Two Average Gamers

The holiday season is among us, officially kicking off with Thanksgiving festivities later this month. It’s a great time for giving thanks, enjoying good food, and having fun with those closest to you. Plus, two giants in their respective industries, McDonald’s and Esports organization, FaZe Clan , have partnered to host a “Friendsgaming” event to spread the holiday cheer, according to a press release. A step beyond Friendsgiving, Friendsgaming will be a streaming event held on Nov. 20, 2021, starting at 8:00 p.m. EST. During the event, Kris “Swagg” Lamberson (member of FaZe Clan since April 2020) will be live streaming from his Twitch account. The crew plans to play Madden NFL 22, so you can expect to see some high-quality football games! During the stream, they’ll have plenty of giveaways including merch, free food and other dope prizes as well. Although fun and holiday cheer are at the center, with Nuke Squad members and friends like Swagg and Jordan “JSmooth” Cox (member of FaZe...

The gaming industry has a diversity problem. More than two-thirds of game developers are white, and Black people make up only two percent of the industry. This lack of diversity means the perspectives of people of color are often overlooked. We spoke with the co-founder of Dynamic Ink Games about his decision to create a Black-owned game development studio and the challenges he’s faced. Game Development Beginnings Two Average Gamers: How’d you get into game development? Damian: As a kid, I grew up poor in Bakersfield. We would take cardboard from the garage to make board games. We had a natural affinity for game design. As I got older, I recognized that game design is my calling. It was what I leaned into. I started with a program focused on directing and later switched to video games. Understanding the structure of a story and how to keep people entertained over a period of time. TAG: It definitely seems like you were meant to be in this industry. Tell me about the inspiration for...

Sickle cell anemia is an inherited red blood cell disorder in which there aren’t enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen through your body. A person inflicted with the disease has red blood cells that are shaped like sickles, instead of the round shape that healthy cells have. Treatment options are different for anyone living with sickle cell, and for many patients, there is no viable cure. African Americans are at a relatively high risk of having the disease, with 1 in 13 babies being born with sickle cell. We sat down with a streamer named Ryan who is using his passion for gaming to help raise money to advocate for people affected by sickle cell conditions! Streamer Beginnings Two Average Gamers: How’d you get into streaming? Ryan: I was introduced to it by a friend. After watching her stream, it looked really cool and she recommended that I try it out. I started out really simple with the Twitch app on my Xbox One and have continued to improve my setup since then. TAG: Why...

Gaming while Black is difficult, but it’s especially challenging for Black women. In addition to the commonplace racism, they face levels of sexism that are often delivered in the forms of threats. To understand the barriers that must be broken down, we chatted with Khalia Chronicles, a streamer with lofty ambitions to uplift the gaming experience for people of color. In our exclusive interview, Khalia Chronicles shares how her past shaped her mission and how she’s making an impact in the streaming world! Editorial Note: This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Streaming Beginnings Two Average Gamers: How’d you get into streaming? What’s your origin story? Khalia Chronicles: You can thank Hi-Rez Paladins for that. Got a Switch and learned it was free. My boyfriend recommended getting it and I immediately fell in love with Grover. I played Paladins for 6 months straight during the pandemic. I was initially into the Switch for Animal Crossing . My boyfriend had been...

Profile Full Name: Carl “CJ” Johnson Appears in: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Gender: Male Race: Black or African American Hair/Eye Color: Black/Dark brown Height/Weight: 6’1/(varied based on fitness) Family: Father: Unknown Mother: Beverly Johnson Brothers: Sweet Johnson, Brian Johnson Sister: Kendl Johnson Profession: Underboss in Grove Street Families Residence: Los Santos, San Andreas Based on (and Voiced by): Young Maylay Signature Look: White undershirt, blue jeans, black sneakers Background Carl “CJ” Johnson is the main protagonist in the seventh title in the ultra-popular action-adventure video game series by Rockstar Games, Grand Theft Auto (GTA). In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, you reside in  a fictional state based on southern California and Nevada in the 1990s, amid the turmoil that hit Los Angeles in the 90s. From the crack epidemic and gang wars to the relations with the cops, the infamous riots had a strong influence on the game. CJ’s story begins as he returns to...

N-I-G-G-E-R — t he letters flowed down my chat like a waterfall of hate. My heart fell to the bottom of my stomach. I had only been streaming for a few months when this incident happened. A random person took time out of their day to hit me with a racial slur, with the sole intent of ruining my day. It was just another reminder that as a Black person, not even video games are a safe space. Unfortunately, this is all too common in the world of video game streaming. Black people in the Average Gamer Community have endured relentless, unwarranted disrespect for years. I was playing Overwatch and tried to make effective call outs to help my team win the match. Someone on my team proceeded to imitate my voice, then called me a “ghetto, broke nigger who sucks at the game.” In this arena, your audience is largely watching your stream to see how you react to the game. That’s why it’s essential for streamers to show their face via webcam if they hope to grow their following. As video game...