2024 AIAS Foundation Scholars: Self-Actualization and Community Within The Gaming Industry

Megan Friedenberg’s strongest memories of video games begin at the age of five: having Princess Peach “dress spin kick” her way across “Super Smash Bros” on her Nintendo GameCube nearly two decades ago. 

For Rachel Sakura Perry, it was many years ago when she first played “Kirby Super Star”, discovering treasures and battling foes in the spectacularly bright and shimmering Great Cave Offensive.

The mechanics of playing such uniquely heroic characters traversing mythical, vibrant lands didn’t just draw them into a new world. It taught them that they are capable of designing and creating their own worlds through gaming as well.

Now, both have greater means to do so.

Though advancements have been made in creating spaces for women in gaming, it can be said that men and women still “tend to occupy different worlds.” Compared to men, women tend to be more underrepresented in games or game development and are also more likely to experience harassment and bullying from the gaming community.

In the midst of this disparity, the AIAS Foundation — the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) — awarded seven scholarships to outstanding students and early professionals who are dedicating their careers to the advancement of the video game industry. 

Two of the seven scholarships went to Trojan engineers: Friedenberg, M.S. ‘23, a recent computer science alum from the USC Viterbi School of Engineering; and Perry, a current USC Viterbi senior in computer science.  

Women In and the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Foundation

Established in 2010 by the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences (AIAS), the AIAS Foundation seeks to uplift aspiring professionals within the gaming industry through the provision of key professional development resources. Through their WomenIn Scholarships, the AIAS Foundation (in partnership with Intel) supports aspiring women within the interactive entertainment industry in an effort to foster diversity and bridge existing disparities. Through the course of one year, WomenIn Scholarships provide women within the gaming industry with funding as well as key mentorships and professional networking opportunities. The 2024 AIAS Foundation Scholars will also receive the chance to attend the 2025 D.I.C.E. Summit and the 28th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards show, creating an invaluable opportunity to connect with fellow industry leaders and professionals in gaming. 

Contributing to a more inclusive space in interactive entertainment and game development for women, the AIAS Foundation has provided opportunities to countless passionate and rising engineers and artists.

For this year’s WomenIn Scholarship awards, the AIAS recognized two talented and passionate individuals within the world of graphic design and programming. 

Here are their stories.

Megan Friedenberg: Spider-Man, Zany Snowmen and Self-Actualization 

For Friedenberg, her fascination in computer graphics began when she first watched Pixar’s 1989 animated short film “Knick Knack.” 

The film features the efforts of an adventurous snowman trying — through humorous and zany methods — to escape a snow globe to connect with his fellow knick knacks and trinkets on the shelf next to him. 

“It was the first film I saw,” Friedenberg said, “and I just couldn’t get over how we, as humans, could produce something like that.” 

Intrigued by the ability to create fluid movement with animation in programs such as RenderMan, Friedenberg recalls this segment as one of the catalysts that propelled her into a career of graphics development. “It wasn’t necessarily the hardware or the art, but just the way they showed the Snowman moving. I’ve always been so fascinated with the way that things like that look.”

In addition to “Knick Knack,” Friedenberg found herself drawn to the potential of graphics and video games at a young age, having been an avid Nintendo Wii and Super Smash Bros player. “Gaming is my culture,” she said. “It’s such a big part of my life and part of my identity.”

However, despite a persevering love for games and graphics creation, Friedenberg did not realize until later in her professional life that she could join the graphics industry. 

An industry historically dominated by men, the game development and animation programming industry always felt out of her reach. “For a while, I applied to zero game studios because I never felt good enough,” said Friedenberg. “I never saw women in the type of jobs that I was seeking. I couldn’t see myself in the role because it simply never existed for women.” 

As she traversed her education in engineering, Friedenberg found herself unsure of how she could apply her passion, often also feeling isolated in her journey. “I felt lost for a very long time in computer science. I didn’t know where I belonged,” she explained. 

Despite the uncertainty, Friedenberg slowly entered the world of graphics engineering, serving as a developer intern at Disney. During her time at Disney, between working on projects like the “Big City Greens’ Virtually Christmas” special, she began to ruminate more deeply on her career and her professional identity. 

Daunted by the prospect of making a definitive plunge into a competitive industry composed mostly of men, she faced a reckoning. 

“It was around that time that I really knew that my imposter syndrome was a serious problem,” she said. “It took mentors and other people to push me and say ‘you belong in gaming and you need to apply in gaming.’”

And so she took the plunge. Combating her fears, Friedenberg applied at Insomniac Games and began her role as a technical art intern. At Insomniac, she developed and advanced key technical tools needed to develop blockbuster games such as Marvel’s “Spider-Man 2” and “Wolverine.” 

“It was unreal that I was there. It’s crazy to think about how I’m part of the Spider-Verse now,” she explained. 

Just months later, Friedenberg accepted her current role as a graphics programmer (mid) at Sony Interactive Entertainment, where she specializes in developing graphics for the “MLB The Show.” It was also around this time that she applied to the 2024 WomenIn Scholarship provided through the AIAS Foundation Scholarship. 

“At first, I didn’t apply for the scholarship, but I knew about it. It was always an inspiration to me to read about these other women,” she said, recalling her apprehension about applying to the scholarship. “It taught me that there were others doing it, and that I’m not alone.” 

Empowered by the stories of other WomenIn AIAS Foundation Scholars, Friedenberg decided to apply, marking another decisive step in realizing her role within the world of graphics and game development. 

“It was a coming-of-age experience to apply for the scholarship,” Friedenberg described. After her journey of discovering and carving out her role within the game development industry, receiving the WomenIn Scholarship was a definitive moment. “It was a coming of age to accept that I belong here. The foundation is your self actualization moment. You realize that you belong as a woman in gaming.”

In the future, Friedenberg hopes to contribute to the creation of games more accessible and representative of various demographics within the community featuring a strong female lead. “Another amazing and strong female character and accessibility are definitely on the top of my list.”

Friedenberg recalls Matt Whiting’s ITP 485: “Programming Game Engines” class at USC Viterbi as being one of the best during her academic career. The opportunity to create a game engine and graphics pipeline with shaders was fundamental to her growth as a graphics programmer.

Rachel Sakura Perry: Indie Games, “Overwatch 2,” and the Gap Between the Programmer and the Community

From combat and exploration within a peaceful microcosm to a scientist fleeing the horrific and terrifying remains of a mysterious laboratory, Perry has assisted in the telling of numerous fantastical stories. 

A current USC Viterbi fourth year student, Perry has immersed herself in the field of game development through the USC Games program. Having worked on countless projects — including “Quiet is the Eyes,” “Bloompunk,” and “Bugnauts!,” which are all published on the STEAM games platform — Perry has contributed to the narrative creation of various indie games, ranging from role-playing games to massively multiplayer online games.

Working on these projects provided Perry with hands-on experience and a key understanding of industry practices and timelines required to develop blockbuster games. 

“We got to adopt a production pipeline, structure, and tasks that are highly similar to what you would see at some of the top gaming companies,” Perry explained. “It was great for industry learning. The atmosphere with our teams was very encouraging.”

Collaborating closely with the USC Games team, sometimes on games built on narratives and themes of identity, Perry developed crucial technical skills and a vested understanding of production processes. It was also through her time contributing to games with emotionally evocative themes, Perry has learned fundamentals of connection and balance between game developers and consumers. 

Perry’s roles both as a gamer and a game developer provided her with a highly informed glimpse into the relationship between creators and players. For instance, Perry has noticed that though developers may seek to advance or develop aspects of representation in their games or franchises, it may not directly translate as intended to target audiences. As games become more and more popularized throughout the world, the causes and impacts of this disconnect may become more pronounced and complex. 

“Games have become such a global phenomenon that global perspectives need to be considered,” Perry said. “But sometimes players can create theories that the developers were forced to change things. Some even think that certain branches or localizations within the company push for the changes, but it’s really just the developers.”

As games become a more globalized phenomenon, many games must be reassessed for international purchase and reception, intending to remove or re-orient subject matter to become more appropriate and representative. “Developers have to take into consideration what their localization team tells them so that it’s appropriate for global release,” Perry said. “You should think about how the game might be reacted to in different countries.”

“In certain ways, development has progressed in a positive way, but not necessarily the gaming community,” Perry added, detailing potential misalignments between the current state of the gaming community and game development teams. “There’s definitely a difference between the developer perspectives and community perspectives. The gaming community is still not a great state for women or those with marginalized identities.”

It was with this knowledge that Perry pursued an internship at Blizzard Entertainment as a gameplay features intern on “Overwatch 2.” 

“It was a lighthearted environment,” Perry described, finding the work environment to be highly welcoming at Blizzard. A natural haven for “Overwatch” fans, Perry enjoyed the open work environment fostered by employees’ collective passion and enjoyment not only of game development, but of playing games as a whole. 

It was also approximately around this time that Perry was recognized as a recipient of the AIAS Foundation Scholarship. “I think the existence of this scholarship is great because everyone has something different that they seek, whether it be networking, portfolio reviews, or resume reviews,” Perry explained, describing the wealth of opportunities and means through which various scholars can advance their professional experience or profiles. 

“What excites me the most about this scholarship is the opportunity to meet new people within the industry,” Perry stated. “Networking and mentorship are a very big part of it. I’ll get to meet my mentor and the other scholars at the 2025 D.I.C.E. Summit next Spring, which I’m looking forward to.”

As games continue to globalize and spread on an international level, Perry seeks to leverage her knowledge of game development and the gap between the gamer and the developer within the industry. “I have an interest in branching out in terms of location. It would be amazing to work abroad in a country I’ve never lived in before,” Perry explained. “I was hoping to get more insight on working in another country or environment. The scholarship matched me with a mentor who had that sort of experience, which is the most important part to me.”

In addition to working abroad, Perry hopes to create a detective puzzle game in the future, heavily drawing inspiration from Level-5’s 2007 detective puzzle and adventure game, “Professor Layton.” 

Published on October 16th, 2024

Last updated on October 16th, 2024