Brenda Romero

Romero began her career in 1981 at video game developer and publisher Sir-tech Software, Inc., on the Wizardry role-playing team. She worked first as a tester, and moved up through the ranks to designer for Wizardry 8. While at Sir-tech, Romero also worked on the Jagged Alliance and Realms of Arkania series.{{cite web|url=http://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,6264/|title=Brenda Romero's MobyGames entry|access-date=May 19, 2010|quote=Credits for work on Jagged Alliance and Realms of Arkania, among several others.}} She was employed with Sir-tech for 18 years before moving on to Atari where she worked on the Dungeons & Dragons series for consoles before joining Cyberlore Studios in 2003 to work on the Playboy: The Mansion game. Romero's research for the game was ultimately published in a book, Sex in Video Games.{{cite book|title=Sex in Video Games|quote= Since the first computer games became available, sex has played a role in some form...|isbn = 978-1584504597|last1 = Brathwaite|first1 = Brenda|year = 2007|publisher= Charles River Media}}

Nerve magazine cited her as a "New Radical" — one of "the 50 artists, actors, authors, activists and icons who are making the world a more stimulating place".{{Cite news|url=https://www.soe.ucsc.edu/news/article/2163|title=Brenda Romero named first game designer in residence at UC Santa Cruz|work=Jack Baskin School of Engineering|access-date=2017-03-30|archive-date=April 4, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130404215208/http://www.soe.ucsc.edu/news/article/2163|url-status=dead}}

In 2009, Next Generation magazine identified her as the woman with the longest continuous service in video game development.{{cite web|url=http://www.next-gen.biz/features/celebrating-female-game-devs-yesteryear|title=Celebrating Female Game Devs of Yesteryear|access-date=9 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111030183734/http://www.next-gen.biz/features/celebrating-female-game-devs-yesteryear |archive-date=30 October 2011 |url-status=usurped | quote=The longest-serving female game developer in the business will also be attending the WIGI Conference. Brenda Brathwaite...}}

Romero served as Chair of the Savannah College of Art and Design's Interactive Design and Game Development department until November 2009. She moved to San Francisco to consult as Creative Director for social media company Slide, Inc., and then became Creative Director of social gaming company Lolapps in May 2010.{{cite web|url=http://stationblog.wordpress.com/2010/05/19/g-i-r-l-talk-with-brenda-brathwaite|title=G.I.R.L. talk with Brenda Brathwaite|access-date=May 19, 2010|quote=I’m happy to announce that our first guest is Brenda Brathwaite, the Creative Director at Lolapps...|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100522035535/http://stationblog.wordpress.com/2010/05/19/g-i-r-l-talk-with-brenda-brathwaite/|archive-date=May 22, 2010|url-status=dead}} She co-founded the social game company Loot Drop with John Romero in November 2010, then left Lolapps and joined Loot Drop in February 2011.{{cite web | url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/game-platforms/interview-brathwaite-joins-loot-drop-for-old-reunions-new-frontiers|title=Brathwaite Joins Loot Drop For Old Reunions, New Frontiers|first=Leigh|last=Alexander |date=February 23, 2011 }}

In 2013, Romero became the first game designer in residence at the Games and Playable Media Program of the University of California at Santa Cruz. She also served as the program's director.{{cite web |url= http://news.ucsc.edu/2012/12/brenda-romero.html |title= Brenda Romero named first game designer in residence at UC Santa Cruz |date= December 2012 |access-date= March 31, 2014}}

Romero was the Program Director of the MSc program in Game Design and Development at the University of Limerick in Limerick, Ireland until December 2018.{{cite web |url=https://www.ulgamedev.com/faculty/ |title= University of Limerick MSc Faculty |access-date= March 24, 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170325112940/https://www.ulgamedev.com/faculty/ |archive-date= March 25, 2017 |url-status= dead }}{{Cite web |date=February 2016 |title=Coup for UL as it attracts world leading game developer |url=http://clareherald.com/2016/02/coup-for-ul-as-it-attracts-world-leading-game-developer-56/ |website=ClareHerald.com |access-date=March 24, 2017 |archive-date=June 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630094034/http://clareherald.com/2016/02/coup-for-ul-as-it-attracts-world-leading-game-developer-56/ |url-status=dead }}

Romero has won several awards in her long career.{{cite web |title= Bio Awards |url= http://www.blromero.com/bio-awards/ |access-date= March 24, 2017 |archive-date= June 2, 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170602181304/http://www.blromero.com/bio-awards/ |url-status= dead }} Some highlights include RPG of the Year for Wizardry 8,{{cite web |title= Computer Gaming World Announces Winners of 2001 'Premier Awards |url= http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/computer-gaming-world-announces-winners-of-2001-premier-awards-76279957.html |access-date= March 24, 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180128021220/https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/computer-gaming-world-announces-winners-of-2001-premier-awards-76279957.html |archive-date= January 28, 2018 |url-status= dead }} a Fulbright Scholar award in 2014,{{cite web |url= http://www.fulbright.ie/minister-education-skills-welcomes-gaming-super-star-brenda-romero-ireland |title= Minister for Education and Skills welcomes gaming super star Brenda Romero to Ireland |date= 28 August 2014 }} the Game Developer's Choice Ambassador Award in 2015,{{cite web |url= http://www.gamechoiceawards.com/archive/gdca_15th.html |title= 15th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards }} the Development Legend award at the Develop:Brighton awards.{{cite web |url= http://www.develop-online.net/news/brenda-and-john-romero-to-be-named-development-legends-at-develop-awards-2017/0230759 |title= Brenda and John Romero to be named development legends at Develop Awards 2017|website= MCV|date= March 17, 2017}} Romero was also invited to give a Ted Talk about her career within the game industry, in which she explains how she incorporates tragic history lessons into her game design.{{Cite web |last=Romero |first=Brenda |title=Brenda Romero {{!}} Speaker {{!}} TED |url=https://www.ted.com/speakers/brenda_brathwaite |access-date=2025-02-20 |website=www.ted.com |language=en}}

Brenda Garno married game developer John Romero on October 27, 2012.[http://www.facebook.com/thebrenda Brenda Romero's Facebook relationship status][http://www.facebook.com/theromero John Romero's Facebook relationship status][https://twitter.com/br/status/106541311800262656 Brenda Romero's tweet confirming their relationship status][https://twitter.com/theromero/status/106561810148237313 John Romero's Twitter status update confirming their relationship status] She has three children from her first marriage.{{cite book

|last = Romero

|first = John

|date = July 2023

|title = DOOM GUY: Life in First Person

|location = New York, New York, USA

|publisher = Abrams Press

|page =

|isbn = 978-1419758119

}}

John and Brenda worked on Ravenwood Fair together. He was lead designer and she was creative director and game designer.{{cn|date=July 2023}}

File:BAFTA2011 GameDevs.jpg event in Los Angeles in July 2011. From left: Rod Humble, Louis Castle, David Perry, Brenda Romero, John Romero, Will Wright, Tim Schafer, Chris Hecker.]]

Brenda Romero was an active member of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA). In 2008, she was elected to the IGDA's Board of Directors. On March 28, 2013, she resigned as co-chair of the IGDA Women in Games SIG.

She had founded the International Game Developers Sex Special Interest Group (Sex SIG) in 2005.{{cite web |url= http://news.cnet.com/Game-developers-form-sex-special-interest-group/2100-1043_3-5835241.html |title= Game developers form sex 'special interest group' |author= Terdiman, Daniel |date= August 16, 2005 |work=CNET |access-date= September 6, 2012}}

Since working on Playboy, she has studied adult and sexual content in video games and is regularly interviewed about the subject in the media.

She has written a book on the subject, Sex in Video Games.

She is an anti-censorship activist and a proponent of parental rating awareness.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2006/05/the-sex-in-games-lady-is-in/|title=The 'Sex in Games Lady' Is In|magazine=WIRED|access-date=2018-04-09|language=en-US}}

She is a regular speaker at universities and conferences, including the Game Developers Conference, Austin Game Developers Conference, and Montreal International Games Summit. Some of her lectures have been held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, The Guildhall at Southern Methodist University, and Clarkson University.

In the spring of 2007, she was awarded the Presidential Fellowship at Savannah College of Art and Design to develop an exhibit and presentation titled, "What You Don't Know About Video Games...". In April 2008, Romero became Chair of the Interactive Design and Game Development department at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Brathwaite left SCAD in November 2009 to return to full-time commercial game development.

In December 2012, she was appointed "Game Designer in Residence" at the University of California, Santa Cruz.{{cite web |url= http://news.ucsc.edu/2012/12/brenda-romero.html |title=Brenda Romero named first game designer in residence at UC Santa Cruz |last=Stephens |first=Tim |date=December 18, 2012 |publisher= University of California, Santa Cruz |access-date= 2013-02-19}}

In March 2014, she was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship.{{cite web|url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/romero-awarded-fulbright-fellowship-for-irish-industry-work |title= Romero awarded Fulbright fellowship for Irish industry work |last= Alexander |first=Leigh |date= 28 March 2014 |work= Gamasutra |publisher= Think Services |access-date=29 March 2014}}

In February 2008, Romero began work on a series of non-digital games known collectively as The Mechanic is the Message. According to the series abstract:{{cite web |url= http://mechanicmessage.wordpress.com/ |title= The Mechanic is the Message |publisher= Mechanicmessage.wordpress.com |date=2009-05-07 |access-date= 2010-03-14}}

{{Quote|The Mechanic is the Message captures and expresses difficult experiences through the medium of a game. Much like photographs, paintings, literature and music are capable of transmitting the full range of the human experience from one human to another, so too can games. Due to their interactivity, the installation suggests that games are capable of a higher form of communication, one which actively engages the participant and makes them a part of the experience rather than a passive observer.}}

The series is composed of six separate non-digital games that experiment with the traditional notions of games.

• The New World, 2008
• Síochán leat, 2009
• Train, 2009
• Mexican Kitchen Workers – prototype
• Cité Soleil - concept phase
• One Falls for Each of Us – concept phase

Of the six, Train has received the most attention, and won the Vanguard Award at Indiecade in October 2009 for "pushing the boundaries of game design and showing us what games can do."{{cite web |url= http://www.indiecade.com/index.php?/blog/entries/indiecade-applauds-2009-finalists-and-awardees/ |title= IndieCade applauds 2009 finalists and awardees! |website= IndieCade.com |id= International Festivals of Independent Games |publisher= IndieCade |date= Oct 5, 2009 |access-date= 2010-03-14 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100219025850/http://www.indiecade.com/index.php?%2Fblog%2Fentries%2Findiecade-applauds-2009-finalists-and-awardees%2F |archive-date= February 19, 2010 |df= mdy-all }} Train was also featured in The Wall Street Journal{{cite web |last=Brophy |first=Jamin |url= https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2009/06/24/can-you-make-a-board-game-about-the-holocaust-meet-train/ |title= Can You Make a Board Game about the Holocaust?: Meet "Train" - Speakeasy - WSJ |publisher= Blogs.wsj.com |date=2009-06-24 |access-date= 2010-03-14}} as well as on game industry sites including Gamasutra, where it received accolades for its ability to evoke meaning through gestures,{{cite web |url= https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/reflections-on-train |title= Sande Chen's Blog - Reflections on Train |publisher= Gamasutra |access-date= 2010-03-14}} the Escapist Magazine,{{cite web |url= http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/conferences/tgc_2009/6021-TGC-2009-How-a-Board-Game-Can-Make-You-Cry |title= The Escapist : TGC 2009: How a Board Game Can Make You Cry |publisher= Escapistmagazine.com |date= 2009-05-01 |access-date= 2010-03-14 |archive-date= December 27, 2009 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091227183653/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/conferences/tgc_2009/6021-TGC-2009-How-a-Board-Game-Can-Make-You-Cry |url-status= dead }} Extra Credits,{{cite web |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP6gXZPVgD4 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/XP6gXZPVgD4 |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title= Extra Credits: Sex in Games |publisher= Extra Credits |date= 2012-10-17 }}{{cbignore}} and on Kotaku.{{cite web |url= http://kotaku.com/5303609/in-defense-of-the-classic-controller |title= In Defense of the Classic Controller - Project Natal |publisher= Kotaku |date=2009-06-29 |access-date= 2010-03-14}} Romero delivered Train: How I Dumped Electricity and Learned to Love Design{{cite web |url= http://gamesauce.org/news/2010/08/20/train-how-i-dumped-electricity-and-learned-to-love-design-brenda-brathwaite/ |title= Train: How I Dumped Electricity and Learned to Love Design |publisher= gamesauce.org |date= 2010-08-20 |access-date= September 29, 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160116200107/http://gamesauce.org/news/2010/08/20/train-how-i-dumped-electricity-and-learned-to-love-design-brenda-brathwaite/ |archive-date= January 16, 2016 |url-status= dead }} at the 2010 Gamesauce Conference.

Síochán leat (Irish for "peace be with you") chronicles the history of her children's heritage.{{cite web |url= http://www.caseyodonnell.org/blog/2009/07/29/on-train-and-the-irish-game/ |title= On Train and "The Irish Game" « Shambling Rambling Babbling |publisher= Caseyodonnell.org |date= 2009-07-29 |access-date= 2010-03-14 |archive-date= July 11, 2020 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200711044845/https://caseyodonnell.org/blog/2009/07/29/on-train-and-the-irish-game/ |url-status= bot: unknown }} at the Wayback Machine. Romero made the game following The New World, a game she originally made to teach her daughter about the slave trade. Romero designed Síochán leat to teach her daughter about her Irish heritage and traces the family's history from the Cromwellian invasion of Ireland to their ancestor's eventual immigration into the West Indies on the paternal side and Canada on the maternal side. The game features a burlap pillow simulating an earthen mound covered by 26 pieces of grass, each representing a county in Ireland. In a talk given at the Austin Game Developers Conference in September 2009, Romero noted that the burlap was filled with mementos of her upbringing and her heritage, including photographs of her great grandfather, Paddy Donovan, and one of her mother's rosaries. On her blog, Romero notes that "the game is signed in many ways and is highly autobiographical. It is my history and it also reveals my feelings about its present state."{{cite web |url= http://bbrathwaite.wordpress.com/2009/07/26/sign-your-work/ |title= Sign Your Work « Applied Game Design |publisher= Bbrathwaite.wordpress.com |date= 2009-07-26 |access-date= 2010-03-14}}

• Sex in Video Games is a nonfiction book about the history of sex content in video games.
• Challenges for Game Designers{{cite book|last1=Brathwaite|first1=Brenda|last2=Schreiber|first2=Ian|title=Challenges for Game Designers|date=2008|pages=352|publisher=Course Technology |edition=2nd|isbn=978-1584505808}} is a non-fiction book that aims to challenge and improves your game design abilities.
• Game Balance{{cite book|last1=Romero|first1=Brenda|last2=Schreiber|first2=Ian|title=Game Balance|date=2017|id={{ASIN|1498799574|country=uk}}}} is a nonfiction book about balancing computer, video and non-digital games.
• Breaking Into the Game Industry: Advice for a Successful Career From Those Who Have Done It{{cite book|last1=Brathwaite|first1=Brenda|last2=Schreiber|first2=Ian|title=Breaking Into the Game Industry|date=2011|publisher=Cengage Learning|page=304|id={{ASIN|1435458044|country=uk}}}} is a non-fiction book about how to get into the game industry with advice from several game industry professionals.

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Commons category|Brenda Brathwaite}}

• [http://romero.com/ Romero Games]
• [https://twitter.com/br Brenda Romero] at Twitter
• [https://brenda.games/ Brenda Romero's personal site]
• [http://bbrathwaite.wordpress.com Romero's "Applied Game Design" blog]
• {{Moby developer|id=6264}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20071214095042/http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2007/12/13/women-working-in-games-brenda-brathwaite-on-maternity-leave-making-the-playboy-game-and-hope-for-the-future/ MTV Interview with Romero]
• [http://gamasutra.com/features/20060613/reynolds_01.shtml Gamasutra Book Review] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090303121032/http://gamasutra.com/features/20060613/reynolds_01.shtml |date=March 3, 2009 }}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20051124043351/http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20051115/ruberg_01.shtml Gamasutra Interview with Romero]
• {{IMDb name|1010366}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2014}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Romero, Brenda}}

Category:1966 births

Category:Living people

Category:American video game designers

Category:American free speech activists

Category:People from Ogdensburg, New York

Category:Clarkson University alumni

Category:American women video game designers

Category:Women video game developers

Category:Game Developers Conference Ambassador Award recipients