I will be speaking at a panel at the upcoming Penny Arcade Expo. The convention is happening from 30 August – 2 September in Seattle.
This panel has a lot of super smart industry professionals on it, and they will be primarily be focusing on things that people can do in the creative process to create compelling content without blindly falling into tropes. I’ll be interjecting with my thoughts and opinions here and there, but mainly I’ll be moderating and attempting to keep things on track.
Everything We Know Is Sexist. Now What?
Once upon a time in gaming, damsels were always in distress and fighting dudes rescued them. But the gaming audience has changed. As demand increases for characters as diverse as the new player base, the games industry struggles to catch up. Writers and designers feel pressured to craft fresh, compelling stories that speak to a wider audience, but are often challenged by personal blind spots, professional culture, and business demands. Our panel of veteran writers and designers will look beyond blame and gender swapping to share their experiences-good, bad, and hilarious-of trying to break free from cliched thinking. Whether you’re an industry hopeful or a thinking gamer, you won’t want to miss this talk about the future of storytelling.
PANELISTS:
Regina Buenaobra [Community Manager, ArenaNet], Anna Megill [Narrative Designer, Airtight Games], Cameron Harris [Editor & Story Consultant, Freelance], Jessica Price [Project Manager, Paizo Publishing], John Sutherland [Writer, VidGameStory], Matthew Moore [Game Designer, ArenaNet], Tom Abernathy [Narrative Designer/Writer, Freelance]WOLFMAN THEATRE – SATURDAY 8/31 10:30AM – 11:30AM
My hope is that this panel will give people in the audience things to think about and that any aspiring writers and designers have action items to incorporate into their work now and in the future.