Highlights
- Poppy Playtime continues to terrify gamers on multiple platforms, ensuring a chilly and thrilling experience.
- CEO Zach Belanger discusses his positive experience as an LGBTQ+ person in the games industry, pushing for acceptance and change.
- Belanger hopes to inspire others in the LGBTQ+ community to see their identity as a blessing, broadening understanding and empathy.
Just in case you’ve never heard of this terrifying mascot game that has given anyone who has played it absolute nightmares, created by Mob Entertainment’s. Zach and Seth Belanger, Poppy Playtime is an indie horror/puzzle adventure title where players must try to evade the creepy toys waiting for them in a toy factory and also what became of all the warehouse workers – all while trying not to die.
Initially released on PC in 2021, Poppy Playtime slithered its way onto the PS4, PS5 and Switch just in time for Christmas last year, so everyone could not only be cold, but scared as well for the joyful season. Recently, Co-Founder Zach Belanger discussed his experience as an LGBTQ+ person in the games industry, how the word ‘gay’ has evolved, and how he wants the community to think of being LGBTQ+ as a blessing rather than a curse.
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Acceptance In The Games Industry
In an interview with GameRant, CEO Zach Belanger talks about being an openly gay man in the games industry as well as the positive changes he has seen within the LGBTQ+ community over more recent years. Belanger also touched on how he hopes to inspire other members of the LGBTQ+ community.
“While I have undoubtedly encountered hurdles, generally speaking, my experience as an LGBTQ+ person in the games industry has been a positive one.” expressed Belanger, while also acknowledging how the terminology of the word ‘gay’ has changed over the years in the gaming space, especially in titles such as Call of Duty.
“In years past, gamers were thought of as a guy playing the newest Call of Duty title and thinking it’s funny to use the word gay as an insult or as a punch line in an objectively poorly written joke in a chat.” Belanger continues, “Today, I and most others have a different view of how LGBTQ+ people and issues are treated in the games industry, which is that the games industry tends to be a very accepting space. That is not to say that there isn’t still room for change.”
For anyone growing up in the days when Call of Duty was at its height, coming across a lobby where the word ‘gay’ would be used quite frequently as a term of slander was almost viewed as “normal” behavior. Even though there’s still ignorance and homophobia within the corners of many gaming spaces, studios like Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us franchise, Bioware’s Dragon Age series, and Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3 have helped pave the way for positive representation and inclusive spaces.
Belanger also expressed his desire that his own personal story would help others in the LGBTQ+ community follow their dreams and not allow themselves to ever feel bogged down by it. “I would like to inspire other members of the LGBTQ+ community to think about being LGBTQ+ as a blessing rather than a curse.” Belanger told GameRant, “There are pros and cons to everything, but for me, being part of the LGBTQ+ community has allowed me to be part of a minority group which broadened my understanding and empathy for all people.”
Being LGBTQ+ means that one’s life experiences will be different than they otherwise would have been. The people one connects with on a deeper level, the circle of friends, the romantic interests, the fear of not being accepted, the fear of never being happy, one’s gender identity, or how one wants to present in public, affects so many important aspects of a person’s life. Embrace your authentic self and shoot for the stars.
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