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There has been a lot of research done into how characters in videogames are depicted: which images are harmful or stereotypical, which ones depict minorities in a poor light, etc. Unfortunately, thus far research has not considered the industry's perspective or the role of production within game studios on how characters are designed.

If you have worked on a video game development team in a capacity related to character creation (design, production, art, etc.), you are invited to participate in a short interview that will investigate the process and decision-making behind character conceptualization and video game design. This study seeks to understand the design process from the practical and economic considerations of the industry in order to balance out the academic research that has overlooked these factors.

The interviews will be conducted by Jessica Tompkins (Ph.D. student) and Dr. Nicole Martins of the Media School at Indiana University, Bloomington. Jessica and Nicole have previously conducted research on video games and Jess herself is an avid gamer. Participation involves a single interview via Skype or phone. All participants will be entered to win one $50 Amazon gift card, the odds of winning dependent on the total number of participants (about 1 in 20 or 1 in 25).

If you are at least 18 years old, have worked on character creation for games, and would like more information about participating, please contact: Jessica Tompkins at [email protected] or Nicole Martins at [email protected].

Interviews will last approximately 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Participants will remain anonymous in any papers or presentations that may emerge from this study.