Making representation in games more than just a profitability play

Black-owned indie game and animation studio JumpButton (JBS) is a force to be reckoned with in the industry. Their diverse and inclusive storytelling team is driving a range of startlingly original IPs that give center stage to those who are historically excluded or marginalized, while they spearhead the charge to more than double the amount of Black, brown and queer representation in the industry at large (which currently hovers at a pitiful 4%).

In a session sponsored by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the JumpButton Studio team took the stage at GamesBeat Next 2023 to talk about their mission, what “diversity” actually encompasses, why it’s more than just a profitability play (even though it’s profitable) — and why innovative representation is the future of the gaming industry.