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Game Devs & Others: Tales from the Margins
Game Devs & Tales from the Margins tell the true stories of life in the industry by people of color, LGBTQIA and other marginalized identities. This collection of essays give people a chance to tell their stories and to let others know what life on the other side of the screen is like when you’re not part of the supposed “majority”.
Key Features
This book is perfect for anyone interested in getting into the games industry who feels they have a marginalized identityFor those who wish to better diversify their studio or workplace who may or may not have access to individuals that could or would share their stories about the industryIncludes initiatives aimed at diversifying the industry that have a positive or negative impact on the ongoing discussionsCoverage of ajor news items about diversity, conferences aimed at or having diversity at its core of content and mission are discussedIncluded essays are written with as little game dev specific jargon as possible, makeing it accessible to people outside the industry as well as those in the scene but that may not have all the insider lingo
Key Features
This book is perfect for anyone interested in getting into the games industry who feels they have a marginalized identityFor those who wish to better diversify their studio or workplace who may or may not have access to individuals that could or would share their stories about the industryIncludes initiatives aimed at diversifying the industry that have a positive or negative impact on the ongoing discussionsCoverage of ajor news items about diversity, conferences aimed at or having diversity at its core of content and mission are discussedIncluded essays are written with as little game dev specific jargon as possible, makeing it accessible to people outside the industry as well as those in the scene but that may not have all the insider lingo
- GenresVideo Games
141 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 23, 2018
4 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
August 29, 2018
(Though I am related to someone thanked in the credits of the book, this is an honest review that was not asked for in any way.)
Game Devs & Others is a collection of essays by game industry veterans who are marginalized in some way. They are black, Asian, Hispanic, queer, disabled, trans, past 40, the works. Collected by Tanya DePass of the nonprofit I Need Diverse Games, the stories range from positive accounts of great work environments to awkward moments of confrontation to horror stories that contributed to the essayist leaving the game industry. As the dedication says, the narratives "are for everyone who wants to enter this world with the hope of more people like them, both on screen and behind the scenes." In other words, going in to this book, I knew it was not intended for me.
Why should I be cool with that? Lots of reasons.
First, it's a small taste of what marginalized people go through in my chosen industry. Day in and day out they've had to consume content that doesn't put them front and center. Anyone feeling under-served can read Kadeem Dunn's "The Prevailing Need to Push for Protagonists of Color" which breaks down comparative statistics about how rare it is to find a protagonist that looks like (let alone has lived a life like) the player.
Second, even people who consider themselves allies could learn a thing or two here. Shana Bryant's "Distraction and Reaction" talk recounts how her company sensitivity training encouraged people not to call each other out in public when they heard offensive comments, hardly a welcoming atmosphere for all.
Third, for those who say the playing field is already level, Jonathan Jennings details in his "Black Unicorn" essay that he sent out more than 300 resumes before he landed his first game job -- I was sweating bullets back when 12 of mine didn't land me anything.
And last, by reading, I discovered new games and new paradigms. I didn't know Twine was used so extensively by marginalized audiences (I'd heard of Depression Quest, but not the many LGBTQIA stories that flourish in a platform all about accessibility). I'd never heard of a body horror game with eating disorders as its subtext (Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before, hat tip to Kaitlin Tremblay). Now I totally want to check it out, along with many indie games like it. And then there's this factoid: in the United States, Latino and Black children have been shown to play video games at the highest rates. I've been in the industry 13 years, and I never heard that as a baseline for a design decision.
I suppose I could throw some criticism at Game Devs and Others, but there's a little voice in my head stopping me. It sounds something like this:
Me: Hey, I expected more essays by devs who've been in this industry for decades.
Voice: Don't you think that kinda makes a point all on its own?
Me: Umm, maybe this would be improved with more perspectives by legendary AAA game designers or-
Voice: Think real hard about why those might be difficult to find.
Me: Oh-kay, shutting up and reading now.
Though not every essay lights the world on fire, enough of them do for this book to be on the shelf of aspiring game designers or at least your game company's library. A sample of quotations:
"None of us survives alone, and we are alone if we are silenced," writes Kaitlin Tremblay.
Joshua Boykin quotes Cicero Holmes: "When someone says 'I don't like the fact that this game is getting political,' they mean 'I don't like the fact that this game is getting political for me.'"
JC Lau writes, "Paradoxically, I recognize that the more 'unicorns' there are in the game industry, the fewer 'unicorns' there actually will be. By normalizing what makes people 'other,' they're no longer othered."
Or there's Kat Jones: "Our games give us the strength and courage to see, to feel, to speak and to dare. And that is not a luxury, but a necessity."
This book wasn't intended for me. But if it reaches its audience, it may prompt more like it, and we may get more games that ask us all to live in a different person's skin for a while. As a role-playing gamer, I can hardly refuse, and to that, I say, bring it on.
Game Devs & Others is a collection of essays by game industry veterans who are marginalized in some way. They are black, Asian, Hispanic, queer, disabled, trans, past 40, the works. Collected by Tanya DePass of the nonprofit I Need Diverse Games, the stories range from positive accounts of great work environments to awkward moments of confrontation to horror stories that contributed to the essayist leaving the game industry. As the dedication says, the narratives "are for everyone who wants to enter this world with the hope of more people like them, both on screen and behind the scenes." In other words, going in to this book, I knew it was not intended for me.
Why should I be cool with that? Lots of reasons.
First, it's a small taste of what marginalized people go through in my chosen industry. Day in and day out they've had to consume content that doesn't put them front and center. Anyone feeling under-served can read Kadeem Dunn's "The Prevailing Need to Push for Protagonists of Color" which breaks down comparative statistics about how rare it is to find a protagonist that looks like (let alone has lived a life like) the player.
Second, even people who consider themselves allies could learn a thing or two here. Shana Bryant's "Distraction and Reaction" talk recounts how her company sensitivity training encouraged people not to call each other out in public when they heard offensive comments, hardly a welcoming atmosphere for all.
Third, for those who say the playing field is already level, Jonathan Jennings details in his "Black Unicorn" essay that he sent out more than 300 resumes before he landed his first game job -- I was sweating bullets back when 12 of mine didn't land me anything.
And last, by reading, I discovered new games and new paradigms. I didn't know Twine was used so extensively by marginalized audiences (I'd heard of Depression Quest, but not the many LGBTQIA stories that flourish in a platform all about accessibility). I'd never heard of a body horror game with eating disorders as its subtext (Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before, hat tip to Kaitlin Tremblay). Now I totally want to check it out, along with many indie games like it. And then there's this factoid: in the United States, Latino and Black children have been shown to play video games at the highest rates. I've been in the industry 13 years, and I never heard that as a baseline for a design decision.
I suppose I could throw some criticism at Game Devs and Others, but there's a little voice in my head stopping me. It sounds something like this:
Me: Hey, I expected more essays by devs who've been in this industry for decades.
Voice: Don't you think that kinda makes a point all on its own?
Me: Umm, maybe this would be improved with more perspectives by legendary AAA game designers or-
Voice: Think real hard about why those might be difficult to find.
Me: Oh-kay, shutting up and reading now.
Though not every essay lights the world on fire, enough of them do for this book to be on the shelf of aspiring game designers or at least your game company's library. A sample of quotations:
"None of us survives alone, and we are alone if we are silenced," writes Kaitlin Tremblay.
Joshua Boykin quotes Cicero Holmes: "When someone says 'I don't like the fact that this game is getting political,' they mean 'I don't like the fact that this game is getting political for me.'"
JC Lau writes, "Paradoxically, I recognize that the more 'unicorns' there are in the game industry, the fewer 'unicorns' there actually will be. By normalizing what makes people 'other,' they're no longer othered."
Or there's Kat Jones: "Our games give us the strength and courage to see, to feel, to speak and to dare. And that is not a luxury, but a necessity."
This book wasn't intended for me. But if it reaches its audience, it may prompt more like it, and we may get more games that ask us all to live in a different person's skin for a while. As a role-playing gamer, I can hardly refuse, and to that, I say, bring it on.
November 17, 2022
Ughhh need a physical copy of this like yesterday. So happy I found this in the depths of my region's Libby e-book system though!!
This covers all kinds of intersections of marginalized gaming industry and industry-adjacent individuals' experiences. Read this if you want the low down on how complicated creating, writing, and engaging with games are for marginalized folks like myself and those in this collection. It's very celebratory as well and gives voices to some of the most influential figures in gaming and development. This is also a great volume to reference if you are a digital humanities student who is focusing on games discourse and wants a million great references.
I know I'll be revisiting this one again and again in the future as I continue to write and learn about creating narrative-driven games! Check it out.
This covers all kinds of intersections of marginalized gaming industry and industry-adjacent individuals' experiences. Read this if you want the low down on how complicated creating, writing, and engaging with games are for marginalized folks like myself and those in this collection. It's very celebratory as well and gives voices to some of the most influential figures in gaming and development. This is also a great volume to reference if you are a digital humanities student who is focusing on games discourse and wants a million great references.
I know I'll be revisiting this one again and again in the future as I continue to write and learn about creating narrative-driven games! Check it out.
June 16, 2018
This collection of essays, edited by Tanya DePass, contains a multitude of perspectives, personal stories, declarations and calls to action. I felt that last part to be the most important.
Similar to "The Invisibles" collections, the focus of the collection is the inequity which persists in the industry of gaming - from players to creators, the pages paint a disturbing (and frankly, anger-inducing) portrait of how marginalized members of the community are treated as Others. The juxtaposition of exclusivity portrayed in an industry which prides itself on "inclusion to all" is a sober reminder that much work remains to overcome prejudice and give voice to the unheard.
Each anecdote, whether direct injustice at the hands of those in authority or the simple lack of "seeing one's self" in a video game, is sharp, ultra-personal and profoundly genuine.
In the current climate of GamerGate, fan-shaming and a toxic turn towards "protected" hate speech works such as these are important to understand. And even more important to act upon.
Similar to "The Invisibles" collections, the focus of the collection is the inequity which persists in the industry of gaming - from players to creators, the pages paint a disturbing (and frankly, anger-inducing) portrait of how marginalized members of the community are treated as Others. The juxtaposition of exclusivity portrayed in an industry which prides itself on "inclusion to all" is a sober reminder that much work remains to overcome prejudice and give voice to the unheard.
Each anecdote, whether direct injustice at the hands of those in authority or the simple lack of "seeing one's self" in a video game, is sharp, ultra-personal and profoundly genuine.
In the current climate of GamerGate, fan-shaming and a toxic turn towards "protected" hate speech works such as these are important to understand. And even more important to act upon.
March 3, 2019
This is a book with experiences of people of color, LGBTQA, and non-binary people in the videogames industry. I loved getting a different perspective on videogames and I found most of the stories inspiring. The first essay, "Fight-free Fashion Agency" was one of my favorites, and encouraged me to think of more ways games can exist without having battles as their main play mechanic. I also really liked "Firmly Rooted and Ain't Goin' Nowhere: Freelancing While WOC." I haven't read very many essays from freelance videogame writers, let alone feelance WOC videogame writers, and it gave me hope that sometime in the future I could try my hand at writing for videogames from home."The Prevailing Need to Push for Protagonists of Color" helped me realize how few black and hispanic videogame protagonists there are (even though black and hispanic children "play games at the highest rates of all children").
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews