Representation in Gaming: Let’s Start a conversation

This was a huge theme at MCM’s London comic con, this year. Gaming legends like Mc Fixer debating the subject on panels. We were both grateful and impressed that comic con chose to open up the conversation. Although it should be a larger ongoing conversation. One that all industries get involved in. There’s no debating that representation in gaming is improving. Technology and developer software is growing. The options for widening customization options become a reality. Better representations of the community that supports the industry are viable. Our take on the lack of diversity within representation is due to oversight. Gaming is about storytelling and unless you set out with the main storyline that has diversity at its focus. It is possible to understand how you might overlook it. It’s also in how the industry views characterization and storylines. For a gamer, the ability to design a character to reflect themselves in a game is equal to a child personalizing their bedroom. We need appropriate representation. It’s a conversation we should be having until there’s no longer an issue. According to Techradar, 45% of gamers in the US are female yet only 19% of employees are female. Although this may be part of the problem. As we’re seen with publishing. It takes quite a while to get results by trying to deal with the problem on a corporate level. You also run the risk of ending up with a system of token employees but nothing within the games changes. Another part of the puzzle is: it is claimed that a player is unable to immerse themselves in a game. If they can’t see themselves represented in the game. Honesty although the premise is reasonable. The first game I immersed myself in was Need For Speed (PC version). I wasn’t represented, and could not drive in reality. Yet, I love fast cars! It had nothing to do with representation and at the time I didn't realize I loved fast cars. But had everything to do with the fact my ex-husband was stupid enough to believe when I said “I’ll just set up for you,”. According to Mordor Intelligence, China has 665 million gamers (2021). I wouldn’t say that Chinese representation in gaming characters is any better or worse than other ethnic groups.

There are games like The Sims 4 that are better at representation. I would in general say that issues arrive with some but not all story-based games. Action-based games and their representation of female characters can be annoying. The 3 choices of damsel in distress, female action characters designed for sexual objectification, or traditional. Generally, this is where I get confused. Feisty female characters tend to have larger muscles like their male counterparts. At some point did someone confuse breasts as a muscle and think hey they need to be bigger. This issue with representation in gaming is much bigger than gender equality or ethnicity. Questions need to be asked before the issue can be answered with certainty or solved. Questions like where are the females working in gaming do they need a louder voice? Are all the writers, artists, executives white, male, and middle-classed? Where exactly does the block to representation lie? Other industries like books or journalism started from and existed on for centuries a white, middle-class perspective and workforce. It's taken a long time for them to start to catch up to the idea of representation. They're still working at it on a lot of levels. Gaming is a much newer industry in comparison. is it thus surprising we’re starting to see the issue surface as a problem now?Let’s dive into the statistics from the 2020 UK Census. The most worrying statistic of the census is the number of employees living with physical or mental health conditions. 21% of employees in the gaming industry live with a chronic health condition 8% higher than the figure for the working population. The percentage of employees living with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression is 31% higher than the average by 13%. The higher a position the employee has the more severe the anxiety/depression. To get to the bottom of the issue of the lack of representation. We need to look deeper at the industry and where it's going wrong. For example, 21% of workers are LBGQ+ (although 79% are heterosexual). Yet LBGQ+ representations in gaming are lacking. 21% is a high percentage for the workforce. Add to this the factor that although 10% of the workforce in the gaming industry are BAME. With roles spread across the industry. There are few BAME workers in senior positions. These statistics give us many parallels with the UK publishing industry. The high levels of employees with university degrees may help explain the BAME worker percentage as university applicants from BAME backgrounds are lower. The main question this leads us to ask is. Where are the voices? We do have higher than average diversity levels, why does this filter through to games? Do we need an approach that looks at this from a senior level to make any traction on the issue? If we look at the example of the book publishing industry. How do we stop representation from becoming a list of fads? Rather than a legitimate approach to improve representation in gaming. Representation in gaming needs across industry approach. With the gamers and professionals working together. More research along with an understanding of the needs for individuals to be acknowledged within gaming is needed. While this can or not affect the player's ability to immerse themselves within the game. It would improve engagement and interaction. But when all is said and done there is no industry without the players. Society deserves fair representation. Gaming already has the foundations to be leaders in this area. Sources: UK Games Industry Census 2020,