Even if an evolution is noted (there are about 7% more than in 2019), what do you think it is still missing so that it changes?
• In your opinion, what makes us still here today? What are the solutions on which Wig works?
• We have seen it recently with the Pixel War, streamers/influencers are able to federate whole crowds towards a common objective. Today, a large part of prevention concerning harassment, the place of women in industry... Wouldn't they also go through them?
• Women in Games A, in the course of February, thrown a pavement in the pond with the #Genderswap action (change the kind of characters in video games). The feedback from networks are quite varied ranging from genius to people's misunderstanding (whatever their gender) concerning certain characters. What were the goal of this video and its long -term impact?
• I thank you once again for taking the time to answer our questions and thank you for all the work you lower in industry!
• What will this Roland-Garros Eseries tournament consist? Will personalities from the tennis world join the event?
• this tennis is a sport in which we recognize female performance more easily (as a result of women's often mocked women's football), it is not free from sexism, whether on the outfits of players or Highlighting men's finals rather than women. What is your point of view on the subject?
• Over, speaking of female representation, we still see few women in video game tournaments as a player, but more in positions like interviewer or host. However, we all know talents like Kayane (VS Fighting), Scarlett (SC2), Cuddle Core (VS Fighting), Vkliooon (HS) or Zaaz (CS). You might think that performance is much more important than gender in the end of things. But then, what do you get stuck? Are some communities (I am thinking in particular of the VS Fighting community) not more welcoming or less stereotypical according to you?
• We see that this problem mainly affects women who are victims of male behavior. Going to the Women in Games site, I found that the association referred to a set of experts. Is it a clean will to have only women (do they talk about what they know?) Or do you think men have their place too? (To just speak to men). In my work, I have often found that the gender-mixing co-intervention could have a positive impact on the representation that people have and the mirror effects that it can have. What do you think about it ?
• this can we learn more about the next WIG projects for the coming months?

And since last summer, I have been the president of the Women in Games association, which has worked for more mix and diversity in JV companies in France.

• We meet today, because, soon, will take place the Roland-Garros Eseries, a virtual tournament upstream of the Grand Chelem Parisien. For the occasion, the French Tennis Federation has teamed up with Women in Games France. Can you tell us more about this collaboration?

The Roland Garros teams approached us at the end of last year to offer us to participate in the new formula of their Roland Garros Eseries tournament. Noting a lack of participants during their first edition, this year they wanted to reserve a qualification phase for women's members of Women in Games to offer an environment more favorable to the participation and access of women in the final stages.

• What will this Roland-Garros Eseries tournament consist? Will personalities from the tennis world join the event?

Roland-Garros Eseries by BNP Paribas is the largest Etennis competition internationally and will be disputed this year for the very first time on the mobile game Tennis Clash. 4 qualification tournaments are organized, including 2 open to the general public (free game and tournament, anyone in the world can participate) and 1 reserved only for Women in Games gamers. Each of these 4 qualification tournaments makes it possible to qualify 2 participants for the grand final, which will take place on the central of Roland-Garros on Saturday May 21. Two broadcasts on the Twitch channel from Rivenzi are also planned with various entertainment and personalities on the program, including tennis professional players.

• this tennis is a sport in which we recognize female performance more easily (as a result of women's often mocked women's football), it is not free from sexism, whether on the outfits of players or Highlighting men's finals rather than women. What is your point of view on the subject?

Sport remains a sector where sexist biases in our society are expressed and are maintained: ordinary sexism, harassment, discrimination, devaluation of women's skills...

But as in many areas, for a few years we have seen more and more women expressing themselves and their voice being relayed. Some sports federations grant more credit than others to these demands for egalitarian treatment, but I am convinced that it is no longer possible to ignore structural dysfunctions and that taking hold of these subjects is essential today.

• The video game world has evolved a lot in recent years. The figures show that we reach almost a quasi-precarity between players and players (46% according to Accenture). However, the SNJV shows that the staff of the video game industry in France is made up of only 22% of women. Even if an evolution is noted (there are about 7% more than in 2019), what do you think it is still missing so that it changes?

We are working in it at Women in Games! : D We see today a real will on the part of our interlocutors to integrate more varied profiles in their teams, but often there is a deficit of female candidates.

We therefore work to raise awareness of young girls on the richness of video game professions and support JV schools with the development of a specific charter.

• Over, speaking of female representation, we still see few women in video game tournaments as a player, but more in positions like interviewer or host. However, we all know talents like Kayane (VS Fighting), Scarlett (SC2), Cuddle Core (VS Fighting), Vkliooon (HS) or Zaaz (CS). You might think that performance is much more important than gender in the end of things. But then, what do you get stuck? Are some communities (I am thinking in particular of the VS Fighting community) not more welcoming or less stereotypical according to you?

There are a lot of factors that explain that there are fewer women in Esport competitions, especially professional.

To begin with, access to video games is more difficult or split to them than for boys (parents still consider that it is more a male activity). Then, they also have to confront sexism, online harassment for the simple fact of being a woman, they are much more criticized for their counters than men, etc.

And they must manage all this charge in parallel with their training and their competitive journey, it is very heavy to wear and it can be discouraging.

In addition, the lack of visibility of female competitions leads to a lack of interest on the part of the sponsors. What makes them less attractive and therefore women have less means to progress... It is a vicious circle!

In 2021, a Reach3 survey returned that 77 % of women had already suffered harassment on online games. In order to be clear, we are talking about:

• Insults
• Sexual messages
• Proposal for an inappropriate relationship
• Claim that because a woman is in the game, the team will lose
• Be judged more fiercely because we are a woman
• ...

So much so that Reach3 announces that 59 % of women prefer to hide their genre when they play online. To support this point even more, here is a video that shows exactly what this survey highlights:

• In your opinion, what makes us still here today? What are the solutions on which Wig works?

In my opinion, there is an obvious problem of education. To allow yourself such acts while believing in its right, it is still quite symptomatic.

The role of Wig is to work in concert with publishers to allow more safe play environments for players. In recent years, we can see that some have been putting in place devices going in this direction, but it is a very (too) slow process in our opinion.

Publishers must show a real commitment, and beyond the announcements to set up more concrete and immediate devices.

• We have seen it recently with the Pixel War, streamers/influencers are able to federate whole crowds towards a common objective. Today, a large part of prevention concerning harassment, the place of women in industry... Wouldn't they also go through them?

Given their power of influence, of course these personalities would be great ambassadors to carry prevention messages.

But we have had several opportunities to note that some-among the youngest-are far from these considerations and maintain deeply problematic women-men's reports.

Furthermore, streamers who share feminist views may be reluctant to express them on their channel, tired of managing comments as outdated as they are over in their cat.

Fortunately, there are some committed people who can distill certain messages from their community, which they know receptive.

• We see that this problem mainly affects women who are victims of male behavior. Going to the Women in Games site, I found that the association referred to a set of experts. Is it a clean will to have only women (do they talk about what they know?) Or do you think men have their place too? (To just speak to men). In my work, I have often found that the gender-mixing co-intervention could have a positive impact on the representation that people have and the mirror effects that it can have. What do you think about it ?

The list of experts you refer is a directory of women working in the industry, for journalists, event organizers, round tables, conferences, etc. Who are looking for speakers for their events.

The objective of this list is to allow more mixed panels and make industry women more visible. There is never difficulty finding men to speak, because they are already well known and identified.

So we advocate my diversity!

* ### In the list of partners, we see that Aubisoft is present and supports Wig. Has it been problematic in view of the various cases that have broken out at Ubisoft in recent years? Is it not, for society, a way of clearing the toxic behavior of your business?

We choose our partners for their desire to adopt a more virtuous approach. We are not there (what) to point the finger at the bad students.

If dysfunctions, "business" appear in a structure and it shows a real wish to change things, our role is to support it. And we are not fooled, we spot the Pink-Washing very easily!

• Women in Games A, in the course of February, thrown a pavement in the pond with the #Genderswap action (change the kind of characters in video games). The feedback from networks are quite varied ranging from genius to people's misunderstanding (whatever their gender) concerning certain characters. What were the goal of this video and its long -term impact?

The objective of this project was to show in a very concrete way the flaws to which we expose ourselves when the games are mainly imagined by men and for men: we find ourselves maintaining stereotypes which end up anchoring in us. We all have the habit of seeing in games (or movies) a woman walking while stimulating or being very short dressed, that absolutely does not challenge us.

On the other hand, if we reverse the animations of male and female characters, we realize how foolish it is (or that we lack free representations of men).

Of course, we have suffered snapping comments on social networks and actually some characters were perhaps not the most appropriate. But hiding behind that does not detract from the relevance of the demonstration: the female characters are too often demeaned to the rank of hypertised or stereotypical valve, made to satisfy the gaze of the male player, where the male characters are "increased To respond to a virility stereotype (not necessarily more enviable).

• this can we learn more about the next WIG projects for the coming months?

We have several projects that should see the light of day: a guide to prevention of sexual and sexist violence in the companies and schools of the JV, the launch of our mentoring program (where the female members of our association will be mentored by Men and women in the sector), a cycle of annual conferences/workshops, a program of WIG ambassadors…

And more immediately, we will be present at the Game Camp!

• I thank you once again for taking the time to answer our questions and thank you for all the work you lower in industry!

Thank you very much for this interview, it was a pleasure!