Mr Kish Hirani
BiG (BAME in Games)
Kish Hirani marks his 30th year in the games industry. He started as a software engineer, swiftly attaining technical director or equivalent roles at development studios and publishing houses like Acclaim, THQ, BBC Multimedia... The decade after his career he moved to platform holders starting with Microsoft then settling at Sony PlayStation for 8 years as their Head of Developer Services, developing and managing resources for all developer-facing technical activities. For the last decade Kish has been self-employed working with multiple clients spanning from outsourcing/co-development studio, to indie startups mostly in the emerging markets. He is also a mentor and sits on multiple advisory boards. He has taken up the voluntary position as the founding Chair of the advocacy group BiG (BAME in Games), an advocacy org that promotes diversity in the industry.
Mr Kish Hirani is speaking at the following session/s
A Decade since BiG (BAME in Games): Ethnic Diversity in Games - Then, Now, What’s Next?
This session is open to everyone, regardless of ethnicity, as meaningful change depends on all of us being part of the conversation.
This roundtable marks 10 years since the founding of BiG (BAME in Games), reflecting on how ethnic diversity and inclusion in the games industry has evolved over the past decade and where critical gaps remain. When BiG was established it was based on the suggested figure of just 4% representation from underrepresented ethnic groups, later some credible industry surveys showed it to be 10% in 2020 and 12% in 2022. Since then, a lack of consistent, credible census data has left the industry relying on assumptions rather than evidence and a complete lack of consistent data capture for making any credible correlations. An industry census is now due to be published in Spring 2026.
Co-hosted by Kish Hirani (BiG) and Safiyya Ingar (voice actor and performance capture artist), this session brings together perspectives from across development and performance. Kish will guide discussion around studio roles: programming, art, design, production, and leadership, while Safiyya will explore inclusion within voice acting and performance capture, where visibility and access present different but equally important challenges.
Through a series of guided topics, attendees will be invited to openly share experiences, insights, and practical approaches in a safe and supportive environment. The session will examine not just representation, but retention, progression, and the structural changes needed to sustain meaningful inclusion across all areas of game development especially as we enter into an era of more job uncertainties in our industry.
Session Takeaway
A clearer picture of what we do and don’t know about ethnic diversity in games today, including the risks of operating without reliable data.
First-hand perspectives from both game development and performance disciplines on barriers, progress, and lived experiences.
Practical approaches individuals and studios are using to improve representation, retention, and progression.
Ideas for how the industry can move toward better data collection, accountability, and long-term change.
Session speakers
