Author: Keisha Howard
Act 1: Character Creation – The Dream BuildAct 2: The RPG of My Career – Building, Leveling, and AdaptingAct 3: Endgame – Playing for More Than Myself Act 1: Character Creation – The Dream Build I always thought working in the gaming industry would be my dream job. And for a while, it was. To me, a dream job meant creatively problem-solving, working with awesome people in teams where everyone was pushing boundaries, telling stories, making art, and integrating technology in ways that felt futuristic. It felt like a natural progression from being a gamer—this was a way to give…
That’s right. No VCs, no seed rounds, no flashy LinkedIn flex. Just hard work, creativity, and a relentless belief that building something meaningful is still worth it. We’re just poking a little fun. To be clear, we understand how the business works. We know that money is fuel—it sustains dreams, lifestyles, and families. Revenue isn’t just a vanity metric; it’s a survival tool. But if our entire measure of success is reduced to financial transactions, we risk forgetting why so many of us got into this industry in the first place. For those of us bootstrapping businesses—whether in gaming, tech,…
Introduction Video gaming culture has come a long way since the days of pixelated graphics and limited gameplay options. From the birth of video gaming with the “cathode-ray tube amusement device” in 1947, through the Golden Age of the 90s, to the present, a casual, niche hobby exploded into a billion-dollar gold-rush that can make dreams come true with loving communities and financial success. The evolution of video gaming brings the exaltation of play as well as a pressing concern: the transition from playful engagement to exploitation. As we journey through the annals of video game history, modern gaming brings…
I was an abused child. The daughter of a woman grappling with serious mental illness, and of a man who succumbed to the opioid epidemic. Raised in comparative poverty, I am an American descendant of slaves. After living in foster care for years, eventually my beloved grandmother took guardianship of me, but I was never formally adopted. And so, I remained a ward of the state, navigating a life marked by vulnerability and discomfort.
Upon receiving such an astounding award, In their interview, Gerard, or better known as HipHopGamer reflects on the feeling of being honored and what it means to truly have such an award. “Well, one of the first things I want to say is [this] is a humbling experience because everything that I get in the gaming space, it just goes back to grandma. Grandma put gaming in my life. Besides, just playing games [was] a way to get off the streets in the hood.” (3:12) Keisha Howard, founder of Sugar Gamers had the pleasure of interviewing an important figure in…
The International Video Game Hall of Fame Or IVGHOF for short, is a museum dedicated to honoring excellence in the field of electronic gaming by recognizing champions, industries, and professionals related to this popular activity. The 2020 class of inductees were chosen by a selected group of individuals on a nomination committee which include accomplished gamers, journalists and past Hall of Fame inductees who have extensive knowledge of the achievements in gaming. There were three phases in the decision process: Open nominations, committee and board input for narrowing down of the ballot and then a final decision from the voting…
The Black in Gaming Awards honors the many contributions and achievements of Black people in the gaming industry. The 4th Annual Black in Gaming Awards continued to honor Black excellence in 2020 at PAX Online. It was simulcasted on September 13 on the Black in Gaming Twitch. From the very inception of video games, Black people have been an integral, yet unrecognized and underappreciated part of the creation of games. In recent years through advocacy, more companies are recognizing the contributions of Black and PoC peoples in the games industry. But we still have a long ways to go until…
Let’s face it: 2020 has been a rough year for most industries. Those companies whose leaders and teams are able to think outside of the box are, not only surviving 2020, but kicking 2020s butt. We had a chance to catch up with the CEO of ChicaIntelligente, Katrina Jefferson, to see how she’s surviving Covid and how she’s navigating the PR industry. How have you been navigating 2020. What are methods you are using to progress though the uncertainty? Well, it’s been a mix of meditation in the morning, exercising 2 x a day, praying, and drinking wine with or…
We first met Daniel Jun Kim (aka “Pop Mythologist”) when we shared a stage with him at the taping of the pilot episode of Uncanny TV. The hosts of the show talked to Daniel about the way he combines geek culture with charity and activism. That is where we learned that he is a REAL-LIFE D&D CLERIC (among other things) who goes to public events handing out free snacks and supplies, and it was so interesting to hear him talk about what he does and why he does it. After the taping, we got to talking about highlighting creators in…
Galit Ariel is a technofuturist, author, TED speaker, founder of WondARland, and self-professed digital hippie whose work explores the ways technology and humans influence and interact with each other. A major focus of her work is the creative potential of augmented reality and mixed reality to enhance and deepen our lives and our humanity as well as the ethical questions surrounding their misuse. She is a respected thought leader in the field of immersive tech and often delivers talks and workshops around the world at events like SXSW, Fifteen Seconds, and Slush Tokyo. Her book, Augmenting Alice: The Future of…