She Got Games - Annabel Ashalley-Anthony Interview

Annabel Ashley-Anthony

Annabel Ashalley-Anthony is the Founder of Melanin Gamers, an organisation that promotes diversity and inclusion in the video games industry. Their mission is to create a socially conscious gaming community. As a part of that ethos, they run events both online and in person, create podcasts and other content and collaborate with gamers to help make gaming more inclusive. 

With the massive increase in visibility of diverse gaming communities (women, Global majority, etc.) what is preventing a similar increase in diverse voices behind the scenes?

There is a backlash; what is being termed anti-woke culture is gripping several different industries right now, and shareholders are hesitant to take unnecessary risks, which is why there has been so much anti-DEI talk of late.

Why should storytellers, filmmakers and authors think about video games as a way to tell their stories? 

Video games as a medium for telling stories are similar; some may say even more immersive than other mediums. I got into gaming because I love reading so much, so my introduction into gaming was because I played a game that felt like a book. A lot of narrative games are story rich; ergo, the feeling is similar. A video game is just a book that you can play through instead of read.That feeling of immersion and suspending your disbelief that makes reading or watching a movie so enjoyable can be found when playing certain games.

With tv shows like The Last of Us and films like the Super Mario movie, will we see many more video game adaptations in the future and do you think this is a good thing, or should games stay games? 

Storytelling should be able to be told in any medium – games can become movies and vice versa. I think it’s a wonderful thing that stories can crossmedia. I loved the game The Last Of Us, but my sister isn’t a gamer and I told her about the game when I played it. When the HBO show version came out she really enjoyed the series. We should see it as something that can connect us.

What do you think about the rise of Ai? Is it a helpful tool or an unsustainable harbinger?

There is a lot of fearmongering around AI. Yes, we should always be mindful of anything that is new being introduced, and there is a lot of harm that AI can do, but there are also a lot of good. AI is like a tool; the choice lies with the person wielding it.

Do you have a significant early gaming memory that you think informs the work you do today? 

My earliest gaming memory is of playing Earth Worm Jim with my siblings. We were stuck on a difficult level and we all took it in turns trying to beat the game. I think the community aspect of playing and working together still informs how I run Melanin Gamers: it started out as a community and it will always have the people just wanting to play and work together at its very core.

Why are calls for better representation of facial features, hair textures and skin colours when it comes to character design so important? 

There are various different reasons as to why there should be more representation. Some games are all about customisation and so it makes sense for the game to have all hair and all skin types available. If you are creating a game where the player can create a character that looks exactly like them, then that makes sense.

What games you have played recently or developers you’ve been watching embody the increased interest in diversity in gaming? 

There are a few games that I would like to mention that show a high level of diversity: Tales of Kenzera; I really enjoyed getting to know the rich Bantu culture that was interwoven in the story. Another game is Apex Legends; when I first played Apex, I noticed right away that the legends were from different backgrounds. That wasn’t something they added in after the fact, but it was launched from day one.

What are the current trends in the gaming industry that get you excited about the future? 

I do a lot of work in the Ghana gaming industry and I have noticed recently the uptake in the gaming industry across the African continent. There are more stories that are being made coming out of the African continent and I am very excited for the future of the gaming industry where we can enjoy stories that are rich with African culture, which is something we don’t have enough of.

What do gaming companies, developers and contributors need to do to bring in more Black and Brown people? 

I think they need to be higher in diverse spaces; they also need to make themselves mindful of different cultures. It’s important for all companies to be up-to-date on unconscious bias, systemic racism, and gender disparity. If companies and organisations took the necessary steps then this would naturally attract diverse candidates.