Shows with Black leads and actors are derided as forced. Female characters who were considered unattractive or male were labeled “DEI chin.” Dragon Age: The Veilguardwas criticized by right-wing trolls for its customization options, which allowed players to create characters with extensive surgical scars or play with a non-binary friend. After reviews were released, conspiracy theorists linked published phrases or other language as evidence that studio BioWare was instructing reviewers on how to talk about their game.
Even the unreleased articles have faced bombardment. Compulsory games’ South of Midnightabout a young Black woman in the Deep South, angered anti-DEI mobs on forums like X, where they photographed the heroine to make her look “disgusting” and expressed conspiracy theories about Sweet Baby’s impact on game development.
But the pressure to stay underground—an information-entertainment agenda that complements the art of narrative worlds and imaginations offered by the actors who inhabit them—didn’t just come from a few vocal people. After the release of Dark Legend: Wukongsome broadcasters have been given instructions to avoid talking about Covid-19 or “feminist propaganda.” The guidelines had the opposite effect, encouraging broadcasters to lead with code names they were barred from: contradicting standards intended to test players.
I’m looking forward By 2025, Ball says he hears a lot of pessimism in general, but it’s “surprising to think about, let alone predict.” If there’s one thing, he says, it’s because “there’s a lot more recruitment going on than is commonly believed. The downside is, it’s not nearly as rewarding, especially for indies. “
As the year 2024 draws to a close, the industry is operating—outside—business as usual. In early December, developers gathered in Los Angeles to celebrate at the Game Awards. On stage, host Geoff Keighley did a small talk, in between game announcements, accolades, and a performance from Snoop Dogg.
“The sad truth is that in the last few years the gaming industry has suffered huge and unprecedented losses for the entire industry,” Keighley said. “Those affect the games we will play and, more importantly, the people who make the games we love. We can argue and disagree about the reasons why, and honestly as a show we try really hard to deal with these topics in a positive way.”
Keighley used the segment to present the TGA’s first “game changer” award, a nod to someone who has had a positive impact on the industry. Then the show continued, with headline announcements about major projects like Witch 4 and the following article from The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog.
At the center of all this is the thought of AI. There’s still little understanding of how much AI will continue to grow and how future games might use it, but it’s a growing problem as rank-and-file workers are laid off. No one knows when, if ever, the industry will return with sustainable jobs and compensation. Yes, there will be games to be played. It’s hard to say how many people will be able to do it.
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