ECGC17

Why stereotypes and tropes are not representation of the “Other”

5:00 pm – 6:00 pm Tuesday April 18th 

We’ve all seen and played games where People of Color (POC) are often stereotypes, or LGBTQIA characters are one-dimensional, and other identities don’t even get to exist for long. These portrayals are often flattened versions of what could have been a great character that added to the narrative of a story or the characters relationship to the world, the player and other characters. Using examples both good and bad, I’ll talk about why it’s better to do the hard work of fleshing out your characters rather than giving us flattened versions to play with.

Women in Gaming Tell All – Panel

6:15 pm -7:15 pm – Tuesday April 18th 

Panelists:
Heather Albano
Scarlett Dangerfield
Gina Grahame
Tanya DePass
Gabriela Aveiro

Women in Gaming is a trendy and important topic in the gaming industry. During this panel discussion, we will explore how the field is changing and will hear the personal success stories of five women working in gaming.

Sponsored by the Consulate General of Canada, this panel seeks to inspire the audience and encourage women to embrace all roles in the gaming industry. There are no limits to how far women can go and no assumptions on what positions they’re supposed to take on. Come hear five successful women speak about their work that is actively changing and improving the gaming industry for gender equality. This will be a panel discussion with Heather Albano, Scarlett Dangerfield, Gina Grahame, Tanya DePass and Gabriela Aveiro.

Published by cypheroftyr

Tanya DePass is the founder and Director of I Need Diverse Games, a non-profit organization based in Chicago, which is dedicated to better diversification of all aspects of gaming. I Need Diverse Games serves the community by supporting marginalized developers attend the Game Developer Conference by participating in the GDC Scholarship program, helps assist attendance at other industry events, and is seeking partnership with organizations and initiatives. Tanya is a lifelong Chicagoan who loves everything about gaming, #INeedDiverseGames spawn point, and wants to make it better and more inclusive for everyone. She founded and was the EIC of Fresh Out of Tokens podcast where games culture was discussed and viewed through a lense of feminism, intersectionality and diversity. Now she’s a co-host on Spawn on Me Podcast. Along with all of that, she’s the Programming Coordinator for OrcaCon, she often speaks on issues of diversity, feminism, race, intersectionality & other topics at multiple conventions throughout the year. Her writing about games and games critique appears in Uncanny Magazine, Polygon, Wiscon Chronicles, Vice Gaming, Paste Games, Mic, and other publications.