"I want people in my age range to realize they can jump into the industry" | Black Voices Progress Report

29.02.2024 - 15:51 / gamesindustry.biz

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This interview is part of GamesIndustry.biz's Black Voices Progress Report, offering insight into the different experiences Black professionals have in the games sector. You can read more about the project and check the other entries on this page .

Our Black Voices Progress Report interviews have shown that people in the games sector are multitalented, and our final featured developer of the month is a perfect example of that. While people move between disciplines in the industry, not many have crossed over from journalism to marketing and then to development, such as Focus Entertainment's Funké Joseph.

Having studied multimedia journalism at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University), they've had multiple bylines and featured in IGN, Vice, and GameSpot, to name a few. However, their stint as journalist eventually led them to work in the games industry as a marketing editor and creative producer.

GamesIndustry.biz asked Joseph how they assess working in the games industry as a young professional.

"Being in an industry where you can create the coolest form of art, in my opinion, is awesome. [But] it's also very sad to see the state of it. We've seen it actively fumbled over the past year. This year, it's atrocious; minutes before I got on this call, I saw Embracer laid off a whole division of Eidos Montreal."

Joseph explains that they got into the games sector and were fully aware of the possibility of being laid off.

"Growing up, I was listening to podcasts about the games industry. I would hear people say, 'oh, I just got laid off' and I freaked out about that," they say. "I knew this was something I wanted to do. So I saved up and was a bit cautious. I didn't want to move anywhere for my job."

Joseph says that becoming a games journalist was a passion they had since their formative years.

"I started freelancing through journalism school. It was OK, but some places just don't pay enough like some notable [websites]. It helped me get other jobs by putting their byline there. But [few sites] pay a reasonable amount or a livable wage, and very few staff positions [that do]."

They previously worked as a featured contributor with the publication Fanbyte, which experienced layoffs implemented by its parent company Tencent.

"I found one, and it was my dream job at Fanbyte. Through working in media, I got to do what I wanted to do, test things out, and learn from knowledgeable people from all facets of business, such as zines and game design."

Joseph explains that working and then getting laid off at the publication proved to be beneficial for the next phase of their professional career.

"I was getting burnt out, and Fanbyte had