Devs preparing for protests celebrate games' power to aid positive change

- Game designer Alex Zandra Van Chestein, in conversation with Waypoint.

The United States of America formally inaugurated a new president today, and many people aren't happy about it.

A fair number of game developers will be participating in protests that are expected to take place across the country in the wake of Donald Trump's ascension to the White House, and a few of them recently chatted with Waypoint about why they're protesting -- and fellow devs may appreciate reading about how they value their work as game makers in times like these.

"Even in a world where everybody makes culture at lightspeed, certain people are in a better position to work with words, sounds, images, games," educator, critic, and game designer Paolo Pedercini told Waypoint. "And we can use these skills to assist, strengthen, celebrate the work of, say, civil rights lawyers or an environmental engineers."

Pedercini says he also plans to protest in Washington D.C. this weekend. But even if you have absolutely zero interest in ever engaging in politics or protests, you should know that some of the devs speaking to Waypoint shared some useful advice for how to balance your work as a game maker with your work as a human being.

"My resources are limited, and I need to constantly keep my needs in mind so I don't burn out again," game designer Alex Zandra Van Chestein, who also plans to protest in a "sister march" to the one in D.C., told Waypoint. "But I can't sit by and do nothing. There are ways we can all make this world better, even if it's just showing others a glimpse of what it could be."

For more, check out the full feature over on Waypoint.