Albert Dankwa III | GAMING | Re-imagining Social Accessibility & Closing the Digital Divide

How can gaming, benefit our communities?

Albert Dankwa III, content developer on the Microsoft Xbox team, joins this 🎬 LIVE 🎬 episode of The Data Binge Podcast to talk about how gaming, and the tangible benefits of immersive and creative worlds, will change the social constructs of communities impacted by limited access to internet and technology.

Additional re-frames on gaming that we will discuss:

🎮 Albert's experience growing up in South Bronx, and how gaming impacted his life: from gaming, to fashion and photography, to technology.

🎮 How gaming can create exposure to rich dialogues and experiences, that can change the perception of the world, while helping audiences develop hard skills from story-telling, to coding.

🎮 Why gaming WILL close the digital divide, and how it will impact people on levels that we cannot imagine.

Navigate the Episode:

[5:27] The content creation process around gaming, and the journey of creating proactive content for gamers

[9:16] The opportunity for gaming all-up: A Multi-Billion Dollar Industry

[10:08] As gaming advances, so does technology – how these two facets correlate and evolve together

[14:07] Partnerships, deals, and brand growth in the world of gaming

[16:07] Alberts lived experience in his community and how gaming helped him navigate economic and social challenges: what others can take-away from his story

[21:17] Three community-led ways to promote equity and produce better games

[22:20] Making games more accessible: the importance of access

[27:33] The myriad ways in how to bring games to bring games to everyone

[28:43] New communities of gamers are forming: gaming fosters inclusion and leadership

[29:37] Closing the digital divide

[31:11] How gaming influences child development and growth, and how gaming will ceate the next era of talent

[35:47] The influence and power that gaming possesses

[40:41] Albert’s desire to create more access and introduce diversity in gaming

[44:00] The general access to resources, skill development, and branding that gaming provides

[47:19] What’s next for Albert?

Memorable Quotes:

[11:20]  “Xbox happened to be my heart and my true love.” - Albert Dankwa III

[15:46] “Not everyone can access technologies or gaming hardware.“- Albert Dankwa III

[16:29] “What gaming is doing is that it really opens up the mind and the imagination.”- Albert Dankwa III

Resources:

Connect with Albert on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/albertdankwa

Connect with Albert on Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/alkallus

Breaking the stereotype: the case of online gaming: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12650566/

(3) community-led ways to promote equity and make better games: https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-11-03-3-ways-to-promote-equity-and-make-better-games

How online gaming has become a social lifeline: https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20201215-how-online-gaming-has-become-a-social-lifeline

How the pandemic has shifted mobile gaming behaviours worldwide: https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-ssa/consumer-insights/consumer-trends/mobile-casual-gaming-trends/

Thank you for listening!

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*The views and opinions expressed in this discussion are those of the guests and do