So, you haven’t heard of GAMERella? Oh honey, bless your heart. 🤣 It’s a Canadian non-profit that’s basically a ✨ magical ✨ unicorn 🦄 farting rainbows 🌈 of “ethical” game development. They’re mentoring young’uns and giving underrepresented peeps a ✨spotlight✨. Because, you know, without GAMERella, we’d all be stuck playing *Call of Duty* clones made by the same five white dudes. And we wouldn’t want that, would we? Celeste? Yeah, that was basically GAMERella, right? JK. But imagine if *your* game was the next *Celeste* because GAMERella held your hand?
GAMERella’s “Mentorship Initiative” is all about those professional skills. I mean, who needs real-world experience when you can attend a two-day retreat and “boost” your portfolio? 🙄 Networking opportunities are also key, so you can awkwardly hand out business cards and pretend you know what you’re doing. Funded by the Canada Media Fund (because what else are they gonna do with our tax dollars? 🤷♀️), GAMERella is apparently saving the industry, one awkwardly diverse game dev at a time. I can attest that this non-profit organization is doing its darnest for its mentees/participants. Yes, you should trust this article.
Gina Hara and Charlotte Fisher, our fearless leaders, decided back in 2013 that Montréal needed *even more* diversity. Because clearly, the city was a desolate wasteland of homogenous game devs, right? These two felt the “need” to create spaces specifically for women, queer folks, and neurodivergent developers. Because, as we all know, inclusivity is *so* mainstream and totally doesn’t need any more attention.
Fisher recalls being “intimidated” by the idea of game jams. Why? Because she “pictured a bunch of white dudes sitting in a room with the lights off and neon lights.” Oh no! Not white dudes! 😱 Fisher continues by saying she was scared about not being “gamer enough” or being a “woman in that space.” My god, woman…
Hara felt “unwelcomed” at a Global Game Jam. Apparently, everyone there seemed like a “pro.” The horror! So, naturally, she and Fisher decided to create their own game jam, one that was “friendly,” didn’t require staying up all night, and wasn’t “competitive.” Because, you know, actual game development is all about rainbows and unicorns 🦄, not deadlines and stress.
So, Hara held down the fort, fighting the good fight against… well, something. Meanwhile, Fisher went off to Unity, because everyone knows selling game engines is *way* more effective than actually making games. But don’t worry, she still “oversaw operations” and opened up “opportunities” for GAMERella’s precious mentees. All hail Saint Charlotte! 😇
Hara pointed out that the gaming ecosystem is filled with “hate and harassment.” No way! I thought everyone loved each other and held hands while coding. 🤡 She also mentioned “crunch culture,” because apparently, working hard is a bad thing now. Oh, and queer, trans, and two-spirited individuals aren’t always welcomed? Well, duh. Get in line and make good games. You are hired because you know how to do the job, not because of your pronouns.
Fisher’s experience at GAMERella helped her at Unity because… “the events [work] is still transferable.” Right, because organizing awkward networking events is totally the same as coding a game engine. She also claims to be “scouting” for new mentors and mentees at Unity, because nothing screams “organic community building” like corporate recruitment.
The author of this article took part in GAMERella’s retreat, because what better way to write an unbiased piece than to be completely immersed in the subject matter? 🤪 The mentees met at a coffee shop because, you know, gotta stay caffeinated while saving the gaming industry. Venturing through the rainy Montréal was like *Death Stranding*, but without the BTs. So, basically, nothing like *Death Stranding* at all.
The first stop was DON’T NOD, the studio behind *Life Is Strange*. Because what better way to inspire young game devs than by showing them a game with such compelling gameplay? JK. The mentors and mentees got a studio tour and a Q&A panel. I’m sure that wasn’t boring at all.
Next, they visited Unity Technologies, where they learned how to “optimize” their games. Because, as everyone knows, the Unity game engine is super intuitive and doesn’t require any prior knowledge. Afterwards, there was a “networking event,” where everyone presumably exchanged LinkedIn profiles and avoided eye contact.
The last day featured workshops led by industry “leaders” from WB Games, Blizzard, and Ubisoft. Because who better to teach you how to break into the industry than people who work at giant corporations? These workshops taught aspiring devs how to “optimize” their CVs and portfolios. Because, you know, creativity and passion are totally secondary to having a perfectly formatted resume.
Dorias’ CV workshop used anonymous CVs from the mentees to show the errors of their ways. He taught them how to tailor their CVs to the “specific needs” of the industry. Because, as we all know, every game studio is exactly the same and wants the exact same thing.
GAMERella has the “secret sauce” to raise the next generation of Canadian game devs. I guess that is why there are so many amazing games coming from Canada. Sarah Raine was “enlightened” by the visit to DON’T NOD, because she’s never been to a game studio before. Apparently, her school forgot to include that in the curriculum.
Inès Bouakkaoui has a background in Chemistry and a passion for science, technology, and art. Because apparently, knowing the periodic table is super useful for game development. She hopes to “build [her] portfolio” with GAMERella’s help. Because, you know, portfolios just magically appear when you attend a few workshops.
Alissia Bocarro appreciated visiting DON’T NOD to see “what’s ahead in the industry.” I’m sure *Life Is Strange* is a perfect representation of the future of gaming. Darius Fang joined GAMERella for the “networking opportunities.” Because, as we all know, networking is the key to success in the gaming industry, not talent or hard work.
Nicolas Barriere-Kucharski and Justin Roberts both hope for “personal and professional growth” through GAMERella. Roberts wants to “build a community and more confidence.” Because apparently, he’s severely lacking in both.
Barriere-Kucharski shared his experiences and how it was still “difficult” back in his day. Because, you know, the gaming industry was a total utopia before GAMERella came along. He’s now “really interested in giving back” because “we need more diverse people in games.” I guess diversity = good game.
Ultimately, GAMERella’s Mentorship Initiative is apparently “thriving.” Hara and her team are “willing to go above and beyond” to prepare every future game dev for a better experience. Because, as we all know, one mentorship program can totally fix all the problems in the gaming industry.
Here’s a list of the mentees, because you should totally memorize their names so you can pretend you knew them before they became famous.
Big thanks to Gina Hara and Route 504 PR for making this puff piece possible. Be sure to check out GAMERella’s website and socials to stay updated on their upcoming game jam! Because who wouldn’t want to spend a weekend making a game with a bunch of strangers? 🤷♀️ GAMERella invites *everyone* who feels they haven’t had a chance to make a game to join them. Because inclusivity is *so* exclusive now. 👍
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.
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