ASUS USA CMO Wants to Make Gaming More Inclusive for Women
*By Chloe Aiello*
About half of U.S. gamers are women, but you wouldn't necessarily know it by looking at hardware design.
"Color as representation ー that's not something that people talk about. But when it comes to hardware design, it used to be very monochromatic and monotone and just with one audience, you know, the guy, in mind. Now you have different choices," Vivian Lien, chief marketing officer at ASUS North America, told Cheddar Friday.
But gaming hardware maker ASUS USA wants to change that by including more female voices in all stages of product design, and by creating more inclusive workplaces.
"We are always looking for ways to make gaming entertaining, and also as a safe place for women, and so we are looking at everywhere from the actual product design in terms of the hardware, the PC hardware, as well as the games, so that as a female gamer you feel you are \[included in\] the community," Lien said.
Lien said she's had plenty of experience being one of few female voices in the room, but she's also seen a lot of progress toward more gender diversity in the industry over the past few years. It starts with companies, like ASUS ー and then game publishers start to take notes and action.
"Then it comes to the actual games, the software. I think the software makers, the game makers, they are also putting a lot of thoughts into, you know, 'when I have both males and females interacting in the game, how do I bring that experience in a holistic way?'" Lien said.
For women looking to carve out a career in gaming, Lien has some advice: Be confident and be bold. If an opportunity presents itself, take it on, and take it on with ambition.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/women-take-control-ler-in-gaming).
Investors were on edge on Monday following bitcoin plummeting below the $40,000 dollar mark, hit its lowest price since September. The world's largest crypto has had months of hot and cold streaks, hitting a record high of $69,000 just months earlier in November. The latest drop now has analysts wondering just what 2022 will have in store for bitcoin and crypto as a whole.
Budd White, Chief Product Officer at Tacen explains what’s next for bitcoin and what other cryptos should be on the lookout for.
For the first time since September, Bitcoin fell below $40,000 early Monday. The currency's average short-term price has now dipped below its average long-term price, which is known by a rather dramatic term, a death cross. According to analysts, the indicator appears to be a result of mounting concerns of faster liquidity withdrawal by the US Federal Reserve. The crypto slump also follows a week of rough trading for equities overall. CEO Snickerdoodle Labs and Co-Founder of the Stanford Future of Digital Currency Initiative, Jonathan Padilla, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
With the record highs in pet ownership in recent months, there is a huge emerging market in pet technology. The new halo collar isn't just a smart collar; it's the next-generation dog safety system. Cheddar News sits down with the co-founders of Halo, Cesar Milan and Ken Ehrman, to discuss.
With no end in sight to supply chain snarls, some companies are reconsidering the way they manufacture goods. Harry Moser, founder and president of Reshoring Initiative and Jennifer Smith, logistics and supply chain reporter for the Wall Street Journal, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss some of the ways companies are trying to solve their supply chain problems in the long term.
Bitcoin dipped below $40,000 this week amid a broader slump to begin the year. Some speculate that as cryptocurrencies correlate closer to traditional assets that factors like the Federal Reserve tightening monetary policy will weigh on digital coins. Jalak Jobanputra, managing partner at Future Perfect Ventures, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss why crypto markets are feeling pressure from the Fed's potential 2022 rate hikes, broader crypto market predictions, and more.
A.I. startup Fractal has raised $360 million in funding, officially entering the unicorn club. Pranay Agrawal, CEO and Co-Founder of Fractal, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss what the company plans to do with the fresh capital.