Let's Talk About Me

Lore & Background

Let's Talk About Me was developed by GirlGames Inc., a company founded in 1993 by software designer Lara Groppe. Groppe's research into girls' use of computers found that they used them for shorter bursts and preferred content that was educational as well as entertaining. This led to the creation of Let's Talk About Me as the company's debut title. Heather Kelley was hired in October 1995 as the company moved from Houston to Austin, Texas; her role was to do research for the game. Groppe showed her resume to her mother, who said on the spot 'hire her'. Kelley split her time between working on the game and on the website.

The game plays as an activity centre with both quizzes and minigames exploring themes such as horoscopes and fashion. It consists of four sections: 'My Personality,' 'My Body,' 'My Life,' and 'My Future'. The first three mix educational content with fun gameplay, while 'My Future' is based on conjecture. One game explores the 'perils of puberty'. SuperKids described it as an 'interactive, multimedia version of Young Miss magazine'.

Development was

Reader's Guide

Let's Talk About Me holds significance as an early example of a commercial video game designed specifically for girls, a market largely overlooked at the time. Its success—selling half a million copies in eight months—provided proof that young women were a viable target market for video gaming, as noted in Critical Readings: Media And Gender. The game's development process was also notable: rather than testing a finished product, GirlGames involved the target audience directly in shaping the game. This approach, combined with research by Lara Groppe showing that girls used computers for shorter bursts and wanted educational yet entertaining content, influenced the design of the activity centre. The game was part of a wave of girl-oriented titles that included Purple Moon, Her Interactive, and Girl Tech, all founded in 1997. Critical reception was mixed: SuperKids praised it for getting girls interested in computers, while Millennium Girls: Today's Girls Around the World called it a slow, girl-gendered counterpart to 'twitch' games for boys. New Trends in Software Methodologies, Tools and Techniques considered it an excellent program for teenage girls. The game's legacy lies in demonstrating that a female-focused gaming market could be profitable and in pioneering participatory design with its intended audience.

Did You Know?

• Heather Kelley was hired for the game after Lara Groppe's mother saw her resume and said 'hire her'.
• The game sold half a million copies in its first eight months on the market.
• A sequel, Let's Talk About Me Too, was released in 1997.