Google’s Change the Game wants to empower young women to design games

Google’s Change the Game initiative wants to empower teenage girls to design games of their own. If they do, that could end up being one of the five finalists to get an all-expense paid trip to Los Angeles, where they will get a tour of Google’s L.A. campus, a scholarship to attend the Girls Make Games Summer Camp, and more. Not only that, but the winner could also share their vision for the future of gaming for a chance to win a $10,000 college scholarship and a $15,000 scholarship for their school’s technology program.

The new competition was launched in partnership with Girls Make Games, which is aimed at empowering female developers for all platforms, and the Entertainment Software Association Foundation, which support’s the STEM program and encourages kids and young adults to use apply STEM concept to real-life scenarios.

Change the Game was first launched last year in an effort to shine a light on the underrepresentation of women in mobile gaming. According to the company, 43 percent of women in the U.S. play mobile games on their phones — while only 38 percent of men do. Despite that, only around 23 percent of game developers are women, and as a result, only around 30 percent of female gamers feel like games are made for them.

“Our mission is to make mobile gaming truly for everyone by celebrating and empowering women as players and creators. To do this, we’re committed to improving gender diversity in three areas of the mobile gaming world,” says the company on the Change the Game website.

The competition comes only a few weeks after Google’s Change the Game initiative highlighted female developers in celebration of International Women’s Day. In particular, the company highlighted games like 80 Days, Race for the Galaxy, and more. It also pushed other apps that were developed by women, including the likes of Canva, a graphic design app, and CastBox, which is a podcast curation app.

Hopefully, Google’s new competition will help not only empower female developers but specifically empower young female developers — which could go on to help contribute to a more inclusive gaming industry that represents all different kinds of people.

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