The Agency’s Sherry Floyd: giving ‘core’ the feminine touch
Everyone knows that Sony Online Entertainment’s The Agency isn’t some deep MMO built with historical lore and authentic (or imaginative) languages. The “fun now no waiting” concept that SOE geared up for the title reflects a characteristic of a basic ‘core’ game: instant gratification.
And SOE didn’t only want to break barriers in entering the MMO market. They were also looking to breaking barriers from keeping female gamers out of the ‘core’ gaming loop. And that’s where SOE’s pro-active female developer solution kicks in: it’s no longer about catering only to the male audience anymore.
And producer Sherry Floyd is proof of that movement. In a recently published interview with Joystiq, Floyd divulged details on how the female touch molding The Agency to be a hopeful hit over the PlayStation 3, the PC, the U.S., the UK and even MMO paradise Asia:
I love working with our team. Introducing them to the joys and beauty of shoes, designer suits, fantastic handbags, and deodorant warms my heart. Explaining the finer points of “classy cleavage” and what not to wear is fun to no end as well. For them, they get to train me in styles of weapon grip, tactics and how not to drink beer like a girl. Of course we have many females in the office making the game, it’s actually very civilized, the boys let us wear bikinis when we’re forced to mud wrestle on our lunch breaks. Just joking.
Okay, so maybe she threw our logic off at the mud wrestling bit, but the game that Sony won’t be offering over the competition’s platforms is being shaped by real game development talent – even if some of them are women. Floyd said that female agents in The Agency aren’t all pink and plush – they’re beautiful, powerful and pack quite a marksmanship.
“How good of an agent you are isn’t determined by your gender, just by your dedication and skill,” said Floyd and probably many might agree with her. Earlier in the interview, Floyd said she was inclined toward “immediate gratification” gameplay, gunning the mercenary ParaGON side for if it suits her mood best.
Only time will tell, however, what The Agency finally amounts to in the end. Ambitious as it is, Floyd wasn’t kidding when she said the game was “HUGE!” It’s got a lot of ground to cover in order to meet all of SOE’s MMO objectives.
Via Joystiq
Everyone knows that Sony Online Entertainment’s The Agency isn’t some deep MMO built with historical lore and authentic (or imaginative) languages. The “fun now no waiting” concept that SOE geared up for the title reflects a characteristic of a basic ‘core’ game: instant gratification.
And SOE didn’t only want to break barriers in entering the MMO market. They were also looking to breaking barriers from keeping female gamers out of the ‘core’ gaming loop. And that’s where SOE’s pro-active female developer solution kicks in: it’s no longer about catering only to the male audience anymore.
And producer Sherry Floyd is proof of that movement. In a recently published interview with Joystiq, Floyd divulged details on how the female touch molding The Agency to be a hopeful hit over the PlayStation 3, the PC, the U.S., the UK and even MMO paradise Asia:
I love working with our team. Introducing them to the joys and beauty of shoes, designer suits, fantastic handbags, and deodorant warms my heart. Explaining the finer points of “classy cleavage” and what not to wear is fun to no end as well. For them, they get to train me in styles of weapon grip, tactics and how not to drink beer like a girl. Of course we have many females in the office making the game, it’s actually very civilized, the boys let us wear bikinis when we’re forced to mud wrestle on our lunch breaks. Just joking.
Okay, so maybe she threw our logic off at the mud wrestling bit, but the game that Sony won’t be offering over the competition’s platforms is being shaped by real game development talent – even if some of them are women. Floyd said that female agents in The Agency aren’t all pink and plush – they’re beautiful, powerful and pack quite a marksmanship.
“How good of an agent you are isn’t determined by your gender, just by your dedication and skill,” said Floyd and probably many might agree with her. Earlier in the interview, Floyd said she was inclined toward “immediate gratification” gameplay, gunning the mercenary ParaGON side for if it suits her mood best.
Only time will tell, however, what The Agency finally amounts to in the end. Ambitious as it is, Floyd wasn’t kidding when she said the game was “HUGE!” It’s got a lot of ground to cover in order to meet all of SOE’s MMO objectives.
Via Joystiq