Social networks of the popular game World of tanks in Russia and the CIS countries is managed by an employee of Wargaming Nadezhda Konovalova. By March 8, we interviewed her, asking what difficulties she had to face, what she dreams about and how difficult it is for girls to get into the industry today.
Hope good afternoon! Pleased to meet you! My name is Mikhail, I’m the editor-in-chief of the first Runet video game portal Gamemag.ru. Could you introduce yourself and tell our readers how you got to Wargaming and what you do?
Hi Michael! My name is Nadezhda, I work with the social networks of the World of Tanks project in Russia and the CIS – I make sure that subscribers can timely find out the main news of our game. And at the same time – to take part in tournaments, contests, influence the fate of the game (on a general test or during the launch of the Sandbox server, where important changes in the game “run through”), and have fun – what social networks without memes!
I got into Wargaming five years ago. When I got here, it seemed like a logical continuation of my work career – before that I worked as an SMM-player, as well as a project manager, and I created content – not only text, but also graphic, and of games, including Tanks, by itself played. It turned out a complete set of all the necessary skills.
How difficult is it for a girl to get into the gaming industry?
If a girl is a cool specialist and knows her job well, the problem should not arise. We have a lot of girls, both on ordinary and in leadership positions, and all of them are damn good at what they do. “For beautiful eyes”, alas, they won’t take it – neither boys nor girls.
Have you had to specifically study the history of World War II and understand the issue of games in order to get a position? Or have you been playing games since childhood and have been a lover of World of Tanks for a long time?
I have been playing games since childhood, I registered in Tanchiki in 2012 (and I couldn’t think that in a couple of years I would be in the company that develops them), so everything was in order with this part of the expertise. Some historical information from those that might be needed in the work, grabbed on the spot.
What are your favorite projects among WG games, and among other games?
For a long time in the company I played a lot of games, both from Wargaming, and from other manufacturers. At one time, “flew” a couple of thousand battles in World of Warplanes, even participated in streams along with guys from the community. Of the new projects, Wargaming strongly “hooked” Pagan Online, but this can be understood – my first beloved game was Diablo II. Well, in WoT, by itself, I go from time to time to leave my bags on the art. Just don’t tell anyone 🙂
What is the SMM manager of a tank public dreaming of?
I have absolutely no time to play all the games I want. Just some kind of nightmare! So I dream of finding the perfect balance between life offline work, games, so that there’s enough time for everything.
WG projects are primarily targeted at men. Is it difficult for you to work with a male audience? As far as I can see, there is a lot of toxicity on the Internet, especially in competitive disciplines and social networks.
The audience for online games is demanding, regardless of gender. Honestly, during the work I did not highlight any features of the “male” audience. As for “toxicity,” it seems to me personally that it’s very important to hear what exactly the person wants to convey, regardless of the form of presentation (in addition, the mat filter protects us from the most terrible comments). And when you talk with a person about the reasons for his discontent, you show that you hear him and are ready to help, almost everyone is ready for a dialogue.
How do you manage to deal with stress and daily problems?
I don’t know how this works, but in stressful situations, for some reason, I’m doing even better than usual. Here I was probably just lucky with a mindset. I don’t remember daily problems – if any problems arise, this is already a situation out of the ordinary. And I can cope with daily tasks without a fight 🙂
Do positive or negative posts predominate in the comments?
People come in comments to share their opinions. The tone of the comments depends on what information is being discussed. As a rule, the bulk of the negative is due to changes in the game – this is understandable, because earlier the grass was greener, and progress inexorably takes it “earlier” farther and farther into the past. However, any change has its own share of those who are dissatisfied, and those who are happy with these changes. The most positive thing is perceived new content in the game, unusual promotions and game events (for example, “Steel Hunter” – the autumn battle royale mode and the traditional “New Year offensive”).
How many girls work in WG?
Wargaming employs over 30% of girls.
How easy is it to find a common language with male colleagues who are addicted to games and create games?
The terrible stories about sexism in game dev got around me. The guys and I understand each other, if questions arise – they can always be asked. In general, the atmosphere in my team is very open and positive. I was very lucky with my guys, I love them.
Thank you for the interview! We wish you all the best, more interesting comments, find time for those games that you don’t have time to play, and, of course, always be happy! From March 8!
Interviewed: ACEediting: Skyerist
Read also: What to play in March 2023: the best games for PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One – March guide.
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