My Gaming Academia

How have Black cultures and Black players been represented in video games? How can we better represent Black culture, promote inclusion of the Black communities in major gaming spaces, and who are the organizations spearheading this effort? In this episode, Akil Fletcher joins Reza, Javon, and Eric to discuss these challenges.

Jeffrey Rousseau didn’t see enough Black voices in games journalism so he decided to become just that. In this episode, Reza, Javon, and Eric discuss Jeff’s exploration of the gaming industry and what really matters when it comes to diversity in gaming discussions.

Why do so many mobile games limit how much you can play in one session? Why does the concept of ranking up in PvP games seem so daunting? In this episode, Reza, Javon, and Eric review how cognitively ingrained ‘Loss Aversion’ is, how it permeates every game genre, and how game developers use it in positive (and sometimes negative) ways.

How has poverty been reflected and researched as it relates to video games? Are there common misconceptions or ways gamers engage in the concept of poverty? In this episode, featured guest Dr. Adam Crowley discusses this research in his latest book, Representations of Poverty in Video Games.

Do you ever feel like you don’t know what game, class, or build to play? Why is it so hard to choose? Does having infinite choices always make for a better gaming experience? When, or at what point, do options begin to feel overwhelming, and why does that happen? In this episode, Reza, Javon, and Eric explore how choice paralysis and cognitive overload impact gamers.

What do video games have to do with therapy? How can video games be used in a therapeutic setting? When is it beneficial for parents, therapists, or peers in general to involve video games when engaging with their loved ones? In this episode, Reza, Javon, and Eric explore how guest speaker Meghan Powers Armstrong conducts her practice at Geek Therapy, using gaming to treat patients.

Do you recall seeing aspects of your culture appear in video games? Did the digital representation reflect your own cultural background or upbringing? In this episode, Reza, Javon, and Eric discuss examples of cultural representation in video games, when it can become problematic as appropriation, and what both developers and gamers can do to stay respectful of diverse cultures.

Several times we’ve discussed experiences with people who play games heavily or with people who are involved in gaming on a daily basis. How do we broach the topic of gaming with those who aren’t as familiar? How can general assumptions about gaming hobbyists be misconstrued, and how do we address that? In this episode, Reza, Javon, and Eric discuss how to handle the topic of being “into gaming” with someone who isn’t familiar with the space, or who might have a negative preconception of the hobby.

Welcome to 2022! In this episode, Reza, Eric, and Javon review some of their favorite topics from some of their favorite episodes over the years. Thanks to all of you listeners for supporting My Gaming Academia, and we’re looking forward to more content to come!

In this episode Reza, Javon, and Eric are joined by Latoya Peterson. Latoya has been writing about games for the better part of two decades and has more recently led the development of the newly released game Insecure: The Come Up Game, based on the hit HBO show. This episode explores the experiences and challenges of what diverse representation looks like in the games industry, how ethnic representation is implemented into games, and how it has to be approached in the future.