Inclusive Gaming

My first experience with representation in video games was, prominently, Zelda, specifically Twilight Princess. Although up until that point I had only really played Wii Sports/Wii Party and the like, I first witnessed a strong, independent female character (two, actually) in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Neither Midna nor Zelda were depicted as ever being damsels in distress, but rather as people in need of help. On their own, they were already incredibly strong and resilient – Zelda doing what she could to help the people of Hyrule, and Midna serving as your guide throughout the journey. Neither sat around waiting for Link to save them (like in many other previous games). Although I know there are other instances of strong independent female characters in earlier games (Zelda Ocarina of Time being one with Saria and Sheik), I played Twilight Princess first and was a positive impact on my view of not only video games, but as strong role models. Because of this experience, the idea that “girls don’t game” never ever crossed my mind. Everyone in my life played at least a little bit of video games – whether it was the Wii or DS.

As I got older, I started realizing how male-dominated the gaming community was. My brother was a typical casual gamer, and all of the friends he played with were male. After middle school, the only people I could talk to about video games were male. This is actually what prompted me to launch a new online username, “That One Female Gamer” (subconsciously borrowing from “That One Video Gamer”, aka The Completionist). None of that ever deterred me from continuing to love video games, and it led me to get into game development, which I was majoring in until a couple years ago when I switched. In the last 7 years since I began at Chico State, I’ve worked as a club officer for the school’s Wildcat Gaming club, starting off as the social media manager and graphic design assistant, then to head graphic designer, and then finally, and unexpectedly, as the President. Imagine that, the president of the Gaming club was a girl. And since then, I’ve worked as a staff member for several conventions and shows at their gaming halls (one of which I was just in a meeting for just a few hours ago). I now am a contractor for a game hall supply company, working shows around California.

Last week, I attended my 3rd Game Developers Conference. This show is nothing new to me – male dominated conference, everyone dressed in graphic tshirts, hoodies, and jeans with sneakers. Not a tie in sight, save for the handful of press members. Every year has been the same – booths with freebies showing off their latest developments and designs, except for one thing – Several booths were dedicated to inclusion in game development. Women In Games International (aka WIGI) was the most prominent one that comes to mind. This network of people aims to uplift women in game development, gives support for them, and ultimately create a more welcoming environment for everyone in the game development industry. I had a wonderful chat with the representative at their booth, discussing our struggles as women in the field, and what we wanted to do to help change that.

Inclusivity in gaming is incredibly important. As games ramp up to become more and more mainstream, it is important that everyone is welcome in these circles. As Jenny Shi mentions in her article, fostering spaces and opportunities for inclusion (whether it be in the real world at tournaments or in the industries, or within the game itself with wider character customization options or well written diverse characters) is more important than ever. The main core audience is no longer the young white guy anymore – it has shifted to include over 2 BILLION people on this earth. With such a diverse group of people playing these games, why not create games that represent and include those who play the game?

The solutions are simple:

·      Hire diverse developers. Women, BIPOC, gender non-conforming, and/or disabled people. These are the same people playing your game, hire people who know how to develop for them.

·      Foster healthy communities with the players. Your player base is incredibly diverse – celebrate and invest in that fact. The more welcoming the community is to new players, the more likely it will be played and loved.