Header note: this is a refactor of a university-based research task that I believe is important to consider when developing a game. I am by no means an expert on this topic, however, everyone play’s a part in facilitating a safe space for all people to comfortably share their heritage, identity, and agency. In the indie games industry, we have the power to change the stigma and accurately represent the core values of any person. Stand united and strong – be loving and kind. Spread knowledge, squash ignorance, and be a voice for those who want it.

“A Creative Skillset report shows that BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) industry representation stood at 4% in 2015, down from 4.7% the previous year. This is lower than the UK average of 10% and significantly lower than the London average of 40% (2011 Census data). Considering that 37% of the UK industry is located in London, this highlights the level of under-representation for ethnic minority groups.” (Ramanan, 2017).

By comparing the data provided in the UK report by The Guardian and the IDGA Statistics (below), we can make an educated assumption that there is a severe lack of diversity in the international games industry. “61% of the population was white, 18% was Hispanic, 13% was black, and 6% was Asian.” (Wirtz, 2021). It is clear that the problem is improving slowly, as the reported 4% diversity in the 2017 Guardian article is now at a rough average of 12% in the 2021 article by Game Designing.

Not only does the accurate representation of other minority groups help with mental wellbeing, but it can also help the games industry in regards to profit and exposure. By being more inclusive, games will be able to represent global cultures in a way that they can relate to and therefore, increase the potential global exposure (Dealessandri, 2020). More exposure means more profits. Inclusion is not only the ethically correct way to progress but also a financially profitable investment for the business.

If a project targets many cultures, a complicated method of localisation, censorship and, respecting of cultural restrictions for each instance of the project will need to be considered. This is another topic altogether, however, I feel that it is an important factor to at least touch on and consider. An example of this is the Chinese censorship of morality, where players should not have an option to be good or bad. They believe that games should represent “the correct set of morals” otherwise they cannot exist in their media streams (Kerr, 2021). While China is notorious for media restrictions, these kinds of cultural differences can only be understood if proper inclusion and collaboration with the current minority are achieved.

While I touched on some solutions above, there is a list of different solutions provided by the articles I have read.

1. Maximise global reach as a result of multicultural inclusion, “So what we need to try and do is maximize the global reach of our games by considering the expectations of a much broader demographic. To better anticipate what those expectations are, we need to have companies that are more diverse and have people from different backgrounds.” | “they were working in a system that was biased and that he wasn’t taking responsibility. So he just decided as the CEO: we’re going to change this. And he made that happen. And really that’s all it takes. It’s a matter of will, making a decision that this is going to be important to us, and we’re going to make this a priority.” (Dealessandri, 2020).
2. Create Support groups that actively push for change in representation, “Girls Who Code is a group ‘founded with a single mission: to close the gender gap in technology’. They’ve already reached nearly 90,000 girls from every state in the U.S. That’s some serious progress. Reshma, the founder, writes ‘We’ve reached a moment unmatched in our history, a moment as full of anger and anguish as it is promise and potential. Women and girls across the country are coming together to correct centuries-long power imbalances across lines of gender, race, sexuality, and more.’ Girls Who Code offers after-school club programs, summer campus programs, and longer summer immersion programs.” (Wirtz, 2021).
3. Provide more opportunity for computer science in early education, “Peter Kemp, senior lecturer and head of the research project underlines the importance of early access and uptake of computing. ‘The GCSE will naturally lead into the A-Level and also into degree level because not all places will offer computing at A-Level. So, if you don’t get the GCSE intake right, then you’re going to see a very skewed intake into computing careers because of that.’” (Ramanan, 2017).

Furthermore, the design process involved in the development cycle included the indigenous community to ensure accurate music and artistic representation. “LaPensée’s goal isn’t just to facilitate Indigenous representation — she also wants to facilitate Indigenous self-determination. This means not just getting Indigenous people involved in games, but giving them meaningful control.” (Beer, 2020). This goes to show that the best way to ensure accurate representation is to have the team descend from the culture you are trying to represent.

In regards to what we can do to reduce the minority gap in the games industry in Australia, we can potentially reach out to local Indigenous communities in order to represent them within my projects. While you may not be currently working on projects that represent anyone, in particular, I believe that this would be a fantastic inclusion to strive for. The PDFs below outline how we can get in contact with local communities, how to respectfully communicate with them, and provides resources to help better understand the communities before getting in contact. “Through the unique immersive interactivity it offers, gaming enables Indigenous people to share and reflect on their experiences in a culture that generally distorts or silences them.” (Beer, 2020).

Beer, M. (2020). The next chapter of Indigenous representation in video games. Retrieved From https://www.polygon.com/features/2020/2/25/21150973/indigenous-representation-in-video-games

Dealessandri, M. (2020). What’s wrong with the games industry, and how to fix it. Retrieved from https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-09-04-whats-wrong-with-the-games-industry-and-how-to-fix-it#section-2

Kerr, C. (2021). Chinese regulators warn devs over depictions of morality, gender, and history. Retrieved From https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/chinese-regulators-warn-devs-over-depictions-of-morality-gender-and-history

Liu, J. (2018). Gender sexualization in digital games: Exploring female character changes in 0RW1S34RfeSDcfkexd09rT2tomb raider1RW1S34RfeSDcfkexd09rT2 (Order No. 10975189). Available from Publicly Available Content Database. (2167142408). Retrieved from https://saeezproxy.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/gender-sexualization-digital-games-exploring/docview/2167142408/se-2

Ramanan C. (2017). The video game industry has a diversity problem – but it can be fixed. Retrieved From https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/mar/15/video-game-industry-diversity-problem-women-non-white-people

University of Saskatchewan. (2018). Negative Effect from Lack of Diversity in Video Games. Retrieved From https://www.cs.usask.ca/news/2018/negative-effect-from-lack-of-diversity-in-video-games.php

Wirtz, B. (2021). The Issue of Diversity in Gaming & Changes the Game Industry Is Making To Address It. Retrieved From https://www.gamedesigning.org/gaming/diversity/