CNN reports that the number of women that play video games is 33%. They also mention that women working in the industry is also on the rise. Sherry Floyd, a game designer at SOE’s Seattle studios, is part of the team developing “The Agency,” which is an espionage-themed first-person shooter set for release later this year. “I honestly don’t think it’s a gender issue,” she continues. “I think it’s a marketing issue.” There are a number of women who are contributing to nearly every facet of “The Agency’s” development, from modeling and texturing to illustration and animation far more than the current industry standard and part of a concerted effort on the part of the game’s lead developer, Matt Wilson.

The game features a strong, female lead character named “Cassie,” who while being as tough as her male counterparts, is also attractive without being as overly-sexualized as other female game characters, such as “Lara Croft.”

“I know everybody is looking for the big ‘ingredient’ we need to get [the female] market,” says Floyd. “Honestly, if we just make good product, everybody will play it.”