Shawn Pierre, the chairperson of the Independent Games Festival, opened the Independent Games Festival Awards with a plea to support game developers.
Pierre had some heartfelt words for the audience, which has been hit hard by layoffs, studio closures and other ills that have made life tough for game developers lately.
“I’m sure that many of us have been overwhelmed by a lot. Last year, many of the folks on the stage spoke about how unfairly our peers have been treated. And it is honestly a shame that regardless of how much may have improved, it needs to get better,” Pierre said. “The fight for fairness, for responsibility, for treating people as people, not as numbers, is something that needs to continue.”
He said the struggles that independent developers face from discovery to funding are ever present, and it is difficult to think about what lies the next on the horizon.
“But watching all of you work every day, whether It’s full or part time or in between other applications, watching them push the boundaries of the game industry, watching the ideas bond from the world around us, watching everyone trying to connect one another. It’s nothing short of inspiring,” said Pierre.
“Personally, I believe that to really connect to each other through games, we need to look past what we see on our screens and look at the talented people who put their time, effort, their hopes, their dreams, their wins, or their deepest thoughts into the experiences like the ones you see here tonight,” he said. “We need to look at the individuals, listen to their voices, and, more importantly, support everyone with their quest to thrive in this community.”
He said the game industry has such an incredibly diverse set of people and experiences in the global independent gaming community.
“We have a responsibility to look after women,” said Pierre. “So support the games created by your friends and the ones made by black and white people. Support the games made by trans people. Support the games made by queer people and the one made by a stranger from the other side of the planet. Support your friends.”
He added, “Support your friends who you see once a year at GDC. But also listen to the voices of those who are unable to attend this year’s conference out of fear for their own safety.” And he said by supporting all of these things and these voices can we truly connect the world and each other through the art of video games.
