As an Innovator I have a vision of a world where quality game development can bring people together. This stems from a personal experience of mine that saved my relationship with my father through gaming and now I seek to create experiences like that for everyone to cease divisions between people. 

Often we look around at the world we live in and all we see are the differences we have with each other and the division that is so prominent, especially with how interconnected our lives are through things like social media and the internet. What we often fail to realize is that we more often than not are very similar and we just need something to showcase our shared commonality. I seek to impact this division through shared gaming experiences to enable gaming communities to focus on their shared love of gaming to unite them.

In the modern gaming market, there has been one consistent problem and that’s quality which ironically has brought gamers together to collectively hate games that are low quality or are simply just cash grabs. I wish to turn this unification under hatred into one that praises games and creates lasting game communities. 

The hardest part of doing this is where to start. I believe that there are three main components to creating a quality experience, caring about the end product and the end user’s experience, appreciating gaming as an art form, and lastly, allowing players to play and communicate with each other through multiplayer experiences. When these three are present in a game’s development the result is a game that stands the test of time and creates lasting communities. 

I firmly believe that the first step is caring about the end product and more specifically the end user’s experience. We can do this by creating games that are inclusive to those with disabilities including colorblindness, deafness, and those with low motor capabilities. We also do this by optimizing software so the entry into gaming doesn’t have to be something that only those with money can enjoy. 

The next part of this focuses on gaming not as a product but as an art form. An artist would never release an unfinished work and simply say, “Oh I’ll just update it over the next year to finish it”, so why should we as game developers release a game before it’s fully completed? Unfortunately, this has become a common practice after the widespread growth of the internet especially in the last 3-6 years, I seek to bring an end to that by leading and showcasing that you can be equally and more successful when you take the proper time before releasing your game. 

Another major component of creating quality games is multiplayer. During the COVID-19 pandemic as gamers we each had a few games that carried us through the pandemic, these games brought a sense of security and community that uplifted us during a time of great uncertainty. When we as game developers create games that allow people to play with their friends and family it will enable them to remain connected to those they care about regardless of their physical location. 

Multiplayer, especially Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOs) have been especially influential for me and have allowed me to meet so many amazing friends that I continue to keep up with. I also have continued a tradition of playing an MMO with my father to be able to spend time with him even though we don’t live close to each other. I believe that a cornerstone of a quality game to bring people together is facilitating multiplayer gameplay and cooperation with some good friendly competition where appropriate.

In conclusion, I believe that when you combine caring about the end-user experience, believing that gaming is a form of art, and creating quality multiplayer experiences I can make a difference in the gaming community by uniting gamers under their shared love of gaming which ties into my mantra, “United Through Gaming”