The importance behind the Queer Games Bundle
On June 1st, the Queer Games Bundle opened a chance to help over 190 creators on Itch.io. With a goal of $5,000,000 USD, the money from the Queer Games Bundle was to be split evenly, giving solo creators freedom from being worried about paying rent, or teams participating a boost of revenue. For $60 USD, people who brought the bundle would have access to over 200 games, software, and zines made from indie creators. If $60 was out of your budget, the bundle also had a $10-$20+ USD Pay What You Can option available.
The organizers behind the Queer Games Bundle, Taylor McCue and Nilson Carroll, originally talked to Industry Gayming about how they started the bundle and gave advice on what to look out for.
We’ve reposted this interview at Gayming Magazine to help convey the importance behind one of the biggest and queerest game bundles of 2021.
Introductions! Who are you, and what do you in the industry?
Taylor: I am Taylor McCue, I’m an organizer on the Queer Games Bundle. When I am not organizing the bundle, I make small indie games. Rather than being part of the industry, I would say I am part of the queer indie games community on itch. At first glance, it seems huge but it is kind of like a small town and eventually, you start running into all the same people.
Nilson: I run a tiny DIY queer arts game community called swampbabes here in Rochester. I have an MFA from Visual Studies Workshop, and I’ve been making weird RPGs on the internet for over a decade. I’m also a ROM hacker and a glitch performance artist. I don’t really have any connection to a “games industry.”
What are some games you played growing up that made you want to be more involved in the video games industry?
Taylor: I didn’t really consider being involved with the games industry when I was younger. For most of my life, I was told that art was something that was hopeless to even attempt because there was no money in it. My family was poor so I needed to do something that had value. I think I held a yearning in my heart to make games but it was something I buried because I thought it was impossible.
Nilson: Growing up on the internet in the very early 2000’s was interesting. Mods and hacks and things were bubbling to the surface and changed how I thought about games. They became less of a product you buy at the store and more of an art form you and your friends could play around with. I care about video games now because of ROM hacks I played 20 years ago.
What are you currently playing? I’ve been replaying Heaven Will Be Mine this week.
Taylor: Organizing the bundle and handling the reaction to it has been really stressful. I’ve been trying to avoid unnecessary screen time and get away from games because if both your work and relaxation time are games, then it gets overwhelming. Lately, I’ve been reading books or watching movies instead for my relaxation time.
Nilson: not much time haha, but Salad Fields and Sparkles & Gems by resnijars!
How did you both find Itch.io? What were the first games you played from there?
Taylor: It’s been a very long time since I first found itch.io. I think at the time I was just looking for a place to park a twine game and found it. My first game was probably something in twine that wasn’t very famous.
Nilson: I think I discovered itch through being on Glorious Trainwrecks. It revealed itself to be this alternative to Steam, which was so corporate. I wish I knew what the first game I played on there was! Maybe something by thecatamites.
The queer community on Itch.io seems huge! I’ve found many creators that are just like me, who I might’ve not known about if it hadn’t been for that platform. How did you find yourself involved in the community?
Taylor: I didn’t find the community as much as I crashed into it. At one point, I became very sick but had no health insurance. My life fell apart and my planned career failed. I was not okay and had a reasonable expectation of potentially dying. I had a moment where I just laid there thinking about my life and everything I had seen and done and my one regret was that I never did any “cringe” nerd stuff while I had the chance. So once I was well enough to sit up consistently, I started trying to make weird pathetic nerd stuff until it was out of my system. Somehow instead of dying, I found help, healed as best as I could, and found myself a place to exist and something that gives my life meaning.
Nilson: The queer community on Itch is so diverse! It has been very interesting to see devs from all corners of itch come together for this bundle. Even if people aren’t “just like me,” we all have this connection as queer makers in an environment that is often hostile to us. I hope we can help support this community, even if it’s just a tiny bit!
Both of you have started the Queer Games Bundle, with a goal of $5,000,000 USD, involving over 190 artists that have made zines, games, and handy software, where the money will be split evenly to provide a liveable wage. How was this amazing bundle first initiated and thought of?
Taylor: I found myself in this community and over time I would see people talk about terrible things that would happen. Physical assaults, poverty, abuse, alongside disability and marginalization. People in the community would offer kind words but that is often all we could do. I was powerless to help and the guilt of doing nothing as I saw a pattern ate into me. Many of these issues were directly related to poverty. Alone I believe our only option would be to suffer in silence. I wanted to change that because I couldn’t live with myself doing nothing. By banding together I realized that there would be more for everyone and especially the most vulnerable people. Nilson and I started organizing in January of this year but the need has existed for a long time.
Nilson: We were both really inspired by Pizzapranks’ Indiepocalypse zine series, as well as the Be A Better Cyberpunk bundle that Kritical organized. There’s such a dire need to support these artists making incredible work, and we were both in agreement that it needed to be as equitable and non-competitive as possible. By keeping the goal at five million, we always have room to grow, the work is never done.
What was the process like for making the Queer Games Bundle? Do you have any advice for anyone who might want to do something similar to raise money for another marginalized group?
Taylor: Nilson and I would talk once a week. We went from having no idea where to start to gradually breaking things down into steps. Over time we simply figured things out. Eventually we went from talking to dividing up chores for necessary work for the bundle. It grew from there. The books that helped me the most in designing the bundle, organizing, and grounding my thinking were: “The ALL NEW Don’t Think of an Elephant!” by George Lakoff and “Organizing For Social Change: Midwest Academy Manual For Activists” Both of these books were personally indispensable to me and I would have been lost without their guidance. For those of you who do not like to read, I promise you that if you read just the first chapter of each book you will find yourself a solid foundation. The rest of organizing is just stubbornness and persistent quiet work.
Nilson: Start early and stay organized! Have clear goals from the beginning. It’s hard to change anything once the ball starts rolling. And just continue to believe in a project even if at times it seems difficult. I know for a fact I wouldn’t have gotten this far without Taylor.
With a great price of $60 USD for the bundle, you’ve also provided a sliding scale price for those who want to take part in this, but not have as much of the means to. As someone who grew up with very little to spend on games, I’m delighted to see this. I rarely see this option when trying to raise money, what made you want to provide this option?
Taylor: My friends from outside the games community who are local would not have been able to afford the bundle if I did not provide this option. I wanted them to be able to enjoy my work and share it with them. I wanted everyone to be able to enjoy nice things.
Nilson: We didn’t want any barriers to accessing the bundle.
Before I see you go, do you have any advice for LGBTQA+ gamers who play and are made to feel that gaming isn’t made for them, from time to time.
Taylor: Just like the rest of the world, gaming isn’t made for you. It is rational to feel that way. Right now the games in this bundle may seem inferior to the products that are made by corporations and famous indie devs but those entities and people typically have so much more access to resources. Some of the developers in this bundle have made works under extraordinary circumstances. Imagine what they and other marginalized people could do if they had equal access to stability and resources. If you are looking for a place to belong, please consider instead of seeking it from the old world joining and supporting those who can imagine a different new world and join us. Make a world where you belong.
Nilson: It’s important to claim your space! No one in the so-called games industry gave us permission to do this. We wanted to stand up for the queer game dev community on itch. It’s super important we all support each other, and work toward more equitable, less competitive systems and communities.
The Queer Games Bundle is no longer available to purchase on Itch.io, but it’s importance cannot be denied.
Be sure to follow the creators Taylor and Nilson on Twitter to keep an eye on projects they’ll be working on like swampbabes and more.
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