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).
Carlo's flying solo today, talking COP26 and climate change, another racially charged trial gets underway, SCOTUS takes on abortion and a stunning rise in traffic deaths points to a bigger societal breakdown sparked by the pandemic.
Amid weeks of recent controversy, Facebook this week announced it would be changing its corporate name to Meta as it pivots to the metaverse and virtual reality products. Dan Ives, Managing Director of Equity Research at Wedbush Securities, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss the rebrand, whether chief Mark Zuckerberg can separate his identity from the company, and what the rebrand means for shareholders.
Cryptocurrency platform Blockchain.com launched margin trading on its exchange earlier this month. The company's Chief Business Officer, Lane Kasselman, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he discusses how margin trading works in the crypto space and what users will be able to do on the platform.
Apple reported strong fourth quarter earnings, but sales fell below expectations. CEO Tim Cook said chip shortages and manufacturing delays cost the company $6 billion. The issues have led to the newly-launched iPhone 13 Pro being in short supply around the world, as well as to back orders for Apple's new Macbook Pro. Exponential Investment Partners Managing Partner Kevin Riley joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Electric bike company Dance recently raised $19.4 million, just weeks after rolling out its e-bike subscription service in Berlin. Dance allows users to subscribe to use an e-bike for around €79, or about $91, a month. Dance says its subscription model allows the company to reuse and refurbish its products, and further its mission to build more sustainable and livable cities. Dance founder and CEO Eric Quidenus-Wahlforss joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.