Nigel Twumasi
mayamada
Nigel Twumasi is a former software engineer turned creative entrepreneur. He is the co-founder of mayamada, a brand that reaches across comics, video games and youth engagement. In 2019 Nigel was recognised as a member of the nationwide 56 Black Men campaign, and in 2023 he was appointed as a member of the London mayor's Cultural Leadership Board. A keen advocate for diversity within creative industries, Nigel delivers creative workshops with young people across schools, colleges and other youth organisations. Through the fun and engaging use of storytelling, he works to empower future generations everywhere to realise their full creative potential. Nigel is passionate about video games and their power to engage various audiences. He leads a dedicated team that runs the community event and platform called GamePad. Since 2015 they have been promoting inclusion through video game events and discussions with industry while providing opportunities for young people from under-represented backgrounds to gain valuable work experience on their own creative journeys. In 2022, he launched the "Do I Look Like A Gamer?" representation campaign and continues to work with video games and other creative industries to challenge stereotypes and improve access for future generations of diverse talent.
Nigel Twumasi is speaking at the following session/s
“Do I Look Like A Gamer?”: Bringing Genuine Diversity to Video Game Narratives
As part of the "Do I Look Like A Gamer?" representation campaign, we will explore the current state of storytelling in video games and the importance of bringing genuine diversity to narrative design.
The roundtable will be moderated by mayamada co-founder Nigel Twumasi, who will lead a conversation with players and makers to discuss examples of diversity across video game storytelling, and how to distinguish between tokenism and authentic representation.
The panellists will emphasise the importance of creating genuine diversity in narrative design, not just for the sake of representation, but to improve storytelling in the medium going forward. This means the need for game makers to incorporate a diverse cast of characters that add depth and complexity to stories, making them more engaging and resonant with players.
We will help game developers to understand why creating genuine diversity in narrative design matters, and how to spot when tokenism is happening where there should be sincere efforts to involve diverse voices in the creative process.
Ultimately, our industry benefits from better games, and there is much we can learn from diversity done well in video game storytelling which includes authentic and nuanced representations of characters from different backgrounds, experiences, and identities.
We value open, honest dialogue so the session will end by welcoming questions from the audience as we encourage further discussion on the topic of diversity in video game storytelling.
Session Takeaway
- Why creating genuine diversity in narrative design makes your game more engaging and resonant with players.
- How to go beyond surface-level representation and tokenism to create diverse storylines.
- How to involve diverse voices in the creative process and conduct research to ensure accurate and authentic representation.
- What we can learn from positive examples of diversity in video game storytelling.
Session speakers
