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What’s your gamer identity?  How we classify video game players in gaming culture Friday 11:30 AM, Forum

Anne Marie Porter [M], Rhonda Moore, Tanya DePass

We’ll discuss how research, industry, and the gaming community categorizes different types of gamers, and how this impacts gaming culture.  What characteristics do we use to create gamer categories?  How might this inform game design or interactions with other gamers?  How might these categories change with new games and technologies?  Come join us to discuss these topics and learn more about your own gamer identity!

Yes this is a Diversity 101 Panel, Yes You Still Need It Friday 8:30 PM, MAGES 2

Rachel Bazelai [M], Alex Abou Karam, Tanya DePass

You might know diversity and inclusion are pretty cool, but chances are someone you know doesn’t. So we’re going to give you the 101, an easy to digest and pack up discussion on why diversity is awesome that you can take back to your friends and family who still need that extra push to get it.

How to Broadcast as a Marginalized Streamer Saturday 10:00 AM, MAGES 1

Tanya DePass [M], Misty Turner, Triell F

Broadcasting games, creative work, cosplay, tabletop games, and other hobbies can be fun, but it can also be perilous for some of us. This panel will bring you some tips and tricks such as using bots, human mods and other methods to make your experience as stress free as possible.

Digital Love: Romance and Sexuality in Games Saturday 2:30 PM, MAGES 2

Heidi MacDonald [M], Tanya DePass, others TBA

Heidi McDonald will have recently released a book by this same title, and as it seems to be a popular topic at other conferences such as PAX and GDC, let’s talk about game romance! Representation! Hot cutscenes! Digital nudity and its complications! What makes a satisfying (and not satisfying) game romance? How and why do people romance NPCs in RPGs? How is romance handled well in different games? What ethical considerations arise with the advent of VR? Cullen’s butt in Dragon Age: Inquisition will probably also be discussed.

Gaming While “Other” Saturday 5:30 PM, Forum

Rachel Bazelais [M], Alex Abou Karam, Tanya DePass, Latoya Peterson

The casts of our favorite video games are getting more diverse with every release, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. While games like Overwatch, Assassin’s Creed, and Skyrim are pushing the envelope, you’re more likely to find the option to play an alien race than a slider bar that goes darker than light beige in many others. There’s still the problem of entire franchises using the Brown=Bad trope, leaving entire demographics of gamers feeling lost. How can we fix that?

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.