GamesIndustry.biz’s Deputy Editor Marie Dealessandri spoke with IGDA (International Game Developers Association) executive director Jakin Vela on the current state of the games industry amidst layoffs and studio closures. In April, IGDA provided a list of actions to avoid further harm to the overall pool of talent the games industry.
One of Vela’s core responses to the situation is for companies to put more focus on diversity programs, an area that is reportedly cut first when layoff storms start to brew. “People are claiming that they’re supporting diversity, [that] they’re a diverse and inclusive studio, but they’re not budgeting for it,” Vela shared with GI.biz, “It’s kind of hard to believe that that’s actually a priority. And we see that with the layoffs, with the release or reduction of diversity programs.”
Vela went on to speak about the sheer gravity of the current trajectory “It’s extremely volatile right now, we’re continuously having massive layoffs and people are scared, [and] concerned about the sustainability of the industry as a whole.” Retaining a vibrant, diverse workforce is on the minds of a lot of developers and games workers; according to data from the 2023 Developer Satisfaction Survey “about 85% of the game developers surveyed still believe that diversity is important, both in content, in the industry as a whole, and at their workplace.”
One area of diversity within games that has seen an increase in representation comes from queer communities. “Some of the interesting findings that I thought were pretty cool were that there’s actually an overrepresentation of queer people [in the industry]. Which is fantastic. However, we had a developer satisfaction report called the LGBTQ+ Report that we launched last year [and] in that we actually found that there’s a lack of non-binary and trans [people] in leadership,” said Vela.
When asked how negative responses to a more diverse games industry, Vela responded “We need to squash the bug of harassment and hate, period… And the best way to do that is to collectively say, ‘This is unacceptable behavior, we don’t stand for it, and there’s no place for it in our industry.”
Vela called to industry leaders to take a loud stance against hatred, “We need studios, we need leadership, to step up and speak out against hate. I understand that people are scared, people are fearful of voicing their opinions because of Twitter mobs and social media warfare, all of that. I get that… but we need to accept the consequences and speak out. Because together, collectedly, we can squash that. And we need to. Because otherwise, it won’t die, it won’t disappear.”
“I’m a firm believer that if we are to retain the amazing talent we have in our industry, and if we are to grow diversity initiatives, there’s no place for hate, for misogyny, bigotry, homophobia, racism, ableism, all of it,” Vela continued.
Dealessandri penned, “As it moves forward, the IGDA’s priorities include supporting career development, especially in the context of the layoffs, but also particularly in emerging markets. Vela points to the IGDA’s mentorship platform, which he says has seen 565 new users over the past 12 months.”
Lastly, funding remains a huge factor in supporting games. “Government funding is really important in emerging markets,” said Vela, “”To get that government funding, we have to learn how to speak to government folks, people who are in policy, people who are changing the landscape of the business development policies in their local governments.”
Read the full GamesIndustry.biz article here.
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