The gaming metaverse might be the best place for inclusive, diverse voices
As the idea of the metaverse continues to take shape, it’s important to remember how varied those who participate in it will be. How can game developers who are making metaverse titles create opportunities for diverse and inclusive voices? Rick Fox and Jace Hall, chief business development officer and CCO of HiDef respectively, sat down with N’Gai Croal of Hit Detection at the GamesBeat Summit and Facebook Gaming event, Into the Metaverse 2, to talk about the concept.
The panelists agreed that the companies creating for the metaverse should reflect those who are going to be using it. Fox said, “Building a team in general requires diversity of thought, view, and expertise — all things you’re going to find in the metaverse. But, for us, the focus is putting together the type of team that can see the world from all angles and have a voice that’s unified in a way that’s inclusive of everyone.”
Hall spoke about what incentive companies have to be diverse: “Diversity and inclusion a lot times in the world is used as a talking point, like they don’t want to seem like they’re not being diverse. But that’s an act. The truth is, diversity and inclusion is very good business, because you’re talking about different people and different ideas. Those ideas are new, so there’s new market opportunities for all. It’s coming from different places, but it’s for everybody.”
Hall said that the metaverse, which will allow users to build their own identities separate from their physical appearances, lends itself to diversity. “When you meet someone in an avatar situation, you’re really just meeting a consciousness… That helps bring down biases and judgements. It helps people communicate more genuinely because they’re not affected by what they’ve
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