Leveling up representation in video games

Video games have a history of racist and sexist stereotypes, from damsels in distress to Asian martial artists. With the recent releases of The Super Mario Bros. Movie and HBO's television adaptation of The Last of Us, we wanted to take a closer look at representation in the video game industry. Sheri Graner Ray, CEO of Zombie Cat Studios and author of Gender Inclusive Game Design: Expanding the Market, explains what it's like to be a woman game designer pushing for the industry to broaden its perspective. And Professor Edmond Y. Chang talks about queerness and racial stereotypes in video games.

GUESTS:

• Sheri Graner Ray: CEO of Zombie Cat Studios, a computer game consulting and design studio; author of Gender Inclusive Game Design: Expanding the Market
• Edmond Y. Chang: Assistant Professor of English at Ohio University. His research interests include video game studies, queer theory, and American literature

Special thanks to our intern Melody Rivera, who helped produce this episode. Special thanks also go to our intern Elizabeth Van Arnam.

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