Gaming and Inclusivity

Join us for a captivating exploration into the intersection of gaming and inclusivity at our upcoming event on Monday, March 18, 2024 and engage in a thought-provoking conversation with diverse figures from the vibrant gaming world, with the spotlight on storytelling.

Our panelists, including developers immersed in empowering storytelling through their artistic projects and a researcher delving into the societal potentialities of games, will share their experiences of inclusivity and empowerment within the gaming realm.

This event is an opportunity to gain insights from the creators shaping the narrative landscape and understand the broader social impact of gaming.

Experience a dynamic mix of testimonials and game showcases, providing a comprehensive exploration of how gaming serves as a powerful force for historically and socially invisible communities. Discover the hidden potential of storytelling in gaming and its ability to open new avenues for understanding diverse experiences.

In a world where video games have become integral to the entertainment industry, the recent spotlight on the gaming community during the pandemic has revealed its creativity and diversity. Gamers have demonstrated a strong sense of belonging and societal engagement, evident in actions such as those supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and LGBTQIA groups within online gaming communities like Discord or Twitch.

Moving beyond the typical debates surrounding harassment and gender violence, this event aims to offer a fresh perspective on inclusivity in gaming. Our discussion focuses on opportunities for empowerment within the gaming world and how storytelling creates a space for societal reflection.

Discover what it truly means to be part of the gaming community today and explore the evolving role gaming can play in society. Through the lens of game storytelling, gain insights into the hidden power of video games to address social issues and envision alternative realities. Don’t miss this chance to be part of a dialogue that goes beyond the surface, exploring the profound impact of gaming on our perceptions and experiences.

Panelists

Celine Tricart

Celine Tricart is an internationally acclaimed director and producer, expert in new technologies such as VR and AR. Her work has been showcased at Sundance, Venice, Tribeca, SXSW, and HotDocs. She received the Lion for Best Immersive Work at the Venice Film Festival, the Storyscapes Award at Tribeca and an Auggie amongst many other accolades. Celine served as the president of the international Jury for Virtual Reality at the 2020 Venice Film Festival.

Originally from France, Celine specialized on film and new technologies early on and worked on cutting-edge franchise films such as Transformers 4 and 5. She co-founded COVEN, a video game studio based in Paris and focusing on strong emotional stories, innovative gameplays and inclusivity.
In 2021, Celine was awarded France’s prestigious insignia of Chevalier De lOrdre Des Arts et Des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) by the Ministry of Culture of France. She was a keynote speaker at SXSW 2022. Celine is a martial artist, a certified self-defense instructor, and an avid gamer.

Noe Mael Arnold

Noe Mael Arnold, a Game Design graduate at the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste now pursuing a Master’s in Transdisciplinary Studies, is passionate about crafting immersive stories. He’s currently developing his debut game, “Dissecting Love,” which is an autopsy of a queer relationship.

With a focus on meaningful representation, Noe delves into underrepresented experiences, challenging norms through storytelling. His interests extend to experimental and art games, where he explores innovative ways to engage players.

Yugian Sun

Yugian Sun, also known as CheeseTalk, is a Chinese Al narrative researcher and artist based in London. She is currently a doctoral student at the Royal College of Art. Focusing on the power of language, Yugian aims to create ‘alive’ narrative experiences that extend beyond video games and into our daily lives through conversational Al agents, leveraging her expertise in interactive media.

She explores this topic through chatbots, games, and interactive installations, which expand the boundary of fiction through human or non-human language interactions. Yuqian’s interdisciplinary art projects have been featured in galleries and top computer science conferences including the SIGGRAPH, CVPR, Cologne Gamescom, ISEA, Berlin BBA Gallery, Shanghai Aiilli Art Center, Seoul Media Facade, New York Times Square and Lumen Prize. She is also a guest panelist at NVIDIA GTC 2023 and an invited speaker at Autodesk.

The event is co-presented by Swissnex and Villa Albertine in the context of the annual Game Developers Conference (GDC), the world’s largest game industry showcase, which takes place in San Francisco every March.