Video games, as an increasingly beloved form of entertainment and social connection for our culture, provide players with interactive outlets to express themselves while navigating new and fantastical worlds. With the millions of console and computer games available today, and the diverse population of people who play them, it would seem that more gamers (beyond heterosexual males) would see representation in contemporary video games—however, this isn’t really the case. Philip Jones’s Gaming in Color (2015) addresses this lack of representation and takes a closer look at the world of gaming from the perspectives of LGBTQ gamers. Featuring a diverse cast of engaging interview subjects, footage from the 2013 GaymerX convention, charming graphics, and clips from a multitude of both popular and indie video games, Jones’s documentary is a fun and insightful commentary on the queer view of gaming culture.
Following its title sequence, the film wastes no time jumping to discuss the negative stereotypes that often follow the word “gamer,” such as the antisocial outcast who sits behind a screen all day with a controller and a bag of Cheetos. What the film shows, through the diversity of its interviewees—which include a professor and game designer, a journalist, a game engineer, a game creator, the GaymerX convention founder, GaymerX convention attendees, and more—is that those who identify as “gamers” make up a wide and eclectic group of individuals, both male and female, young and old, and not all heterosexual. Those within the LGBTQ gaming community coined the term “gaymer” as a way of distinguishing queer game players from heterosexual ones. Some “gaymers,” one interview subject says, are gamers who happen to be gay, while other gaymers are game players who more actively seek representation of LGBTQ characters in contemporary video games. As the interviewees share their thoughts, it becomes clear that one of the biggest issues for gaymers is the gap caused by the absence of queer characters in most games, and the gaming industry’s embarrassingly slow progress toward improving this. Incorporating clips and analyses of several video games that do include queer characters, themes, or options, such as Fable 3 (2010) and Gone Home (2013), the film highlights these games in order to later show their contrast with AAA (or, high-budget/top-promoted) titles such as Grand Theft Auto V (2013)—a game with such limited depictions of LGBTQ characters that one interviewee was left feeling that, as a gaymer, “you don’t exist in this city.” Many of the interview subjects hold out hope for more diverse virtual portrayals in the future, however, encouraging viewers to keep a positive outlook—though they will likely have to remain patient for a while before the appearance of queer characters in modern video games becomes conventional.
The film also brings up the issue of discrimination and/or bullying that some gaymers must contend with in online gaming, and how creating safe gaming networks and forums is a strategic advantage of reaching out to the community of queer game players. One interviewee comments on the progress being made on this front, citing League of Legends (2009)—an online, free-to-play computer game that does not tolerate homophobia—as an example. Another safe space for gaymers that the film showcases is GaymerX, a gaming convention catered toward LGBTQ game players and lovers of “geek culture.” Founded in 2013 by Matt Conn (Gaming in Color’s executive producer), the convention offers attendees a chance to cosplay (or, “costume play,” meaning to dress and act as a specific character), attend panels, meet and befriend likeminded individuals, and express themselves in a fun and nonjudgmental environment. The film gives viewers a peek into the convention by cutting to clips from various panels and hearing testimonials from attendees—some in costume—about what drew them to GaymerX. By encouraging players to gather in a comfortable environment where they can be themselves and share their interests, conventions give a face to the people behind the controllers. As viewers are introduced to GaymerX, they are given a glimpse into a culture of unique and interesting people who are simply wanting, like everyone else, to be accepted for who they are.
Matt Conn, founder and CEO of MidBoss. Gaming in Color (Devolver Digital Films, 2015)
Flowing seamlessly from one aspect of gaymer culture to the next, Gaming in Color is an easy watch—incisive, entertaining, and well edited. Its cast of interview subjects was no doubt aptly chosen both for its diversity and for each participant’s enthusiasm and affable personality. The video game clips used throughout the film represent a wide range of game genres, mediums, and companies, from indie to AAA (and all the clips appear in great quality, too!). The graphics, figures, definitions, illustrations, and screen grabs interspersed through the interview footage and B-roll are an amusing—and informative—aspect of the film, along with the quirky, understated synthesizer music that makes itself known here and there. While this film would certainly be suitable for video game lovers (gay and straight gamers alike), I would also recommend it to anyone who wants to spend an hour learning to see the world from a different cultural perspective, and have a blast doing it.
Author Biography
Kailyn N. Warpole will graduate from the University of North Carolina Wilmington in December 2015 with a BA in film studies, a BFA in creative writing, a minor in English, and a Certificate in Publishing. In addition to Film Matters, she has done editorial work at Atlantis and Chautauqua, and hopes to continue working in the publishing field after she graduates.
Film Details
Gaming in Color (2015)
USA
Director Philip Jones
Runtime 62 minutes
For more information on how to view the film, please visit: http://gamingincolor.tv/
