Design Education from Ideaplatz, LLC

Learn

Enduring Play S2 E4 Released: Events as a Catalyst for Thriving Communities with Cristina Amaya

CategoriesEnduring Play
Enduring Play S2 E4 Released: Events as a Catalyst for Thriving Communities with Cristina Amaya

Discover an astonishing variety of community insight in this candid conversation with video game event professional and nonprofit board member Cristina Amaya. Cristina’s love of gaming was forged like many of her peers with late nights in World of Warcraft guilds and inspiring trips to the Penny Arcade Expo, and those formative experiences led to a career organizing esports, developer, and player-focused events around the video game industry. This episode is full of new things to discover: explore third space theory, prosocial gaming patterns, the fighting game community and their flagship fighting tournament EVO, dive into some of the history of League of Legends, learn how the Americans with Disabilities Act impacts event planning, and so much more. And for anyone who’s struggled with a return to office or a layoff, there will be cathartic moments of candor here for you, as when this was originally recorded Cristina had just experienced a layoff event herself which led both Cristina and Cheryl to share their coping strategies for these difficult career events.

Engage with this episode now

Enduring Play: A Game Dev Podcast Season 2 Episode 4 – Cristina Amaya [Show Notes]

Key Quotes

“Speaking of third spaces: in American society, we’re taught “find your one true love and your partner and that’s your best friend.” I think we’re sometimes forgetting that we also need friends to fall back on for other things, people to rely on when things are are tough, people who understand the kind of work that we do, people who have our hobbies. I’m always on the lookout for people that I can surround myself with that fit in some of these boxes for me in different ways. That’s why I’m always making spaces like that layoff job board Game Industry Job Hunt: I made that because I knew what it felt like to go through a layoff. My role in the industry is not most stable, so I think it was important to find a space and create it, not just for me, but of course, but for other folks that might need it.”

“You know, I really like when you have this moment where a fan looks at the product that you’ve made and is so excited to be there and to share their story and to share how what you’re working on is impactful to them. I think we all do work for various reasons. For me, work has always existed because, obviously I need to pay my bills, but I also want to make an impact on the people around me: a positive one, I hope. And I think that it is so cool to put on an event where someone can experience that kind of that level of joy.”

“One of my first events that made me realize I wanted to work in gaming was at PAX East in 2010 when I was still in college. I discovered that I could do things joyfully because I wanted to, and I had never been hit so hard in the face with that kind of reality. It’s changed the whole trajectory of my life. I want to make moments for people. And it doesn’t have to be career wise, right? It can be like, “I love gaming, and I’m going to be proud and open about it,” or whatever the case may be. I want people to have moments where they really feel truly and genuinely part of a community and themselves.“

“Having just gone through a layoff last week, I can tell you: it’s stressful. But I’m no longer like, “will people still think of me as important in the industry? Will people still talk to me?” There are people, by the way, who will not even acknowledge me still – but that’s fine, right? Because ultimately, I decide my value, and I decide what I’m bringing to the table. At this last job, while I was looking I was like, “I really need to feel connected to the team, to the people,” and I’m really proud to say that I got exactly what I wanted. I liked every single person I was talking to. I haven’t left on bad terms. I miss them. You know, starting Monday was weird not having a bunch of emails from them. But I’m glad I did it, and I don’t regret it. So I’m really grateful for that.”

Share on Social Media

""You know, I really like when you have this moment where a fan looks at the product that you've made and is so excited to be there and to share their story and to share how what you're working on is impactful to them. I think we all do work for various reasons. For me, work has always existed because, obviously I need to pay my bills, but I also want to make an impact on the people around me: a positive one, I hope. And I think that it is so cool to put on an event where someone can experience that kind of that level of joy."
""Speaking of third spaces: in American society, we're taught “find your one true love and your partner and that's your best friend.” I think we're sometimes forgetting that we also need friends to fall back on for other things, people to rely on when things are are tough, people who understand the kind of work that we do, people who have our hobbies. I'm always on the lookout for people that I can surround myself with that fit in some of these boxes for me in different ways. That's why I'm always making spaces like that layoff job board Game Industry Job Hunt: I made that because I knew what it felt like to go through a layoff. My role in the industry is not most stable, so I think it was important to find a space and create it, not just for me, but of course, but for other folks that might need it."
""Having just gone through a layoff last week, I can tell you: it's stressful. But I'm no longer like, “will people still think of me as important in the industry? Will people still talk to me?” There are people, by the way, who will not even acknowledge me still - but that's fine, right? Because ultimately, I decide my value, and I decide what I'm bringing to the table. At this last job, while I was looking I was like, “I really need to feel connected to the team, to the people,” and I'm really proud to say that I got exactly what I wanted. I liked every single person I was talking to. I haven't left on bad terms. I miss them. You know, starting Monday was weird not having a bunch of emails from them. But I'm glad I did it, and I don't regret it. So I’m really grateful for that."
"One of my first events that made me realize I wanted to work in gaming was at PAX East in 2010 when I was still in college. I discovered that I could do things joyfully because I wanted to, and I had never been hit so hard in the face with that kind of reality. It's changed the whole trajectory of my life. I want to make moments for people. And it doesn't have to be career wise, right? It can be like, “I love gaming, and I'm going to be proud and open about it,” or whatever the case may be. I want people to have moments where they really feel truly and genuinely part of a community and themselves."

Follow Enduring Play on your favorite platform

The Game Development Strategy Guide

Enduring Play is the companion podcast to The Game Development Strategy Guide: Crafting Modern Video Games that Thrive. Season 1 features the interviews that inspired the book, and Season 2 expands our understanding of how to create sustainable gaming experiences. The book is available at all major online booksellers and at publisher Rosenfeld Media’s website.

Use code ENDURINGPLAYS2 at RosenfeldMedia.com to get 15% off your order – and all physical orders at Rosenfeld Media receive a free ebook. Podcast Season 2 offer expires July 31, 2026.

DISCOUNT CODE

ENDURINGPLAYS2

By Cheryl PlatzOn