Tetris CEO Maya Rogers defended the use of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs as a force for good in order to diversify workplaces.
Rogers is the daughter of Henk Rogers, the video game developer who first secured the rights to distribute Tetris to gaming console companies.
‘There needs to be something that is almost enforced to make sure that there are enough women in the industry.’
In an interview with Games Industry, Rogers said that people don’t believe she runs the Tetris company when she tells them.
“They see a youngish-looking female, and they don’t believe you, or they don’t think that you run Tetris, or whatever,” she told the outlet. “But I guess it’s never really fazed me.”
After saying that the industry should not be dominated by men, Rogers made strange claims about the difference between male and female applicants. Despite saying “of course” she has faced sexism in her industry, the CEO went on to say that men are trying to get jobs by “winging it,” while women are “overqualified.”
“Men show up to the table, and they’re kind of winging it, right? Guys are really good at winging it. … Women show up overqualified because they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, am I good enough for the job?’”
Rogers added, “We’ve got to put ourselves out there, and be OK to be vulnerable.”
Games Industry cited Rogers as having “made a point of increasing the number of women working at the Tetris Company” as well.
Rogers explained, “When my father was running the business, it was more male. And now we have a lot of women, and it’s great. We’re doing amazing things. Girls can do it all.”
The 47-year-old then championed DEI programs and said there needs to be assurances to get women into the gaming industry.
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“That in itself in America today is a thing that’s being questioned,” she said about DEI programs. “But I think that was so important to have, because it did change how many people of diversity, [of] different backgrounds, were allowed in the workplace.”
More directly, Rogers said, “There needs to be something that is almost enforced to make sure that there are enough women in the industry,” and women in powerful positions need to “be out there, being vocal, [and] inspiring people to fight for their rights.”
To further her point, the CEO said that women are still battling for change, before claiming that women “came together” to fight “for their rights,” which she believes still needs to happen.
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Photo by Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images
Overall, the idea of a male-dominated gaming industry did not seem to sit will with Rogers, who said, “It shouldn’t be that way,” and, “Women need to be given a chance.”
“There’s so many women playing games, and we’re still having mostly men designing games,” she concluded. “That doesn’t make any sense at all.”
In 2020, CNBC cited a study by the International Game Developers Association that showed 71% of video game developers in the world are male. In 2022, a report for U.S. gaming developers by the Gamer said that 76% of developers in the United States were male.
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