Tencent, video games, the metaverse and diversity: an insider’s view

• Author: Catherine Jewell
• Position: Information and Digital Outreach Division, WIPO

Jia Wang, a veteran leader in data science and engineering within the interactive entertainment industry, recently sat down with WIPO Magazine to share her views on the future of the video games industry and the role that intellectual property (IP) plays in her daily work. Jia Wang is Deputy Director of the Technology Service Center at Tencent’s office in Palo Alto, California, USA.

Tell us about your role in Tencent games?

I am the Deputy Director of the Technology Service Center for the North Americas Team, which is part of Tencent’s Interactive Entertainment Group. My team works on advanced technologies like AI, big data and cloud capabilities. Our role is to optimize gaming experiences and ensure that everything works smoothly so players can enjoy their games.

How did you get into gaming?

My first encounter with video games came during my undergraduate studies in computer science. One of my first projects was to create a game. But my passion for games only really took off when I joined King, the creators of Candy Crush, where I worked as a data scientist with a really creative group in their Stockholm office. Now, I can't imagine working in any other sector. Working on games is a lot of fun, both professionally and socially. I work with a great team, and we bring a lot of joy to people's lives.

What challenges have you faced as a woman in the games industry?

Women in all sectors face many challenges. In the games industry we are definitely in the minority. Thankfully, that’s changing. At Tencent America, there are many women in leadership positions and there’s a strong sense that women can be successful here. The company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is one of the reasons it’s such a great place to work. The good thing about this industry is that it requires many different skill sets, with roles for designers, creators, product and project managers, developers, data scientists and more. That creates a lot of opportunity for everyone. In 2020, recognizing the need to “walk the talk,” at Tencent America, we set up our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Group. It works to reinforce these values within the company and is raising awareness of the unconscious biases we all have.

How do you see the global video games landscape evolving?

The video games landscape is changing very rapidly thanks to the new technologies that are coming on stream. In the early years, people played games on a console or on a PC. Video games...