The gaming industry is still something of a boys club, but things are changing. Kiki Wolfkill is the embodiment of that change. As executive producer of all things Halo, she is responsible for shaping one of the most loved game franchises of all time. On the topic of gender, her direct superior at 343 Industries is also a woman, but the focus here is on Kiki over Corporate VP Bonnie Ross because she the one getting her hands dirty. When Bungie moved on and left Halo behind so many fans saw it as the beginning of the end for the Master Chief and his mates, but 343 Industries dispelled those fears with the brilliant Halo 4. That project had Wolfkill's fingerprints all over it. Halo is an incredibly important franchise for Microsoft, and is quickly expanding to be about more than just a video game. Its crucial that these various components are relevant, capturing the attention of the massive Halo fan base, working together to form a cohesive overall entertainment brand. And that is Wolfkill's primary concern - directing the franchise and keeping the momentum which has been building since Halo's inception. With Halo 5 on the horizon, Microsoft knows that this is a release which could be a watershed moment for the Xbox One. Simply put, Halo 5 can not fail, and a lot of the onus lies on Kiki to make sure that that doesn't happen. She's not the only woman making strides in the industry right now; others, like Tomb Raider writer Rhianna Pratchett and Media Molecule studio director Siobhan Reddy, are making waves within their fields too. What's particularly important though is that all of these women are rising at a vital time, as front runners in the movement to be seen not as "women in gaming", but merely as "game industry people".
Game-obsessed since the moment I could twiddle both thumbs independently. Equally enthralled by all the genres of music that your parents warned you about.
