Have you ever felt left out from your local gaming community? How about at a large scale gaming event? Thanks to SheSparkz, that doesn't have to be a thing.
Have you ever felt left out from your local gaming community? How about at a large scale gaming event? Thanks to SheSparkz, that doesn't have to be a thing.
Utilizing a mission statement that strives to unite marginalized communities in gaming, SheSparkz's goal is increasing representation, providing safe spaces, and inspiring collaborative success amongst not just women gamers, but gamers from all walks of life.
Recently, the group had a booth on the expo hall during the Dreamhack San Diego 2023 convention.
"Games are for everyone and, like, having a presence at these things makes someone out there feel more welcomed into events like these if they know there's going to be people like them there," says SheSparkz representative Taalia Vess.
WATCH: SheSparkz at Dreamhack San Diego 2023 (interview)
The group formed as a movement and a statement for women to come together in gaming where the majority of its participants tend to be predominantly white, cis males.
"As someone who is not that when that is all you see, you automatically feel 'other' -- you feel like you're not welcome," comments SheSparkz representative Zabracus. "Having a presence of people that look like you helps people automatically feel welcome in a space that they may not feel otherwise.
Moreover, the women to founded SheSparkz have endured experiences within the overall gaming community that could be described as less that pleasant.
"The gaming space, in general, is pretty toxic towards a lot of minority communities," Zabracus points out.
"We need more representation for women," adds Vess. "Especially in gaming."
SheSparkz is hoping their presence will try to help eliminate some of that toxicity as they strive for better representation for those outside of gaming's overall core audience.
"And by having a booth, we are providing an atmosphere here at Dreamhack as well as other events and online so that women and everybody feels comfortable," adds Zbexx, another of SheSparkz's representatives. "Our motto is 'You can sit with us' because we want everybody to feel like they're included when they come to game."
The next large event at which SheSparkz will have a presence is Dreamhack Dallas in early June. The organization can also be found online on Instagram and Twitter.
