Posted on Mar 20, 2023
The number of Black video game developers is small, but strong
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https://www.npr.org/2023/03/20/ [login to see] /video-games-creators-developers-indie-industry
In many ways, it all started with Jerry Lawson.
The trailblazing engineer helped lead the team that developed the first home video gaming system with interchangeable cartridges, which opened up a whole new world of playing games at home in the 1970s.
The move paved the way for future systems like Atari and Super Nintendo, and by the time Lawson died in 2011, his legacy was imprinted on the video game industry.
It was rare to see Black engineers working in tech decades ago, but Lawson wasn't alone. Ed Smith was another Black engineer who reimagined consoles in the early days of at-home gaming, working on the very first hybrid video game/personal computer, called The Imagination Machine.
These two pioneers showed that Black people have a place in the multibillion-dollar video game industry. And yet, while the industry employs hundreds of thousands of people around the world, Black people are in the minority. Of the respondents to a 2021 survey from the International Game Developers Association, only 5% were Black while close to 80% were white — suggesting the enormous gap that exists in the industry.
In many ways, it all started with Jerry Lawson.
The trailblazing engineer helped lead the team that developed the first home video gaming system with interchangeable cartridges, which opened up a whole new world of playing games at home in the 1970s.
The move paved the way for future systems like Atari and Super Nintendo, and by the time Lawson died in 2011, his legacy was imprinted on the video game industry.
It was rare to see Black engineers working in tech decades ago, but Lawson wasn't alone. Ed Smith was another Black engineer who reimagined consoles in the early days of at-home gaming, working on the very first hybrid video game/personal computer, called The Imagination Machine.
These two pioneers showed that Black people have a place in the multibillion-dollar video game industry. And yet, while the industry employs hundreds of thousands of people around the world, Black people are in the minority. Of the respondents to a 2021 survey from the International Game Developers Association, only 5% were Black while close to 80% were white — suggesting the enormous gap that exists in the industry.
The number of Black video game developers is small, but strong
Posted from npr.orgPosted in these groups: 
Video Games
Video Games
Posted >1 y ago
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Great to hear Brother William: PO1 William "Chip" Nagel good day Brother William, always informational and of the most interesting. Thanks for sharing, have a blessed day!
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."Passing the torch: Despite the barriers, Jones encourages Black people to get into the video game industry, especially kids. At an event over the summer where Jones showcased Never Yield for people to play, he ended up speaking with a lot of Black families whose children were interested in video games but didn't want their kids to think all they had to do was play games and they'd make loads of money. "I kind of just told them there's a lot of different jobs in gaming — community managers to project managers. He doesn't have to be a master at coding or be a master artist to kind of get into this." Jones says that he doesn't really like to give advice to people because everyone's journey is so different. "People say that, you know, the journey that I took was inspirational, and I never saw it like that until I talked to all those kids and those families." What he does tell people is to find your own voice and space, and just do what you like the most."
..."Passing the torch: Despite the barriers, Jones encourages Black people to get into the video game industry, especially kids. At an event over the summer where Jones showcased Never Yield for people to play, he ended up speaking with a lot of Black families whose children were interested in video games but didn't want their kids to think all they had to do was play games and they'd make loads of money. "I kind of just told them there's a lot of different jobs in gaming — community managers to project managers. He doesn't have to be a master at coding or be a master artist to kind of get into this." Jones says that he doesn't really like to give advice to people because everyone's journey is so different. "People say that, you know, the journey that I took was inspirational, and I never saw it like that until I talked to all those kids and those families." What he does tell people is to find your own voice and space, and just do what you like the most."
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