A Talk from Shawn Allen
A theme that pervades the indie games movement is how anyone can make games, yet, as is reflected in the “AAA” games industry, the new wave of smaller game development has a dearth of people from the black and Latino communities. Having created many forms of culture that have had worldwide influence you have to wonder why urban black and Latino people are nearly absent in the currently bustling and growing indie games scene. Could it be societal mores, apathy, lack of relatable success stories or something else that has created a barrier to seeing notable growth from these groups? This talk will be an exploration of culture both gaming related and beyond to address the possibilities of why some the indie scene is lacking in these voices as well as speaking to why it’s important that indies and surrounding establishments, such as games media and academia, can help turn the tide and create a more inclusive indie games scene.