Matt Conn is the CEO of MidBoss, the studio behind Read Only Memories, a point-and-click adventure game featuring a diverse cast of characters. It is the first game from the same studio that produces the annual GaymerX (GX3) convention and the documentary Gaming in Color.
In this interview (originally recorded for the IndieSider podcast), Matt and Ken discuss why MidBoss chose the first-person adventure genre as a vehicle for social justice; who the game’s target audience is and what the reception has been from those quarters; what challenges are inherent to writing a script featuring diverse characters; and whether it is the responsibility of indie or AAA studios to include marginalized voices in their games’ casts.
Stream the audio edition of this interview below or from iTunes, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spoke, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, RadioPublic, or the Internet Archive. Click past the jump for links to resources mentioned in this episode.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Unheard Voices at GX3
- Matt Conn on Polygamer #1 and Less Than or Equal #58
- Annie Lynsen of the Misbehavin’ Maidens on Less Than or Equal #62
- Read Only Memories on Kickstarter
- ROM is “SJW as fuck“
- UnderTale on Kickstarter
Note: I have backed all four GaymerX Kickstarters, by which I received a free copy of Read Only Memories.
Podcast: Download (Duration: 1:09:56 — 32.9MB) | Embed
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