Ubisoft has recently come under fire for their alleged treatment of some employees and their alleged oppressive work culture. 

Female Representation in the Gaming Industry: An Issue of Belated Recognition and Growth 

While their situation is still unfolding, what it and other controversial stories in the gaming world have brought to attention, as well as Barbie Fashion Designer and The Last of Us's inductions into the World Video Game Hall of Fame, is an issue not talked about nearly enough; female representation in the gaming industry. 

According to the story by Engadget, female gamers are much more prominent today than ever, but their representation behind the scenes still has a way to go. While women account for 55% of gamers, only 22% of game developers are female. 

Computer Space: the Pioneering Force in the Discussion on Female Representation in the Gaming Industry 

In the spotlight, Barbie Fashion Designer stands out as a beautiful anomaly. It was one of the first games designed to reach a female audience, and its nomination highlighted that encouraging girl gamers is crucial. 

The game had a ground-breaking impact, and it sparked a movement. Now there is a whole wave of games that feature female leads as a part of their commercial success; The Last of Us is an important part, but it isn't the only one. 

Computer Space, too, is a noteworthy game in the discussion on female representation in the gaming industry. It was the first commercially available game, a trend-setting title created by two industry pioneers, Ted Dabney, and Nolan Bushnell. 

Breaking Through Boundaries: Computer Space and Barbie Fashion Designer Inducted into World Video Game Hall of Fame 

That is an impressive fact, but arguably even more impressive is that both creators had no experience with computers and video games before Computer Space. Anything is possible with a bit of passion, vision, and hard work, and that's certainly a message that can inspire female game developers and forward-thinking companies. 

While the numbers may be sobering, it's clear that the more input females get in the gaming industry, the better the industry works. All the inductees in the World Video Game Hall of Fame are excellent choices, as also described in an article by Comic Book. 

Barbie Fashion Designer is another inductee. A 1996 release allowed players to create different clothing designs on-screen that could be printed and used to dress up real-life dolls. The Strong National Museum of Play revealed the announcement.

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Creating a Legacy: The Success of Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney's Computer Space (1971) 

The final game, Computer Space, is the oldest. Its creators, Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney set the foundations for future games after the success of their game from 1971. Eventually, they went on to create one of the most recognizable gaming entities in the world, Atari. 

The four titles of the 2023 World Video Games Hall of Fame. While it was a close-run competition, the four exalted games have earned their place in the prestigious hall, and the Strong will showcase them in their new World Video Game Hall of Fame space that opens on June 30th.

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