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The talent that Black women exhibit when given an opportunity in the video gaming industry has been game-changing. However, the level of representation doesn’t measure in comparison to how limitless they are. According to data from the International Game Developers Association, only 2% of game developers are Black, per CNBC.
The NFL is putting on for the ladies as — for the first time — a women’s bracket will be available in an EA or Madden tournament. According to a press release sent to AfroTech, The National Football League’s annual EA Sports Madden NFL 23 + HBCU Tournament has returned for its third year to inspire the minds of students who have a knack for gaming and football.
Much like the world as we know it, the gaming industry continues to evolve and soar to new heights. What was once the basis for mobile gaming has changed, thanks to Gen Z, and the money to follow is proof in the pudding. According to Vogue Business, the generation is partly responsible for helping to “boost the industry’s valuation to $222 billion this year,” and that number might not go down anytime soon. Another contributing factor to the 2.7 billion gamers who account for the top-grossing U.S. games is the influx of women gamers. They currently make up for a bulk of the consumer spending and are a part of the demographic helping to make the industry appeal to luxury brands.
Africa’s gaming world is set to soar to new heights! A total of ten game development studios have combined as one to help bridge the gap when it comes to gaming within the continent. The initiative, called the Pan Africa Gaming Group (PAGG), aims to increase gaming in the diaspora and will serve as a launching pad for those interested in becoming gaming developers. “PAGG said they aim to grow the industry by two times annually and to put Africa ‘on the map of the global game industry,” TechCrunch reports. The news comes as Africa celebrates its 2022 Africa Game Week, currently underway in Capetown, Africa — a region that makes up the majority of the gaming community within the continent.
For decades, Black people have been a force in the sports industry, yet when it comes to making a profit from the game, the coins are far and few unless we’re athletes. And, Kai Bond says it’s time we change that. Bond — a partner at Courtside VC, a company that focuses on sports, gaming, and fitness verticals — says the time is now when it comes to sports innovation that can lead to something huge for the culture. “Sports used to be a game, and now it’s culture,” said Bond during the latest Black Tech Green Money episode with host Will Lucas. “When you think about the power of sports in society, it’s one of the things that can bring us together; it’s one of the things that divide us. Sports figures, athletes, you see it today in social media, their influence is outsized, and you know the ‘shut up and dribble’ conversations that have happened. We’re talking about individuals who are transforming society at a faster pace; I would argue than politicians because they’re at the...
When it comes to sports and technology, StatusPRO not only gets it right but encourages others to see just how significant technology is to the sports industry and vice versa. As athletes, founders Andrew “Hawk” Hawkins and Troy Jones know the importance of using technology to make training more efficient for sports professionals across the nation. The company marries technology and sports by combining player data, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) to design a suite of training and gaming products. Now, they can continue to execute the vision for their company thanks to a $5.2 million seed round, according to a press release provided to AfroTech. Led by venture capital firms KB Partners and TitletownTech, the round also received additional backing from 49ers Enterprises, Greycoft, Haslam Sports Group, SC Holdings, Verizon Ventures, and a host of other celebrity investors. This is a huge milestone for both Hawkins and Jones. “The XR [AR and VR] market has seen...
As the gaming community and industry continues to grow, the call for more inclusion of Black/POC/women characters and creators increases as well. According to a study published by Statista , women make up nearly 41 percent of U.S. gamers, while the International Gamers Developers Association reports that only 1 percent of individulas working in the game industry are Black. Even more so, racial representation in games is lacking as well as Black characters only comprised 10.7 percent of those observed in 150 of the most popular titles, according to a 2009 study reported by TechCrunch . In an effort to combat these low statistics, a Black mother decided to introduce her daughter to games that reflected what she looked like to help build up her self-confidence. Yvonne Oatley — founder of mobile gaming app Frobelles — developed the game alongside her daughter Alyssa, who helped design the characters and create elements for the game. View this post on Instagram Cute outfit Coco! ?...
Gaming companies are reaching incredible milestones this year far beyond revenue expectations set for the industry. With this in mind, it’s safe to assume that gaming is becoming a bigger entity central to the growth of tech and it will only continue to expand. Today, MaC Venture Capital — an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in growing tech companies — released a report as part of their “Culture Shifts: The State of Technology and Culture” series identifying societal and behavioral trends that influence global pop culture. Gaming Takeover outlines how the gaming industry is shifting the world’s practices as well as the growth opportunities it offers for innovation and investment in the near future. The report shares how the billion-dollar video game industry merges both the physical and digital worlds, pulling cultural references from every sector including education, music, movies, TV, sports, medicine, national defense, construction, and politics. “What started in the...
Los Angeles-based video game company Riot Games is shedding light on the importance of representation in the workplace. The company, which is best known for some of the world’s most popular games like League of Legends and VALORANT, is also attempting to become the industry leader in diversity and inclusion (D&I). One way they’re doing so is providing a safe space for Black Rioters to come together and share their experiences in the gaming industry in a community-like environment through Riot Games’ Black ERG, Riot Noir. Members of Riot Noir spoke with AfroTech about how they entered the industry, their experience working with Riot, and their aspirations for the next generation of game developers. “As Black people, we spend so much of our day as the only one,” says Jahmeilah Roberson, Senior UX designer at Riot Games. “In gaming, on top of being the only Black person, I may be the only woman in a day’s worth of meetings. So, connecting with other people who understand the nuances of...
It’s no secret that the eSports industry has been on a steady climb to the top these past several years. What began as small competitions between gamers has become a nearly billion-dollar industry. By 2022, the market is set to hit $1.79 billion, according to estimates from Newzoo. While most of the attention is on the games, teams, and growth of the industry, there are still other aspects of the eSports industry that entrepreneurs who are looking for an entry point to consider. 1. Sponsorship Streamers and Pro-Gaming teams need someone to pay for travel, entry fees, equipment, etc., in turn, they wear the company’s logo and build brand awareness. 2. Apparel Sports fans love to wear their favorite team’s logo, and eSports is no different. For example, Jinx.com — established in 1999 — was initially a place for hackers and geek-themed clothing, now it carries lines of clothing and apparel for gamers Anne Munition and Shroud . 3. Equipment Sites such as Newegg.com and BestBuy.com have...
PlayVS, the startup bringing esports leagues to high schoolers, has raised $50 million in its Series C funding round. The Santa Monica-based company gained heavy traction last year when it raised $15 million and $30 million in consecutive funding rounds. Parents may see Fortnite, NBA 2K and other hit games as a distraction to their kids, but video games are opening opportunities for teenagers that previous generations can only imagine. At least 20 colleges and universities in the U.S. now have varsity esports teams and PlayVS wants to get high schoolers ready for the leagues. Institutions like Hampton University are also building out curriculums to offer esports as a concentration. The esports market is set to hit a market value of more than $1 million this year and companies like PlayVS could ensure that the industry is lucrative for years to come. PlayVS is a platform looking to regulate high school esports, providing structure to an otherwise loosely controlled gaming...
Apple’s gaming service, Apple Arcade is set to be one of the company’s most successful recent announcements. Apple has been making plans for a new television streaming service and news service. The company will also be splitting iTunes up into separate platforms focused on music and podcasts. Apple Arcade — a $500 million investment for the company — will launch this fall with exclusive game offerings. The service won’t have microtransactions, ads, or ad tracking. Sonic Racing, LEGO Brawls and a range of more than 100 other games will be featured on the platform. The games will be accessible on mobile devices, desktops and more. “The App Store is the world’s biggest and most successful game platform,” Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, Phil Schiller, said in a statement. “Now we are going to take games even further with Apple Arcade, the first game subscription service for mobile, desktop and the living room.” Apple has already dished out $1 billion on its TV+...