LIFE

 

Have you ever played The Sims? Chances are, yes, if you're a girl who grew up in the '90s or '00s. Who didn't love designing your own house, picking your characters' clothes and giving your little robotic family the life you always wanted? Oh, and using cheat codes to be millionaires with the click of a button (we won't tell!). 

It turns out that while The Sims is a cool game for players like us, the behind-the-scenes action is *even* cooler...especially when there's girl power involved. Meet Lyndsay Pearson, a senior producer at The Sims and a role model for STEM girls everywhere. 

 

But she wasn't always a gamer gal. Lyndsay planned on studying movies in college because she loved the special effects and animation side of things. Then, she went to a game developer conference and, as cliche as it sounds, the rest was history. She discovered that video games use all of the same technology and cool stuff that you see in the movies but, in games, you actually get to be involved. 

As she pursued her new passion, Lyndsay quickly realized most of the people in her modeling and animation classes were guys. She was *definitely* outnumbered, even when she started her career after college. However, for Lyndsay, she discovered that when you all have a common interest that you're excited about or a common goal that you're working towards, it doesn't matter whether you're male or female. Not to mention, every production team needs different viewpoints and opinions and life experiences. Having more girls in the video game world means a more diverse representation and better games that more people can enjoy and relate to, no matter your background.

When we chatted with Lyndsay the other day, she also emphasized that you don't have to be a coder or a programmer to be in the gaming world: "There are so many people that take part in making a game whether you decide you want to be an engineer or an artist or work in marketing...there are tons of different roles that all have to work together to get a game out the door. A lot of people don't realize that." So even if you don't have the knack for numbers or the computer chops to make animation magic, there is still a place for you in video games. You just have to know what you're good at and find your special spot.

Lyndsay's final words of advice for girls chasing their dream jobs? "Definitely follow your passion. Find something you're excited about and then build yourself a circle of support. Find people who share your enthusiasm who can help you along the way especially during the more challenging times and give you the advice you need, even if it's tough love."

It's your turn to get your game on. Snag the new The Sims 4: City Living available for purchase HERE on November 1st!

Any gamer girls out there? Share your dream job in the comments below!

Photo credit: Twitter.

by Amanda Tarlton | 10/31/2016