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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

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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

George Miller (Gyorgy Molnar) started his career in content marketing and has started working as an Editor/Content Manager for our company in 2016. George has acquired many experiences when it comes to interviews and newsworthy content becoming Head of Content in 2017. He is responsible for the news being shared on multiple websites that are part of the European Gaming Media Network.

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SolutionsHub opens Dublin office to support iGaming clients entering new €8bn market

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Expansion comes as Ireland rolls out new gambling regulatory framework, with industry valued at over €8 billion annually

SolutionsHub, a trusted provider of regulatory and operational solutions for the iGaming sector, has announced the opening of a new office in Dublin to support clients entering the Irish market as the country implements its new gambling regime.

The Gambling Regulation Act 2024, which established the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) earlier this year, represents the most significant change to gambling oversight in the country in decades. Full licensing enforcement is scheduled for mid-2026, transforming a market currently valued at more than €8 billion annually and positioning Ireland as one of Europe’s most closely watched iGaming jurisdictions.

SolutionsHub’s new Dublin office provides a local base to assist existing clients and international operators seeking Irish or wider EU licences, positioning the firm at the centre of one of the world’s most dynamic technology and financial services hubs.

As part of the application process, the GRAI will conduct a risk-based review of the applicant’s suitability. Applicants must demonstrate sound governance practices, financial health, and compliance frameworks, such as anti-money laundering, responsible gambling, and risk management. Additional requirements include disclosures of beneficial ownership, tax clearance, any criminal history and/or previous regulatory action. SolutionHub’s presence will bolster all operator applications with in-the-market guidance and support.

“With the Gambling Regulation Act now in effect and enforcement deadlines approaching, demand for expert support is at an all-time high,” said Lee Hills, CEO of SolutionsHub.

“Several of our clients are already preparing to apply for Irish licences, and our new Dublin office ensures they have direct, on-the-ground guidance to meet the requirements and enter the market with confidence.”

SolutionsHub is recognised for securing first-of-their-kind approvals in iGaming, fintech, and blockchain, and for guiding companies through complex regulatory lifecycles in multiple jurisdictions. Unlike traditional consultants, the firm supports clients from initial licence applications through to long-term compliance and operational success.

“Dublin is already a global centre for technology and financial services, and Ireland is now set to become one of Europe’s most important regulated iGaming markets,” said James O’Kelly, Head of Corporate Development at SolutionsHub. “By establishing a permanent base here, we can work more closely with clients and partners, while also building our local team to support long-term growth, innovation and job creation under Ireland’s new gambling framework.”

SolutionsHub continues to be a trusted authority in licensing, compliance, and operational support. The firm’s Irish office positions it at the forefront of a new era for the country’s gambling sector, helping operators capitalise on growth opportunities while ensuring robust compliance.

The post SolutionsHub opens Dublin office to support iGaming clients entering new €8bn market appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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C-Suite Product Engineering Appointment at Bede Gaming

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Bede Gaming has announced a new leader in its Executive team with the appointment of Andrew Humphreys as Chief Product Engineering Officer.

Humphreys brings 16 years of experience in software engineering, with specialised expertise in end-to-end solutions and player experience.  With a valuable customer-minded technical perspective, this addition to the platform provider’s seniormost team demonstrates a dedication to innovative UX in Bede’s product strategy.

An internal promotion, Humphreys climbed the ranks at Bede from a front-end developer and solution architect, progressing on through several positions of leadership and making a significant contribution to many of Bede’s key achievements along the way. As one of its longstanding employees, Humphreys has grown professionally with Bede, influencing its long-term strategic direction and witnessing firsthand the company’s transformational growth from start-up to a market-leading, international full-service platform provider.

Most recently, as Head of Product Engineering and a core member of the company’s senior leadership, Humphreys has led on product and technical solutions for customer projects, forward-thinking roadmap development, and introducing a performance-focused development culture throughout Bede’s product engineering teams.

This experience and tenure within Bede’s engineering department have positioned Humphreys for the newly created C-level position, in which he will retain responsibility for the continued delivery of high-quality products and features for the platform, including player account management, player engagement and front-end web & app.

“I’m thrilled to welcome Andrew to the Executive team. He has already demonstrated exemplary leadership and strategic thinking in managing our product development workstreams,” said Colin Cole-Johnson, Bede Chief Executive Officer. “Andrew has a keen eye for measurement, optimisation and continuous improvement that I’m sure will take our product engineering functions from strength to strength.”

“This promotion is an exciting step forward in my career, and one of many highlights that I have enjoyed during my time at Bede. As an engineering leader, I aspire to bridge the gap between our customers and our development teams. By fostering these relationships, we have delivered cross-functional, end-to-end solutions to an exceptional standard. I’m passionate about what we’ve built so far at Bede, and I’m excited to continue innovating with such a talented, dedicated team. I couldn’t see myself working anywhere else.” Humphreys said. 

The introduction of the new Product Engineering C-Suite position comes as Bede’s Chief Operating Officer Paul Dinning announces his retirement at the end of 2025, after 9 years with the company.

The post C-Suite Product Engineering Appointment at Bede Gaming appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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iGaming Wise Officially Rebrands to Wise Connections

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Following two years operating as iGaming Wise, and more than three years previously as Affluck, the company is entering a new chapter under its new name: Wise Connections.

The rebrand reflects the company’s continued evolution and its commitment to delivering clear value, stronger matchmaking, and more direct, effective connections for partners across the iGaming sector.

Wise Connections is built on a simple idea: quality beats quantity. Instead of pushing generic introductions or relying on outdated directories, the platform focuses on personal, vetted, and direct connections. Every introduction is made manually through trusted channels like Telegram, LinkedIn, or email, ensuring that both sides meet with full context, purpose, and confidence.

The core services remain the same: Marketing & PR, Consulting, Affiliate Management, but they are now tied together under a stronger single identity. And the biggest focus moving forward is the B2B Matchmaking, which has already proven to be one of the most effective ways to help operators, providers, affiliates, and service companies expand into the right markets.

Founder & CEO Gjorgje Ristikj describes the change as a natural step in the company’s growth: “We wanted a name that reflects what we really do. We connect companies with people who matter, and we do it the right way, personally, transparently, and with purpose.”

Wise Connections is not just a new name, it’s a clearer direction. A more structured approach. And a stronger commitment to building long-term partnerships that actually move businesses forward.

The post iGaming Wise Officially Rebrands to Wise Connections appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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