“We are seeing more women interested in the artistic and production side of all games,” Noel said, adding that, as is the case in many colleges, not a lot of women go into engineering, and so the games that require heavy computer programming tend to be made by men.

But interestingly, app games or microgames such as FarmVille or Angry Birds do not require as much computer programming as console titles, so those game makers looking to staff up are more likely to hire producers and businesspeople. Because of this, he expects to see more women working in the scripting and developing of these games going forward.

It's a growing field. Although there were layoffs during the recession, and the apps and mini-games ate into the big development projects, the “high demand” for game developers that has existed for the past 20 years is back, Noel said.

A Self-Funded Effort

At SieEnt, the founders hope to bring new female players into videogames, and they want to be inclusive to people of all genders and sexual orientations as well.

“There’s a lot of women who watch their husbands and partners play games, but they don’t feel they can participate because they don’t come from a gaming background,” Urick said.

So far, she and Tupper have been self-funding their company. Urick, who is married, quit her marketing job and invested about $35,000 of her savings to go at it full time. Tupper still works full time managing a team of marketing copywriters.

Like other early startups, they’re also pursuing funding through contests. Last August, SieEnt was chosen to join the weekend bootcamp Project Skyway, Minnesota’s tech accelerator program, after which they emerged from stealth mode. They recently made it into the semifinals for the Minnesota Cup, competing against nine other companies in the high-tech category for a $25,000 in seed capital plus services. The next step is building a business plan, which they hope to have ready by August. Then they’ll look for investors.

Urick see signs that female gamers are interested in shaking up the story lines in games through what is called “fan fiction,” blogs written by female gamers who take characters in games and write about them in a way that adds new dimensions to the character—aspects that aren’t present in the game itself.

“To me when people start trying to come up with a solution, there’s definitely a pay point right there,” Urick said.