Here’s my final PAX Dev and PAX West panel schedule.Who can I designate to make sure I am fed and watered that Saturday? INDG will also be in the Diversity Lounge on the 6th floor.

“Diversity Consultants: What We Do and Why You Need Us” ; Wednesday, August 28th at 2:45pm in the Fifth Avenue Room.

Diversity consultants analyze the representation of marginalized groups in games, or they evaluate accessibility issues for gamers with physical disabilities. They work with devs to make games more authentic and welcoming experiences for all players. Join three diversity consultants and a developer who’s worked with diversity consultants to find out what we do, how we can work with you, and what skills you’ll need if you’re interested in becoming a diversity consultant.

SPEAKERS

Toiya Kristen Finley, Eddy Webb, Tanya DePass, Beth Korth

PAX West

Gaming for Charity: Inspiring Through Play Friday, August 30th at 12:00pm in the Sandworm Theatre

Over the past decade, gaming communities have created a new form of charitable fundraising pioneered by programs like Extra Life and Child’s Play. Explore how to use live streaming platforms to connect fandoms of people to the causes they care about. We’ll explore how Influencers, community managers and nonprofit leaders can ignite a philanthropic passion in their community, nurturing a spirit of joy and playfulness along the way.

PANELISTS

TheOnlyRyann [Content Creator, Playing with Fire], Deejay Knight [Content Creator], Tanya DePass [Dir. & Founder, I Need Diverse Games], Mallory Loar [Community Manager, Discord], Jon Brence [SPM, Partnerships, Twitch], Lou Adducci [Senior Manager of Community, Extra Life / CMN Hospitals]

Gaming while Other: accessibility, diversity, representation Friday, August 30th at 5:00pm in the Hippogryph Theatre

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. Issues of character creation and representation, “historical accuracy”, and tropes and narrative shorthands can still leave entire demographics of gamers feeling lost and excluded. How can we fix that and make gaming inclusive and accessible for gamers of all backgrounds?

PANELISTS

JC Lau [Technical Producer, Harebrained Schemes], Andrien Gbinigie [Product Marketing Manager, Ubisoft], Tanya DePass [Director & Founder, I Need Diverse Games], Raffael Boccamazzo, PsyD [Clinical Director, Take This], Cherry Thompson [Accessibility Consultant and Developer, Independent]

#BlackTwitter Making Social Media Work for You as a Blerd Saturday, August 31st at 3:30pm in the Cat Theatre.

Most days, Black Twitter dominates the top 10 trending topics near globally, and continues to be a force to be reckoned with. And in there lies a thriving and vibrant community, as well as opportunity. How does one tap into the zeitgeist, contribute to, and benefit from one of the most powerful influence defining online groups there is? Come join this panel of Blerds for a discussion into what makes Black Twitter so special, and how you can make it benefit you.

PANELISTS

Andrien Gbinigie [Product Marketing Manager, Ubisoft Toronto], Shamanom [Twitch Partner & 2019 TwitchCon ambassador, Streamer], Tanya DePass [Director & Founder, I Need Diverse Games], Gabie Jackman [Host and presenter, Game Fanatics]

Queer Quests, Bi Battles, & Terrific Transformations Saturday, August 31st at 6:00pm in the Sandworm Theatre.

Video and tabletop games offer thousands of experiences. Have you ever explored an entire virtual world just because you could?  Ever play as a different gender or another sexuality? Games not only offer us a glimpse into fantastical universes, but can allow us to experiment with our own identities. This can be especially influential for LGBTQ+ folks. Join GaymerX & friends in a retrospective of queer quests, sapphic stories, bi battles, and terrific transformations in games that helped discover who we are.

PANELISTS

Katie Kaitchuck [Executive Director, GaymerX], Tanya DePass [Founder, I Need Diverse Games], Kyle-Steven Porter [Board Member, Geeks Out], Soraya Een Hajji [Volunteer Director, GaymerX], DC [Game Designer, Mostly Harmless Games], Katherine Cross [Contributing Writer, Gamasutra]

Thirst Unquenched? Sexy Characters for “The Rest of Us” Saturday, August 31st at 9:30pm in the Hippogryph Theatre

Attractive, sexy video game characters… they’re not just for straight dudes, you know! Join a diverse panel of developers and industry veterans for a frank discussion of their video game crushes and lust objects… how their favourite sexy characters are created, how they can engage and inspire audiences, and how – and why – the industry can do better at producing them.

PANELISTS

Michelle Clough [Writer / Narrative Designer, Talespinners], Souha Al-Samkari [Vice President, Truant Pixel], Tanya DePass [Director, I Need Diverse Games], Matt Baume [Producer, Queens of Adventure], Jennifer Allaway [Game Writer, Pixelberry Studios], Arden Ripley [Writer, Date or Die]

Streaming as a hobby or Career Sunday, September 1st at 3:00pm in the Sandworm Theatre

A lot of people think Streaming is easy, you just turn on the console, PC, get a cam and go! We’ll have a real, maybe difficult to hear convo on what actually goes into streaming whether or not you consider it a serious hobby or want to make a career out of it.

PANELISTS

cypheroftyr [Dir. & Founder, I Need Diverse Games], Amy T Falcone [Illustrator & Content Creator, Independent], Will Wiggins [Content Creator, Independent], Shamanom [Twitch Partner & 2019 TwitchCon Ambassador, Streamer], Cherry Thompson [Accessibility Consultant, Independent], Adam Koebel [GM Extraordinaire/Game Designer, Independent]

Sexy or Stupid? The Great Video Game Sex Scene Debate Sunday, September 1st at 8:00pm in the Hippogryph Theatre

Back for its triumphant third year! Join our panel of industry experts as we take a glimpse at the best – and worst! – sex scenes that video games have to offer. Panelists offer a unique, in-depth look at how some of your favourite games handle (or fail to handle) sex, intimacy, and relationships. But you, the audience, have the final vote! Will you love and lust after these sex scenes, or just laugh out loud? And in the end, are they sexy… or stupid?

PANELISTS

Michelle Clough [Writer / Narrative Designer, Talespinners], Souha Al-Samkari [Vice President, Truant Pixel], Tanya DePass [Director, I Need Diverse Games], Jennifer Allaway [Game Writer, Pixelberry Studios], Vlad Micu [Freelance Consultant, VGVisionary], Arden Ripley [Writer, Date or Die]

Am I Geek Enough? The Female Experience in Gaming Spaces Monday, September 2nd at 2:00pm in the Hippogryph Theatre

There is a lot of discussion on inclusivity and equality for women within game spaces, but what happens when the criticisms become internalized? How do you navigate geek and gaming spaces if you doubt you even belong? Join this panel of accomplished authors, content creators, and gaming professionals – all of whom happen to identify as women – as they discuss their personal experiences and struggles existing in geek and gamer communities. They will share how they care for themselves, persevere, and flourish.

PANELISTS

Trish Heinrich [Author, Freelance], Sarah Sawyer, PsyD [Content Manager, Take This], Tanya DePass [Founder, I Need Diverse Games], Britt Brombacher [Co-Founder, What’s Good Games], Andrea Rene [Executive Producer, What’s Good Games], Alicia Archer [Owner, Archer Inventive]

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.