"I'm not really a girly girl, but I created a Barbie race because the irony was so hilarious," she said. The race is complete with pink and white spaceships emblazoned with the Mattel logo, a social-influence racial bonus and a magenta user interface. "They look kind of plastic, too. It was really cute."

Why isn't it in the final release as a special feature

Heh. I had a quick double take when I misread this:

I don't think like a lot of other programmers

As this:

I don't like a lot of other programmers

Why isn't it in the final release as a special feature

Because I'm reall sure that StarDock doesn't need Mattel suing the life out of them...

Congratulations for... for what? Being female and a game designer? One should be newsworthy for their skills and accomplishments, not their gender. The article was purely about being a woman in the game industry, which honestly isn't that remarkable. Guys are rarely nurses, does that make them worthy of being interviewed? No. People should be praised solely for their success as an individual, not for defying traditional gender roles.

It was a congratulations on Cari getting some recognition.  When Brad was in Time Magazine people weren't congratulating him on being a software developer but for the recognition.

Congrats, and keep up the good work.

Nice article, but where are the pictures?!

I blame house chronicals though.

Read the by-line. This story ran in the Detroit Free Press and was picked up by the Chronicle (which sucks on it's own merits).

The article could have gone in many different directions, Why being a woman in the industry is harder? Why Cari took this path (other than a boyfriend hooked her up)? Why women should be represented more in games? Why Cari's fanclub hasn't had a rally yet?

In the end, the article wa kinda fluffy. But I have an idea how much effort she's put in to GalCiv and she deserves more praise in doing a good job than any paper is going to give. But she does stand out amongst many other developers. I'll take this story as a down payment on much larger features in the future.

Great job Cari! Thanks for the hard work.

hey come on !
give us a full featured interview of Cari

I googled myself and I'm surprised at the amount of places that picked up this article. 

I agree that most people don't get the recognition that they deserve. I also admit that I probably wouldn't necessarily have gotten an article written about me if I hadn't been a woman.  I'm probably no more deserving of the media's attention than any other lead developer in the game industry, apart from the fact that I'm a woman, but I would hope that I am no less deserving than my male counterparts.

I try to use the attention I get for good and not evil, as it were.  I'm often invited to speak at Career Days and similar events for high school students, which I accept as often as I can.  Most of Michigan's kids need to improve their math and science skills, and if I can help inspire them to do better in those subjects, great. 

The Barbie Aliens would make for a great Evil race!

Applauding recognition which spurrs from a basis that is primarily about your what you are rather than who you are shouldnt be encouraged

I don't agree with that one.
this news article may show to other females around the world that being a game lead developper is at least possible
and females really have something to bring in an industry dominated by male

although I agree with you on the discrimination part, I think the benefits outweigh this by an immense amount

furthermore I don't know if companies in general are really open about recruiting females developper
all females "developper" (they were not game related) I have ever known were really really not as good as most male counterparts. I'm not saying anything bad against female, it's just a statistical situation of my own life which means nothing....
yeah it really means nothing

the only thing it might mean is that I'm wondering if the gaming industry is really open with females developper in general

and this news might just show that everything is possible in this world and that is great

lastly many interviews with stardock people were made for galciv2 but none involved a female as far as I know
and I feel that was not really bringing them justice, as obviously they were an important part of the project

the only thing it might mean is that I'm wondering if the gaming industry is really open with females developper in general

Right now, the game industry needs all the good programmers it can get, so I doubt the problem is there.

I had no idea, I thought Brad was the lead developer.

That's because people are being sloppy with their terminology. And because StarDock doesn't exactly have a cleanly deliniated hierarchy.

As I understand it, Brad is the AI programmer for the game, but he is also the lead game designer. He also happens to own the company, so he can do whatever he wants

Cari is the lead programmer (or, as SD calls it, lead developer. Others would say "technical director" or "lead software engineer"). Technically, as lead programmer, Brad-the-AI-programmer works for her. But she works for Brad-the-game-designer (and, of course, Brad-the-owner-of-StarDock). So, like I said, the hierarchy is definately non-standard.

More women in programming: good. I guess.