Kicking off Women’s History Month this March 5 is a showcase calledDames 4 Games, highlighting women and femme-identified people in the game industry through a series of mini-TED Talks focused on exciting projects in the industry.
More than just talking the talk, Dames 4 Games founder Destinee Cleveland has walked the walk, being theprimary pen behind the recentMonster High: Skulltimate Secrets, which aimed to cater to young girl gamers. Cleveland spoke with Game Rant about the mission of Dames 4 Games, teasing what to expect from the upcoming showcase.
What Dames 4 Games is All About
The format of the Dames 4 Games is a series of two-minute presentations from voices in the industry about their work, their journey, why they love gaming, or anything else on-theme for the event that they want to share. Cleveland likes the comparison to mini TED Talks; especially in that if one person’s talk doesn’t engage a viewer, there are plenty more which might.
“We give them that space to be seen and to be heard, and I think that’s what’s really important. I think a lot of marginalized groups would agree with me when they say that the issue with being a marginalized group is feeling that you’re never really heard, seen, or respected for how you feel. That’s what I want people to feel when they come on to our showcase. I want them to feel respected when they come on. I want them to feel seen, and I want to give them a platform where people can hear about the incredible things that they’re doing in the industry.”
A previous Dames 4 Games showcase featured Sam Béart, whovoicedBaldur’s Gate 3’s Karlach. Cleveland is a huge fan of Karlach and, after meeting Béart at an event, was able to convince them to be a part of a Dames 4 Games showcase. She said she has remained in touch with Béart after their first meeting, where Cleveland’s fangirling was the exact reaction Béart found appropriate.
One of the people Dames 4 Games is highlighting on March 5 is Naughty Dog’s senior character artist Colleen Larson. She will be talking about how her dreams of working in the industry came true and what it’s like working for the developer ofgames likeIntergalacticorThe Last of Us. The showcase will also feature around a dozen developers with their own segments, ranging from cozy titles to games with a narrative focus to the harder-hitting games providing something for games of any gender. There will also be a Dames 4 Games showcase this summer, for another round of talks and studio segments.
The industry is more diverse than it has been in the past, she explained. Of course, it still has a way to go and is undergoing some very dramatic growing pains, but Cleveland is optimistic about the future of gaming for more than just women–for all sorts of marginalized communities. That deeply satisfies the things she wanted to see when she was younger.
“The reason why I wanted to do this is because I’ve always felt strongly about inclusion, diversity, and representation, and I wanted to create a space where women and they/them identifying individuals could share their stories, get their flowers for their contributions, and kind of just let other girls know that, like, “Hey, we’re in this business. There’s room for us. We’re creating and contributing and doing incredible things”…I think if little Destinee were able to see what big Destinee was doing, she would be like ‘No way!'”
She stressed that her goals weren’t just focused on gender-based representation. Though Dames 4 Games focuses on that particular community, Cleveland wants to see more representation from different cultural groups, among other walks of life. She argues that wider and more diverse perspectives create more interesting games, while also emphasizing how important it is to have people of that particular marginalized community in the writer’s room.
An example is the gameForspoken. It’s no secret thatForspokenreceived harsh criticismover its protagonist Frey. Cleveland does think the game was far better than most gamers think, and that in no small part the disdain for the game is amplified by the fact that Frey is a Black woman. However, she also understands criticisms of Frey from the Black community because of her backstory.
“I think that if you’re going to write stories about characters that you’re not a part of that culture, you need to have a lot of writers who are a part of that culture in that room. So I know that some of the backlash that I heard from the Black community about her is that they were upset that it was this type of relation, this type of family dynamic where her dad was gone, and it seemed like her dad was just not there and he didn’t care. That’s one of those stereotypical things that you see come out of these stories about Black families.”
She citedSpider-Man: Miles Moralesas being a gamethat avoids the stereotypes thatForspokenfell afoul of. She also said she looked forward to seeing howIntergalacticandSouth of Midnighthandle their protagonists, but either way, a lot of good things are coming to Dames 4 Games on March 5 and in the future.
