Black Lives Matter, Black Voices Are Important

Hello everyone! Jordan here. You may have noticed something rather odd about GameSpot’s homepage right now–pretty much none of the content being promoted at the top is new. Strange right? Yeah, we know, but we have our reasons.

GameSpot initially went into this week with plans to kick off Play For All, a combo platter of gaming celebration and charity effort to raise money for COVID-19 relief. And we’re still doing that, don’t worry. You can catch the second day of our first week of Play For All streams today–we’ll be testing our video game knowledge with MinnMax and some trivia.

However, there’s a lot more going on in the world than COVID-19 right now. Cities across the US are now witness to massive protests against the ongoing violence towards black individuals suffering police brutality. In support of the protests, GameSpot has shifted the message of Play For All. We’re still raising money for COVID-19 relief, but we want to also show our support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

So what does that have to do with the lack of new content showing up on the site today? Well, GameSpot is withholding from publishing any new content to the website. No new articles and no new videos will appear today–we’re tackling today similarly to the artists and musicians that are participating in Blackout Tuesday. Instead, we’re taking the time today to highlight black creators–both those who work at GameSpot as well as those from across the industry. And, of course, to encourage you to watch our fundraising stream.

So on our front page and social media, we’ll be sharing articles, videos, and podcast episodes that you may have already seen before, here or otherwise. We’ve already compiled a long list of work if you want to binge through some quality content right now–it’s outlined below. That list includes projects that look at the black experience in video games, like Alessandro Fillari’s exploration of Far Cry 5’s setting and how it made him feel like an outsider, as well as stuff that has nothing to do with race but offers something you might still find interesting, such as my look into how a little death positivity in video games can be a good thing or Greg Thomas’ video of the 11 times that The Twilight Zone predicted the future.

So be sure to join us as we bring you the summer’s hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for Black Lives Matter and COVID-19 relief efforts with the help of our friends from around the gaming world through Play For All.

But also, today, take a few minutes to check out some of the coolest pieces of work from the black creators that are carving out a space for themselves every day. And consider donating to help raise money for Black Lives Matter.

Black Creators Round-Up

Projects By Black Creators About The Black Experience

• Long Reads
  • Borderlands 3’s Lovecraft DLC Hand-Waves Major Issues With The Author’s Work (Jordan Ramée, GameSpot)
  • Animal Crossing: New Horizons Has Afro Twists, And I Love ‘Em (Jordan Ramée, GameSpot)
  • Far Cry 5’s New American Setting Made Me Feel Like An Outsider (Alessandro Fillari, GameSpot)
  • Finally, I Can Be Me In Animal Crossing–But I’m Exhausted (Funké Joseph, GameSpot)
  • Where Are Our Black Gaming Journalists? (Jeffrey Rousseau, USGamer)
  • The Trouble Portraying Blackness In Video Games (Evan Narcisse, Kotaku)
  • 9 Black Superheroes Who Deserve Their Own Shows (Malcolm Venable, TV Guide)
  • Marvel And DC Stars Reflect On Their Black Superhero Roles (Keisha Hatchett, TV Guide)
  • Cheo Hodari Coker Reflects on Luke Cage’s Legacy (Malcolm Venable, TV Guide)
  • Black Creators Are Hopeful for a Future Where Black Superheroes Aren’t “Niche” (Malcolm Venable, TV Guide)
  • Treachery In Beatdown City Review (Funké Joseph, GameSpot)
  • Black Work Matters (Mike Williams, USGamer)

Projects By Black Creators

• Long Reads
  • The Hard Costs Of Making A Game Alone (Jordan Ramée, GameSpot)
  • A Little Death Positivity In Video Games Can Be Good (Jordan Ramée, GameSpot)
  • How An Online Game Community Is Helping Each Other Through Hard Times (Jordan Ramée, GameSpot)
  • Promare Review – Burnish Bright (Jordan Ramée, GameSpot)
  • Stalk Market Scammers Are Plaguing Animal Crossing (Gita Jackson, VICE Games)
  • Why a Forgotten, Now-Unplayable MOBA Still Has a Small, Thriving Community (Funké Joseph, VICE Games)
  • Untitled Goose Game is a funny video game about an asshole goose. Its power is in its simplicity. (Allegra Frank, VOX)
  • A cartooning superstar says drawing is our native language. It’s never too late to become fluent. (Allegra Frank, VOX)
  • Fire Emblem’s Depiction Of Abuse Feels Real (Gita Jackson, Kotaku)
• Videos/Podcasts