Cherisse Datu, Filipina game designer from Guam, creates representation

A Guam-raised game designer is creating representation for Filipinos in the video game industry, with an indie Filipino fantasy-adventure game.

With a master’s degree in game design, and video editing credits to her name at Al Jazeera and ESPN, Cherisse Datu has nearly a decade of experience and advice to share with Guam’s youths to find opportunities in fields they might otherwise not know about.

Datu, 28, was born in the Philippines and raised on Guam. After graduating from Academy of Our Lady of Guam in 2007, she moved to Washington D.C. for college, and has lived in the area since.

“Growing up, the only kind of career options that seemed available were like lawyer, doctor, teacher, and I’m just really bad at science and math,” she said, laughing.

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Her best subject in school was English, so when she moved for college, she planned to major in communications. But when she started working part time at the university equipment room, she realized that pursuing work in film was an option.

Internship, freelance work furthers career

Datu went on to graduate with a degree in film, then later interned for an international news show and worked as a freelance video editor.

Her freelance gigs led to a news editor job for a social media show on Al Jazeera.

When she found out there was a scholarship to learn about the intersection of journalism and video games at American University, where she earned her undergraduate degree, she realized there was another potential professional field for her to explore.

"You grow up on a small island, and you don’t really know what your options are, you kind of have a closed-off sense of what your opportunities can be.”

Fellowship opens world of games

Once she learned that working with video games could be an option for her, she applied for the fellowship. The application required her to submit a video, which worked out perfectly because she already had tons of experience in video production.

“Through my fellowship, I learned about game design and started creating video games, and learning about the world of games,” she said. “There’s not just Mario, or Final Fantasy or Call of Duty out there; there’s also serious games.”

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Datu learned about a world of games in academia, and that you could make smaller independent video games without needing the resources of a large studio.

After earning her master’s degree in game design, Datu ended up using her skills in video production and games to do interactive media work for features on ESPN.

Skills, respect gained by overcoming bias

As a Filipina woman from a small island, breaking into these male-dominated fields was initially difficult, Datu said.

“I definitely don’t fall into what your perception of a video editor or game designer or video producer would look like,” she said. “But what I’ve learned going forward is that people may have initial misgivings about you.”

Having to work extra hard as a woman and ethnic minority puts a lot of pressure on her to succeed and try harder, she said.

“I have greater emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills because I had to learn to charm my way into getting things, and that’s something as a woman that we learn really fast,” she said. “If you see a woman in a newsroom in a male-dominated field, she had to work twice as hard to get there. So when people see me in a room, I think immediately the respect is there because people understand from the get-go that it’s such a rarity, that this person must be talented in order to make it.”

Difference makes you special

Even if you’re a minority in your field, Datu says you can use your unique background to your advantage and bring a different perspective.

“You will always be conscious about what makes you different, but you have to realize that what makes you different makes you special.”

She now works as a video producer at Bethesda Softworks, which has made popular video games like Fallout and The Elder Scrolls.

Datu has designed and worked on multiple games, including Factitious, a game that tests your sense to distinguish real news from fake news. The game was featured on large news networks, including NPR and Newsweek.

Filipina protagonist in latest project

Her current video game project is called The Girl Who Sees, which showcases Filipino history and culture set during the Japanese occupation in World War II.

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In the game, you can learn Tagalog words, fight creatures from Filipino mythical lore and complete quests.

“I’m really excited about it because a lot of times when you see people of color in video games, they’re based in a fantasy world or it’s based in a war zone and they’re being shot,” she said. “The game really speaks to me, coming from the Philippines and also Guam, because the Japanese occupation was a major factor in both my cultures’ history.”

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Datu said it was important for her team to set the game during World War II, to help people look at the Philippines in a modern way and also know the country’s history.

“A lot of people tend to forget it even though it’s fairly recent,” she said. “A lot of people have lolas and lolos who can speak about what happened there. When we grow up and try to assimilate, we tend to forget that piece of culture there is important, and it’s important to remember the people who fought for you to get to this point.”

The Girl Who Sees is a 2D point-and-click PC adventure, which follows the journeys of a young village girl named Quina.

When she first saw the concept art for Quina, Datu said she was happy to see a female protagonist who is brown, short and has a flat nose — which is a realistic representation for Filipina women that isn’t often seen.

'It's OK to change' paths

To young people figuring out their future careers, Datu says not to be scared to venture off from your previous path to do something else that appeals to you.

“It’s OK to change what you want to do,” she said. “I’ve changed what I want to do multiple times and I’m really happy. Kids on Guam now are definitely going to find new jobs that weren’t available before. I had interviewed — and didn’t get — a job at The Washington Post as a Snapchat editor. But you could be a Snapchat editor, or whatever new thing comes out.”

In the future, Datu said she’d love to make more video games, and hopes to someday return to Guam to share what she’s learned with the younger generation.

“I want people to see what their options are, and to know there’s a space for them, should they want to go — that there are people who want to help you,” she said. “Having that person as I was going through my career would have been so valuable to me — and I would love to be that for others.”

To contact Datu, you can send a message through her website.

Reporter Chloe Babauta keeps readers up to date on Guam’s latest trends, food spots, festivals and more. Follow her on Twitter @chloebabauta and Instagram @mestisachamorrita. Follow Pacific Daily News on Facebook/GuamPDN and Instagram @guampdn.