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New scoring system that ranks games based on their representation of race, gender and disabilities reveals there’s still a long way to go to accurately represent the diverse communities playing them
Reading Time: 4 minutes
A new study by Currys PC World investigating diversity in the gaming industry has found that, while the representation of race, gender and disabilities has improved in games since the nineties, there is still a distinct bias in favour of the young, white, straight male.
Using a bespoke scoring system (please see methodology for breakdown), they analysed games that have made a mark at E3 and The Game Awards over the last 20 years. Games were awarded points for: female characters in prominent positions; for exploring LGBTQ+ plot points or themes; for mixed race characters prominently placed in the story; and for disabled characters or references. Their key findings are below:
Ethnic minorities are still underrepresented in games, but things are (slowly) improving
Despite efforts being made in recent years to improve the ethnic diversity of characters in games, an analysis of all games nominated for a Game Award from 2003 to 2018 unearthed that black and ethnic minorities are still severely underrepresented.
While RPGs (role-playing games) sometimes offer a choice of playable characters, their default characters are often white. When other ethnicities are represented, it’s also common for them to be type-cast.
“The diversity that is applied to white characters is something that is often missing when other races are depicted in games.” Adam Campbell, co-founder of POC in Play. “Representation still feels incomplete and inconsistent. We’re still also hard pushed to find those protagonists that are not the stereotypical Indiana Jones or the tough, bald, male type, so ‘diversity’ is the exception rather than the rule.”
· Proper ethnic diversity is still lacking. Only 3% of Game Award nominees (2003-2018) have featured a person of colour as a default protagonist.
· Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and The Walking Dead are the only games where a playable person of colour is baked into the story from start to finish.
· Fallout 4 doesn’t feature a specific character on the cover, but the player creator screen serves a generic white male/female face as the first thing you see.
· Canada is by far the best at getting representation right. Edmonton’s Bioware has put an emphasis on freedom of choice of character, and Ubisoft Montreal consistently tells diverse stories (e.g. Assassin’s Creed).
Representation of women in games is on the rise, yet the characters are often hyper-sexualised
With as many as 42% of gamers in the UK being female (and that number rising to 52% in France[1]) it only makes sense that women are represented equally in games. This doesn’t appear to be the case, however. While the last decade has seen a 189% increase in games featuring playable female characters, fewer than a third of game covers feature a woman in a prominent position. When women are featured, they’re often sexualised. For example, the cover of San Andreas sports a blonde-haired woman in a come-hither pose.
“Female characters have historically been hyper-sexualised for the male gaze in gaming,” says Jay-Ann Lopez, founder of Black Girl Gamers. “You can observe this with the various representations of Lara Croft. I do not believe there is an inherent problem with women being viewed as sexy. However, when it is the only version of women shown, it strips us of our depth and limits us to serving as purely visual objects. Still, there are more and more holistic and nuanced female characters appearing within games.”
· Game covers continue to put men first. Only 11% of covers have women as the focal point, or with a share of the focus.
· From 2012 onwards, diversity has markedly improved. The Walking Dead release that year starred a black man (Lee) and a young mixed-race girl (Clementine) and was a critical and commercial hit.
The notion that people with disabilities need to be “fixed” is rife in the gaming industry
On the rare occasions that disabilities are represented in games, they are more likely to be physical ailments than mental. Mental health has only been tackled in the last few years as awareness rises. Plus, characters with a physical disability are often “fixed”.
Accessibility expert Ian Hamilton says: “This notion that people with disabilities are broken and need to be fixed – a concept known as the medical model of disability – was rejected and abandoned in the 1970s, yet still persists in media and in games, often through the trope of medical conditions being replaced by superhuman powers or superhuman prosthetics. Moreover, games are often guilty of furthering the myth that a disability is rare, with all the impact that has on broader prejudice and discrimination.”
· Deadly Premonition shows protagonist Francis York Morgan talking to an imaginary character, Zach. What starts off as a curious subplot turns into a fascinating exploration of mental health.
· The Joker, ace pilot of Mass Effect’s SS Normandy, suffers from Vrolik syndrome (brittleness of the bones), while Lester, the sardonic sidekick in Grand Theft Auto V, has an unnamed wasting disease. Yet both men are fiercely independent in spite of the challenges they face and are not defined by their disabilities.
LGBTQ+ themes are being explored more in gaming narratives
LGBTQ+ themes are rarely explored in games, and that’s especially true of the biggest titles.
This being said, things are improving. Some of the biggest games to tackle homosexuality with grace in the last 20 years include:
· Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (2018) and The Sims (2000) with both allowing you to enter a relationship with anyone you please
· The Last of Us (2013) boasting an expansion pack that portrays Ellie in a relationship with another girl,
· Fallout 3 that features a romanceable gay character, and
· Life is Strange (2015) that explores a number of well-written gay characters.
“Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator lets players be either a cis or trans man and captures a reality of the gay community I haven’t seen before in a game. Not every game can be Dream Daddy – and not every game has to be.” Alayna M. Cole, MD of Queerly Represent Me.
· Only 11% of GOTY nominees and E3 winners offer up significant LGBTQ+ storylines.
· From 2009-2018, there’s been a 300% rise in games featuring proper representation when compared to the preceding ten years (1999-2008).
Ultimately, things are getting better. Since 2012, nearly half of all games have featured diverse casts, LGBTQ+ themes or characters of colour – as opposed to 26% pre- 2012. Plus, The Last of Us II, one of the biggest PS4 games coming out in the next year, is set to feature a female LGBTQ+ lead. With time, here’s hoping that the enduring (and inaccurate) stereotype – that only young, white men play games – will fizzle out.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_and_video_games
Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network
This is a Syndicated News piece. Photo credits or photo sources can be found on the source article: New scoring system that ranks games based on their representation of race, gender and disabilities reveals there’s still a long way to go to accurately represent the diverse communities playing them
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Itai Zak, Executive Director of iGaming at Digicode and former CEO of SBTech, the tier-one sportsbook and technology provider acquired by DraftKings in 2019, also serves as CEO of Gemstone Interactive, a boutique solutions partner for iGaming operators. A veteran executive and long-time advocate of player-first innovation, he offers a sharp look into the future of iGaming. With a history of guiding major brands through expansion and transformation, Zak is not someone who follows trends for the sake of activity. In his view, the real battleground for long-term growth is not how many markets an operator enters but how deeply they engage in the ones they already serve. His question to operators is direct and strategic: Where are you truly winning, and why?
Let’s explore the deep-market strategy powering sustainable growth, blending financial realism, adaptive tech, and real-time personalization into a focused vision that favors precision over presence.
Why Global-First Is Losing Ground
Just a few years ago, a successful operator was often defined by their geographic footprint. Launching in multiple regions created the illusion of momentum. But today, market saturation, regulatory fragmentation, and rising player expectations are exposing the limitations of this model.
Itai Zak explains that, “Europe was once a centralized opportunity. Today, it’s ten different countries with ten different frameworks.” From a compliance and cost perspective, this has created operational bottlenecks. Each jurisdiction now requires bespoke workflows, regulatory reporting, responsible gaming oversight, and even tailored user experiences.
Worse, players have evolved. A “universal” interface or product no longer works across markets. In emerging territories such as Brazil and India, success depends heavily on how well an operator adapts to cultural preferences, local payment systems, and region-specific content.
The Rise of Deep-Market Strategy
What we’re witnessing is a strategic shift from volume-based growth to depth-based dominance. There are 4 main drivers behind this pivot:
1. Fragmented Regulation Requires Granular Commitment
The days of a single gaming license acting as a passport are over. Today, compliance is not just about legality; it’s about infrastructure. Operators must build and maintain localized compliance engines to keep up with rapidly evolving standards. “What works in Sweden will likely fail in the Netherlands. Operators need dedicated regulatory teams per region.”
2. Player Experience Is Hyperlocal by Default
Consumer expectations are shaped by local context. Nordic players prefer richer desktop UIs and immersive casino features. In contrast, Indian players expect mobile-first simplicity and local payment flows like UPI. LATAM regions are seeing explosive growth, but only for operators who integrate payment rails like PIX and deliver Spanish/Portuguese-tailored content.
Uniformity no longer means scalability; it means irrelevance.
3. Efficiency Beats Vanity Expansion
There’s a growing recognition that it’s better to be exceptional in one market than average in many. Deep-market strategy prioritizes:
- Higher Lifetime Value (LTV)
- Increased retention
- Lower Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
- Improved regulatory predictability
4. Retention Is the New Growth Lever
Global growth might bring short-term user acquisition, but retention requires local trust, familiarity, and relevance. The deeper your market understanding, the more likely you are to convert players into loyal customers.
Is Global Expansion Dead?
Not quite. What’s emerging is a hybrid model – global infrastructure combined with hyperlocal execution.
Basically, this dual-layered approach is “a shared chassis with localized controls.” Operators need scalable back-end platforms – compliance engines, CRM systems, bonus engines, but allow for front-end freedom. Local marketing, payment, and content teams execute based on what actually works on the ground.
In practice, this means:
- Platform consistency at the core (RGS, risk, KYC, CRM)
- Market-specific UX/UI, payment flows, and offers
- Country-level dashboards to monitor local KPIs
- Flexible brand architecture to launch sub-brands per market
Knowing When to Deepen vs. Expand
There is a straightforward framework to determine whether it’s time to grow outward or dig deeper:
Expand if:
- You’ve fully optimized LTV in your current markets
- Your infrastructure can absorb additional regulatory complexity
- You have access to local partners or brands in the new region
Deepen if:
- Your retention or conversion metrics are below industry benchmarks
- There’s untapped potential in localized features or payment integrations
- Local competitors are outperforming despite a smaller reach
This lens helps operators avoid reactive expansion and instead invest where sustainable growth is most likely.
The Digicode Approach: Local Autonomy, Central Control
At Digicode, we’ve seen this shift firsthand. The operator clients are no longer asking for “just another multilingual skin.” They’re asking for:
- Modular platforms that can launch and manage multiple brands with independent rulesets
- Configurable compliance per market
- Local bonus engines that adapt to regulatory constraints
- Player lifecycle tools tuned for cultural buying behavior
What powers this? Our ability to separate back-end scalability from front-end customization, giving operators speed, control, and precision as they go deeper into high-performing markets.
Final Thought: Strategy Is Local
The market is maturing. The future of iGaming isn’t about being everywhere, but being someone to someone in specific markets. The brands that win long-term will be those that go deeper than their competitors are willing to, speak to players with cultural fluency, and build infrastructure that adapts intelligently.
Itai Zak put it simply: “Don’t ask how many countries you’re in. Ask where you’re winning and why.”
If local precision is your next competitive edge, Digicode’s experts can help you deliver it without losing control of the big picture.
The post Hyperlocal vs. Global: Is the Future of iGaming in Deep-Market Strategy? appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Black Cow Technology Founder and CEO, Max Francis, on why the company has shifted focus from software development to game development, and why he believes multiplayer is the future of online gambling entertainment
Black Cow has just announced its transition into a multiplayer content provider. What made you refocus the business in such a way?
We truly believe that multiplayer is the future of online gambling entertainment, and with our own technology capable of building next-gen multiplayer experiences, we wanted to transition into a content-led business and release some innovative games of our own. Our Multiplayer RGS is especially powerful, allowing operators and suppliers to bring multiplayer gameplay to any game format, even including non-gambling events. Black Cow’s robust, reliable and highly flexible technology is already used by some of the biggest organisations in the industry, including the likes of DraftKings and Light & Wonder. The shift into creating our own multiplayer content enables us to build on our successful Remote Game Server (RGS) and Jackpot Server technology to create first-of-its kind games offering unique player experiences via our Multiplayer RGS platform.
Tell us more about your Multiplayer RGS and its capabilities. What sets it apart from similar solutions in the market?
Our Multiplayer RGS has been several years in the making and is already live with Light & Wonder. Our Multiplayer RGS can be used to create multiplayer experiences across anything from slots and table games to crash, plinko, lottery, live dealer and bingo. Games can be player-cooperative or player versus player. The system’s capabilities are really only limited by the imagination of the people using it, and that’s why we’re so excited to be moving into the realm of game development so that we can push its limits to disrupt online casino lobbies with Black Cow content.
Taking a business in a new direction is a significant undertaking, not without its risks. How have you approached this transition?
It was clear to me that we had the technology to create multiplayer content, but not necessarily the experience to date, and that’s why we’ve been making strategic hires. This year we have promoted Paul Jefferson to the role of Chief Technical Officer and we have welcomed two more big-hitters to the business – Ernie Lafky as Chief Product Officer and Shelley Hannah as Chief Operations Officer. Ernie is taking the lead when it comes to what our games will look like and how we combine key elements like multiplayer, gamification and social interaction. Shelley is managing the operational aspects of our transition to a hosted product-first model. In terms of mitigating the risk, it comes down to the deep rooted confidence we have in our technology and our fantastic team, plus our belief that players are seeking social multiplayer entertainment.
Why do you have such a firm belief that multiplayer content is the future? And to what extent will it dominate online casino game lobbies?
It’s not the future, it’s the now. You just have to look at the experiences offered by other online entertainment options to see that they are becoming increasingly multiplayer and social. From dating to streaming, social media to mobile gaming, consumers want to engage with products and experiences that can be enjoyed with others. But online casino and sports betting sit at odds with this as they have been, and remain, mostly solitary experiences. We have started to see a bit of a shift away from this, first with live casino and then the rise of the crash game format. But this is just the start of what multiplayer online gambling entertainment can look like, and at Black Cow we have the vision, people and technology to really spearhead the multiplayer movement and be a true leader in the space.
As for the degree to which multiplayer content will dominate online casino and sportsbook lobbies, I think it has the potential to be significant but there will always be players that want to engage with more traditional games, products and experiences, so it will be down to each operator as to how they promote multiplayer games. Naturally, this approach will differ from brand to brand based on their specific player-base.
What can we expect from Black Cow now that your transition into a multiplayer game developer is well underway?
Paul, Ernie, Shelley and the team are working hard on our initial product roadmap, including the first run of games that will leave our production line. This is a really exciting moment for me and the whole team, as it will bring our vision to life and set the blueprint for what our multiplayer games will look like moving forward. It goes without saying that our multiplayer games will embody the core values we have built Black Cow on – reliability, flexibility and robustness. This is a big change for Black Cow, and change does bring challenges. But we are all aligned and excited by the new direction. Success is never guaranteed, but we are walking into the next chapter of the Black Cow story confident that it will be our best yet.
The post Inside Black Cow’s Decision To Go All In On Multiplayer appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Reading Time: 4 minutes
The MSSA Protea Esports Team for the MLBB Esports Title has safely arrived in Malaysia. The team is proudly sporting purple, instead of green, in support of ending Gender Based Violence in South Africa.
Moments before the team landed in Malaysia, IESF had already done the draw. There are four groups of national teams and South Africa is in Group A with Malaysia and Iran.
This is, without doubt, the group of death with Team Malaysia having won the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) event at the World Esports Championship (WEC) 2024, the Protea Esports Team has an uphill battle against them. However, it is more than likely that the team that wins this group will have a good chance of winning the World Championships (WEC25).
The prize money is as follows:
MLBB Women prizes:
- 1st place – US$17,500.00
- 2nd place – US$10,500.00
- 3rd place – US$7,000.00
The full team is as follows:
| Name | Club | Nick | Province |
| Rowell Pillay (Capt.) | Mavericks | Ketsuka | KZN |
| Neisha Ann Khan | Mavericks | Rose | Western Cape |
| Ranya Sujee | Mavericks | Aewynne | Gauteng |
| Rashmika Nanakan | Mavericks | DimpledDruid | Gauteng |
| Shanel Arunachellam | Mavericks | Isla | Gauteng |
Additional reading:
- 2025 Calendar of Events
- AEC24 – Champions of all of Africa – Protea Female Counter Strike 2 Esports Team wins AEC24
- AEC24 – Forged in battle – a Counter Strike story…
- Affiliation: Private Clubs
- Affiliation – Procedure to be followed by school clubs affiliating for the 2026 season.
- Awards – 2024 Management Board Awards
- Backgammon – South African Player Reaches World Championship Final in Monte Carlo
- Backgammon – Welcome home, Doron. You’ve inspired a nation!
- Blog – MSSA’s blog page is ranked 9th in South Africa!
- Board – Calling all volunteers.
- BRICS – Breaking the glass ceiling at 2025 BRICS Esports Championships – 31 May 2025
- BRICS – Final day of BRICS Esports Championships – 1 June 2025
- BRICS – Luay finishes in fifth place in his group.
- BRICS – MSSA National Team Trials for 2025 BRICS Esports Championships for TEKKEN 8 – 13 April 2025
- BRICS – Protea Luay Khan faces toughest matches in his life.
- BRICS – ReSF to host BRICS Esports Championship 2025 in Tekken – 28 May 2025 to 3 June 2025.
- BRICS – Sydney ‘KYōi’ Wood wins both hearts and minds.
- BRICS – UNIFIR3 to stream 2025 BRICS Esports Championships on 31 May – 1 June 2025.
- BRICS – With cat-like tread…MSSA’s Protea Esports Team for Tekken 8 advances on the 2025 BRICS Esports Championships in Moscow.
- Colours 2024 – Almost half the awards are awarded to female gamers.
- Colours 2024 – Athletes who have earned Senior Provincial Colours in 2024
- Events – 6th WESTERN CAPE Online Championships – 22 February 2025
- Events – 24th WESTERN CAPE Championships – 31 May 2025
- Events – Last chance to qualify for BRICS Esports Championships – 14th Provincial Online Championships to be held on 5 April 2025.
- Events – Northern Cape Online Esports Provincial Championships – 25 January 2025.
- Events – Reminder: 5th S A Schools Online National Championships – 28 June 2025
- Events – Types of esports events run by MSSA.
- Fees: MSSA advises of its affiliation and registration fees for the 2024/2025 season.
- Hosting – Hosting official Regional Championships.
- IESF – AEC – African Regional Championships – Day 2 – Tuesday, 29 July 2025 at 17H00.
- IESF – AEC – AFRICAN REGIONAL PLAYOFFS START TODAY FOR MSSA
- IWSF – AEC – After an initial loss, SA beats Madagascar.
- IESF – AEC – Female Protea Team for the Counter Strike 2 esports title to do battle against Namibia – AEC25
- IESF – AEC – IESF’s African Regional Championships – FINAL RESULTS – Tuesday, 29 July 2025.
- IESF – AEC – Namibia crumbles!
- IESF – AEC – Rowell Pillay replaces Neisha Khan as captain of the female Protea MLBB esports team.
- IESF – AEC – South Africa conquers all in MLBB…
- IESF – AEC – South Africa granted victory with Namibia being disqualified!
- IESF – AEC – South Africa takes to the field in PUBGM on 28 July 2025 at 17H00.
- IESF – AEC – South Africa to battle both Namibia and Congo on 22 July 2025.
- IESF – AEC – South Africa vs Madagascar – 26 July 2025 at 14H00.
- IESF – AEC – South Africa vs Namibia – 25 July 2025 at 21H00.
- IESF – AEC – The goddess Nike smiles on – again!
- IESF – AEC – The Titans meet – South Africa vs Madagascar – 23 July 2023
- IESF – AEC – Victoria cum audacia! – South Africa wins!
- IESF – AEC – Victory over Madagascar – now on to Namibia!
- IESF – AEC – Victory without losses!
- IESF – AEC – WAYLANDER stream of IESF’s Southern African Regional Championships
- IESF – 136 Nations Registered for IESF 2025 World Esports Championships.
- IESF – IESF announces proposed game titles for 17th World Esports Championships to be held in 2025.
- IESF – IESF Official Statement on WEC24 Prize Pool Allocation
- IESF – MSSA CONFIRMS ITS ENTRY TO WEC25
- IESF – Official Game Titles for 2025 IESF WEC25
- IESF – SA Proteas to take on four African countries in MLBB – 12 April 2025
- IESF – SA Team Trials
- IESF – WEC25 – Female Protea Esports Team arrives safely in Malaysia.
- IESF – WEC25 – Joy unrefined!
- IESF – WEC25 – We all stand together!
- International events – After defeating Madagascar, SA’s Female Proteas to take on Mauritius and Ghana..
- International events – FHE eFootball World Tournament 2025 – Sign Up Now!
- International events – ReSF to host BRICS Esports Championship 2025 in Tekken
- International events – SOUTH AFRICA vs IVORY COAST in PUBGM title
- International events – TEST MATCH – SOUTH AFRICA vs MAURITIUS in MLBB title
- International events – Rose is no wilting bloom – the result of SA vs Mauritius.
- International events – SA Female Protea to take on Mauritius and Madagascar in MLBB – 1 May 2025
- International events – SA Female Team emerges triumphant!
- International events – SA Proteas march on to fight Mauritius in MLBB on 13 April 2025 at 15H00
- International events – SA Proteas to take on Congo in MLBB on 13 April 2025 at 13H30
- International events – SA trounces Botswana in MLBB
- Legal – Privacy. Who is looking after the children?
- National Team Trials: Ensuring every athlete achieves their dreams.
- National Team Trials – MSSA events that count for National Team Trials for 17th IESF World Championships (WEC25)
- Nominations: Nominations are needed for 2025 AGM.
- Nominations: Nominations required by midnight,19 November 2025 for MSSA’s Management Board Awards.
- Phygital: 2025 MSSA PHYGITAL EBASS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – 19 – 22 NOVEMBER 2025
- Readership: Member clubs are invited to post articles on MSSA’s blog.
- Results – Northern Cape Online Esports Provincial Championships held on 25 January 2025.
- Team Trials: To qualify for National Team Trials to represent South Africa.
- Titles – Esports titles selected for all MSSA’s Premier Provincial and National Championships – 2025.
- Titles – Esports titles selected for all MSSA’s 2025 High School and Primary School Championships and leagues.
- Titles – Esports titles selected for all MSSA’s 2025 Student Championships.
- Transfers: Transfer season – 1 November 2024 to 28 February 2025
- WADA – WADA’s 2025 Prohibited List and revised TDSSA
Jobs:
- Legal Counsel – Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team (Brackley)
Other news:
- Chess – From Georgia with Love – 2018 FIDE Chess Olympiad
- Chess – World Chess Olympiad in Batumi 2018 -n a book by Dr. Lyndon Boauh
- Western Cape – Table tennis rulebook now available in isiXhosa
Other African News:
- Benin – Assemblée Générale Constitutive : la Fédération Béninoise des Sports Électroniques (FBSE) mis sous les fonts baptismaux
- Botswana – Botswana has an esports Federation
The post Female Protea Esports Team arrives safely in Malaysia. appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Hyperlocal vs. Global: Is the Future of iGaming in Deep-Market Strategy?
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