Robert Yang is one of the top experts when it comes to the gaming world. Not only does he create games, he also teaches on the topic. His biography from his website
Robert Yang makes surprisingly popular games about gay culture and intimacy — he is most known for his historical bathroom sex simulator The Tearoom and his male shower simulator Rinse and Repeat, and his gay sex triptych Radiator 2 has over 150,000 users on Steam. He is currently an Assistant Arts Professor at NYU Game Center, and he has given talks at GDC, IndieCade, Queerness and Games Conference, and Games for Change. He holds a BA in English Literature from UC Berkeley, and an MFA in Design and Technology from Parsons School for Design.
Interviewed by Unicorn Booty he was asked the following
Unicorn Booty: Has Harassment affected your work or the work of your peers? If so, how?
Robert Yang: I enjoy relative safety as a gay Asian cis man, but I have witnessed the damage done to the careers and wellbeing of many women designers and developers around me. From “small” ways like them locking their Twitter account in response to constant harassment (thus preventing them from getting retweeted, thus limiting their ability to get coverage and media access) to very urgent life-threatening ways, like a mother being targeted and SWATed for her daughter’s research on Internet harassment. Simply saying “harassment is bad” is the equivalent of saying “all lives matter”. It erases harm through generalization, when this is Specific behavior by specific harassers to harm specific people for specific reasons.
What can we do to fight against bigotry and exclusion in gaming?
Pressure those with power and money — the game industry, large prestige game developer studios, famous YouTubers, your government — to take specific stands against harassment and the systemic intimidation of women, and advocate for more resources for women’s communities and organizations. Culture change starts with your individual behavior and beliefs. If you have money to spare, donate; if you have time to spare, volunteer. Have casual conversations with your friends about offensive behavior and why it’s wrong.
For the rest of the interview go to Why Robert Yang Makes Video Games About Sex With Cars
Unfortunately Robert is taken. He has been with his husband, fellow gaming programmer Eddie Cameron, for six years. Married for three. Says Robert
We played each other’s games and then met up when we were both in New York.
And they have been together ever since. Sigh, all the good ones are taken.
Email – yang.robert.w {at} gmail {dot} com
Website – Robert Yang
Twitter – @radiatoryang
Youtube – Robert Yang
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