Cerise Magazine

Heather Michelle Rousse is a video game artist and the lead animator at Yatec Games. Yatec Games is a startup video game development company out of Baton Rouge, LA, and is a part of Louisiana’s developing post-Katrina entertainment industry. Yatec’s first game, Enchanted Gardens, was released this past March. Heather was the first employee hired by Yatec founder Dean Majoue, and she now has worked with the company over a year. She is currently the only woman at Yatec, and is interested in helping more women make their gaming hobby into a career.

Heather is 25 and has her BFA in Animation and Visual Arts and also works on the staff of Gaming Angels. Her first console was the Sega Genesis, and all time favorite game is Guild Wars.

Ariel Wetzel: How did you get your job at Yatec Games?

Heather Michelle Rousse: After graduating in 2005, I started doing freelance web design for a few local companies in my area. I visited Austin for the game conference, and decided to apply for some jobs there since there were no opportunities in Louisiana. I went on an a few interviews, but the problem was that they were looking for people with experience. Well, how do you get experience with no experience? I contacted my friend at NCSoft with this question, and his answer was to try to target a startup company for hire. A few weeks later I got a call from my mother who had heard about a videogame company starting up in Baton Rouge. I had trouble finding out about it on the internet, but eventually did and contacted the founder, Dean Majoue. I was called in for an interview and was the first hired! He was interested in creating a company in the aftermath of Katrina to provide professional jobs within the state, and to contribute to Louisiana’s growing entertainment industry. And I couldn’t have been happier!

Even though I was always drawn in by beautiful graphics and characters, I find that this interest has deepened since I began actually creating art for videogames.

AW: How did you become a gamer?

HMR: Since I was little, I always had an interest in videogames. Many of my girlfriends couldn’t understand this, and looked at it as being “a guy thing.” However, I never strayed away from games! When I was younger, I had to try to find time to play when my brother wasn’t around, until I got my first personal game console, the Sega Genesis. As I look back, I think this must be the reason for my undeniable love for Sonic games! After that, I got a Playstation, PS2, Gameboy SP, Xbox, Gamecube, DS, Wii, and I now game on my PC as well.

AW: How has working in the industry changed your gaming habits?

HMR: Working in the industry has changed my gaming habits in a few ways. First off, I tend to pay much more attention to details in the games that I play: character and environments designs, animations, interfaces, and story. Even though I was always drawn in by beautiful graphics and characters, I find that this interest has deepened since I began actually creating art for videogames. I also have a greater respect for the people creating the games as well. It’s definitely not an easy task, and the process can be a long one. But, there’s nothing better than knowing that people are enjoying their time because of something that you’ve helped create. Secondly, I don’t seem to have as much time to play games as I used to! It’s usually just nights and weekends now, and I try to squeeze in some game time on my DS during lunchtime some days too.

AW: How do you feel about “casual” games being sometimes used as a codeword for “women’s” games? How legitimate do you consider casual games in the game industry at large?

HMR: I think that the term “casual” is a word that most women feel comfortable with. If you ask a room full of 100 women if they are gamers or not, most of them won’t raise their hand. However, most of these women have at some point played a casual game, whether it be solitaire or Bejeweled. It is true that most casual games are played by women, but I am hoping to see this as a starting point for women getting into other games as well. Usually if a female has not grown up around a brother playing videogames, it’s unlikely to see a girl just jump into gaming. I think that there’s a certain mindset out there and I’m hoping that in the future girls will get involved with gaming at a younger age. By marketing some of the latest gaming gear to women (i.e. Pink DS), it shows that companies are finally aware of a huge demographic out there that needs to be targeted further. I’m glad to see companies like Nintendo taking a step forward in that direction. I think that casual games are very legitimate in the industry, because it has one selling point over most other games: convenience. Most casual game players have access to these games through computers at work, without having to haul in a system with controllers and games. They are easily accessible, inexpensive, and can be played from 5 minutes to 5 hours!

AW: What is it like being the only woman working at a company that makes games that are largely appealing to women?

HMR: It’s actually a lot more fun than I would have expected it to be! Sometimes it gets frustrating when I’m trying to have the guys relate to “girly” things, but the group we have here is really great. I think that my opinions are sometimes greatly valued, since I am currently the only female at the company. We know what the target market is after when relating to casual games, so I usually try to reinforce some ideas that I know girls will tend to like. My original idea for Enchanted Gardens ended up being very close to our final product, and I think this could have been because we all knew it would do well given this audience.

AW: Do you hail originally from New Orleans? What kind of role does game development have in rebuilding the city?

HMR: I’m from Luling, which is about 25 minutes outside of New Orleans, so New Orleans has always been “home” to me. I think that game development can really help rebuild New Orleans, as well as the state, because there are many graduating students here who usually end up moving elsewhere because of a lack of jobs in this area. With game companies opening up here, it provides more professional jobs within the state and more opportunities for those who wish to stay here. It’s frustrating for those of us who graduate knowing that in order to do what we want, we have to pick up and move. Yatec has provided jobs for many of us who would have ended up having to move to do what we love. I was lucky and ended up moving only an hour away!

AW: What do you think can be done to help more women pursue careers in the game industry? What do you love about your job you might like to pass along to women interested in game development?

I believe that it’s important for girls to get involved in gaming at a young age. Passion for gaming is developed over time, and hopefully more and more young women will realize that it is in fact possible to turn their passion into a career.

HMR: In order for women to pursue a career in the industry, I believe that it’s important for girls to get involved in gaming at a young age. Passion for gaming is developed over time, and hopefully more and more young women will realize that it is in fact possible to turn their passion into a career. Having conferences and organizations for women in the industry also plays a big part. It shows females that there are possibilities for them, and that it is something that can be accomplished. What I love about my job is that I sometimes feel like I am not working at all! The creative process involved is so intriguing that things never tend to get old and repetitive, as other jobs did in the past. It’s also nice to know that I’m helping create something that other people will be able to enjoy.

AW: Now that Enchanted Gardens is out, can you tell me what your next Yatec project is?

HMR: We’re taking two new games to publishers this month: Brain Brain!, a 3D cube-based game designed to stimulate the mind, and another exciting concept that we can’t quite talk about yet.

AW: What are some of your interests and hobbies beyond gaming?

HMR: I am always interested in anything related to art. Some of my favorite artists are Soa Lee, Brian Froud, and Eni Oken (who taught me a Fantasy Environment class). I also love photography and developing black and white prints. Music and animals also play a big part in my life!

AW: In closing, is there anything else you’d like to speak on?

HMR: I just want to say to other women out there that if you want a job in the industry, don’t give up! It’s very competitive but if you work hard and show what you’ve got, it will happen for you!

Photograph courtesy of Heather Michelle Rousse

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Heather Michelle Rousse: Videogame artist, Yatec Games

June 2007 Issue

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