[Opinion Piece]
Originally, the title of this was “Why Representation Matters” as my response to daily current events happening around the world. And yes, representation is immensely important.
Here’s the cliff notes in case you missed why representation is important:
Seeing yourself reflected is a powerful agent of fostering a sense of belonging (which is one of the biggest motivators for human behavior.)
Seeing somebody else reflected can be a powerful agent of learning about others outside of your immediate sphere of experience.
The inverse of these is true as well.
However, I want to assert that the solution to the lack of representation or even misrepresentation is not solved through a mindless representation-first approach, but rather through empathy because empathy will eventually lead to meaningful representation.
What do I mean by this?
It’s easier to understand how representation affects you as an individual, than it is to understand how representation affects others simply due to our human nature - a classic case of psychological “in” and “out” groups. To case study this phenomena, the Summer Games Fest 2023 had an online discourse where many noted there were no female panelists during the all white male panel lineup. Many women did not see themselves reflected on stage and thus they felt there was a disconnect between a sentiment of “I want to belong here” and “I don’t see anyone else like me here”: which can be an uncomfortable experience that anybody can face. They felt like the “out” group. Conversely, you had several others who didn’t understand why female representation is important because they saw themselves represented on stage. Ex. “I see myself reflected and others are trying to change that in some way”. They were the “in” group.
This idea of an “in” and “out” group can sometimes cause group bias and lead to vicious counter-attacks being volleyed between either group, be it at an individual’s or group's character. This, as one might imagine, does not solve the problem. In the case of the Summer Games Fest, women and other diverse groups wanted a seat at the table that they’ve worked so hard towards and found themselves not invited, which was understandably upsetting. These diverse groups don’t want to be just an afterthought or included to “appease the woke mob”, they simply want to be seen and be recognized for their passions and accomplishments as human beings. They want to feel like they belong in the gaming community, and the fact that, that need wasn’t met meant people fought for change.
As a women game developer myself looking at the Summer Games Fest, I would have liked to have seen more diversity on stage, as I know there are countless qualified diverse devs who could have done a stellar job. That being said, I am not advocating to take seats away from other groups either. I’m advocating that the people sitting at the table should look around, and pull up more chairs for the people who’ve been standing for hours instead. And if we have to buy a bigger table, then we buy a bigger table. If you sit at the table have the empathy to recognize that there are others around you who would benefit from diverse perspectives that go beyond your own.
I will close on this topic. I was most frightened by the perspective offered by those who simply didn’t care who was presenting on stage. Who just wanted to see games without regard for the people and talent behind those who worked tirelessly to make the game. This apathetic approach speaks to a deeper rooted issue in the gaming community which is the dehumanization of developers as a whole. If people just see game developers as the spoon that feeds them and nothing more, then that apathy is the product of a lack of empathy which is dangerous and promotes a toxic environment for those who pour their souls into crafting these games.
At the end of the day, if you don’t care who gets a seat at the table, then you’ve forfeited the power of your voice in favor of doing nothing. This willingness to embrace empathy for groups and communities outside of your own is not easy, but trying to walk a mile in somebody else’s shoes creates a culture of meaningful representation for all because valuing other people’s joys and struggles as your own is what connects us all as humans.
It’s my personal hope to see more international diversity in the gaming industry because I want to see a future where diverse stories can be told in accurate and representative ways that are meaningful to the communities that surround them. I want more people to see themselves reflected at the table in the hopes that they may be inspired as I was seeing powerful women on stage at the Game Developers Conference this year. I want there to be more cases for the power of empathy and why it matters.
Thanks for taking the time to read this :)