What are the best practices for promoting diversity and inclusion in the game industry?

1 Know your audience

The first step to promote diversity and inclusion in the game industry is to understand who your audience is and what they want. The game industry is not a monolithic or homogeneous market, but a diverse and dynamic one, with players of different ages, genders, races, cultures, abilities, preferences, and expectations. By conducting research, surveys, feedback, and analytics, you can gain a better understanding of your audience's needs, desires, and challenges, and tailor your games accordingly. You can also use this data to identify and address any gaps or biases in your representation, accessibility, and engagement of your audience.

2 Hire and retain diverse talent

The second step to promote diversity and inclusion in the game industry is to hire and retain diverse talent. The game industry is still dominated by white, male, and cisgender workers, which limits the perspectives, creativity, and innovation of the industry. By hiring and retaining more diverse talent, you can benefit from the skills, experiences, and insights of people from different backgrounds, cultures, identities, and disciplines. You can also foster a more inclusive and supportive work environment, where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered. To achieve this, you need to implement fair and transparent recruitment, promotion, and compensation policies, as well as provide training, mentoring, and networking opportunities for your diverse staff.

3 Collaborate and co-create

The third step to promote diversity and inclusion in the game industry is to collaborate and co-create. The game industry is not an isolated or independent sector, but a connected and interdependent one, that interacts with other industries, communities, and sectors. By collaborating and co-creating with other stakeholders, such as academia, media, civil society, and government, you can leverage the resources, expertise, and influence of different actors to advance the goals of diversity and inclusion in the game industry. You can also engage with your audience and invite them to participate in the design, development, and testing of your games, to ensure that they reflect their needs, preferences, and feedback.

5 Celebrate and reward

The fifth step to promote diversity and inclusion in the game industry is to celebrate and reward. The game industry is not a static or fixed industry, but a dynamic and evolving one, that constantly produces new and innovative games, technologies, and practices. By celebrating and rewarding the achievements and contributions of diverse and inclusive games, developers, and initiatives, you can recognize and appreciate the value and impact of diversity and inclusion in the game industry. You can also motivate and encourage more people to join and support the efforts of diversity and inclusion in the game industry, and create a positive and inclusive culture and reputation for the industry.

6 Learn and improve

The sixth and final step to promote diversity and inclusion in the game industry is to learn and improve. The game industry is not a perfect or flawless industry, but a complex and challenging one, that faces many obstacles and opportunities for diversity and inclusion. By learning and improving from your successes and failures, feedback and criticism, and best practices and lessons learned, you can continuously improve your performance and impact on diversity and inclusion in the game industry. You can also adapt and respond to the changing needs, expectations, and trends of your audience, market, and industry, and stay ahead of the curve and the competition.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?