Brendan Sinclair interviewed Jill Murray in 2013 about the ins and outs of getting more diverse characters on screen in games.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/the-trouble-with-trying-to-write-positive-female-characters
Highlights:
GamesIndustry International There seems to be a lot more discussion of the topic now, though the “discussion” online often boils down to a handful of people saying the same things over and over again. How productive are these conversations? Are the attitudes in the audience changing one way or the other, and are these contentious online dust-ups helping?
Jill Murray Our industry is still very young, and we’re joining a conversation that reaches way back through history. You can find Christine de Pisan telling the stories of interesting women in 1405 with her Book of the City of Ladies, and women have continued to be relentlessly interesting in the centuries since, so there’s no lack of material to draw from. Measurably and quantifiably, I have better options today than Christine de Pisan did in her time, and that’s a testament to how productive this conversation is, and important it continues to be.
GamesIndustry International What are the biggest mistakes made by developers trying to feature positive female characters in their games?
Jill Murray “Trying to feature positive female characters” is probably a mistake. When you demand that characters be paragons of positivity, that’s when you get the feeling of “trying” and no one likes to play “trying.” Players want to connect with characters that offer something juicy and real.
GamesIndustry International Is it harder to make the business case for featuring diverse portrayals of women in AAA games while Grand Theft Auto is busy shattering sales records?
Jill Murray Not at all. If the industry can do so well with one hand tied behind its back, imagine all the new opportunities we’ll have when we allow ourselves to mine the mostly untouched stories of more than half of humanity!