Tag Archives: panel

Polygamer #101: Gaming After Kids at PAX East 2020

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Parents are raising the next generation of gamers — but let’s give some self-care to the current generation, too. How do we hold onto our identity as gamers after becoming parents? When do we find time for our favorite hobby, and how does having children change what games we’re playing? At PAX East 2020, I moderated this panel of gamers who shared their stories of adapting to their new lives while still making time for themselves and their games.

Featuring:

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(Promotional image courtesy Thomas Awrey)

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Education & Journalism at PAX East 2017

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PAX East 2017 is next week. Though the event is not typically considered a safe haven for a diverse audience of gamers, over the years its programming has expanded to include not only the Diversity Lounge but speakers and panels about LGBT+, PoC, atheism, ageism, and more. As evidence, you need look no further than this podcast, which was launched following a PAX East panel on sexism in gaming. Since then, several episodes of Polygamer have featured speakers first seen on PAX East panels, such as Charles Battersby and Tatjana Vejnovic. There are plenty of open-minded, supportive, encouraging, diverse people and panels at PAX — and I’d like to continue counting myself among them.

In trying to further improve PAX East from the inside, I’ve been moderating panels at the event since 2013, including this year. If you’re interested in getting into the games industry or honing your craft, then do I have the panels for you:

Life After Graduation

Sunday, March 12, 1:30–2:30 PM in Cuttlefish Theatre

Colleges are preparing students for a career in game development and design — but how closely does the classroom match the reality? Are the next generation of creators being given the skills and opportunities they need? We’ll hear from several recent graduates about the reality of their first years in the industry and what they wish they’d known.

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PAX East 2017: Life After Graduation

+1 to Journalism: Becoming a Better Writer

Sunday, March 12, 4:00–5:00 PM in Bobcat Theatre

What do you need to know to make it as a games journalist? What pitches do editors love to get, and what tropes have been done to death? Whether you’re helping consumers make informed purchasing decisions, unearthing the history of a franchise, or critiquing video games as art, you have to convey a lot of meaning in just a few words before the reader clicks away. Come hear veteran writers and editors share the best in games journalism and our own mistakes we’ve made along the way.

Featuring:

PAX East 2017: +1 to Journalism

Although my lineup this year may not directly address matters of diversity, there’ll be diversity on stage. I long ago signed a pledge to diversify my panel lineups — but that wasn’t hard to do, since alumni of Polygamer were quick to sign up, including Sarah Como, Francesca Carletto-Leon, and Susan Arendt.

If you’re attending PAX East, I hope to see you in the audience! We’ll be using the hashtags #paxgrad & #paxjourno, respectively, so feel free to follow along, wherever you are. Be sure to say hello afterward, and subscribe to this podcast for audio and video from these panels!

(Promotional images courtesy Thomas Awrey)

Polygamer #46: Tatjana Vejnovic of The Koalition

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Tatjana Vejnovic is a writer, editor, student, panelist, and former retailer. Her PAX East panel series on why it’s really rad being a woman in the games industry has run for three consecutive years, highlighting the strengths and opportunities available to women in a traditionally male-dominated business. When not on stage, she writes for video game website The Koalition, having previously written for several other websites, including one that provided an inside look at retailer GameStop from her years as a store manager. She’s currently launching her first mobile app development company.

In this episode, Tatjana and I discuss how to become a professional writer in the games industry; why it’s still really awesome to be a female in the games industry; how to seek investors and patent an idea for a mobile app; how to use a position of power and privilege to support marginalized voices; and how social anxiety manifests itself and what relief might be available from various medications and therapies. We also share stories from our respective GameStop careers, which for Tatjana was where she found value in helping others and where Ken felt helpless when working the day after 9/11.

Stream the audio edition of this interview below or from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, RadioPublic, or the Internet Archive. Click past the jump for links to resources mentioned in this episode.

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Unheard Voices at GX3

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I’m honored to be moderating a panel at the GX3 conference in San Jose this December 11–13. “Unheard Voices” will feature podcasters Anna Tarkov (Unconsoleable), Tanya DePass (Fresh Out of Tokens), John James (Minus World), and Polygamer alumnus Shawn Alexander Allen (Nuchallenger) on the following topic:

“Get heard with podcasting! The past two years have seen an explosion of diverse voices taking to the airwaves to discuss race, gender, and equality in gaming. This panel will examine the motivations, equipment, and challenges to getting heard.”

Formerly GaymerX, GX3 is an annual convention of games and gaming culture for marginalized voices and their allies. The event was co-founded by Matt Conn, Polygamer‘s first guest and recent guest of Less Than or Equal. This panel will mark my first time speaking on the West Coast and my first conference panel on equality and diversity since “Sex, Sexy & Sexism” at PAX East 2014.

Tickets for GX3 are still available. Come hear our panel on Saturday, December 12, at 11:01 AM PST!

Polygamer #18: Charles Battersby on atheism & religion in games

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Charles Battersby hosted the PAX East 2015 panel "The End Boss Doesn’t Exist: Atheism in Video Games", featuring Ken Levine of Irrational Games and Chris Avellone of Obsidian Entertainment. The panel played to a packed house, such that I couldn’t get in — so I invited Charles onto Polygamer to discuss what I missed!

In this interview, Charles defines some basic terminology before fielding such questions as why atheists are drawn to video games; why religion seems to influence music and art so much less than games; what fictional religions can learn from real-world religions; and how religion and atheism can be used respectfully in games.

Download the audio edition of this interview below or from Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Overcast, Pandora, Pocket Casts, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, RadioPublic, or the Internet Archive. Click past the jump for links to resources mentioned in this episode.

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At PAX East 2015, Achievement Unlocked: Parenthood. Now What?

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When I was first solicited to moderate the parenting panel that is this week’s episode of Polygamer, I was surprised. My contribution to the discussion of how to be a parent in the gaming industry is don’t, as I’m an advocate for acceptance of the childfree lifestyle. But the selfish purpose of Polygamer is to expose myself to lifestyles other than my own, and moderating a panel on parenting was the perfect opportunity to do so.

As the date of the panel grew closer, I got more excited for the discussions we were about to have — so much so that I already wanted to continue the conversation at PAX East. I reached out to my friend Nicole Tompkins-Hughes, whom I’d previously seen moderate the BostonFIG 2014 panel "The Next Generation: Making Games for Kids and Families" and for whose freelance article "The Last Tinker: When Good Games Make Bad Choices" I was an early reader. I knew she’d submitted some panels to PAX East — were any of them about parenting?

They weren’t! But Nicole was as excited about this topic as I was. With just 24 hours before the submission deadline, we sprang into action. I recruited Nicole to moderate the proposed panel, drafted Amanda Warner from the Women in Games panel, then took Nicole’s direction in recruiting four other panelists. We submitted our proposal, waited three weeks — and got accepted!

Achievement Unlocked: Parenthood. Now What?

Saturday, March 7th at 10:30am in Bumblebee Theatre
No role-playing game can present a greater challenge than the real-life role of parent. Does gaming end with parenthood, or is it just the next level? Hear from industry professionals on how they manage their time, handle the joys and journeys of gaming with their families, and maintain relationships of all kinds both online and off.
Nicole Tompkins-Hughes (Freelance journalist), Kyle Churchill (Co-host, Run Button), Steve Lubitz (Co-host, Isometric), Stephen Duetzmann (Editor in Chief, Engaged Family Gaming), Christopher “Gonzo” Gonzalez (Designer & Owner, DapperPixel), Amanda Warner (Co-Founder/Creative Director, Giant Spacekat/Giant Spacekittens)

This is the first time I’ve submitted a PAX panel that I wouldn’t be on. Since I’m not one of the panelists, the PAX East schedule coordinators saw no conflict in putting me on another panel that is happening at the same time. I regret that I will not be able to be in the audience for this great panel, especially since it includes three friends. But I’m glad to see PAX East give this topic the attention it deserves — I’m sure it’ll be a great session!

(Featured image CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 by Sean Dreilinger)