Games People Play and How They Can Be Used to Tell Our Stories

I’ve always loved playing video games, but making games was never a career that I thought I would be interested in, or to be honest, I ever thought existed. But in my freshman year in high school, I started to look at video games in a different light.

Video games have given me a space to enjoy myself and provide me with experiences that have opened my mind and given me different outlooks on Life. I’ve always wanted to work with computers well before I had an interest in video games. Later, I also developed a profound love for art in all forms.  Once I realized that art and game design can and do intersect, I immediately knew that this was what I wanted for a career. 

I attended the Envision game design summer program at George Mason University in 2016. While there, I received hands-on experience of what it would be like to study game design in a college setting. Throughout the two weeks, I worked in a team to create a game from scratch. A lot of production goes into making a game. I mentioned art, music and storytelling, but there’s also programming, level building, character models, and so much more.

When I tell people that I’m going to study Game Design in college, some think that I’m going to spend my time playing video games until graduation. But while it certainly is a unique college major, Game Design isn’t all fun and games. 

As cool as video games are, they aren’t without their faults. Statistics show that only three percent of African Americans work in the video game industry. Diversity is lacking among the people who make video games as well. And while playing games, I’ve noticed that the representation for black characters is rare and when it is there, it's in the form of side characters, but never the hero. This is unfortunate because studies show blacks, Hispanics and those in lower socioeconomic groups play, spend more time, and buy more video games than other groups (Kaiser Family Foundation).

There are plenty of African-American kids who probably would love to make video games; they just need to be given the chance to. As an African American woman, I believe that it is important to bring underrepresented groups into the light and give us a chance to tell our stories. Sometimes all that’s needed is to be included.

            Since getting accepted and attending George Mason University, I’ve enjoyed the hands-on experience. Getting to create games right off the bat my first semester of college has helped to solidify my passions for making games and has made me even more excited to learn more about making games in upcoming classes. 

            Looking towards the future, because of this game design program, my anxieties and uncertainties about my pursuing a professional career in game design has lessened. As statistics show, women and people of color are not well-represented in this field, which can be daunting for someone like me. But after my first school year, I am now more certain that this is what I want to do and happy that George Mason is giving me the tools to step into this career field with confidence. By the time I graduate, I hope to see more people like me in this program. I also want to serve as a role model and encourage other women of color to pursue game design as a career – not only for its entertainment aspects, but also as a profession that can serve to educate and to uplift. 

            After college, I would like to eventually create my own small indie video game company, where I can embed my personal perspectives into creating quality video games that are aesthetically pleasing, give the player a unique story and a diverse, distinctive game experience that they will remember long after the game is over. 

(Allison Terry is now in the second semester of her sophomore year at George Mason University. She was recently selected to attend a Game Design Workshop in Japan in May.)