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).
Marc Blinder, Co-Founder and CEO of Aikon, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he discusses how his company is helping businesses use blockchain applications without needing to learn the intricacies of the new technology.
Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) have introduced a new bill to afford greater protection to minors on social media. The genesis of the Kids Online Safety Act came from a Facebook whistleblower case exposing the harm apps can have on the mental health of young girls.
Ride share competitors Uber and Lyft both posted their fourth quarter earnings days apart from each other. Both companies have been trying to get back on their feet after taking some pandemic-related hits, but the Omicron variant had other ideas as the year came to a close, with each company taking a hit in ridership in December. Lance Ippolito, head trader at The Future of Wealth explains how Uber and Lyft measured up this earnings period and why Uber may still have an edge over the competition.
Parallel Systems has been selected to receive $4.5 million from the Department of Energy for an advanced testing program of its autonomous, battery-electric rail vehicles. The startup, which has raised more than $53 million to date, was founded by former SpaceX engineers to reimagine the rail system by creating a more efficient, decarbonized freight network. Matt Soule, Co-founder & CEO of Parallel Systems, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss what the company hopes to achieve.