It’s no secret that games have been a boys world. Check out the store shelves and the proof is in heroes: Many of them are muscle-bound titans, armed to the teeth.
In the past, teenage boys have been the demographic of choice for the industry, but over the years, that's been changing. In this generation of consoles and hand-helds, the industry has noticed that more girls are picking up controllers, and in response, developers have been creating games with a different audience in mind — tween and teenage girls.
"I didn't see many (games) specifically targeted for girls growing up," said Janet Pan, 20.
"A lot of girls now would be into that," she said. —'Hannah Montana' is a big hit. It's a good way to get them playing."
But the fact is a lot girls stop gaming around the age of 12 and 13, said Tony Key, Ubisoft's vice president for sales and marketing, in an interview last year.
"Girls find other interests because we don't make content for that group," he said. "But there's no reason why girls age 14 shouldn't be interested in games. The industry has failed them”
In an effort to capture that lost audience, Ubisoft has bolstered its "Petz" brand (a pet-care simulator), which has sold well among girls, and it has even developed an Imagine line geared specifically toward that peer group.
"Games in the Imagine lineup were hot sellers during the holiday season and continue to perform well beyond the holiday window," said Shara Hashemi, associate brand manager on Imagine, in an e-mail. According to the NPD Group, a company that tracks game sales, "In December 2007, the Imagine games became the fastest-growing new video game franchise on the Nintendo DS."
The franchise has sold so well, she said, that Ubisoft added a fifth game to the lineup called "Imagine Figure Skater" and just announced another one called "Imagine Rock Star."
What separates the Imagine titles from games such as "Hannah Montana" is that the series looks at girls' interests and dream jobs as a source of inspiration.
"They're amazing properties that we want to leverage," said Jessica Oifer, director of marketing for Disney Interactive Studios. "We're putting out things that tween girls are interested in."
"We started to dip our toes into that water long before other developers did. But when we first started to get into the arena, we couldn't sell it to another publisher, so we started our own brand. And lo and behold, we're "... really successful."
The fact that games for girls are flourishing at all is a sign that the genre has come a long way since the days of "Mary-Kate & Ashley's Magical Mystery Mall," and part of that success can be traced to the Nintendo DS and Wii.
"I want a Wii so bad," said Alisa Seng, 15, a student at College Park High School. The teen, who usually plays games like "Guitar Hero," is drawn by the console's novel control scheme.
"It's not just sitting there with a controller. You go around and move."
The console's appeal is that the Wii is less complicated and more intuitive.
"It really catches most of your movements," she said. "With other systems, you have to memorize buttons. With the Wii, that's your own thing."
That kind of reaction meshes with what Disney sees in its audience.
"The Wii and DS are a great fit for the demographic," Oifer said. "The Wii is family-based and broader. The DS is biggest with the tween audience. If you talk to tweens, the Wii and DS are on top of tweens' interest list. You're seeing that more and more, more than you (saw)a few years ago."
But what may not work is the celebrity and the "My Little Pony" syndrome of games that are a little too girlie, too condescendingly pink.
What the 15-year-old would rather see are more titles that have crossover appeal: girl games that guys would like to play and vice versa.
"Music games, pet games are really cute," Seng said, listing off titles that work for her. "Social games where you work like 'The Sims.' When you focus on pink, it doesn't work."

by Dale Farris, President, Golden Triangle PC Club
February 2001

Her Interactive's Nancy Drew mystery adventure games are daring interactive games that challenge players to crack the case as they assume the role of legendary teen sleuth Nancy Drew. Focused on the special interests of girls, the games interact with players presenting a cast of characters, all of whom have secrets of their own.

These Nancy Drew games are ideal for girls ages 10 and up, as well as their adult parents, and combine expressively animated 2-d characters with a detailed 3-d environment. The games have multiple levels of difficulty, making them suitable for a broad range of ages and skill levels. Players use both problem-solving and interactive computer skills to crack the case, which is solved by putting together the pieces of information from conversations, interactive puzzles, cryptic notes and hidden messages. If players get stuck along the way, they can call upon Nancy's best friends for helpful hints and additional clues, or they can chat with other players on Her Interactive's online hints board.

The three mystery adventure games reviewed here include the following.

Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill

This is Her Interactive's first Nancy Drew mystery, and in this case, Nancy visits her aunt in the fictitious town of Paseo Del Mar, Florida. While there, a crime is committed at the local high school, and the school principal asks Nancy to investigate the crime. The chase is afoot, and Nancy finds herself once again caught in a web of secrets and lies.

Nancy Drew: Stay Tuned For Danger

In this second case, Daytime TV's hottest soap star is receiving frightening death threats, and it's up to Nancy to get to the bottom of the problem. She goes undercover as an extra on the show to unmask the sinister scribe.

Nancy Drew: Message in a Haunted Mansion

In this newest release (October 2000), there's trouble in the beautiful Victorian inn that super-sleuth Nancy has been called to help a friend renovate. From collapsing scaffolds to leaking gas, suspect fires to ghostly threats, Nancy stumbles onto a secret that someone, living or dead, would rather keep unknown.

In all these super mystery games, the main character Nancy Drew has been designed and her personality fully developed around the long time success of the multi-volume series of Nancy Drew mystery books that are well known to many girls in America. The overall theme and approach of these many books has been carefully preserved in these computer games that carry on this now legendary reputation connected to the name, Nancy Drew.

Stuff You Can Always Use About Nancy Drew

Across the US, public libraries stock their shelves with all the Nancy Drew titles, and frequently have to re-bind many of the works, because they are circulated so often by so many readers. The Nancy Drew story began in 1930 with the first mystery, "The Secret of the Old Clock," published by writer Edward Stratemeyer, writing under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. Over the many years since, many other writers have contributed to this series, always using this same Carolyn Keene pen name.

By the way, the Stratemeyer Syndicate also published other popular series of books for young readers, including the equally famous Hardy Boys and Bobbsey Twins mystery series of titles.

Since her 1930 debut, Nancy Drew has solved over 350 mysteries in books, movies, television, and now on CD ROM. Over 200 million Nancy Drew books have been sold in 60 countries and in 14 languages.

In 1938, Nancy made her silver screen debut in the film, "Nancy Drew, Detective," starring Bonita Granville as the teen sleuth. Granville went on to play Nancy in three more movies in 1939, and she was succeeded by Louise Currie and Shirley Patterson, each playing the detective during the 1940's.

In 1977, Pamela Sue Martin played Nancy in the television series "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries," and in 1995, Tracy Ryan resurrected the role but left the boys behind in a solo series titled "Nancy Drew."

The character Nancy Drew lives in the town of River Heights with her father, attorney Carson Drew, and although Nancy's mother died when she was only three years old, the family's housekeeper, Hannah Gruen, keeps a close watch on Nancy and often helps with her investigations.

Nancy first arrived on the scene at the age of 16, and after nearly 70 years in print, her timelessness is now quite famous. For the most part, she hasn't aged a day.

Nancy isn't only a detective. She's also a skilled auto mechanic, athlete, cook, and has a talent for horseback riding, dancing, and sewing. She's even known to occasionally fly a plane, but she prefers to drive her blue roadster or Mustang convertible.

With all this rich history, you would expect a CD ROM version of a Nancy Drew mystery to be something special, carrying on this rich tradition. Facing this enormous challenge to not only produce exciting computer mystery adventure games for girls, Her Interactive decided to add to this challenge by focusing on producing an interactive game that continues the rich tradition of Nancy Drew.

They succeed marvelously in this very difficult goal, and any reader of the Nancy Drew mystery series of books will be very pleased to see their heroine investigate these three new mysteries, while interacting with the characters along the way. Kudos to Her Interactive for their success in enlivening in these CD ROM games the genuinely unique and immensely valuable experience that comes from reading a Nancy Drew mystery.

Features

The approach in these games is built on a traditional adventure game engine, in which the player points and clicks on numerous "hot spots" all throughout the game to find objects or find out necessary information that helps solve the mystery. The story line is mostly linear, and the different locations involved in the layout of the plot are not accessible until the player has clicked on the requisite objects in their present location.

Also included is the traditional approach to interviewing the many other characters in the game, and the player takes the 3rd party perspective as the main character, Nancy Drew, throughout. In the character interviews, the game takes a typical adventure game approach, requiring you to click on all the available possible responses in order to advance the game plot. You also have to go back and re-click on these characters more than once, to be sure you have activated all the possible responses that will open up the objects some of the characters will sometimes give you, if you prod them enough.

The game response is pretty typical, but this is more a function of the processor speed and the speed of the CD ROM drive, since not all the program files are loaded onto the hard drive in the install process. While this saves on hard drive space, it does mean the player will be opening many files from the disk, which can be slowed by slower hardware.

You can die in these games, at certain points, but if so, the game puts you right back into the game, and thankfully, you don't have to start all over again. In addition, you can also save a game at any time you want, a nice feature that prevents having to replay segments. The three playing difficulties are also a nice touch, making these games actually relevant for use by children less than the stated age level of 10 years or up. I suspect with parental guidance, children even as young as 8 years of age could likely play the game and not experience much frustration.

A special note to all the hard core gamers who might be reading this. These Nancy Drew Mystery Adventures are NOT what you might be used to enjoying as challenging computer games. These are adventure games, and not role playing (RPG) or first person shooter (FPS) games, and there is no thumb twitching required here.

Instead, Her Interactive has developed a nice mystery adventure approach that will involve the player in keeping up with all the many developing clues that open up as they play the game. The included notebook, for writing down key stuff you find out, is a clue this is not a "twitch" game for those more used to killing other characters, or endlessly trying over and over to precisely time moves and jumps in order to advance to the next screen.

While there may indeed be solid evidence that girls are more inclined to these interactive adventure games than boys, I think that these Nancy Drew games will likely appeal to anyone who is not interested in the RPG of FPS type of action-oriented computer games now on the market.

Classic Features That Continue

All the well known characteristics of the famous Nancy Drew personality are warmly conveyed in these games, and Nancy Drew comes to life in the games as she proceeds to carry out her usual investigative techniques. The approach is always low key, downplaying violence, and instead focusing on the traditions of how Nancy Drew goes about investigating and solving mysteries. You play as Nancy, moving the mouse pointer around, and the other characters speak to you and interact with you as Nancy. For girls ages 10 or so, I think they will get a lot of enjoyment out of playing these games, allowing them a fanciful imaginary trip as if they were Nancy Drew, and totally involved in investigating and solving the mystery.

The puzzles are not impossible to solve, and although some players might need parental support, I think most players should have little problem getting through the deciphering required at key plot points. The backgrounds are well done, adding to the mood of the story and the impression one gets when reading the Nancy Drew books. While our imaginations cannot ever be equaled by any computer game, in the case of these games however, the overall design of the game and the ability to move around these inviting settings greatly enhance the overall impact of the games.

Common Features

Common throughout all the games are the richly detailed sets and backgrounds, and the neat ability to seamlessly move around a scene by holding down the screen cursor as you move across a set. The colors are rich and the attention to the detailed surroundings really enhance the overall feel for the game. The image mapping of the "hot spots" is mostly adequate, although on occasion I found myself moving across some of these active areas that at first seemed to not be active.

Players used to adventure games will find all the typical techniques used here, including having to click on everything that is active, to be sure you don't miss anything, and opening up all the conversation choices. In keeping with the long established tradition in the Nancy Drew mysteries, all these necessary activities are exactly what she does in the books, so this does nicely fit into the theme of these games.

Targeted Customers

While the packaging indicates the target customers are girls ages 10 and up, I think these games will also likely appeal to others. Some adults interested in interactive mystery games, but with little patience for all the fast thumb twitching required in RPG or FPS games, may be attracted to the laid back, easy going nature of these games. With the different difficulty levels, the games can also likely be played by gamers younger than 10, but with parental assistance. I also think even some young boys might like the games.

However, with the primary character in the games being a girl, and a very well known girl at that, the games will most likely do best with the identified target group that already has a reading relationship with the famous Nancy Drew character.

Her Interactive, Inc.

Founded in 1995, Her Interactive, Inc. designs, develops and markets award-winning interactive games for girls age 10 and up. Their first title, "McKenzie & Co.," was one of the first computer games to offer an alternative to the male-themed, violent games that dominate the market. The next successful title, "The Vampire Diaries," a dark and romantic role-playing adventure, was based on the popular teen romantic thrillers written by Lisa J. Smith.

In 1997, the company reached an agreement with Simon & Schuster to develop a series of CD ROM games based on the legendary adventures of teen detective Nancy Drew. In 1998, the first title released in this genre was "Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill", followed by the 1999 release of "Nancy Drew: Stay Tuned for Danger," and the newest October 2000 release of "Nancy Drew: Message in a Haunted Mansion."

With an unwavering commitment to the computer game interests of girls, Her Interactive, Inc. has established a leadership role in providing intelligent interactive entertainment aimed at girls, but that will also entertain and intrigue everyone, especially "twitch impaired" adults.

Price

$29.95 Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill
$29.95 Nancy Drew: Stay Tuned for Danger
$29.95 Nancy Drew: Message in a Haunted Mansion

Note: These are list prices, so shop around, as the shelf price may vary from one reseller to another. Also note that this is a super price for these computer games that will more than likely work on most all systems, if configured as required, and allow for much fun as users will not likely experience all the potential problems inherent in today's 3dfx game programs. In addition, you will experience a sense of satisfaction, as you complete the game, thereby enjoying a rare feeling of getting your money's worth with a computer game.

System Configuration Requirements

A. Nancy Drew: Secrets Can Kill (2 CD ROM Set)

Windows 95, 98
166 MHz Pentium processor
16MB RAM
8x CD ROM drive
42MB free hard drive space
16-bit color video card
16-bit Windows compliant stereo sound card
Mouse
Speakers

B. Nancy Drew: Stay Tuned For Danger

Windows 95, 98
166 MHz Pentium processor
16MB RAM
8x CD ROM drive
130MB free hard drive space
16-bit color video card
16-bit Windows compliant stereo sound card
Mouse
Speakers

C. Nancy Drew: Message in a Haunted Mansion

Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000
166 MHz Pentium processor
16MB RAM
8x CD ROM drive
135MB free hard drive space
16-bit color video card
16-bit Windows compliant stereo sound card
DirectX 7.0 compatible sound and video card driver
Mouse
Speakers

These are the company listed minimum requirements, and as most folks know, you just never ever want to depend on software in any minimally configured machine. I recommend users seriously consider 64 MB as the minimum RAM (if not 128MB RAM), and of course, the faster the processor, the more responsive the system.

Note also that the newest game, "Message in a Haunted Mansion," will require the Microsoft DirectX 7.0 API, which for some older machines, may pose a difficulty. Since Microsoft has just recently released their newest
v 8.0 of DirectX (as of this writing), it is likely that most readers will probably have DirectX 7.0 or 7.0a on their machines. You will not need to install the DirectX 7.0 that comes with this game, if you already have it on your machines. If you have upgraded to DirectX 8.0, the game will still work, and you will not have to go back to DirectX 7.0.

Installation and Setup

Installation should go smoothly on machines configured as required, but just be sure you have enough free space on your hard drive. Also note that these games do play from the CD ROM disk, so the faster your CD ROM drive, the faster files will load. Also, with these as with any computer game, the faster the processor and the speedier the video and sound boards, the faster these games will play. Be sure you have at least the minimum RAM required.

The important thing about these and any computer game, is that the game software is designed to dominate a computer system and take control over all the computer resources. So, be sure you close all open files, before you begin to play these games, and if you have the additional RAM suggested, you should be able to start and end your game sessions without a hitch.

In the case of these super Her Interactive, Inc. games, users will not experience the severe stress on computer hardware that results from running most newer first person shooter (FPS) or role playing games (RPG). These state-of-the-art 3dfx games will significantly challenge legacy machines, presenting technical problems with video and sound board driver conflicts.

Thankfully, in these marvelous mystery games, you will avoid all these very frustrating and annoying problems. Instead of worrisome problems, you can focus on enjoying the gaming experience.

Recommendation

These games are a solid bet for families with young girls who are using a family computer. I also think many adults will enjoy playing these games, as the inherent value in investigating and solving a mystery in a computer game is as much fun as reading good mystery novels.

I also think public libraries can consider these games very relevant in their collection development plans, especially concerning the need to always enliven their juvenile collections. In the always extra busy Summer reading time, these games could provide a nice new attraction for all the many young readers so accustomed to spending a lot of time in their library during the Summer.

With the tie-in of these wonderful games to the already well known books, I think public librarians could feel confident they were providing valuable and enriching game playing by offering these Nancy Drew mystery games for children to play on library machines.

You can also order from retailers or online vendors.

by Bob Bloom, Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) | June 14, 2007
Blog Article

NANCY DREW (2007) 2 1/2 stars out of 4. Starring Emma Roberts, Josh Flitter, Max Thieriot, Rachael Leigh Cook, Tate Donovan and Barry Bostwick. Screenplay by Andrew Fleming and Tiffany Paulsen. Directed by Fleming. Rated PG. Running time: Approx: 99 mins.

When adapting an iconic character — especially one who has been around for more than 75 years — a filmmaker must walk a delicate balance between remaining true to the source but also contemporizing the subject lest she — or he — appears outdated or, even worse, irrelevant.

The filmmakers behind the new Nancy Drew stumble a few times on that tightrope, but overall made a successful adaptation of the popular character.

Nancy Drew is a movie aimed at adolescent girls, those not yet sophisticated enough to blow it off as a children’s movie.

As for adults, well, this is a film where you can drop off the kids and run errands for an hour or so.

Nancy Drew, directed by Andrew Fleming with a screenplay by Fleming and Tiffany Paulsen, plays like a cross between a Nickelodeon or Disney Channel movie and a big screen feature.

The mystery in which Nancy gets involved is not too complicated, but complex enough to hold a young viewer. The character is drawn as a stranger in a stranger land with her retro dressing style and manners, yet not too geeky to turn off her young admirers.

Most of all, what keeps the movie afloat is Emma Roberts’ sincerity in her portrayal of Nancy.

She plays the character straight from beginning to end, never letting her tongue slip into her cheek. Her Nancy is a dedicated and frank individual interested in the truth, for whom “sleuthing” is a passion.

The story centers on Nancy and her dad, Carson Drew (Tate Donovan), leaving small-town River Heights for Los Angeles where he has some legal matters to take care of while she tries to solve the mystery surrounding the death of famous actress Dehlia Draycott, whose old mansion Nancy’s dad is renting.

It doesn’t take long for Nancy to begin unearthing clues, all the while trying to fit in at Hollywood High.

The weakest part of the movie concerns two girls, who seemed to have dropped by from Clueless, who begin to torment Nancy, then decide to be her friends. This subplot is nothing more than a padded distraction.
Overall, Nancy Drew is easy entertainment.

It makes no demands of its young audience other than to sit back and enjoy the ride.

If the filmmakers can maintain the tone set in this movie, a series of films — not unlike the ones that this same Warner Bros. studio produced in the late 1930s — should be forthcoming. And as long as young Roberts continues as Nancy, the franchise will be in talented and capable hands.

Bob Bloom is the film critic and DVD reviewer at the Journal & Courier in Lafayette, Ind. He can be reached by e-mail at bbloom@journalandcourier.com or at bloomjc@yahoo.com. Bloom's reviews also can be found at the Journal & Courier Web site: www.jconline.com
Other reviews by Bloom can be found at the Rottentomatoes Web site: www.rottentomatoes.com.

The New Sincerity is all about lines. Emma Roberts’ long legs and hair are highlighted by outfits that put lines in the spotlight. Her plaids — sometimes bold, sometimes soft — have a logical, geometric purity that says this is one smart teen. Done right, plaids are a classic that can be fashion-forward to any generation—just like Nancy herself.

Almost all of Nancy’s clothes are tailored in straight or A-lines; from her rolled up blue jeans to a really spectacular party dress that mixes circles and stripes into a very cool and wearable combination of patterns. Unlike her classmates, Nancy does not follow the latest trends of the moment. Instead, she follows her own instincts, which turn out to be just as good for fashion as for crime-solving.

In this version, Nancy makes her own clothes, updating sewing patterns that belonged to her mother. As Nancy says in the movie, “I like old-fashioned things.” The thing is, her look does not come across as old-fashioned at all. Even her tops, with rounded, Peter Pan collars seem right and right now because of the fabrics and the way Nancy puts her outfits together. Who’d have thought that a Peter Pan collar would work under a blazer? But it so does.

Nancy’s accessories pull her looks together in a practical and fashionable way. We all know that headbands are in and it just makes sense that a sensible girl like Nancy would wear them to keep hair out of her eyes—otherwise she might miss a clue! Plus, they give her an attractive, no-nonsense appeal.

Along with headbands, Nancy accents some of her outfits with scarves, folded thin and knotted around the neck like so many chic French women do. The look is not “old-lady-like” at all. The scarf prints on their own would seem a bit vintage, but because they mix so well with the colors of Nancy’s outfits, they come across as a very sophisticated and contemporary accent.

The best thing about “The New Sincerity,” as they call it in the movie, is that it speaks to what is going on in fashion right now. Just as Nancy happily stands apart from the trend-addled crowd, teens today are shedding the buy-more attitude in favor of a more comfortable, simplified and authentic looks. And, as Nancy proves in the movie, being real to who you are is what being real is all about

from America's Cotton Producers and Importers

In October, Nancy Drew: Legend of the Crystal Skull has the teen detective and her best friend Bess flying to New Orleans for spring break. Nancy plans to visit Henry Bolet Jr., a friend of Ned Nickerson. Henry’s grandfather is recently deceased and Henry is in New Orleans to wrap up his affairs. As Nancy’s adventure unfolds, family secrets are revealed and questions abound.

Another Fun year with Nancy Drew at MysteryGamers.com

WIGI-Savannah
"Advancing Your Career in Game Development"
Located at Savannah College of Art and Design

Attendees will learn how to break in and advance their game industry career through panel discussions and roundtables with top experts in the field. This seminar provides useful information for women and men alike, as well as new and veteran game developers.
Keynote speaker is Jennifer MacLean, General Manager of Games at Comcast Interactive Media. Jen’s responsibilities at Comcast include management of all games products, strategy, and business development for the United States' largest cable company.
1pm - Keynote
Jennifer MacLean, General Manager of Games, Comcast Interactive

“Everything I Need to Know, I Learned By Playing Games”

Who knew that games taught such important life lessons? From the importance of communication to the value of diversity and the need to understand your priorities, Jen explains how games like Halo, Everquest, and Civilization teach us everything we need to know for personal and professional success.

2pm - Panel #1:

Breaking In: How to Acquire The Skills and Get That First Job

This discussion will focus on the necessary skills for an entry level job in the game industry, and different approaches to getting hired by a game studio. We'll also address whether there particular challenges that women face when breaking into the game industry.

Moderator: Sheri Graner Ray, Game Designer/Author

· Bryant Freitag, Architecture and Licensing Lead Big Huge Games
· Fiona Cherbak, Director of Client Relations, Enterprise Talent
· Tess Snider, Senior Game Systems Programmer, Trion World Network
· Ismini Boinodiris Roby, Co-founder, WomenGamers.com

3pm - Panel #2:

The Ultimate Challenge: Balancing Work and Personal Life

One of the most difficult challenges facing people in game industry is achieving a work/live balance, and resolving quality of life issues. The

panelists will discuss their own life choices, and the effect of these decisions have had upon their professional careers.

Moderator: Mia Consalvo, Associate Professor, Ohio University

· Don Daglow, CEO, Stormfront Studios
· Jon Hanna, Producer, Kaneva
· Brenda Braithwaite, Professor, SCAD
· Mike McShaffry, Production Consultant, MrMike

4 pm to 6 pm - Roundtables

Meet the Producers - Jon Hanna, Kaneva; Marc Mencher, GameRecruiter.com, Inc.

Talk to several producers and find out what they really do on a day to day basis. Discuss preparations for a career in producing, pitfalls andadvantages to being a top notch producer.

Attracting Women into Games - Ismini Boinodiris Roby, WomenGamers.com; Sheri Graner Ray, Game Designer/Author

The game industry is beginning to realize that to produce titles that reach a more diverse audience, they need to diversify their workforce. But finding women to join the industry can be a challenge. Come talk about where and how to attract women into the industry and how to keep them there!

Planning for the Long-term Career - Don Daglow, Stormfront Studios; Brenda Braithwaite, SCAD

Getting that first game industry job is hard. Building a long-term successful career can be even harder. This discussion will focus on planning for the long term, including ongoing education, networking, and setting career goals.

Resume Construction and Networking Strategies - Fiona Cherbak, Enterprise Talent; Patricia M Helbig, SCAD

Now you've decided you want to be in the game industry, how do you get there? It takes more than desire to get there, it's who you know and how you present yourself. Discuss strategies for putting yourself in the best position to meet the right people and then ways to present yourself in the best possible light.

Quality of Life - Darius Kazemi, Orbus Gameworks; Mike McShaffry, MrMike;

Balancing personal life and the demands of a game industry career is an ongoing challenge for both newcomers and veteran game developers. This discussion will focus on practical problem-solving and also ways in which we can promote change in the industry to address this issue.

An Array of Career Options - Tess Snider, Trion World Network; Bryant Freitag, Big Huge Games

The days of two guys programming in their mom's garage is long gone. Today's games are complex creations requiring the talents of people in many different roles. Come talk to game developers and learn what those many roles are and where you might fit in.

Located at Savannah College of Art and Design, Georgia
Registration will be available online as of March 1, 2007. Registered attendees to WIGI-Savannah will also be able to attend GDX on April 27. GDX brings together game developers, educators and students with game development experts who share their behind-the-scenes knowledge. More info: www.scad.edu/gdx

According to the Entertainment Software Association:
Women players are a growing force within the gaming community and represent 38% of the game playing population.

Women in Games International Conference Focuses on Female Players
Keynotes Lucy Bradshaw and Ernest Adams Address Timely Issues

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Women In Games International announced today that their upcoming conference, "From Production to Profit: Creating and Marketing Games for Women," is now expecting nearly 400 attendees, a record-breaking number for the organization. The Women in Games International-San Francisco conference will be held at Electronic Arts in Redwood City, CA, from 1 pm to 7 pm on Tuesday, March 6. At this half-day conference, WIGI will discuss the future of game design and game marketing as the female player marketplace matures and expands.

Lucy Bradshaw, VP and Head of Production and Development for Maxis/Electronic Arts, will open the conference with a keynote speech entitled, “The Secrets of The Sims Success” in which she explores how The Sims found initial popularity among a typical gaming audience and then crossed over to mainstream success as male gamers shared the game with their sisters, mothers, girlfriends and wives. In discussing this, Lucy will explain which aspects of the game appealed to this audience, and give examples of how developers and publishers can learn from The Sims success.

Ernest Adams, an accomplished game designer and published authority on a wide range of games industry topics, will close the conference with a keynote speech entitled, “Developing Backwards and in High Heels,” a phrase coined from the fact that actress and dancer Ginger Rogers did everything that Fred Astaire did, only backwards and in high heels. Adams will explore at the past and future of women in gaming: what they contributed to the early development of the medium and how they will change it in the 21st century. He will examine several different aspects of the question, including the way women are portrayed in games; women as designers and developers; and the wants and needs of the female player.

Fiona Cherbak, Chair of the WIGI Development Committee and Director, Client Relations at Enterprise Talent, states, “As the consumer demand for games that appeal and sell to female players of all ages continues to grow, new challenges and discoveries are bringing light to the immense potential of the female player marketplace. Major game publishers, causal game developers and high-profile media enterprises are all working harder than ever to get more girls and women into playing games. The high turn-out for this conference demonstrates that people want to better understand the expectations for the growing female player market.”

Other WIGI-San Francisco speakers include Ellen Beeman, Program Manager, Microsoft Corporation; Brenda Brathwaite, Game Designer and Professor, Savannah College of Art and Design; Karen Clark, Development Program Manager, Linden Lab; Don Daglow, CEO, Stormfront Studios; Jill Donald, Development Director, EA; Jesyca Durchin, CEO, Nena Media; Carolyn Feinstein, Group Vice President of Consumer Marketing, EA; Sheri Graner Ray, Content Designer & Game Design Author; Jennifer MacLean, General Manager of Games, Comcast Interactive; Deborah Mars, Producer, SCEA; Laura Naviaux, Senior Global Brand Manager, Sony Online; Lyndsay Pearson, Lead Producer, EA; BZ Petroff, Director of Talent Acquisition, LucasFilm; Morgan Romine, Frag Doll “Rhoulette”, Ubisoft; and many others.

Conference sponsors include platinum sponsors Electronic Arts, ECD Systems and Intel, and series sponsors Game Developers Conference (GDC), GameRecruiter.com, Girls in Games, International Games Developers Association (IGDA), Mary-Margaret, ThemePark Studios, WomenGamers.com and BusinessWire.

The Women In Games International Conference–San Francisco will be held at the Electronic Arts campus, Milestone Auditorium, located at 250 Shoreline Drive in Redwood City, CA. Attendance is $45 for general attendees, $35 for WIGI members and $30 for students with I.D. Space is limited, so interested attendees are encouraged to secure their spot by registering online today at www.womeningamesinternational.org.

About Women in Games International

www.womeningamesinternational.org

Women in Games International was founded in 2005 in response to a growing demand around the world for the inclusion and advancement of women in the game industry. Women in Games International is managed by a steering committee comprised of like-minded individuals, is supported by corporate and media sponsors, and directed by a global advisory board.

For more details, contact the WIGI PR Committee at press@womeningamesinternational.org, or contact Morgan Ogburn, ThemePark Studios, 512/916-9633 or morgan@themeparkstudios.com.

click on link below for more information:

Women in games

A Nancy Drew Mystery movie will be released this Summer (June 15, 2007) by Columbia Pictures.
The cast will include Emma Roberts, Josh Flitter, and Max Thieriot.

A Synopsis from Fandango.com

...Accompanying her father on a business trip to Hollywood, Nancy Drew investigates the long unsolved death of a beautiful movie star. Nancy's ressourcefulness and personal responsibility are put to the test when she finds herself in the middle of the fast-living, self-indulgent world of Hollywood.

Fandango also has a short Trailer to watch...

In addition, now through February, Black History Month, selected titles of American Girl History Mysteries will be reduced - this includes Mystery of the Dark Tower, The Minstral's Melody and Circle of Fire.

The Customer Appreciation Day Sales on Thursdays will continue - 15% off all sales over $15.00. Join us!

The Sale runs Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday ending at midnight PST 11/26/06

Happy Thanksgiving from Us!

Also in, are the paperback versions of the newest American Girl Mysteries ie Felicity and Peril at Kings Creek, Josefina and Secrets in the Hills and Samantha and The Stolen Sapphire. We have a few hardback versions left of these books and of the first ones in the series including Molly in A Spy on the Homefront.

All great reads AND great gifts!