Once a signifier of luxury or novelty, custom products and services are now within reach of the everyday consumer, thanks to the rise of artificial intelligence, algorithm-led platforms, and the COVID-era digitisation boom. Today, everyone wants to be the main character of their brand experience.

Diverse representation is an expectation, but as individuals no longer allow themselves to be defined in singular terms, there's mounting pressure on brands to understand and sensitively reflect how the intersections between race, gender, class, and ability impact people's everyday lives.

After over a year offline,Blaseballwill make its highly-anticipated return. The fictional baseball simulator took the web by storm during the pandemic with its wacky in-game features and world-building, and its inclusive community is a refreshing outlier in the toxic online gaming culture.

Despite esports growing in popularity among women, they're still more likely to be harassed within this space and excluded. As such, Complexity Gaming and Denny’s are coming together to stream ‘pancake drops’, a series of live streams aimed at celebrating the inclusion of women in esports.

The pandemic has pushed gaming into the spotlight as people spend more time at home and try to manage their anxiety through virtual play. But despite the large – and growing – number of female players, developers have been slow to create games tailored to this audience. Enter HoloVista.

Lockdowns saw gaming become a source of comfort and escapism for millions. However, there remain barriers to entry, driving calls to make virtual worlds more accessible. How are developers creating spaces and tools that work for all? And how can an inclusive mindset in gaming impact other sectors?