There was a clear negative takeaway from the Summer Game Fest that was held a couple of weeks ago, and that was the fact that the entire showcase was male-dominated. There were no female developers, publishers, actors, or presenters on the stage during the entire event, which was something that rankled with a portion of the community that tuned into the event.
It has taken a fair few days, but Geoff Keighley – the creator and core presenter of the showcase – has made an appearance on a radio show and set the record straight, offering his two cents regarding Summer Game Fest’s lack of diversity.
‘We Do a Pretty Good Job’
In an appearance that took the form of an interview with CBC – a Canadian news network – Keighley broached the topic of diversity during the Summer Game Fest. He pointed out that there was an expected appearance from Melanie Liburd, who stars in Alan Wake 2, but a scheduling conflict meant that Liburd couldn’t follow through on the plans.
Keighley ultimately defended the show in his statement, which has been obtained through videogameschronicle.com:
I think generally we do a pretty good job with diversity in our shows. That was something that’s a fair flag. We also want to be authentic to the games that are being presented on the show and the developers that are making them. So yeah, I think we’re conscious of it.
Online, there was a mixed reception to the lack of diversity during the showcase that reveals the ‘next generation’ of games emerging in the near future. For some, it wasn’t even a talking point, for others, it was a blatant indicator of the struggles that women still face in ‘gaining legitimacy’ in the gaming industry.
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There were some users in social media circles that lashed out against the ‘uproar’, stating that women shouldn’t be wedged into the showcase simply to tick a box – they should have ‘a point in being there.’
What do you think? Did the lack of female representation during the Summer Game Fest showcase leave a sore spot with you?
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