Experts call for greater representativeness in video game narratives
Mexico City, March 11 (EFE).- Three experts who are part of the Women in Gamex community called Friday for greater representation in the narratives of video games in a virtual talk organized by the Cultural Center of Spain in Mexico.
“As there are more men in the video game development teams, these are made by and for these men, but by having women involved in decision-making positions we can change the narratives so that they are closer to other women and diverse people”, said Dazia Pineda, who worked at Gameloft on the “Spider-Man Unlimited” project.
In the talk, part of the “Video Games: The Two Sides of the Screen” exhibition, Pineda – who also participated in the development of “EPIC: Battle for Moonhaven” – said changing the narratives of the games makes them successful in sales.
“One of the reasons why the game ‘Kim Kardashian: Hollywood’ was so successful on a business level was not because it was only about Kim Kardashian but because it allowed you to be gay if you wanted, non-binary, or whatever you wanted to be and it was such his acceptance in the LGBT community that developer Glu made a lot of money,” she said.
Diana Rodriguez Aparicio, director and co-founder of Big Monster Games, said generating diverse narratives enriches the industry.
“When you create work teams made up of women with different backgrounds, nationalities, status and knowledge, they are able to create richer narratives with other stories, characters, nuances,” she said. “People feel represented in them and are going to consume it. The game becomes a tool to communicate.”
The Universidad Panamericana professor called on women and diverse people to occupy work spaces in the industry, as this will contribute to eliminating stereotypes in stories.
“We need more people who are not only interested in the video games, there is a job field in the industry that is growing rapidly. This will allow us to get out of conventional narratives and represent people in a diverse way,” she said.
Miriam Amaro, who develops games for girls and boys, invited them to participate in events such as Women Game Jam, an annual marathon in which several women from different parts of the world create video games that are different from the commercial ones.
“There is a community that I like a lot because it is very helpful. If you have any questions, the others join in to help you, it is teamwork, the theme of sorority is present,” she said.
Amaro highlighted the importance of Wowen in Gamex, a group in which the role of women in video games is made visible and encouraged.
“Women in Gamex has been enriching, meeting other women with your same interests, crazy things, in which you make a connection and friendships,” she said. EFE
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