Outside the virtual sphere, though, there are still a lot of steps to be taken to make the gaming industry more representative as a whole. While Jay-Ann has recently been made a BAFTA member and now has credits in a triple-A game, she admits that some within the wider gaming universe remain hesitant when it comes to hiring Black women.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t want a cultural space [in the workplace] for people to turn off who they are, you want people to be comfortable with feeling how they feel, regardless of the company they join. That takes a lot of work from the company to maintain a culture that is open to all, and just by default a lot of studios that are predominantly white don\u2019t realise that they\u2019re not actually facilitating that because they are so used to being the norm.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes people come in with experiences working in predominantly white companies, which makes them extra sensitive \u2013 I\u2019ve been that person, it made me extra touchy,\u201d she continues. \u201cThey\u2019ve been through that pattern of ostracisation \u2013 and essentially targeting \u2013 for so long that it becomes second nature for your self-protection.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf someone feels like they have to assimilate into a space, I wish they wouldn\u2019t feel that way, but who am I to tell them that when they\u2019re navigating very real issues in their day-to-day lives \u2013 that\u2019s one thing people forget.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Black Girl Gamers is creating that safe space, allowing women of colour to survive and thrive in a non-hostile environment. Following Forspoken, the future looks bright for Jay-Ann and company \u2013 in fact, she sees BGG as a much-needed beacon of positivity in a world fraught with racial tension.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had to create my own hope,\u201d she states. \u201cIf BGG hadn\u2019t happened, that hope wouldn\u2019t exist in this way. There is an increase in Black women having equity in the space; honestly, if I\u2019m going to be egotistical, we did that. We create equity for Black women, we create opportunities. We are hard-headed in the space \u2013 if we weren\u2019t, we\u2019d have given up a long time ago. It gave me hope, but it also gave me so much validation that what I\u2019m doing isn\u2019t something I\u2019m doing for the sake of it \u2013 we\u2019re actually having an impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s showing that change can happen,\u201d she continues. \u201cAs women, we have to stand our ground or we\u2019ll be walked over by men for the rest of our lives, so you have to be a bit more forceful. I think there\u2019s a negative connotation of that because you\u2019re a woman, or you\u2019re Black, and you\u2019re meant to just accept. No, we are super valuable in this space. I\u2019m super hopeful, proud, and validated by our success,\u201d she concludes, and while we\u2019re on an audio-only call I can feel her smiling \u2013 and I am too.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re yet to try out Forspoken, Square Enix\u2019s fantasy adventure that Black Girl Gamers acted as advisors on, be sure to check out the Forspoken system requirements, as well as our rundown of the best Forspoken settings to get the most out of the wonderful world of Athia.<\/p>\n

Images courtesy of Chanel Moye, Jolade Olusanya, and Michael Stuart Daley.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Being a Black female gamer is no cakewalk. In a realm that, in many spheres, is hyper sensitive towards white women, never mind women of colour, forging your own path can seem destined for failure. Having just completed her work on Forspoken, Square Enix\u2019s recent\u00a0RPG game, PCGamesN caught up with Black Girl Gamers CEO and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":59159,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.pcgamesn.com\/wp-content\/sites\/pcgamesn\/2023\/04\/black-girl-gamers-jay-ann-lopez-interview.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[571],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-59158","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pc"],"yoast_head":"\n