Sony Online Entertainment has opened the current year's application process for its G.I.R.L. Scholarship program. G.I.R.L. (Gamers in Real Life) encourages women to apply and ultimately awards a $10,000 scholarship to recipients. Applications will be accepted through March 29th.

"At SOE, we believe that diversity is one of our keys to success and it is truly woven into the fabric of who we are as a company," said Laura Naviaux, Senior Vice President of Global Sales & Marketing, Sony Online Entertainment. "We want to help make the games industry even that much more approachable and our goal with the G.I.R.L. Scholarship is to provide an easy way to usher even more women into the industry."

Check out the G.I.R.L. Scholarship site for more information.

Originally posted by Jayaris
Cheesy logo, cheesy name. SOE should try harder.

Cheesy post. 

Originally posted by Grunty

Originally posted by Jayaris
Cheesy logo, cheesy name. SOE should try harder.

Cheesy post. 

Cheesy reply.

Originally posted by DMKano

Originally posted by Grunty

Originally posted by Jayaris
Cheesy logo, cheesy name. SOE should try harder.

Cheesy post. 

Cheesy reply.

So attempting to bring women into a male dominated business is also cheesy?

Maybe send a few to school to study graphic design instead of game design?

Just snark based on that website, of course. Yet, they are seeking concept artists...curious.

Originally posted by Grunty

Originally posted by DMKano

Originally posted by Grunty

Originally posted by Jayaris
Cheesy logo, cheesy name. SOE should try harder.

Cheesy post. 

Cheesy reply.

So attempting to bring women into a male dominated business is also cheesy?

No my intention was to start a massive recursion of cheese... Where each reply would say the previous one was cheesy.

But your defensivenes killed it.

As someone who works with game dev studios, I can tell you first hand that most of them have 20-30% female emoloyees. Sure its male dominated, most business are, but it is not dire.

Wow, how sexist is this..

I should form a men's rights movement.  *ponder*

I kid.. mostly.

Best of luck, ladies. =)

Originally posted by Grunty

Originally posted by DMKano

Originally posted by Grunty

Originally posted by Jayaris
Cheesy logo, cheesy name. SOE should try harder.

Cheesy post. 

Cheesy reply.

So attempting to bring women into a male dominated business is also cheesy?

I never said the intent was cheesy to begin with. I said that SOE should try harder.

Calling your scholarship GIRL and having a low-budget site and a terrible logo really doesn't scream to me that SOE are trying hard to promote gender equality through the gaming business. Fuck, if anything it furthers steroeotyping. 

Applaud SOE for a piss poor effort if you like, I wont. 

Originally posted by Jayaris

Calling your scholarship GIRL and having a low-budget site and a terrible logo really doesn't scream to me that SOE are trying hard to promote gender equality through the gaming business. Fuck, if anything it furthers steroeotyping. 

Applaud SOE for a piss poor effort if you like, I wont.  

Would gender equality not mean both genders had an equal opertunity? This is gender discrimination as it excludes men and this is pointless. Women have has many changes to join gaming-development type of education as man or am I wrong here? No educational system will tell them to leave because they are female? Maybe companies do not hire them as fast as men, but this scholarship would not help in that regard.

I would have prefered to have seen this money go to someone who needs it regardless of sex. Someone who might actually become a good programmer one day. Who cares what the sex of the person is! It's there money though and I wish the people who participate the best of luck. 

and Gamers in Real Life? What the hell does that even mean? As in they are not virtual girls or they only play board games opposed to computer games. :/

Originally posted by Coman

Originally posted by Jayaris

Calling your scholarship GIRL and having a low-budget site and a terrible logo really doesn't scream to me that SOE are trying hard to promote gender equality through the gaming business. Fuck, if anything it furthers steroeotyping. 

Applaud SOE for a piss poor effort if you like, I wont.  

Would gender equality not mean both genders had an equal opertunity? This is gender discrimination as it excludes men and this is pointless. Women have has many changes to join gaming-development type of education as man or am I wrong here? No educational system will tell them to leave because they are female? Maybe companies do not hire them as fast as men, but this scholarship would not help in that regard.

I would have prefered to have seen this money go to someone who needs it regardless of sex. Someone who might actually become a good programmer one day. Who cares what the sex of the person is! It's there money though and I wish the people who participate the best of luck. 

and Gamers in Real Life? What the hell does that even mean? As in they are not virtual girls or they only play board games opposed to computer games. :/

 I don't think its about equality, its about business.  Women are increasingly a big part of the gaming market, it makes sense to have them making the games as well.  More females developing games would likely help them reach those gamers by producing games they want to play.  I expect it would be a good thing for all players really, more talented developers from different perspectives can't hurt.

Originally posted by Grunty

Originally posted by DMKano

Originally posted by Grunty

Originally posted by Jayaris
Cheesy logo, cheesy name. SOE should try harder.

Cheesy post. 

Cheesy reply.

So attempting to bring women into a male dominated business is also cheesy?

You need to spend more time on reddit.  

Originally posted by Acidon

Wow, how sexist is this..

I should form a men's rights movement.  *ponder*

I kid.. mostly.

 

Best of luck, ladies. =)

I agree. Only becaues I hate things that are like this even if it was men only I'd still find it annoying. It's too targeted for my tastes. But just like Acidon said good luck to those women who could use a scholarship, you never know one of those women could help make the next kickass game you love to play.

Note: I'm all for women in gaming in fact I'd think rather highly of a girl who could kick my butt in a game.

Very sexist, just by the name of the award alone.  Rewarding someone for doing something they like doing (gaming) while targeting only a specific group isn't very ethical.

Then again the industry is very sexist already.  When was the last time a babe booth consisted of scantly clad masculine hunks, or even just guy models selling a game with their sheer beauty and meticulously styled hair?  Seriously, if the industry wants more women to play games, they need to seriously look at all the stuff thats already broken.  Barely dressed women at conventions isn't attracting most women to games.

did g.i.r.l not used to stand for guy.in.real.life... As in plays a female character in game, have penis in real life.

The again... Who cares, it is a sack of loot to help girls get in to game development. Good idea i guess. Not sure it is the right way to do it but at least it is a way to do it.