James D’Amato

Queerly Represent Me chatted with James D'Amato, president of ONE SHOT Podcast Network and vice-president of Paracosm Press.

QRM: Can you tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do in the games industry?

James: I am a game designer and games entertainment producer. I run the ONE SHOT Podcast Network, which produces actual play podcasts and videos about tabletop games. I host our flagship program where we record a rotating cast of improvisers and notable nerds playing a variety of tabletop roleplaying games.

Over at Paracosm, I write and publish tabletop games with my business partner Kat Kuhl. Our first game Noisy Person Cards was recently bought by Mattel and you can find it at your local ToysRUs.

QRM: How long have you been involved in the game industry, and what projects have you worked on? What are you working on currently?

James: I've been in the industry around four years and publishing games for just under two. After Noisy Person Cards, I'm working on a few new projects.

A card based RPG with the working title Entropey uses tropes from TV and movies to tell stories. I'm also working on an as-of-yet-untitled RPG project that encourages players to physically explore their sexuality while roleplaying explorers of a tongue-in-cheek fantasy dungeon. Mechanics of the game will require players to kiss and take off clothing. It's a weird idea that I'm hoping will produce fun, safe, and enlightening experiences.

QRM: What inspired you to get started in the games industry?

James: It sort of happened by accident. I was making a serious run at a career in comedy when I started ONE SHOT. It wasn't long before the popularity of my roleplaying show had eclipsed everything else I was doing. Over the years, ONE SHOT became one of the largest networks in tabletop media. That moved gaming from a hobby to a career pretty quick.

QRM: In what ways do you feel your experiences as a queer person manifest in the games you work on, and influence the work you do?

James: As a queer figure in the gaming media with a large queer audience, I see it as my responsibility to foster a welcoming and safe community for everyone. That includes queer folks, people of color, and a growing spectrum of genders. I try to make my games and shows consciously aware of the effect they could have on other people. Gaming has earned a bad reputation and I want people to know that it is possible to explore your passion for this hobby without worrying about safety.

QRM: Do you have a favourite queer character—in games or media more generally? If so, what is it about them that makes them your favourite?
Question asked by @kamienw.

James: Honestly, probably Tryst Valentine, a pansexual pilot from our Edge of the Empire actual play. He started as the classic self-destructive cad we see all over media, and quickly evolved into a character whose sexuality knows no limits. He's closely tied with Leenik Geelo, his romance-novel-loving demisexual bounty hunter crewmate.

QRM: Have you ever encountered roadblocks in trying to include queer characters in games? What do you think is preventing greater diversity within games?
Question asked by @dustinalex91.

James: No, honestly that is most likely because of the scale at which tabletop games are published. Folks like myself can publish upwards of five games a year with complete control over the process. There is no one to tell me "no" except my audience.

QRM: Why do you think it is important that queer audiences are able to see themselves represented in the games they play, and in the developers who make the games they see? What can we do to improve the industry for queer audiences and devs?

James: God, there is too much to this question to answer. I didn't feel comfortable talking about my sexuality until after college. A big part of that was lacking the tools to discuss it in a way that made me feel comfortable. Having a culture that supports queer identity will help younger folks grow up without the emotional baggage of generations which preceded them. That is the dream.

As for how we foster that, I think the easiest way is combatting microaggressions in gaming spaces, and gently correcting behavior that turns queer folk away from gaming. If you want a healthy culture, build communities where gamers don't casually spout hate speech.

QRM: Have you ever mentored somebody in your role in games, or been mentored? If so, what made these experiences worthwhile for you?
Question asked by @pepelanova.

James: Yes to both. As a white cis dude, it was not hard to find folks willing to aid my development as a media figure and publisher.

In my position I'm trying to pay that mentorship forward to folks who don't have my privilege. I actively look for ways to help non-white, non-male, non-cis, and queer folks make their way into gaming. It's my hope that a diverse community will make gaming safer, healthier, and more profitable for everyone.

QRM: In what ways can non-queer folk increase and support queer diversity present within games, as well as in the industry more broadly? How can we all work to support intersectional approaches to diversity, and why is this important?

James: Listen. Don't make excuses, don't "assume the best" in bad situations, don't get defensive. If someone speaks up about an issue in the gaming community, they are asking you for help. It is always easier to assume that you don't need to take difficult steps to solve a problem. It is never the right thing to do. If you want to be an ally, look for ways to use your privilege to uplift queer voices. You didn't ask for privilege, there are times where don't like having it, but as a nerd you probably already know what comes with great power.

QRM: Is there a message that you would like to share with the queer game players, game studies researchers, and other interested folks who comprise the Queerly Represent Me community?

James: You belong here. People want you here. Have fun.