Next week, approximately 25,000 game developers and game industry professionals will be in San Francisco for the Game Developer’s Conference (GDC). I have attended a few times, but this year I’ll be there in a slightly different capacity.
Last year, Andreas Zecher and Cory Schmitz created an open-source graphic for gamers and devs to use as their avatar and in their games to show support for the Games are for Everyone movement. The statement is simple:
We want games to be a space where everyone feels welcome.
We think critical thinking in games should be applauded.
We want to play all kinds of games, made by all kinds of people.
We think games are for everyone.
Given some of the ugly going on in the games space the last 6 months or so, this is something I feel pretty passionately about. I reached out to Andreas and Cory and got permission to use their graphic as the basis of a quilt block. And then I talked to the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) about a crazy idea I had, and they said they would be happy to help.
So come next week at GDC at the IGDA booth, there will be a stack of heart blocks available for people to sign to show their support for the Games are for Everyone movement. I’ll collect the blocks after the show and turn them into a quilt by appliquéing them. Or quilts if there’s enough blocks. They’ll be available for display as a show of group support and welcome to all gamers.
I meant to get this out there much sooner in case others wanted to help, but I’d love to continue this project for other gaming events. I’m not sure how many gamer quilters there are out there, but if you’re interested in helping or have ideas for good uses of the finished quilts, please let me know.
[Edit to add]: I was asked what kind of help I’d like. I have local help to get me through GDC, but I would love to make blocks available at other gaming events. So help creating the blocks would be great! Also, I’d love some quilting help if that’s possible. And if you have ideas of where these quilts could be displayed or used, I’d love to hear them.
29 thoughts on “WIP: Games are for Everyone Quilt”
Does playing Minecraft count? If so, I’m definitely a gamer quilter! Not sure what sort of help you need, but let us all know.
This is what I get for posting when I’m exhausted. HAhaahah Right, information, that WOULD be handy. I think I’m covered for GDC, but I was thinking if people wanted to make blocks for being available at other events, that would be awesome! Also quilting help would be wonderful if someone is willing.
I’m not totally sure where this is all going which is why it feels a bit disorganized, I just knew I wanted to do /something/ in the face of all the muck that’s getting stirred up lately.
P.S. Minecraft TOTALLY counts. Seriously! 🙂 As does candy crush and monument valley and farmville and diner dash and hidden object games and whatever else someone may play.
Well, I just hung up Pogo. And my favorite is Puck’s Peak. Took some doing to get that code to do those things.
I’ve never played Puck’s Peak, I’ll have to check that one out. 🙂 I generally play through Big Fish Games instead of Pogo, but there’s a lot of games in common between the two. 🙂
PS. Fuse some freezer paper on the back to use as stabilizer when people sign the blocks. It will make it easier to write.
Good call on the stability thing! Fortunately, they’re already fused to fusible interfacing. 🙂 Because I’m going to raw-edge applique them, I fused them to the paper then cut out the heart shapes. I’ll fuse them to the quilt top after they are signed, but get the added stability as a bonus!
I’m also a gamer quilter 🙂 Let me know, if you need blocks, I can do some. What I like to play? Zombie games of all genres, survival games like H1Z1 and all time favorite is the Borderlands series.
Yay! I love meeting other gaming quilters. 😀 I’m going to post a tutorial for the block later this week (it’s super simple!) for others who want to make them. I’m anxiously awaiting the reaction to the project at GDC to see if more blocks will be warranted for future events. Fingers crossed! It’d be so fun to do a more collaborative version!
Whoohoo! Anne, such brilliant quilted activism! I’m new to quilting and sewing and I don’t yet have the skills to offer hands on help. I’m visually impaired and Palette Builder is one of my favourite games! Anything that involves my sense of play qualifies as a game in my books. Other favourites include Quiltography, 2048 and the beautifully crafted horror game, Year Walk (with some caveats).
Anita Sarkesian and her web series Feminist Frequency examining the depiction of women in gaming is brilliant. She is a super hero. I’d really like to know more about the overlap of quilting, feminism, and activism. Can anyone point me to some blogs?
Emma, getting her quilt game on in Ottawa, Canada
OMG I love the term “quilted activism”! 😀 So the good news is, these blocks are super simple to make (the curves look scary, but they’re just cut out, not pieced!) and I’m going to post a tutorial on them later this week. 🙂
I love that you called the Palette Builder a game. <3 We designed it to be game-like, so the fact that you picked up on that makes my inner geek so happy!
Anita's work is SO inspiring!! She is amazing. I'd love to meet her some day. Not that I'd know what to say! Hrm... other blogs. That's a really good question that I don't have an answer to. If you hear of some, please share? I'll look as well. Quilt Activists need to stick together! ^_^
Anne, I’d like to help! Making blocks, fusing fabric, even quilting…whatever you need!
Kelly, you are so dang awesome! <3 I dropped everything off at the conference last night, and I'm waiting to find out what the response is like later this week. Based on the response, there may be more created for future events. 🙂
Quilting though. OMG. I will get back to you!
I love this idea for a quilt and it’s going to be so gorgeous based on your sneak peek photos!
Thank you Terri Ann! I admit I made the blocks without worrying too much about how they will look in a quilt, and I expect that’s going to bite me in the butt later. 😉 Hopefully it will work out, though!
What a great idea!
Although I’m only an occasional gamer, I’ve been very disheartened by some of what has happened in the gaming world this year and I think your project is a great idea for a way to get community involvement and make a public statement.
And how totally awesome that you’ve found yet another fun way to mash-up quilting and gaming!
I have to admit, I expected a lot more people to ask “but why a quilt?” when I posed this idea, but not a single person has. Maybe I am overly-defensive of my hobby. 🙂
I know what you mean about being disheartened. It has really been hard for myself and many of my colleagues. My research group is one of the groups that has been targeted, but fortunately not much harassment has come our way. It’s like an anonymized, online witch hunt and it’s super sad.
When I initially came up with this idea, I almost didn’t do it because it’s opening myself up for harassment. But I realized not doing it would mean they’d won. And hopefully I am too much of a small fry to draw their ire. >_>
This inspires me. I have an Employee Appreciation luncheon in May and we are having a “talent show” and I’m entering a quilt in the Visual Arts part of the talent show, but I thought it would be fun to make a quilt in appreciation of the employees I work with and the good work they do. We have over 200 employees but I could make some hearts or something similar and have folks sign it at the luncheon then applique to a quilt. So I’ll be looking forward to seeing what you do with all your hearts — and if you have any ideas for what I might use rather than hearts, please let me know. I work at the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission. I’m sure you’ll find a good charity for your quilt.
Oh that’s such a sweet idea! I’m going to post a tutorial for how to make the heart blocks later this week, in case you want to use that.
Other than hearts… is there some symbol you see often in your line of work, or something that symbolizes your work? You could maybe do an abstracted person symbol, to symbolize the workers you’ve helped as well as the people in your company. 🙂
I ended up making the hearts a bit on the large side, and multiple people are signing on one heart. That way I didn’t have to make a bajillion blocks. 🙂
Thanks for the ideas. Making large blocks might work; maybe Diamond Friendship and once they’re signed I could sew them together — so no applique.. Or, one slice of a Dresden plate. Just thinking.
If you do a google search for signature quilt, you will find tons of ideas! 🙂 One thing I can say is to watch out for people signing too close to the edge and into the seam allowance. A friend of mine used painter’s tape to mark out the areas for people to sign at a recent wedding, and she said it worked really well (as long as people knew not to sign on the tape!). 🙂
Fantastic. Will do.
This is quite possibly the coolest thing. EVER. I’m a relatively new quilter, but I have been seriously into games for… a loooong time. My favorite games are the Persona series and the Dragon Age series, but I love a ton of others, too. And I totally agree – it’s been so disheartening in the gaming community lately! I didn’t know “Games are for Everyone” was a specific thing, but as it’s a sentiment that’s always been very, very important to me I’m so happy to find out about it! If you need another volunteer, I would be very happy to help with blocks! There are a lot of great game related charities, I know, though other than that I’m not sure where to use/display the quilts. Hmm.
Anyway, just wanted to say this was a fantastic post, a wonderful idea, and I’m thrilled beyond all belief to find other people who love gaming AND quilting! 😀
Awww, thank you!! 😀 I’ve been into games since as long as I can remember, and I love Persona and Dragon Age!!! I’m an RPG person for sure, I love the stories. 🙂
The gaming community is generally really awesome, it’s just a very very toxic and vocal minority making it so gross right now. I feel so helpless, and this quilt was sort of “I feel the need to do SOMETHING” and maybe to give voices to the majority.
I’ve already had a few institutions ask if they could display one of the quilts, which is really reassuring. 🙂 Having them visible as a sign of solidarity and support would be amazing, I think!
YAY other gamer quilters! 😀
This is SUCH a wonderful idea! As a long-time gamer and a newish quilter, I cannot help but applaud frantically until my hands go numb! Much though I love gaming, the gaming community can be horribly toxic and depressing at times and anything that promotes a more positive attitude is seriously welcome. <3 Dunno if I'm the wrong side of the pond to be of much help, but I am willing to offer support if I can.
As for games I play, I'll try most things but I particularly like RPGs (older classics like Planescape: Torment and newer stuff like Dragon Age), FPSs (things like the HL, Deus Ex and System Shock series), horror games and sandbox games like Terraria.
Thank you so much! I’m going to post a tutorial for the block later this week, and I should have feedback by the end of the week about how this initial project was received. I think after that I’ll have a better idea of what the heck I’m doing. Okay probably not.
Planescape: Torment!!! I am a huge RPG fan (my dissertation was on quests and storytelling in RPGs) and Dragon Age is another favorite. 😀 I’ve actually been doing more table-top and board game playing lately (We have both Pathfinder and D&D 5.0 games going) and less computer gaming, but I go through phases for sure.
I shall look out for the tutorial, then. 😀 I’m sure this project will have been met with enthusiasm and positivity. It’s a wonderful thing to do, though kind of a shame it’s even necessary, if you see what I mean.
I’m jelly of your TT roleplaying! I love it but haven’t done any for yonks (moving around a lot and then living in the middle of the middle of nowhere will do that), but I still cling desperately to all my source books (including quite a few 2E Planescape ones!) in hopes that, after we move, I can find a congenial group to play with again. I love board games too, there was a great group of players at my last job, we played all sorts. (It was in Germany, the land of board games!)
I’m now hoping the tutorial will happen next week because this week totally got away from me. 🙂 I just got all the hearts back tonight, and they’re totally full up with signatures! I’ll hopefully be able to grab a couple of pictures of them all tomorrow. 🙂
Awww I’m sad you don’t have a current TT group! I’m GMing our Pathfinder game which is my first time doing the whole GM thing and it’s a lot of fun! There are groups that play online through email or on boards, so there’s always that possibility! Man, I can only imagine how awesome it would be to have a game group in Germany! So many fantastic games come out of there!
Really hope you got a great response for this, well done. I’ve really enjoyed seeing the colour combos and while I’m not usually one for hearts I like your simple shape. Happy to help make more hearts if you’d like to do this again, might have a layout idea forming I could sketch out if you’re interested. Games are absolutely for everyone, can’t imagine how horrible it must be for the women & groups being targeted. I’ve dabbled in all sorts of games across consoles, handhelds, PC, MMO and now phone/tablet games, I spent the most time playing WoW which had its interesting-bordering-discouraging moments as a girl player but as with a lot of things, when I found groups of mature decent players it was so awesome and each guild with a range of people having different strengths and styles was so much fun.
The response was really great!! I got the hearts back and had enough time to take pictures before I had to get on a plane again, but no time for much else. I am hoping to get a post up today or maybe Monday about it. I literally had to stop taking photos and just have a bit of a cry because it was so overwhelming seeing so much support.
I would love to hear your layout idea!! The heart design is by Corey Schmitz. He designed it for the logo for the Games are for Everyone movement, and people have been using it as their avatars to show support. 🙂 I contacted him and he said it was okay to turn it into a quilt block, which I am very thankful for!
I played WoW for YEARS (7 years or so?) until I basically had to stop playing games so I could actually graduate. Although near the end, we let someone in our guild who was very misogynistic and he said a lot of hateful things to me (I was an officer and had started the guild.) The guild leader didn’t kick him out (even though it’s right there in our charter) because the misogynist was the raid healer. It seemed like a good time to call it quits at that point because I didn’t want to be a part of what the guild had become. Wow that’s a downer of a story. Anyway, I did really enjoy it when I had time to participate in raiding and guild stuff! But now I’m on to less time consuming games. 🙂