Inclusive gaming: A talk with EA's Amanda Hawthorne
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It goes beyond gender, including considerations of race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status, among others. The gaming industry, which connects people worldwide, faces unique challenges in implementing inclusive language across diverse cultures and languages. This matters profoundly, as the right words can make all gamers feel included, while the wrong ones can alienate or offend.
In this podcast episode, Campus 10178 host Tammi L. Coles interviews Amanda Hawthorne, the inclusive language lead at EA (Electronic Arts). Hawthorne details EA’s inclusive language initiatives and how such efforts are, ultimately, ensuring that players feel welcome and seen.
On the podcast, Hawthorne discusses the challenges of implementing inclusive language in different languages for global audiences and the importance of collaboration with subject matter experts from marginalized communities. She highlights the need for commitment from company executives and the gaming industry to prioritize inclusive language. Hawthorne also shares that EA has developed inclusive language guidelines and offers an inclusive language course internally. She emphasizes the importance of making inclusive language efforts permanent, visible, and resourced.