Take-Two Interactive and Gay Gaming Professionals have collaborated on a series of short videos in support of diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), as well as bringing attention to its internal employee resource groups (ERGs).
Take-Two has a history of voicing its support for social causes, recently voicing its support for reproductive rights in the wake of the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
The videos, which will be posted on Gay Gaming Professionals’ YouTube channel weekly from October 5, highlight the company’s various ERGs, and their focus on building an inclusive environment.
In the interview with GamesBeat, GGP CEO Gordon Bellamy praised the possibility of the ERG systems.
Celebrating diversity
“These are organizations. They aren’t transitory. They’re part of Take-Two. These people are valued and need to be empowered,” stated Bellamy.
“In this particular case, what we discovered are these incredible communities that exist every day, that are working on things in their own groups. They’re working on things collaboratively that exist right now. 2022. And it’s up to us to tell our stories. It’s up to us to amplify these stories. So that people working in the industry — who aspire to work in the industry, people who trust us with their time to play our games — have some visibility into what’s happening.”
Take-Two and GGP are long-time partners, with Take-Two vice president of corporate communication first approaching Bellamy in 2022 to help create educational content.
“This series on the Gay Gaming Professionals channel will be a great opportunity to help educate other stakeholders both within the industry as well as those that are hoping to join the industry and pursue careers,” Lewis said. “And they’ll feel that there are spaces that not only represent them, but that will welcome them too. We have a lot to learn. And if we really want our creative forces to be truly representative of the audiences that they serve, we’re hoping that we can continue to broaden the scope and array of the diverse developers and creators and professionals that come to work for our organisation.”
The importance of allyship
The first video in the series will focus on the topic of allyship, the ways in which heterosexual and cisgendered people can support and advocate for their LGBT+ colleagues. Bellamy believes that this can help establish the future ethical culture of gaming.
“If you want your business or your product or you know, your demographic, to be pleased with the product that you’re selling them, you want to have people that understand and feel supported as they’re putting their blood, sweat and tears into that work.”
Lewis Rees is a journalist, author, and escape room enthusiast based in South Wales. He got his degree in Film and Video from the University of Glamorgan. He's been a gamer all his life.
