Sony Online Entertainment LLC today announced that Julia Brasil of San Francisco has won the 2008 G.I.R.L. Game Design Competition. The competition was the first of its kind and was promoted in conjunction with The Art Institutes system of schools, to encourage students toward career paths in the creative and applied arts, ultimately resulting in the development of games that are more interesting for women to play.
Brasil, a student in the Game Art & Design program, was awarded a $10,000 tuition scholarship toward her education at The Art Institute of California – San Francisco and a paid internship of up to 10 weeks at the Sony Online Entertainment studios of her choice in Austin, Denver, San Diego or Seattle.
“I am shocked and overjoyed to be the first G.I.R.L. Scholarship recipient,” said Brasil. “I’m really looking forward to my internship with SOE, and getting some hands-on experience at such a well-known company. It’s such a great opportunity.”
Brasil was one of nearly 100 applicants vying for the winning title of the 2008 SOE G.I.R.L. Game Design Competition. In order to become the winner, Brasil had to submit an in-game design, original concept art and two essays.
“We believe our groundbreaking G.I.R.L. scholarship can give Julia the foundation she needs to pursue a successful career in the video games business. SOE is thrilled to jumpstart the first step in pursuing her goals,” said Torrie Dorrell, Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing, Sony Online Entertainment. “We anticipate G.I.R.L. continuing to evolve and snowball, creating even more opportunities for women to get behind these games.”
Due to the popularity of the initiative, SOE will make official G.I.R.L — Gamers In Real Life — T-shirts available for purchase sometime this summer. For more information about G.I.R.L., go to girl.soe.com.
Here is an additional Q&A with Julia:
Q: Can you explain what it feels like to be the first-ever G.I.R.L. Game Design Competition winner?
A: I am shocked! Perhaps shocked isn’t the right word in this case – it’s amazing! When I sent my submission, I thought I had a slim chance of winning, but then I received the e-mail stating I was one of the finalists, so I told myself,”Alright, that is as far as I am going.” Then, when I was told I won, I think my brain may have rebooted, and it hasn’t worked properly since!
Q: How did you come up with your G.I.R.L submission?
A: My submission came from all sort of places, I guess. For the concept art, I read quite a bit on the setting of EverQuest® II and picked the minds of a lot of players. I am sure they’d rather be out on quests, but they were really patient in answering my “newbie” questions! As for the essay, it was mostly personal experiences with a dash of outrage.
Q: What do you hope to do after you graduate, and why?
A: I know I want to work in the gaming industry, but I am still in the early stages of my program, so there is a lot to learn before I decide on one particular path. After graduation, I hope to work as an artist and gradually move toward designing.
Q: What is your favorite online game, and why?
A: Right now, Age of Conan® has been occupying most of my evenings. I am a big fan of the Conan movies, and it does a good job in making the player feel part of the gritty and violent world.
Q: During your internship with SOE, what do you hope to learn?
A: I hope to learn more about the gaming industry and the creative process behind SOE titles. I am really looking forward to my internship with SOE, and getting some hands-on experience at such a well-known company. It’s such a great opportunity.
Q: What kinds of skills have you learned from playing video games?
A: English, for starters! Having played video games most of my life, they were instrumental in learning the language. On a secondary note, they probably helped with my puzzle-solving ability and abstract thinking as well.
