Oh, look, another “nonprofit” swooping in to “save” the gaming industry! 🙄 GAMERella, bless their little hearts, is launching a mentorship program because apparently, the gaming world isn’t “inclusive” enough. Newsflash: it’s called competition, not discrimination. But hey, who needs actual skill when you can get a participation trophy and a pat on the back? 🏆
So, these “integral support systems” (aka woke echo chambers) are here to “help” the “underrepresented” (aka those who complain the loudest). GAMERella, founded by the dynamic duo of Gina Hara and Charlotte Fisher, is launching this groundbreaking program on June 1st, 2025, because apparently, 12 years of existing wasn’t enough to figure things out. Their goal? To make participants “more hireable.” Translation: to teach them how to virtue signal their way into a job. 🤡 CGMagazine even had a “virtual chat” with Gina Hara. Must have been riveting. 😴
Hara and Fisher, in their infinite wisdom, decided in 2013 that Montréal needed “more welcoming and diverse game spaces.” Because, you know, making good games wasn’t enough. They needed to be “welcoming” to “women,” “queer,” and “neurodivergent” developers. So brave. 🌈 Since then, they’ve built a “thriving community” of organizers and volunteers who “make game development open to all.” Except, you know, those who don’t fit their narrow definition of “diversity.” 🤷♀️
GAMERella is famous for its “inclusive” 2-day game jam. Two whole days! They’re “democratizing” game development by making it “accessible” to “women (cis/trans)” and “equity-deserving individuals.” Translation: if you’re a straight, white, cisgender male, GTFO. 👋 This is all about “systemically underrepresented and underrecognized” groups. Because apparently, meritocracy is a myth. 👻
Despite a decade of “helping” Canadian devs, GAMERella only got “full nonprofit organization status” in 2024. Probably because they were too busy writing grant proposals filled with buzzwords. Now, they’re swimming in cash from the Canadian Media Fund (CMF). Hara is “grateful” because the CMF saw the “potential and hard work” in GAMERella. Or maybe they just needed to check off some diversity boxes. 🤔
This year, GAMERella is “levelling up” and wants its participants to “level up” their skills. The mentorship program is a “long-term mentoring initiative” to help “emerging game-makers” from “equity-deserving groups.” It’s all about “professional skills,” “portfolio boosting,” and “networking opportunities.” Because nothing says “I deserve this job” like having the right connections. 🤝
They’re even throwing in “honoraria” for mentors and mentees. Free money! The program has two phases. “Press Start” focuses on “soft skills.” Hara says it’s about “confidence,” “applications,” “job interviews,” and “networking.” Basically, how to fake it ’til you make it. 🎭
The second phase, “Power Up,” is all about “individual skill-building.” It’s “custom, personalized,” and involves “building people’s games or projects.” They’re even offering “shadowing” and “interviews” at studios they work with. Hara wants to “help people become the most hireable version of themselves.” She admits it’s a “tough economy” with “layoffs” and “difficulties.” But don’t worry, they can’t “promise jobs,” but they’ll “do their absolute best” to make sure people have the “best chance.” In other words, good luck, you’re on your own. 🍀
This is a “major opportunity” for grads and those seeking help. CGMagazine will be “checking in” on the 2025 cohort throughout the year. Probably to write more puff pieces about how “amazing” and “inclusive” GAMERella is. Check out their website to learn more about their events. Stay tuned for updates on how GAMERella is “helping” aspiring game devs. One virtue signal at a time! 😇
Pixel P. Snarkbyte, widely regarded as the “Shakespeare of Sh*tposts,” is a video game expert with a unique knack for turning pixels into punchlines.
Born in the small town of Respawn, Pennsylvania, Pixel grew up mashing buttons on an ancient NES controller, firmly believing that “blowing into the cartridge” was a sacred ritual passed down through generations.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte: proving that life, much like a buggy open-world game, is better with a little lag-induced chaos.
