For Pride Month 2024, the games industry is celebrating its LGBTQ+ gamers — we recently watched the Gayming Awards , which awarded prizes to the games with the most authentic stories and compelling LGBTQ+ representation. This is not a small thing, either. According to a recent study by GLAAD , 17% of gamers identify as LGBTQ+.
But what does it mean to work on inclusive design — and inclusive workspaces — behind the scenes in the industry. Recently, GamesBeat spoke with Adrian Ledda, Activision’s head of inclusive game design, about the company’s work with AbleGamers . Ledda incorporated AbleGamer’s accessible player training (APX) into the company’s design process.
His work also includes contributing to the company’s pronoun policy and he also leads the company’s LGBTQ+ and Allies employee network. I got the chance to speak with Ledda about his work on inclusion in the industry and coming out at Activision Blizzard, as well as his history with games. Here’s an edited transcript of our discussion.
GamesBeat: Thank you for taking the time to speak with me! Could we start by talking about your work in general? How did you get into gaming — as a hobby and as a career? Lil Snack & GamesBeat GamesBeat is excited to partner with Lil Snack to have customized games just for our audience! We know as gamers ourselves, this is an exciting way to engage through play with the GamesBeat content you have already come to love. Start playing games now ! Adrian Ledda: As s.
