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[junpei]

In honor of black history month we should recognize the black men and women who have help to move the industry forward.

I will start with the most influential person that I know of which is Jerry Lawson. if you have ever played Cartridge based game then you know his work . Jerry Lawson is the inventor of the video game Cartridge and one of the first black pioneers in the video game industry . A Self-Taught Engineer, Lawson developed the Fairchild Channel F which was the first interchangeable Cartridge console and was honored for his acomplishments by in The International Game Developers Association in 2011. He passed on the same year due to diabetes complications .

 

[Nicky Ali]

Reggie Fils-Aimé, If you're a Nintendo fan, you'll instantly recognise this guy. He brought a real edge to Nintendo's marketing, something that we're definitely starting to see again with the Switch marketing.

 

[psyfi]

N'gai Croal is a cool guy https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/N'Gai_Croal

 

[Horse Armour]

 

[big_erk]

Reggie Fils-Aimé, If you're a Nintendo fan, you'll instantly recognise this man.

Was gonna say Reggie. Love him or hate him, you can't deny him. Besides, Reggie launched the Bigfoot Pizza when he was the Director of Marketing at Pizza Hut. That counts for something.

 

[QuixoticNeutral]

While I understand the value of minority visibility (and indeed devote a lot of attention to African-American cultural history myself), maybe consider out of respect whether the people you name in this thread have shown any interest in being singled out as such.

 

[bitbydeath]

You don't get any bigger.

Soon to be replaced by

 

[Crimson_Gold]

While I understand the value of minority visibility (and indeed devote a lot of attention to African-American cultural history myself), maybe consider out of respect whether the people you name in this thread have shown any interest in being singled out as such.

I'm confused by this post

 

[Kaibutsu]

I'm confused by this post

Same, is QuixoticNeutral literally saying that people don't want to be outed as being black?...

 

[Bronetta]

From Saints Row. He was Anderson in Mass Effect as well.

 

[big_erk]

Same, is QuixoticNeutral literally saying that people don't want to be outed as being black?...

Damn, my secret's out!

 

[Hydrus]

Reggie Fils-Aimé, If you're a Nintendo fan, you'll instantly recognise this guy. He brought a real edge to Nintendo's marketing, something that we're definitely starting to see again with the Switch marketing.

This. Lock the thread. You can't top the legend.

 

[akidnamededdy]

Reggie Fils-Aimé, If you're a Nintendo fan, you'll instantly recognise this guy. He brought a real edge to Nintendo's marketing, something that we're definitely starting to see again with the Switch marketing.

Honestly had no idea he was black lol. Cool dude.

Who?

 

[big_erk]

This. Lock the thread. You can't top the legend.

""My name is Reggie. I'm about kickin' ass, I'm about takin' names, and we're about makin' games." GOAT ya'll.

 

[Venom.]

The Hip Hop Gamer.

No joke.

He is regularly slammed for not being a 'proper' journalist. But he loves gaming, is so enthusiastic and is able to channel the joy of gamers at home.

Companies like IGN are full with no personality 'journalists' (some okay people) but IGN would never take a sniff of him. Why? Because he is...

 

[Kaibutsu]

""My name is Reggie. I'm about kickin' ass, I'm about takin' names, and we're about makin' games." GOAT ya'll.

PLAY THE GAME

edit: K, i'm done with the Reggie fun'in. In all seriousness I'm super happy with the work Austin Walker has been doing. I didn't know who he was before he went to Giant Bomb and since then he has become one of my favorite game critics and dare I say intellectual? He tackles serious issues with honesty, wit & horny humor. Also he started up a gaming website as the editor-in-chief of Vice Games aka Waypoint.

 

[Haruko]

From Saints Row. He was Anderson in Mass Effect as well.

And the Arbiter in Halo...

and a ton of other games/roles

 

[Carn82]

Derek Smart

 

[Dremorak]

From Saints Row. He was Anderson in Mass Effect as well.

Haha! Thats amazing. Keith david as Keith david.

Sadly, I'm not aware of many other than Reggie, although he is a big deal. When he first came onto the stage at that nintendo conference it was pretty cool:

https://youtu.be/89GB6bC9_N4?t=91

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Who?

Evilore and Bish.

 

[bumclot]

I'm confused by this post

I took it to mean, a black person who is influential in the gaming industry might want to just be known as "an influential person in the gaming industry", rather than "an influential black person in the gaming industry".

Derek Smart

Aw, hell no.

 

[Alastor3]

You don't get any bigger.

Soon to be replaced by

Not that I don't like Carson, but I really like Christopher Judge :3

 

[jennetics]

Reggie Fils-Aimé, If you're a Nintendo fan, you'll instantly recognise this guy. He brought a real edge to Nintendo's marketing, something that we're definitely starting to see again with the Switch marketing.

I...what?

Reggie's black?? I had no idea...

The Hip Hop Gamer.

No joke.

Also...wat ಠ_ಠ

 

[UnemployedVillain]

While I understand the value of minority visibility (and indeed devote a lot of attention to African-American cultural history myself), maybe consider out of respect whether the people you name in this thread have shown any interest in being singled out as such.

Is this concern trolling or something?

You don't get any bigger.

Oh shit, is that the African dude from Living Single?

 

[DiipuSurotu]

Honestly had no idea he was black lol. Cool dude.

I...what?

Reggie's black?? I had no idea...

Lmao

You guys can't be serious

 

[Kaibutsu]

I took it to mean, a black person who is influential in the gaming industry might want to just be known as "an influential person in the gaming industry", rather than "an influential black person in the gaming industry".

I totally get what you're saying but in a world where people of color are marginalized heavily or not shown in a positive light in a lot of media I don't think you can separate one from the other.

 

[jennetics]

Lmao

You guys can't be serious

Totally serious! I had no idea.

 

[Sephzilla]

Evilore and Bish.

i still want to know what happened to Bish

 

[Dreams-Visions]

I took it to mean, a black person who is influential in the gaming industry might want to just be known as "an influential person in the gaming industry", rather than "an influential black person in the gaming industry".

That supposes that they believe themselves to be immune to the challenges other people of color have had and ignorant to their past and present. I'd be very disappointed if any of them would be of such a mind. I'd be a slap in the face to those colored bodies that paved the way for them to have any opportunity at all.

In a society where it continues to be hard to simply be as a black or brown person, where our likenesses are associated with struggle and pain, it's more important than ever to not only honor the heritage, but to own and wear it with pride.

 

[Hydrus]

Man, I just realized Reggie is gonna turn 56. He can potentially retire in 5 or 6 years. Switch might be his last hardware gen. Gonna be a sad day when he hangs it up.

 

[Seesaw15]

 

[Ninja Scooter]

ITT: there is a huge diversity problem in the games industry.

 

[thepenguin55]

I googled "black video game developers" and this was the first result: Criterion Software. Makers of the first person shooter titled "Black". Whomp whomp...

However, I did come across this article which listed 10 black game devs:
http://www.blackenterprise.com/technology/top-10-african-americans-video-game-industry/

Morgan Gray appears to be the most prolific of the bunch listed in that article. It's sad that it's so hard to come up with anyone beyond Reggie.

 

[Purple Cheeto]

Derek Smart is easily the most well known to the typical message board dweller.

A lot of the others I've met preferred to keep a low profile for a variety of reasons.

 

[bobbychalkers]

Honestly had no idea he was black lol. Cool dude.

Doesnt belong, steals pies

 

[bumclot]

That supposes that they believe themselves to be immune to the challenges other people of color have had and ignorant to their past and present. I'd be very disappointed if any of them would be of such a mind. I'd be a slap in the face to those colored bodies that paved the way for them to have any opportunity at all.

In a society where it continues to be hard to simply be as a black or brown person, where our likenesses are associated with struggle and pain, it's more important than ever to not only honor the heritage, but to own and wear it with pride.

Sure, I don't have a problem with the thread. That was just my interpretation of QuixoticNeutral's post in response to another poster's confusion. Sounds like it could be an interesting discussion to have in another thread, though; should someone be recognized as a luminary in their field, or an <insert race> luminary in their field.

 

[Marmaladefire]

People not knowing Reggie was black. Wat? RIP.

I really wish I could think of more than what's been posted in this thread.I also wish a black woman currently had a prominent place in the industry *sigh*

 

[mattiewheels]

I wish Reggie had more connection to games then he seems to, though. He always seemed like he could do the job he does for any industry that needs a visible guy to market and coordinate. His connection to gaming always seemed really tenuous.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

I wish Reggie had more connection to games then he seems to, though. He always seemed like he could do the job he does for any industry that needs a visible guy to market and coordinate. His connection to gaming always seemed really tenuous.

He made his bones as a marketing executive. He's doing his job. He's not a developer or producer. He will sell what you need him to sell, whether that's games or giant pizzas.

 

[Vigilant Gambit]

It sucks that this list is like half voice actors that are barely "video game" guys.

And that top ten list is cool, but a lot of them are "this person has a job in the game industry, and maybe they started their own company," and the company makes... mobile games?

I guess I don't know what I expected.

 

[entremet]

I...what?

Reggie's black?? I had no idea...



Also...wat &#3232;_&#3232;

What?!

 

[petran79]

Muriel Tramis

 

[DiipuSurotu]

Aundréa L. Hopkins - Singer of "Somnus", the theme song of Final Fantasy XV.

 

[akidnamededdy]

This picture has made my day. That is outstanding.

 

[Venom.]

Wikipedia says Reggie's family come from Haiti but I always thought (maybe because of the name) that he was Hawaiian!

 

[RecRoulette]

Was gonna say Reggie. Love him or hate him, you can't deny him. Besides, Reggie launched the Bigfoot Pizza when he was the Director of Marketing at Pizza Hut. That counts for something.

Still my favorite Reggie fact.

 

[sloppyjoe_gamer]

While I understand the value of minority visibility (and indeed devote a lot of attention to African-American cultural history myself), maybe consider out of respect whether the people you name in this thread have shown any interest in being singled out as such.

Maybe consider you're taking this thread too seriously

 

[Mega]

I...what?

Reggie's black?? I had no idea...

He's a black Haitian-American.

While I understand the value of minority visibility (and indeed devote a lot of attention to African-American cultural history myself), maybe consider out of respect whether the people you name in this thread have shown any interest in being singled out as such.

I doubt anyone would mind unless you're using it in a demeaning way to imply that's the only reason they matter.

 

[Vigilant Gambit]

Aundréa L. Hopkins - Singer of "Somnus", the theme song of Final Fantasy XV.

Yeah, this is what I mean. The singer of the theme song of Final Fantasy XV is in a thread asking for "the most well-known and influential black people in the gaming industry."

Just... damn, man. This thread does not make me feel good at all. I guess I'll do what everyone says when this subject comes up, and try to be the change I want to see in the industry.

 

[Jeronimo Jones]

I'm black and didn't know Reggie Fils-Aimé was black. Granted, I mostly know him from memes and we don't go to the same family reunions.