Freelance e-sports journalist and diversity advocate, Amanda Stevens, provides an in-depth workshop on why diversity and representation is important in the media that we create. In addition, they provided some strategies on adding more representation in media, including uses of writing, music, characters, etc.

After the presentation, each participant reviewed with their mentor how their first playable went, and discussed what improvements can be made to it.

Resources:

• None!

STEAM advocate, Milena Gonzalez provides a thorough presentation on why participants at the TVGS’ Lift Off Diversity Incubator belongs in tech. She lists the benefits of working in the tech industry and the positions available, but also indicated the negatives that the industry suffers from. Diversity can solve these problems, she argues, making a better world for everyone.

After the presentation, everyone split up to review their game design document and project schedule. They were tasked to make their first playable for next week.

Resources:

• You Belong in Tech Slides (PDF)

TVGS’ Lift Off Diversity Incubator continues with a presentation on Project Management for Game Development by college professor and former Studio Manager of Cinematic at Telltale, Becky Arcovitch. She provides a primer on what project management is, why it’s important, what the common practices are for game development, and provided an example of a schedule for Lift Off attendees to track their progress. Lastly, she provided resources on splitting and managing tasks, as well as encourage those interested in the practice to look for the Associate Producer role.

After the presentation, everyone split up to discuss how to write their first game design document and plan out their project over the course of the program using task management software like Trello.

Resources:

• Project Management for Game Development Slides (PDF)
• Tips on Writing Your First Game Design Document (PDF)

The second TVGS Lift Off: Diversity Incubator began with a keynote by indie game developer and TVGS Executive Director, Taro Omiya, who provided a large list of resources and common game-dev-related terms to look out for. The presentation came with a handout summarizing the presentation.

New to this year, attendees were also encouraged to share their game ideas to help the team building process. After ice breakers and a review of the program, everyone split with their own designated mentor. Each discussed what the attendee’s game ideas were, and what tools to look into to make it happen. With the handout and resources sheet in-hand, everyone will be spending the week studying what tools best fits their game.

Resources:

• Resources in Game Making Slides (PDF)
• Lift Off Opening Ceremony Slides (PDF)
• Lift Off Handouts (PDF)

Reference materials:

• Closing Ceremony forum (Youtube)

This is it! On the final day of Lift Off, the group started with a Q & A on what comes next after the program. The panelists focused on various perspectives of game making, from Rebekah Arcovitch and Quinn Miller tackling the topic of professional studios, Dane Jennings and Taro Omiya on independent studios, and Frederika Edgington-Giordano on hobbyist angle. Topics covered includes where to learn more about game making, how to put together a creative portfolio, transitioning from one profession to another, and balancing one’s schedule while making games.

After a brief intermission filled with cake (see above), everyone presented their final project. The six projects were (note: all titles are tentative):

• Arcana Unbounded
  A 2D platformer game that puts emphasis on challenging platforming and environmentally based storytelling.
• Extreme Gardening
  An idle game where one buys a mysterious plant that attracts the local faeries. The game involves with building houses for the faeries and communicating with them.
• The Masters: A Critical Role Fan Game
  A Critical Role game where you get to be the game master! An old-school JRPG about exploring an unfinished (in-universe, that is) fantasy world that is in need of your help to fill the details in.
• Aururian Elegy
  A visual novel about discovering who is the culprit in a murder scene, then…killing them through a turn-based battle system.
• Barrel
  An experimental 3D soundscape environment where interacting with various different elements in a rusting factory each plays an unusual audio.
• Laundry Fiasco
  A game exploring the anxiety of waking up and dressing. One balances between collecting clean and dirty clothes while being chased by their monstrous bed.

The event concluded with a celebration where each mentor congratulated their mentee with a certificate. Well done, everyone!

Reference materials:

• Diversity and Representation in Games (Youtube)
• Lift Off Closing Ceremony Preparations Handout (PDF)

This week, E-sports journalist Amanda Stevens conducted a workshop on how to better improve diversity and representation in your own game. Using two examples, she ran through an exercise with the attendees to come up with characters whose backgrounds and characteristics defies pre-existing tropes. Finally, she described the importance of representation, and why it serves to flesh out and attract more audiences to one’s game, while subverting expectations and keeping it fresh to current ones. The day concluded with the usual informal presentations on everyone’s progress, and a handout describing what the final presentation from each attendee should look like.

Reference materials:

• Software Quality Assurance (Youtube)

This week, education coordinator Frederika Edgington-Giordano provided a broad overview of what a quality assurance does, and why they are important for the development process. Using her own experience, she provides how professionals approach the software, and what she hopes developers do with the feedback her team gives. As usual, each attendee gave updates on how they’ve progressed with their project after the talk. As the closing of the event is approaching, the focus will shift to polish and presentation.

Reference materials:

• Workplace Discrimination and Abuse: Ways to Cope and Prevent (Youtube)

This week, multi-talented Muse en Lystrala gave a very frank and honest talk for Lift Off Diversity Incubator attendees on workplace discrimination and abuse. Using examples she herself faced, she informed the audience when to recognize abuse, both online and offline, and what to do when you see one. As we split into our one-to-ones, each participant provided updates on how they’ve progressed with their initial prototype. The mentors, of course, helped solve the mentee’s specific problems, to better prepare for the play-testing events such as the monthly TVGS Interactive Showcase. At the end, each participant gave a brief demonstration of what they had.