{"id":3720,"date":"2017-03-02T21:00:50","date_gmt":"2017-03-03T04:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.taterboy.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/1reasontobe-session-tells-moving-stories-of-game-developers-around-the-world\/"},"modified":"2017-03-02T21:00:50","modified_gmt":"2017-03-03T04:00:50","slug":"1reasontobe-session-tells-moving-stories-of-game-developers-around-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.taterboy.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/1reasontobe-session-tells-moving-stories-of-game-developers-around-the-world\/","title":{"rendered":"#1ReasonToBe session tells moving stories of game developers around the world"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Palestiniantry<\/a> http:\/\/1u88jj3r4db2x4txp44yqfj1.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/reason-palestine-300×192.jpg 300w, http:\/\/1u88jj3r4db2x4txp44yqfj1.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/reason-palestine-768×491.jpg 768w, http:\/\/1u88jj3r4db2x4txp44yqfj1.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/reason-palestine-800×511.jpg 800w, http:\/\/1u88jj3r4db2x4txp44yqfj1.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/reason-palestine-780×499.jpg 780w, http:\/\/1u88jj3r4db2x4txp44yqfj1.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/reason-palestine-930×594.jpg 930w, http:\/\/1u88jj3r4db2x4txp44yqfj1.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/reason-palestine.jpg 1200w” sizes=”(max-width: 578px) 100vw, 578px”><\/p>\n

\n

One\u00a0session at the Game Developers Conference consistently gets a standing ovation: the panel that celebrates diversity in the game industry.<\/p>\n

The #1ReasonToBe panel has a rich history<\/a> of being one of the most sincere and emotional sessions at the GDC. It started as Twitter hashtag when women explained their reason for being the game industry.<\/p>\n

Rami Ismail, cofounder of Vlambeer and an advocate for indie game companies, said that the session is about why developers make games, and this year\u2019s batch focused on geographic diversity, with developers from around the world. Ismail said it was an honor to host the session.<\/p>\n

\"Brigitta<\/p>\n

Above: Brigitta Rena Estidianti of Indonesia.<\/p>\n

Image Credit: Dean Takahashi<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Brigitta Rena Estidianti of Indonesia described herself as a clueless game developer. She was a 2D artist and illustrator who didn\u2019t know any game developers. But in college, she met with some kindred spirits who decided to form an illustration studio, Mojiken. They didn\u2019t know how to make games, but taught themselves. Their first games were failures, and that taught Estidianti a lesson: Fail early. She went on and ignored her mother\u2019s suggestions that she get married.<\/p>\n

Over time, the group became a real game development studio. She ultimately decided to focus on games as a creative outlet. \u201cGames are a medium of expression,\u201d she said. \u201cWe can communicate our thoughts and what we believe through games.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"reason<\/p>\n

Above: Marta Zi\u00f3?kowska of Poland.<\/p>\n

Image Credit: Dean Takahashi<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Marta Zi\u00f3?kowska of Poland started out wanting to be an artist. She switched to computer programming for the money and was the only woman in her class. She got bullied, but she continued. After she got out, she couldn\u2019t abide working in a big company. So she went to game conferences and switched careers.<\/p>\n

She said, \u201cMy first games were total failures.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her reason to be in the game business? She gets to do what she loves. She followers her heart. She has the freedom of creativity, and she is surrounded by friends.<\/p>\n

\"reason<\/p>\n

Above: Guillaume Olivier Madiba of Cameroon.<\/p>\n

Image Credit: Dean Takahashi<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Guillaume Olivier Madiba (@madibaolivier) is a cofounder of Kiro\u2019o Games<\/a> from Cameroon, in Africa. In 2003, he finished Final Fantasy VII for the umpteenth time. He has been making games for 13 years. His company was featured in the Wall Street Journal as a \u201cwallbreaker,\u201d or someone who breaks through walls.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the world don\u2019t give us a chance, we take it by force,\u201d he said. \u201cI want to put Africa on the creativity table. It was like this in Japan 30 years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added, \u201cWe started as a team, but now we are real family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martina Santoro from Argentina. She is 31 and trained as a political scientist. She works at Okam Games<\/a>, where she is the first female president of a game studio in Argentina. She is also editor-in-chief of InsideGamesLatam.biz. And she started to direct the animation program at Argentina\u2019s film school, Universidad del Cine.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am happy to be here because I am not supposed to be here,\u201d she said. \u201cThis job is very difficult for me. I never had to overcome a huge barrier in my life. I had a supportive family. I haven\u2019t struggled to have anything in my life. It finally hit me. This was the first talk I had to make about myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said she has an amazing team that is guarding her back.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho am I?\u201d she said. \u201cI like to think I am a catalyst. You can be the catalyst too. I am from Argentina, the end of the world. I can build this amazing team. What are you waiting for? \u201d<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

Above: An image from Palestine.<\/p>\n

Image Credit: Rasheed Abueideh<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Rasheed Abueideh (@rasheedabueideh) said he is from a place that doesn\u2019t show up on Google Maps. He said he is from Palestine, which he spelled P@L!$T!NE.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has been suffering from occupation for 69 years,\u201d he said. \u201cThe Palestinian people love playing games.\u201d<\/p>\n

He showed a picture of giant, real slingshot, saying, \u201cThis is how we play angry birds.\u201d He said there was a checkpoint where he plays, \u201cPapers, Please,\u201d but he added, \u201cThey don\u2019t say please.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do we make games if we are living as survivors?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Abueideh said the country is unrecognized. They don\u2019t have access to 3G networks because they don\u2019t have permission. He shut his game division in 2015 because they couldn\u2019t raise money.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are isolated,\u201d he said. \u201cNo one comes to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Abueideh said the war hit Gaza in 2014. He imagined what would happen if his kids were killed in that war. He said his team got together and made Liyla & the Shadows of War.<\/p>\n

They sent it to the app store, and it was rejected because it was based on a \u201cpolitical statement.\u201d He said this community, this industry, was amazing, and I got support from around the world. The game was approved, and it got 700,000 downloads on both platforms. He said he got comments that the game was made by ISIS.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy the way, I am not ISIS,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

When he told his father what he was doing, his father replied, \u201cMy son, you will end up in jail.\u201d He said his wife was terrified as well. She said she advised him not to put his name on the game after he had worked on it for two years.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am honored to be here, but I am not happy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Abueideh said his No. 1 reason to be in the game industry was to make games that could stop wars and stop more children from being killed.<\/p>\n

He got a standing ovation.<\/p>\n

\"Thais<\/p>\n

Above: Thais Weiller of Brazil.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Thais Weiller (@thaisweiller) is from Argentina. Life is really crappy sometimes, and working in games is not hard as you go from \u201ccrunch to crunch.\u201d She said, \u201cNo powerful experience is made out of thin air.\u201d It often involves a lot of suffering. Like a nasty breakup. That awful boss. A journey with a health condition.<\/p>\n

\u201cDirect your unhappiness into making a game, into something good,\u201d she said. \u201cIt will make you feel good about yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said, \u201cI decided to make a game about the nothingness inside of me. It was about the social anxiety inside of me.\u201d<\/p>\n

She released it. The press picked it up and called it a \u201cDepression Simulator.\u201d She acknowledged that she was depressed and went to a therapist.\u201dPlease make games,\u201d she said. \u201cMake the games that will help people who feel like you. And you may discover something new about you.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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