The GX Australia panels you don’t want to miss

GX Australia is taking place this coming weekend, and we’ve got a summary of what we consider to be its best panel offerings.

Here’s what we recommend you check out.

Saturday, 27 February

• Auditorium, 12.00 pm — Romance in Games: The Great Untapped Resource: “Following the super successful #PAXMance panel at PAX Australia 2015, join a collection of industry veterans to discuss the evolution of romance in games. All the way from AAA to tiny indie titles, these creators care about the creation and expression of relationships in games as a medium. Join the #GXMance hashtag to ask questions and participate in a live discussion about love, hate and everything in between.”
• Panel Room 1, 2.00 pm — The new gay ghetto: Do we need gay games?: “Many games include gay characters and plotlines but as optional content. Is this a new kind of invisibility and is avoidable gay content just a new ghetto? If the wider community is never exposed to gay themes and ideas, are they missing out on something special? With the mainstreaming of same-sex attraction, the gulf between same-sex attraction and LGBTIQ culture is growing wider. Is there a place for games made exclusively for the queer community? Do same-sex attracted developers have a responsibility to promote queer culture? And just how good would a Star Wars game be if you were playing as Poe and had to rescue your husband Finn? Would straight people play that game? Probably, they’re only human.”

Sunday, 28 February

• Auditorium, 11.00 am — With a Smile: Gaming and Comedy: “This panel discussion is all fun and games, looking into what comedy has achieved for the Australian gaming community, how humour is one of the most important ways of tackling political issues and how comedy connects people more than ever among the nerd kingdom! Join some amazing guests from organisations such as Good Game, Insert Coin and Big Head Mode for an hour of of happiness and laughter.”
• Panel Room 1, 1.00 pm — Everything You Love Is Terrible: “So much geeky media contains problematic themes and a lack of representation of women, people of colour and other minorities. As Anita Sarkeesian states, “remember that it is both possible (and even necessary) to simultaneously enjoy media while also being critical of it’s more problematic or pernicious aspects”. This panel will explore how media influences our perceptions and discuss how we reconcile our love for something that contains themes we can’t condone.”
• Auditorium, 2.00 pm — Playing it Safe: Bisexual Representation and Beyond in Games (18+): “As creators and consumers, what can we do better to address the lack of diversity in sexual orientation representation in games? Join a panel of games industry pros, marketers and content creators to discuss the challenges, changes and opportunities we face as players and developers.”
• Auditorium, 3.00 pm — Games Gone Wild: Sex, Sexuality & the art of the salacious Cut Scene (18+): “Join our panel of experts for an insightful and broad minded discussion of a topic whose symptoms include rampant innuendo, excessive pun use and furious blushing. You’ll laugh, you’ll raise an eyebrow or two and… you’ll walk out with a lengthy ‘To Play’ list.”

This is only a sampling of the myriad panels available, of course — you can check out a full panel schedule right here.

GX Australia will take place over 27 and 28 February at Sydney’s Australian Technology Park. For more information and to purchase tickets, head here.