Geoff Keighley acknowledges Summer Game Fest diversity criticism

Geoff Keighley has responded to criticism regarding a lack of representation at this month’s Summer Game Fest showcase.

Featuring world premieres, live gameplay demos and announcements, the high-profile event was billed as the “global fan celebration of what’s next in video games”.

But one thing that was conspicuously absent during the near two-hour event, which took place in front of a live audience at the YouTube Theater in California and was live streamed to millions of viewers, was the presence of any women on stage.

In an interview with CBC, event producer and host Keighley said Melanie Liburd, the actor who plays Alan Wake 2’s co-lead protagonist Saga Anderson, was due to take part in the show but ultimately couldn’t because of scheduling conflicts.

“I think generally we do a pretty good job with diversity in our shows. That was something that’s a fair flag,” he said. “We also want to be authentic to the games that are being presented on the show and the developers that are making them. So yeah, I think we’re conscious of it.”

According to US-based research from Circana (formerly NPD Group), so far this year women account for 47% of total console game players, half of all PC game players, and 54% of mobile game players.

Further reading

Here’s all the big news from the Summer Game Fest show

Prince of Persia, Sonic Superstars, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and more

Summer Game Fest’s opening showcase included several new game announcements including Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and Sonic Superstars.

It also featured the first Alan Wake 2 and Mortal Kombat 1 gameplay, the announcement of Spider-Man 2’s release date, plus a new Final Fantasy VII Rebirth trailer and details.

Summer Game Fest is returning in 2024 and will once again include a live showcase to kick off proceedings.