Andy Williams
GameJobHunter, Inc.

Get a video game job at http://www.GameJobHunter.com

Andy Williams
GameJobHunter, Inc.

Get a video game job at http://www.GameJobHunter.com

What eloquent comments! It’s comments like these that make me glad to volunteer here. Thanks so much for the discussion. If you have sites you’d like me to post links to, let me know.

Now, back to regular video games chat

I agree with Jen and I appreciate you making your points in a civil manner. I just wanted to add that I think you make a good point about the access to technology that is available today. The access to technology is much greater than it was 10 years ago, but 10 years ago is when the programmers in the industry today probably got started!

When you speak about people making music, visibility is what generates that motivation. Hip Hop and Rap are extremely popular, and when you see a person similar to you doing something fun and making money, it’s a lot easier to pick up that hobby (and Hip Hop is actually VERY inexpensive to do on a hobby level). With the video game industry growing in popularity and more black professionals getting into the field, this conversation should be very different after another 10 years. As I said before, I agree with many of your points but I think that N’Gai was making similar points in a different manner. There are definitely cultural influences, and it takes time for those things to change. Discussions like these are necessary to create the awareness necessary for change so I appreciate that you presented this topic on your blog, even if we don’t agree entirely!

“Today, the poor people of the U.S. typically have cars, multiple TVs, cell phones, and the poor that want computers can get them.”

I probably wouldn’t overgeneralize this statement as I don’t think it’s entirely accurate when discussing various levels of poverty, but I think what you’re trying to get at is that these items are increasingly becoming more accessible to a wide number of people and are fairly prolific in our society today. I agree, and that’s why I think that the increased access, along with the raised profile of game-related careers, is going to open up to a more diverse range of people as we continue on.

As for the discussion of the music versus, say, programming as a hobby… Again, I think it’s a little shaky to speak in generalizations here; I’m not certain of the extent to which high numbers of “low-class African Americans” pursuing music are being studied and documented, nor am I an expert on the economics of music making, particularly with respect to inner-city culture, say, with the “start up cost” to take up rap music. (Although, Nas tells us that all you need is one mic.) I think, too, that this veers off into another discussion of the pursuit of hobbies for self-expression versus as a viable career path.

“However, even here, I’d suggest culture and choice is more of an issue than simple financial barriers.”

I think we both can agree that a multitude of factors influence this, although we may have to agree to disagree on the weight associated with each factor. Personality and personal preferences are not necessarily things we can control, but I think it’s unwise to overlook the forces of culture, circumstances, and wealth (or lack of) that give rise to and shape these worldviews. I appreciate that you are willing to look at various points and that you made your points convincingly and with civility, which is more than I can say for many other pockets of the Internet.

“He is not accusing anyone of keeping blacks out of the industry”

I agree. N’Gai definitely was not accusing anyone or suggesting overt racism as a problem. I don’t think I implied otherwise.

“It is also more difficult if you don’t have the support of your family in achieving your goal, or don’t have time to become a programmer in your spare time.”

I agree, but this is a matter of culture. Some ethnic groups have more respect and tolerance for technology and computer work than others. This is a major factor.

“even to be a hobbyist requires a level of access to technology simply not available to underprivileged people”

This is the best counter-point. You’re right, most successful self-taught technology people did have ample access to personal computers at their homes at a young age. First, this applies to the under class in general, which is over represented by African Americans but is not related to them specifically.

However, even here, I’d suggest culture and choice is more of an issue than simple financial barriers. Today, the poor people of the U.S. typically have cars, multiple TVs, cell phones, and the poor that want computers can get them.

Lots of low-class African Americans create music as a hobby. These African Americans aren’t deterred by the terrible career prospects (far worse than game dev or programming), they find the money/equipment/time to spend on their hobby, and they don’t require unusual levels of parent or school encouragement to do this (parents and teachers tend to discourage this type of thing). So, why do so some ethnic groups produce high rates of hobbyist musicians while other groups tend to produce high rates of hobbyist programmers? I think the answer is culture, personality, and personal preferences.

Sickday, Partisan? What party are you referring to? N’Gai suggests more awareness, more education, academia, etc and those are government/policy type suggestions.