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Immersive Arts
Audio Description in Gaming with @Jennissary | Spider-Man 2 & The Game Awards.
Trigger Warning: The example at 16:31 to 19:00 is from the game Hellblade 2 & contains descriptions & images of extreme violence.
@Jennissary of Descriptive Video Works is an audio describer who has worked on Spider-Man 2 and provided live description for The Game Awards. In this chat with Sarah-Ann, Jennissary demonstrates live audio description, explains how it works, and shares key insights for game developers. She discusses why accessibility makes good business sense and reveals how she stays focused under pressure.
“The gaming industry doesn’t need the music, film, or TV industry—it’s a booming consumer market. On the contrary, we need them.” David Knox - Reactional Music. It’s a tough time for creative industries—the hustle is real. Now more than ever, all disciplines need to connect, share best practices, explore global markets, and collaborate on challenges and solutions. Yesterday, I attended the Ukie (UK Interactive Entertainment) Members Day 2025 in London. If you’re a creative in any field, I’ll be posting short insights to help you navigate and find info that could support your work. Good luck and enjoy!
UKie Members Day Takeaways: Booming Markets for Creatives to Explore. Mental health and market health are two key areas creatives can tap into, as highlighted by Ed Lane of Harbottle & Lewis and Charlotte Nichols MP for Warrington North and APPG Video Games & Interactive Entertainment. Mental Health and Pain Management: -Ed Lane from Harbottle and Lewis shared research by Ross O’Brian from CNWL NHS on how VR is helping patients manage pain. -Lumi Nova provides NICE-recommended digital therapy for childhood anxiety proudly commissioned by the NHS. -The global digital mental health market is projected to grow from $20.25 billion to $43.34 billion by 2028, with the mental health app segment alone expected to reach $36.44 billion by 2034. -There is a market for cozy games and mindfulness-focused content. How to Leverage These Opportunities. If you have creative work that fits these markets, test your idea. Use it to: -Build a community of loyal followers and gather real data through their feedback to support development. -Start forming relationships by networking now, not just when you need funding. -Once you have evidence of your market, users, and successes, you’ll be ready to present it to investors. Remember to plan and input accessibility at the very beginning of your project, as it is costly and time-consuming to add it as a bolt-on! Good luck!
Indie Game Publishing: Insights from Playstack, Dark Math Games, Green Man Gaming & 10 Six Games These tips are also relevant for creatives in other sectors seeking investment. The advice applies across industries and can help guide any creative looking to navigate the investment landscape. Publishers: Aaron Ludlow (Playstack) Nataliia Kinshchak (Dark Math Games) Peter King (Green Man Gaming) Susan Cummings (10Six Games) The Reality: -Indie games are thriving! -But the market is tough—1 in 400 games get published, while 50+ launch on Steam daily. How to Avoid Being One of the 399 Rejections: Think Long-Term: Show your post-launch strategy—investors won’t back a game with no future. Build a Community: A loyal following on Discord & Steam is crucial. Form Relationships: Publishers prefer working with devs they know—network now, not when you need funding. Do Your Homework: Know your market, wishlists & pre-orders. Data beats hype—faking it is a red flag. Want to stand out? Plan ahead, engage, and back up your vision with solid evidence
I would like to thank the WMCA Activate Skills Development Grant, which enabled me to deepen my knowledge of visually impaired gaming, learn from @Jennissary, and connect with RNIB's Design for Every Gamer (DFEG) Accessible Gaming Officer, @SightlessKombat.
In January 2024, I decided to test my resilience by doing a bootcamp in Unreal Engine and Blender. If you want to procrastinate, here's my blog about an opera singer nearly losing her mind—and the world I ended up creating.