Inclusivity and DiversityIn Volition games, other games, and some science!

Who am I?

Elizabeth Zelle@kohizeri

Associate User Researcher At Volition since 2008 GUR since 2012

Premises:

FACT: Video games characters tend to not be very diverse

FACT: This does not reflect the diversity of our playerbase

FACT: Inclusive characters can make some players feel good

FACT: Inclusive characters may also increase motivation to play

Premises:

There is a ‘Player Need’ to see elements of themselves reflected in games that they play

THIS DOES NOT MEAN:

That all players are equally motivated by this need

That all games must address this need

Representation

What is “inclusivity”?noun

An intention or policy of including people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized

How are people feeling excluded in games?

Players who do not see their own gender, ethnicity, sexuality, and/or body types represented frequently in the medium may feel excluded

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Williams, D., et al (2009). The virtual census: representations of gender, race and age in video games.

Williams, D., et al (2009). The virtual census: representations of gender, race and age in video games.

Representation

Why is representation socially important?Social Identity Theory

Presence of portrayals of a group serve as an indicator of that group’s weight in society

Absence of portrayals can lead to feelings of relative unimportance and powerlessness

Why is representation important in games?

Players that see aspects of their self in a game character can form faster, deeper emotional connections

These players can then have an increased motivation to play the title

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The Virtual Self

Actual Self vs. Ideal Self Self Discrepancy Theory

Virtual Self

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The Virtual Self

Allows exploration “Video games are intrinsically motivating in part because

they provide a context (albeit a virtual one) in which players can explore different aspects of their selves and “try on” ideal characteristics.” – Przybylski et al.

Can improve mental well-being “Users realize some aspects of their “ideal selves” through

the avatar, which may have positive implications for those with low self-esteem” – Ducheneaut et al.

More impactful to female, older, and (possibly) POC users “Female users are more likely to create avatars that are

idealized versions of themselves compared to male users. […] Older users broadly prefer creating an avatar that looks like an idealized version of themselves.” – Ducheneaut et al.

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Other Science

Presence• “A psychological state in which virtual

objects are experienced as actual objects in either sensory or nonsensory ways.“ –Lombard

• Some players have a “need for presence,” or tendency to enjoy feeling “there” in game environments - Skalski et al.

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In-Group Favoritism• A pattern of favoring members of one’s

own group• NOT the same as out-group negativity

Remember!

Your game doesn’t need to meet all of them!

Utility

Personal Investment

Identity and Self-Expression

Enjoyment

New-Experience

Memory and Sentimental

Aesthetic and Creative

Sociability

Social Communication

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Players value characters in a variety of ways:

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And now, Saints Row…

How have we approached diversity? Character Customization Diverse NPCs Gender-neutral scripts Gender-neutral romances Gender-neutral clothing Learning from our mistakes Not singling out specific groups with our

humor

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Saints Row – A History

Saints Row Limited Customization Diverse cast, but leaning on stereotypes

Saints Row 2 Went ALL IN on customization Became more satirical

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Saints Row – A History

Saints Row the Third Streamlined our player customization Became full-on satire

Saints Row IV Added romances Introduced multiple new POC NPCs

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Saints Row IV

Inclusive Protagonist: We allow total customization of the Boss Are totally gender and ethnicity-neutral in how we

handle that character

Diverse Supporting Cast: The ‘main cast’ of SRIV was less than 50% White

Dudes Women: Shaundi (x2), Asha, Kinzie POC: Keith Davis, Ben King, Johnny Gat, Pierce, Asha

Have well-rounded characters: Tried to avoid stereotypes and tokenism

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Saints Row IV Data

Initial Player Customization Usage During SRIV Playtests (n=81)

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Saints Row IV Data

Initial Player Customization Usage During SRIV Playtests (n=81)

• Nearly 85% engaged in at least some form of customization

• Women and POC were very likely to recreate core elements of their own identity in their Boss

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Saints Row IV Data

Initial Player Customization Usage During SRIV Playtests (n=81)

• White Males were more likely to create ‘wacky’ Bosses

• Customization options used most frequently were ones that make large scale changes most immediately visible and recognizable• Gender, body type, skin color, hair

color, hair style, voice

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Saints Row IV Data

Conclusion: Saints Row IV playtesters use customization to create a diverse array of Bosses, frequently reflecting core aspects of their actual selves

Hypotheses:

• Players underrepresented in games often take this opportunity to see themselves

• Players who do see themselves represented in games use customization to experiment more with gender and skin color, and also create more ‘wacky’ Bosses

Supporting Data:

• “Female user more likely to create avatars that are idealized version of themselves [...] male users tend to favor avatars that stand out more.” – Ducheneaut et al.

Saints Row IV Data

Players spent an average of roughly 5 minutes in initial customization.

This is what you can accomplish:

Volition and Diversity

• We use gender-inclusive options on surveys

• Conduct an annual Fan Census to stay aware of the makeup of our fanbase

• Focus our social media on sharing and supporting how fans interact with our games

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Volition and Diversity

Studies support that increased emotional attachment to characters, and the ability to see oneself present in those characters, increases likelihood of continued play of a title in some players.

By providing diverse NPCs and a customizable Boss, we offer a wider array of players a character to form an attachment to.

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How Do Other Titles Handle This?

There are many ways to handle diversity and inclusivity

• No Main Character• Hidden Main Character• Character Customization

• Cast-of-Character Selection• Authored Character• MP-Only Customization

No Main Character

• Ex: Candy Crush

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Some very successful titles do not have a protagonist

• Ex: Tetris

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No Main Character

PROS:• Accessible to everyone

Some very successful titles do not have a protagonist

CONS:• Nothing for players to

identify with

Hidden Main Character

• Ex: Journey

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Some games obscure the main character

• Ex: Metroid

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Hidden Main Character

PROS:• Accessible to everyone

Some games obscure the main character

CONS:• More constrained

storytelling• Less for players to identify

with

Character Customization

• Ex: Dragon Age

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Some games allow character looks to be customized

• Ex: Fallout

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Character Customization

PROS:• Accessible to everyone

(within bounds of the system)

Some games allow character looks to be customized

CONS:• More constrained storytelling• Resource intensive

Cast-of-Character Selection

• Ex: Overwatch

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The player is allowed to select their choice from a cast

• Ex: Borderlands

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Cast-of-Character Selection

PROS:• Able to develop authored

experiences• Provide a variety of characters for

players to identify with

The player is allowed to select their choice from a cast

CONS:• Not possible to represent

all players• Story telling resources

divided

Authored Character

• Ex: GTA V

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Some games deliver a strong, authored protagonist(s)

• Ex: Tomb Raider

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Authored Character

PROS:• Story is focused on one

character, allowing more depth• Player can be forced into

experiences outside of their comfort zone

Some games deliver a strong, authored protagonist(s)

CONS:• Very limited representation• Players can be discomforted

by some experiences

• MP-Only Customization

• Ex: GTA V Online

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Some games only allow customization in their multiplayer

• Ex: Call of Duty

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What Can You Do?

Example of our stuck-in-a-rut-ness:• When Naughty Dog hired a firm to do

focus testing on The Last of Us, women were by default being excluded from testing groups

The Industry has a lot of momentum• We’re heavily cis, straight, white dudes• Diversity can be seen as “risky”

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What Can You Do?

Ask Questions• “Why is this character white? Is that a

crucial part of their backstory?”• “Why are all of the enemies male?”

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Be Aware• You are not representative of your entire

player base• Just being actively aware of this can

reduce your biases

What Can You Do?

Do your research• If you’re including a character outside your

own life experiences, be sensitive• Read, listen, and invite people to share

their experiences with you

Increase diversity on your team• Let people tell their own stories

Be aware of Stereotypes and Tokenism• Stereotypes are easy shortcuts to rely on,

but can be harmful• Token characters can add diversity, but

feel pandering or cheap

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What Can You Do?

Be awesome!

• Mistakes happen – just be willing to learn from them• Take critique well• Even one voice in a company can make a difference• You don’t have to be perfect, just don’t be an asshole

Make awesome games!

And on a fun final note…

Most of the illustrations in this presentation are Saints Row fanart.

Shout out to all our fans who draw, write, mod, and otherwise are just really cool.

Recommended Reading:

Ducheneaut N, Wen MH, Yee N, Wadley G. (2009) Body and Mind: A Study of Avatar Personalization in Three Virtual Worlds. CHI 2009, 1151-1160. doi: 10.1145/1518701.1518877

Livingston IJ, Gutwin C, Mandryk RL, Birk M. (2014). How Players Value their Characters in World of Warcraft. CSCW’14. doi: 10.1145/2531602.2531661

Przybylski AK, Weinstein N, Murayama K, Lynch MF, & Ryan RM. (2012). The Ideal Self at Play: The Appeal of Video Games That Let You Be All You Can Be. Psychological Science, 23, 69–76. doi: 10.1177/0956797611418676

Skalski P, Dalisay F, Kushin M, Liu Y. (2012) Need for Presence and Other Motivations for Video Game Play across Genres. ISPR 2012,

Williams D, Martins N, Consalvo M, & Ivory JD. (2009). The Virtual Census: Representations of Gender, Race and Age in Video Games. New Media & Society, 11, 815-834. doi: 10.1177/1461444809105354

Questions?