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#GDoCExpo will present a total of $90,000 in development grants this year to PoC developers during their award ceremony.

Fall season is upon us, next-generation gaming news has been rampant and with the energy focused on video games, the 5th Annual Game Devs Of Color Expo officially kicked off Friday, Sept. 18, in an all-digital format. The expo will formally run from Saturday, Sept. 19 to Sunday, Sept. 20.

On Friday, the expo preemptively kicked off with a first-of-a-kind direct presentation that premiered on YouTube that showcased current and upcoming indie games, as well as tabletop and board games. Post-show, the expo announced that games a part of the expo are a part of Steam’s event “Gradient Convergence”, which gives full rundown of demos and discounts from participating developers.

Created in 2016 as an in-person conference held at the historic Schomburg Center in Harlem, N.Y., the expo came into fruition as a way to “explore the disparities in race and the games industry,” according to their press release. By highlighting people of color within the gaming space, the expo provides an opportunity for not only networking, but also showcasing the vast, worldwide talents from fields including game development, art, marketing, communications and more.

With a jam-packed lineup of scheduled events this weekend, here are a few notable events and sessions that one should tune into and why:

1. Event Commencement – Saturday, September 19, 2020 10:00 AM EST

The kickoff to the entire weekend, which will highlight the challenges of making games related to the current demographic pool and the unconscious bias of the gaming industry. The commencement will also highlight the history of the expo, the 2020 art and theme, the successes and updates since last year’s expo, as well as how the expo will operate digitally.

2. Visibility in Indie Games – Saturday, September 19, 2020 10:55 AM EST

In one of my older articles, I express the opinion of how indie games could define the next-generation of gaming. During this session, the host will discuss how independent game studios compete with the marketing from these large AAA game studios.

3. The Importance of Being Authentic – Saturday, September 19, 2020 11:20 AM EST

According to the event’s description, the host of this event will focus on the importance of creating authentic Black characters and experiences outside of the struggles and pain of being Black.

4. Culturally-Aligned Game Protagonists Design – Saturday, September 19, 2020 1:15 PM EST

During this event, John Diaz, a technical game designer for Amazon, will share his experience working on character-driven games and offer his insight on challenging the status quo of diverse characters not being able to sell games and franchises.

5. GDocExpo Award Ceremony – Sunday, September 20, 2020 5:20 PM EST

Probably the most notable event this year is the concluding award ceremony, as a total of $90,000 in development grants will be awarded to six game developers.  According to the event, five developers will each win the $15,000 No More Robots x Game Devs of Color Expo Grant, which will include guidance and mentoring in game development. One developer will win the $15,000 Humble Bundle Game Creators of Color Award, which includes a publishing and distribution deal.

Paul "Tru1P" Holston

Paul “Tru1P” Holston is a communications specialist, multimedia journalist, and content creator residing in Washington, D.C. He is a down-to-Earth Gamer with a passion for the intersections of Video Games, Race, and Culture.

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