Game Advocacy introduces '50 Over 50' list to combat industry ageism

Game Advocacy, an organization led by former IGDA executive director Kate Edwards, has debuted a “50 Over 50" list that highlights 50 exceptional game developers over the age of 50 in the hopes of combating ageism in the game industry.

The list itself was whittled down for 201 nominations submitted by the general public earlier this year, then ranked by most nominations to select the final 50 for this year’s list. Sorted alphabetically by first name, the developer list ranges from Amy Hennig to Wynne McLaughlin and collects the legacies of writers, programmers, designers, executives and more.

“The '50 Over 50' list was conceived to help counter the trend of glossing over ageism and playing off the much trumpeted “30 Under 30” lists,” reads the Game Advocacy page. “Soliciting nominations from a wide array of game industry colleagues around the world, the primary intent is to demonstrate that ageism, like sexism, must be openly confronted, discussed, and addressed. The secondary purpose is to actually highlight the amazing talent who are over 50 years old and still fervently involved in game creation in some capacity.”

Game Advocacy notes that the 50 Over 50 list isn’t yet an annual thing, but that, pending feedback on the inaugural list, it could return in years to come.