When it comes to turning our passion for video games into a job, the key is to look for what we are excited about, what we are good at, and being flexible and open to new challenges. For example, some of Lindsay Grace’s students started in Localization translating Nintendo games into Japanese and then moved into game design. He believes that having flexibility affords longevity in the gaming industry.

Today Marc welcomes Lindsay Grace; is Knight Chair in Interactive Media and an associate professor at the University of Miami School of Communication. Lindsay is the author of ‘Doing Things with Games’ and the 2019 recipient of the Games for Change Vanguard award. He has received multiple awards for his work, including the Games for Change Festival, the Digital Diversity Network, the Association of Computing Machinery’s digital arts community, and Black Enterprise, to name a few.

We talked about Lindsay’s passion for video games, his humble origins, and his incredible connection with IBM charity programs. He spoke about how he started designing video games when he was 10 and how his parents influenced him. We also talked about equality in gaming and his consistent work in representativity and inclusion in the industry.

Visit Lindsay’s website at: https://professorgrace.com/

or connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaygrace/

or on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mindtoggle?lang=es

Full Episode Breakdown:

4:48 – Dr Marc introduces today’s guest, Lindsay Grace.

8:17 – Look at what’s wrong in the world and see if it can be fixed with video games. Lindsay talks about his job.

9:51 – Lindsay talks about how and why he started designing games when he was 10.

14:13 – Lindsay talks about his fantastic connection with the former IBM CEO Michael Armstrong.

 15:03 – Dr Marc and Lindsay talk about some advice for parents interested in their kids being part of the gaming industry.

17:17 – Lindsay talks about the University of Miami’s programs and how students can benefit from them.

21:15 – Lindsay talks about the most prominent areas in the industry in the forthcoming years. 

24:32 – Dr Marc and Lindsay talk about what resources students can look for outside the academic community.

27:28 – Have a leg up on the industry. Lindsay talks about what students can do to have a sense of the industry’s rhythm. 

30:41 – Lindsay talks about the institutions he would recommend Black students to attend and why.

33:34 – Lindsay talks about collaboration in the gaming industry.

38:15 – Lindsay shares his experiences teaching at HBCUs universities.

42:03 – Dr Marc talks about how education institutions and tech companies can make Miami one of the big cities quickly. 

46:07 – Lindsay talks about the projects he is working on.

51:09 – Dr Marc and Lindsay talk about what is, in their opinion, the best way of including Black people and other minorities in the gaming industry.