Katie Browner

We sat down with Katie, owner of NewWestGames.

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

Katie: I'm Katie, and I make visual novels for predominantly queer audiences.

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

Katie: I've worked on all of my own titles, most recently Ecchi Sketch: Draw Cute Girls Every Day and Frequent Flyer: A Long Distance Love Story. I've also collaborated with Team Watercress on their game Our Home.

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

Katie: I'd always wanted to! At 5 years old, it was my dream to learn Japanese, and go and work for Sega. I did learn some Japanese, and though I never ended up working at Sega, I did end up turning my love of visual novels into a way to break into the industry.

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?

Katie: I feel that it's hugely influential on my own experiences, and in fact directly affects the storylines and directions of my games. Some of my own experiences creep in, as I'm sure they do for many writers, and I hope it has a positive impact in making games more accessible and relatable to queer folk.

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.

Katie: Sadly, it's hard to think of great, relatable queer characters in video games. But, I'd probably have to go for Kim Pine from Scott Pilgrim Vs the World. She's not a typical femme, has a 'take no crap' attitude and is a complete crush. <3

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.

Katie: Unfortunately, I have. I received a lot of pushback in regards to the bisexual protagonist Aya in my game Sweet Volley High. A large amount of men contacted me, either upset that the dating options for her weren't a perfectly equal amount of women and men, or that including male options 'ruined' their experience.

I had to politely inform them why they were wrong.

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?

Katie: I absolutely think so. For me, playing games where I can't romance women (or indeed even play as one) does drag me out of the experience, especially where roleplaying or story-driven games are concerned.

I think visibility is key. Good narratives, and more exposure for not just the queer community, but for games that feature queer characters.

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.

Katie: Unfortunately I have not. I had to find out everything the hard way. That said, I'm always open for questions and advice. 😊

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?

Katie: I think one thing queer folk struggle with is marketing. I know it's hard to discover new games with queer characters, or by queer creators, personally.

One way to increase that support is: share! Share with your queer friends, share with anyone you think would enjoy it. Share with your Discord or Reddit communities. I promise, it all helps.

By sharing, you give creators more power, more weight over the decisions they are able to make for their media, and to pressure publishers and news organizations into accepting that we make up a much larger percentage of the gaming community than people think.

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?

Katie: You can do anything you set your mind to. Being queer can sometimes take a lot of strength and courage. Channel that, and use it to your advantage.

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You can check out NewWestGames on Patreon or Twitter
And you can play Ecchi Sketch on Steam.