Top 100 Women in Games: Reena Sood

From Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare to Skylanders and the LEGO series of video games, Reena Sood has worked with some of gaming’s most iconic and successful franchises. She tells MCV about her career

Tell us about your career in games.

I started in the industry in November 2007 in a trade marketing role at Activision.

It was just before the release of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and at the cusp of what felt like another category boom. It was the most exciting and buoyant time in the market led by one of the biggest publishers.

Following that, I moved on to become a brand manager working on the Skylanders franchise, before taking up my current position at Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment where I am the UK product manager for LEGO video games.

What excited you about working in this industry?

I love working in an industry where the consumers are so passionate about the franchises I’m involved in.

The rapid and constant evolution of video games and how they are consumed, means you need to keep ideas fresh and relevant, this in turn means I’m constantly learning in order to remain ahead of the curve.

Who wouldn’t want to work in video games? It’s one of the key drivers in pop culture today. It’s fast, it breaks boundaries and it’s broadening all the time.

What have been your biggest achievements? What are you most proud of?

By far my proudest achievement to date is working for WBIE on the entire LEGO slate combined with major franchises and IPs such as LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, The LEGO Movie Videogame and LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham.

The team at WBIE UK and TT Games is one of the most creative and pioneering, which only further accelerates my passion and enthusiasm for my job.

The LEGO video games franchise currently stands as one of the Top Five in the UK charts, in the samecompany as GTA and FIFA, and it’s only set to expand at a time where LEGO is a cultural phenomenon.

Also, being a part of breaking the toys-to-life genre, through the Skylanders franchise, in the UK was one of the best development opportunities I’ve had to-date. Taking an unknown innovation and IP into a tough competitive market was an exhilarating and rewarding experience.

What are your goals moving forward in games?

Helping to continue the growth of WB Games in the UK as one of the biggest gaming publishers.

I am most looking forward to growing with the next generation of gaming consumers and developing marketing plans for children in a digital age, where their consumption of media, gaming and technology will be so far advanced – the possibilities feel endless for revolutionary campaigns.