Why We Should All Care About Diversity In Gaming

Monday, 21st January 2013

Written by:R Bryant Francis

The first time I began thinking about diversity in video games was when I saw this picture, last year:

And my first thought was “Oh, hey, that’s pretty awesome!”

Then my second thought was “Oh, wait…we screwed up.”

Encased in that image is a piece of several major video game protagonists from as far back as September 2011. On my own, I can pick out Ezio, The Dovahkiin, The Battlefield and Call of Duty soldiers, the nanosuit from Crysis, and several other characters from gaming’s best-selling games from the last few years.

There’s a common variant on this picture with some meme-text that reads “I’m a gamer because I don’t have a life, I choose to have many.” And yet, the “many lives” we gamers seem to have look awfully familiar. When we look at the thirty-year history of gaming, the diverse spread of gamers and game characters alike is barely represented in this image.

If you believed this image, all we as gamers want to play as are people who look like they just walked out of a gym in downtown LA. and yet, when I talked to my fellow gamers about who their favorite characters were, that didn’t sound like even remotely close to the truth.

Doing a quick, informal survey among a list of gamers that included men, women, cosplayers, politicians, actors, and soldiers, here’s a snapshot of who they ranked as their “favorite characters.”

Here’s the thing: This stuff matters.

Speaking to gamers like Staff Sergeant John Higgins of the Maryland National Guard, I learned about the way the demographics of the army as portrayed in games like Call of Duty doesn’t quite line up with reality.

“So-called war games have only just introduced characters that even remotely resemble what a real military would look like in terms of diversity. But I look around the military and I wonder…why are there so few minorities in Special Operations? (Only 10% of the US Navy Seals Officers are minorities, according to a report by the Navy Seals as seen in Time Magazine)”

“My thinking is honestly, there are so few modern stories of classic style heroism for young [minorities] that it doesn’t even occur to a lot of them that could or should devote their lives to that kind of cause. The black man in action games is a supporting NPC.”

According to Pamela Rutlege of the Media Psychology Program at Fielding Graduate University, “Visible character types are often modeled after cultural (and universal) archetypes. These archetypes are often symbolic of desires and drives allowing people to identify with these things rather than be constrained by specific characteristics. A limited number of characters cannot touch on the full range of human experience and identity, leaving some without the enjoyment that comes from being able to identify with a protagonist.”

“Since most protagonists follow the hero’s journey and are triumphant, we can experience the emotional and psychological experience of success within ourselves, independent of the avatars. This type of experience triggers the brain’s reward centers and improves mood and optimism. People who are optimistic tend to be more resilient, more confident and more willing to take on new challenges.”

In short, it can be harder for minorities to enjoy and fulfill the archetypes of the warrior soldier without any positive examples of their own visual identity to look up to. Though other mediums like Film and Television are equally guilty of similar archetypes, Gaming has far and away made more money off of depictions of the US Military in the last few years, with each Call of Duty game drawing over $1 Billion every year.

And then there’s the matter of female characters. Recent controversies like the trials and tribulations of Anita Sarkeesian to the #1Reasonwhy hashtag simultaneously showed how women can be just as passionate about games as men, but also highlighted the grim ugliness that can occur when they try to enter the gaming space.

A common argument is that the supposedly majority male gaming population (It’s actually only 53-47, according to a 2012 survey by The Entertainment Software Association) couldn’t stand to play as women, but Carly Smith, who cosplays under the name Roseofbattle, doesn’t see eye to eye with that viewpoint.

“I feel ostracized when I see female characters pushed to the sidelines, waiting for the male characters to save the day. I love games that have male protagonists like Assassin’s Creed and Dishonored. It’s just disheartening when I see the same stuff churned out from game companies. As a kid, I was thrilled when Pokemon Crystal came out and finally let you choose to be a girl. Women play games, too. We like male protagonists, so why wouldn’t men like to play as female protagonists?

And neither, while we’re at it, does Fantasy Author Scott Lynch, whose rant against complaints about the “historical accuracy” of his female pirate character Zamira Drakasha went viral a couple months ago. “Everyone who isn’t white or male has been told for years, both covertly and overtly: ‘You should be able to empathize with white dudes as the vast majority of your wish-fulfillment heroes without difficulty. Just shut up and use your imagination.’ Yet the opposite has never been generally allowed as true, that white dudes ought to be perfectly comfortable empathizing with women or people of color as their fantasy heroes.”

But whereas male minorities are dealing with a simple absence from the gaming space, this message has translated into something a little more unpleasant to women. Lydia Martin, a student at St. Mary’s College in Maryland, told us about her story growing up as a gamer and what messages she got out of the games she played: “The fact that neither television nor books nor video games had really any female characters that were both likeable and three-dimensional meant that I adopted the attitude that femininity was a bad, weak, silly thing that I didn’t want. And this affects other girls in different ways, too, but it really impressed upon me that ‘male’ was what I should be and act like if I wanted to be a ‘cool’ or ‘good’ person, and girls that acted like girls were stupid and to be avoided.”

And according to Rutledge, that’s a significant reaction. “Neuroscience shows that many of the responses we have to imagined mental images trigger the same neural networks and the same responses as in ‘real life’ so we are able to experience stories feeling that we are there. Stories become, essentially, simulations that allow us to experiment with different perspectives, behaviors, and identities.”

If those stories and simulations deliver the idea that being a “girl” is an inherently lesser character trait, than 47% of the gaming population is getting that message of inferiority every time they power up a console.

There are other populations that go underrepresented in gaming. People of different sexual orientations, or people with disabilities, have similar stories and experiences to the gamers we talked to above. But as important as it is to understand how this discrepancy affects the underrepresented, it’s also important to understand why it’s good for everyone as a whole.

For instance, there’s the fact that when you get down to it, a person’s skin color or sexuality isn’t what defines them—it’s who they are as a character that makes them compelling. Adam Nash, a game designer and soundtrack composer in Philadelphia, tries to take this approach when working on his own games. “I think it comes down to the world and feelings you’re trying to convey…I think that more than diversity, more than gender or race, what we ARE seeing more of – and still need more of yet – is just good characters in general [and] responsible writing.”

Tuuli Saarinen, a game designer at Decode Global, offered some tips on how aspiring game designers to tap into that unique school of design. “Cliches should be avoided at all costs, but they can be used as an easy way to introduce the players to a more complex story. If you have to design another fps character, start from breaking cliches: make it a she, not a he. Make him/her very skinny, kind of clumsy, old and stringy, or so young and beautiful that everyone hates him/her. Give the character an interesting and relatable back story: maybe he/she went into the army to rebel against their parents, or maybe they’re running away from something or someone? And always give them human faults and emotions: if the player can make them touch something disgusting, the character has to react in some way. Most emotions and character traits can be conveyed through gameplay, and that’s where the main difference between games and other media lies when it comes to storytelling.”

When those ingredients translate into a well-told story, it has major benefits for everyone. “The ability to engage with protagonists that are not like us allow us to see the world from new perspectives, a new set of eyes,” says Rutledge. “This increases our cognitive flexibility and, research suggests, decreases are propensity for conflict because we are able to see commonalities between ourselves and a wider circle of ‘others.”

In the end, we all want the same thing–better games, better stories, and more great characters we can add to our favorites list like the one above. To get there, we can listen to the real concerns of people who see themselves underrepresented, and find new characters and stories to help make gaming not just a more inclusive environment, but to make better games as well.

“Games are all about letting people experience something they’ll never be able to experience in their own lives, and experiencing someone else’s life is a major part of that,” Saarinen says. “Bringing in minority characters, more credible characters, and a more balanced presentation of people of both genders and all ages as well as all walks of life also brings in a lot of depth and credibility to the story, and will leave a more lasting impact on the player than another pile of muscles grunting and shooting around.”

Post written by

R Bryant Francis – who has written 271 posts on The Jace Hall Show.
R. Bryant Francis is a former contributing writer to the Jace Hall Show who specializes in gaming, pop culture, and all-around geekiness. Outside of the show, Bryant pursues a career in Hollywood as a producer and filmmaker.

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Monday, 21st January 2013
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Tags: diversity in gaming, female characters in gaming, tropes, video game characters, video game types
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Jace Hall Show Music Videos

“Electric Youth”

Award winning singer-songwriter Debbie Gibson teams up with Jace Hall for a remix of her pop hit, Electric Youth! Did Debbie Gibson predict the future with her original? Check out the redux, featuring headphones from PDP, for the answer.

“My Console – feat. Eliza Dushku”

Actress Eliza Dushku confronts Jace after he questions her credibility as a female gamer, turns out she can rap as well. If all you can see is “Faith” listen to the lyrics, carefully, Eliza knows her stuff.

“Epic PWNAGE – feat. Jamie Lee Curtis”

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis has a “gamer intervention” with Jace in her house. Meanwhile all Jace can do is tout how much gamer skill he has. Parody of Charlie Sheen’s “Winning” viral, music video.

“Pac Man Fever – Redux”

The OFFICIAL “Pacman Fever” music video re-mixing one of the original and most epic video game geek songs of all-time. This is the official EPIC REINVENTION of the 1982 top ten hit called PAC-MAN FEVER by Buckner & Garcia.

“My Game Ain’t Done”

Jace Hall steps up on the stage and proceeds to impress some of nerdcore hip-hop’s biggest stars with his latest musical hit! Check out the 8-bit inspired history lesson of Jace’s gaming conquests! Special thanks to: YTCracker, MC Lars, Boss Fights.

“I Play Wow – Redux”

Jace Hall follows up his mega popular music hit, I Play WoW with the redux entirely featuring Machinima characters. Music written, performed and recorded by Jace Hall. Video directed by Benjamin Dressler of /Afk Films.

“Blame It On The Game”

The Music video that made history, pairing Fab Morvan and John Davis on stage for the first time ever. Music and lyrics written, performed and recorded by Jace Hall. Featuring the vocals of John Davis. Parody of the original hit “Blame it on the Rain” by Milli Vanilli.

“Mortal Kombat Rap”

Released on the cusp of the first Mortal Kombat for current gen consoles, the Mortal Kombat rap music video hit nearly 20 million views on the internet, and helped make Mortal Kombat’s launch one of its most successful in the game’s history.

“LOL Money” – feat. YT Cracka

Jace has a message for all the haters who ever made fun of someone just because they enjoyed video gamers. It’s not all about the money, it’s about doing what you love and being passionate about obtaining your goals. Watch this video with nerdcore rapper YT Cracker for proof.

“Digital Love”

For those of you who didn’t believe romance and video games mixed, clearly you haven’t seen this music video produced by Jace Hall, and inspired by an SNL Digital Short that may or may not make you happy in your pants.

“Street Fighter Music Video”

The maker of I Play W.O.W, Jace Hall, proves he’s a true street fighter as he beats all challengers one handed while rapping. Starring Jace Hall and the cast of the online series, Street Fight High School.

“You Got Pwned”

Jace, the rapper behind I Play WoW is back, dissing n00bs in the best geek battle rap ever recorded, You Got PWNED. Digital suckas, recognize. For all your PWNING needs, send people this song.

“I Play WoW”

The #1 hit that started it all, Jace’s “I Play Wow” is one of the most popular, gamer inspired music videos of all-time. Garnering over 12 million hits, I Play Wow preaches why we love World of Warcraft, no matter what the haters have to say.

“Hero”

Beat up or made fun of at school? It doens’t matter what happens, you can always pick up a controller or a d-pad and make yourself your own hero with video games.

“Superplaya”

The first OFFICIAL Jace Hall Show music video that started it all, Superplaya proves, with a helping hand from a number of celebrity cameos, that video games AREN’T bad for you.

The Jace Hall Show Season 1

“Duke Nukem Forever! and Heroes Star Greg Gunberg”

Jace tries to explain why he needs his own show to one of HDFILMS producers, as “Heroes” star Greg Grunberg talks about Rock Band and Halo on the set of his movie “Group Sex”. Jace then visits Free Realms to get the scoop on what could be the next Duke Nukem game.

“Christina Milan Busts a Move and The Most Epic Car Ever!”

Actress and Singer, Christina Milian tests Jace’s dancing skills in DDR and out strikes him in a game of bowling. Then Jace takes his next potential ride for a spin, a T-Rex automobile that is unlike anything the road has ever seen.

“Cliffy B, Gears of War, and Zach Levi”

Professional MMA fighter Cung Le goes face to face with Jace and tries to tell him that his show isn’t funny. Meanwhile, Jace visits with “Chuck” star Zachary Levi, who engages in a little Grand Theft Auto and gets blasted into the air with game designer Cliff Bleszinski.

“Chocolate Pain”

Jace has decided to try his hand at singing and has dragged everyone with him to the recording studio, including “Chocolate Rain” creator, Tay Zonday. Jace talks trash and Duke Nukem in a sit down with Randy Pitchford at Gearbox Software.

“Game Cockery and Wilmer Valderrama”

Marti and Corey have decided to print out the comments from the Jace Hall Show website to let Jace really see what everyone thinks of the show. Plus, Jace visits actor’s Wilmer Valderrama crib and plays with some of the toys he has lying around the house.

“Wiimbleton and Curt Schilling”

Producer Shanna Ferrigno’s office birthday party is interrupted by the Urban Ninja, and Corey the Intern is left to clean up the mess. Meanwhile Jace visits with professional baseball player Curt Schilling and checks out his gaming company 38 Studios.

“Videogame Journalism and Gamer Girl Hotness”

Jace takes a very…interesting look at life at Gamepro headquarters and explores what it’s like to be an actual, video game journalist. Jace, Marti and Corey argue over the notes about the show from the network, and Marti decides to take matters into their own hands.

“Jace vs. Jack Thompson. Fight!”

Jace gets an exclusive interview with controversial lawyer and anti-violent video game activist Jack Thompson to see what he really thinks of Mature Rated games. Plus, Corey the intern gets into hot water for what are allegedly a couple of VERY explicit emails.

“STEED! and Vida Querra’s Butt Workout”

Jace goes to the gym with actress/model Vida Querra to look at her butt workout. Someone has taken Jace’s parking spot and asks Corey to have the car towed off the lot, which has Sean Patrick Thomas less than pleased and Jace has a hot sauce contest with game designer Paul Steed.

“Collision Course and the Monster Museum”

Marti confronts Jace over a fan of the show who has decided to show up at the office to confess his love to Marti. Jace then heads out to get a tour of Dan Roebuck’s private Monster Museum and then heads to Santa Monica, CA to sit in on a production meeting at Collision Studios.

“DC Universe and Reno 911 Star Wendi Mclendon-Covey”

Reno 911 star, Wendi Mclendon-Covey visits the office to talk about making video games for women to better connect with young kids, who happen to be about Corey the Intern’s age. Plus, Sony Online Entertainment President John Smedley sits down with Jace.

“Making The Return to Monolith”

Corey gets busted in the office for “itching his lower region” and agrees to take a lie detector test to prove it really was just an “itch”. Jace visits his old gaming company, Monolith, to talk Blood and Fear with game designer Craig Hubbard.

“Inside Id Software and Doom!”

At the office, Marti has finally grown tired of Corey the Intern’s antics at work and is ready for the show to be over to not have to deal with him again, in any way it takes. Meanwhile. Jace engages in a real life multiplayer mission with the guys at id Software.

“Guildy Conscience with Felicia Day”

Jace grills geek goddess Felicia Day about her twitter following and web show The Guild. Former office intern, Corey learns of his new position at the office, and Geoff Keighley catches the HD Films staff on camera stealing from his craft services table.

“A Ferrigno Thanksgiving and Going Crazy at Insomniac Games”

Jace and Corey do market research on Little Big Planet. Then we head to Insomniac Games to talk with CEO Ted Price, the award winning developer of Ratchet and Clank, Spyro the Dragon and Resistance. Jace spends Thanksgiving with his host, Lou Ferrigno.

“Ice-T & Very Hot Coco”

Corey, without having a job, falls asleep in the office and is subject to whatever Jace and Marti need to do to get him up. Then Jace goes to Ice-T’s house to check out Coco’s snapshots, while Ice-T wants him to convince Cliffy B to create a character for him in Gears of War.

“Smited with Seth MacFarlane”

Jace has a special guest at his house, Family Guy creator, Seth MacFarlane, and they bust out the Atari 2600 to get back to the fundamentals of gameplay. Jace then goes to Blizzard Entertainment where the reign hell on Felicia Day’s WoW character.

“Aliens, Atari and More Seth MacFarlane”

Jace and Seth MacFarlane decide to check out E.T. for the Atari, considered the worst failure in video game history. Jace then goes to Gearbox Software to test out guns on the shooting range with Randy Pitchford and company.

“Creepshow: RAW and Prince of Persia”

Jace & Todd miss the last flight of the night to San Francisco, and decide to rent separate Corvettes to race to the Prince of Persia launch party where we get a rare sighting of Jade Raymond. We also get on the set of Creepshow: RAW, the online series’ directed by Wilmer Valderrama.

“Sony Picture’s Prez and Real Unicorns”

Prince of Persia Producer Ben Mattes, and Marketing Executive Tony Key tell all to Jace about the development of the game and the argument of including Unicorns in the game. President of Sony Pictures Television, Steve Mosko, plays indian poker with Jace.

The Jace Hall Show Season 2

“Tom Green & EverQuest Anniversary”

Season 2 gets off to a rousing start when Jace interviews Tom Green and plays an emotional game of Ms. Pac-man. The first mystery of the season unfolds when the office gets tp’d with no known suspects. It all culminates with Jace going to EverQuest’s anniversary party.

“Chuck vs. Everquest”

The perpetrator behind the recent office toilet paper incident is revealed. Jace and company celebrate the Street Fighter Launch in style, where they run into “Chuck’s” very own Zachary Levi. Jace also visits arcade in a box to get a look at a Jace Hall joystick being made.

“Arcade In a Box with UFC Fighter Cung Le”

Jace gets a close up look at the exclusive Jace Hall Show joystick being made for him at manufacturer Arcade in a Box. Jace then goes on to make the horrific mistake of offending UFC fighters Cung Le and Josh Thomson, the latter of which puts Jace an a choke-hold.

“Akon is Wanted”

Jace re-visits some of his old pals at Warner Bros. and tries to make new ones with international music superstar Akon, who isn’t convinced Jace is at the top of the video game world. Meanwhile, Jace learns a hard lesson in letting someone purchase a gift.

“Free Realms and Even More Wanted”

Jace shows of some noobish skills playing with his old Warner Bros. The trend continues when he heads to Sony Online Entertainment and drives the designers crazy with his inability to correctly play the MMO Free Realms (not without trying).

“House of The Dead and Keke Palmer”

Hall plays House of the Dead with Keke Palmer who decides to take it to the paintball range when her and Corey the intern can’t settle their differences in the video game world. Corey continues to lose it when Todd and Jace can’t assist him with an audition.

“PG Porn’s James Gunn and Ian Somerhalder”

Ian Somerhalder gets asked by the show team to do a segment, without clothes. We also visit the set of PG Porn, the online series from James Gunn starring Mikaela Hoover. Then we head to San Francisco to talk with Tim Schafer about the game Brutal Legend.

“Brutal Legend and Kelly Hu”

Actress and Former Miss Teen USA Kelly Hu plays mini-golf with Jace, then gives him a hard time for his “gaming habits.” Jace and company take an in-depth look at Brutal Legend, taking the Double Fine studio tour with Tim Schafer.

“Jace FAILS At The EA Tour”

Leela Savasta is wooed by Corey at the office who struggles while Jace looks on. We take a tour of the huge Electronic Arts facilities with Glen Schofield of EA Redwood Shores, a trip that isn’t exactly a slam dunk for Jace.

“Katee Sackoff & Dante’s Inferno”

Jace takes Battlestar Galactica bad girl, Katee Sackhoff on a date to the Smoke House for some cocktails, but ends up helping her dog out at rehab. Jace then sits down with the developers behind Dante’s Inferno, the new game from EA.

“Joe Flanigan’s Collector Item and Ryan Robbin’s Secret”

Joe Flanigan from Stargate Atlantis drops by and tries on a rare collectors item of Jace’s. We also take a sneak peek at Dante’s Inferno from EA and visit the set of “Sanctuary” the online series turned TV show and talk with actor Ryan Robbins.

“Visiting Amanda Tapping and Zach Levi Meets The Terminators”

Fitness professional and Arnold Schwarzenegger doppleganger Roland Kickinger joins Jace at Zach Levi’s house to play Terminator: Salvation and Jace is back in Canada to tour the set of “Sanctuary” with stars, Amanda Tapping and Robin Dunne.

“Visit to The Stargate with Producer Brad Wright”

Corey gets high…on chocolate at the office and goes a little manic. And Jace’s dream comes true of touring the Stargate: Universe sets with the shows Executive Producer, Brad Wright in Vancouver. The happy dance is introduced.

“Ben Heck, the Mod and Gaget God”

Jace talks with show editor and Mr. Negativity Nic Aragon regardin why Grand Theft Auto sucks. Jace then meets up with technology and gadget guru Ben Heck of Revision 3 fame, to see what new gadget he’s working on.

“Cypress Hill’s B-Real and some HandHeld NGMOCO games”

Jace talks music and games with legendary rapper, B-Real of Cypress Hill, and then heads to San Francisco to visit one of the largest iPhone game developers NGMOCO and check out their newest iPhone games.

“Visiting Olivia Munn”

HDFILMS producer Marti deals with Corey the Intern, while Jace takes his crew of Producer, Todd Roy and Editor Nic Aragon to visit actress Olivia Munn at her house, where she challenges Jace every step of the way.

“Arkham City Batman Peak and Reviewing The Streamy Awards”

Jace and the rest of the HDFILMS staff watch Jace’s footage from The Streamy a.k.a. “Internet Oscar” Awards. Plus, we take an intimate look at Batman Arkham Asylum from the designers themselves at Rocksteady Games.

“Checking in…With Morris Chestnut”

Jace crashes the hotel room of “V” star Morris Chestnut in Canada, and tries to tell him there’s been a mix up of hotel rooms. Morris clearly doesn’t get the picture and eventually gets frustrated.

“Star Trek Forever”

Armin Shimerman, Gary Graham, Jeffrey Combs and other stars from the cast of Star Trek gather around for dinner with Jace, who quickly learns that it was not a good idea to serve alcohol at the interview.

“(No?) Duke Nukem Forever?”

The Jace Hall Show pays tribute to 3D Realms and Duke Nukem: Forever after it is announced that the games development was put on permanent hiatus. Little did we know how much this would change two seasons later.

“Meet the computer animated Star of CHADAM and Olivia Munn shows off”

Actress Olivia Munn starts warming up to the idea of replacing Jace as host of The Jace Hall Show. Visionary Artist Alex Pardee shows us his new web series, built in the Unreal Engine, called Chadam, and is interviewed by Corey as Jace is running late.

The Jace Hall Show Season 3

“Felicia Day Puts Up a Fight, Creed Vs. Drago Round 1″

Jace and Todd discus a replacement assistant, as The Smoking Jacket Guy also grows perturbed. And for the first time in “boxing history” Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) and Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) are back for a rematch. Plus, Felicia Day makes an appearance as things get testy.

“Hot Intern Interviews, Diablo and Felcia Day’s Light saber battle”

Carl Weathers and Dolph Lundgren decide Jace’s office is the perfect place for a Rocky rematch, as they settle their dispute via Wii Boxing, once and for all. Felicia Day stumbles upon arch nemesis Jace at the local Cyber Café and we get exclusive to a design meeting for Diablo III at Blizzard.

“Excelsior and Felicia Day Robs Baby Jesus”

The Smoking Jacket guy a.k.a. Gary Graham slips further into absolute hell, as his personal videos get even more personal. Meanwhile, The Guild creator, Felicia Day continues the battle over the Baby Jesus Doll with Jace in one of the most famous duels in Jace Hall Show history.

“Jane Badler’s (Special) Snack Time and Stan Lee Sounds Off”

Jane Badler from the Original “V” series wants to talk to Jace, Executive Producer on the new “V” on ABC, about being on the show. Badler re-enacts one of the show’s most famous scenes without special effects to prove why she is the original V Queen. Don’t eat before watching this.

“Too Hot For Words and Special Odditions”

Gary Graham’s unreleased song about the Jace Hall Show is revealed to the world while Marina Orlova from Hot For Words deals with Gary’s old smoking Jacket. Meanwhile, Jace and Todd continue auditioning hot girls for their new assistant role – someone has to do it.

“Joe Flanigan, Laura Vandervoort and a Family Guy”

Jace and Todd run into an old friend in Stargate’s Joe Flanigan, who is still wearing Jace’s priceless original “V” costume while he’s getting coffee in Burbank. Jace once again goes inside an actual design meeting at Blizzard Entertainment, one of the biggest gaming companies in the world.

“Laura Vandervoort Does Pranks, Bob Sapp Goes Postal and Starcraft II”

Actress Laura Vandervoort goes inside Jace’s recording studio to mess with her “V” co-star Logan Huffman. The tables are turned on Jace, when professional fighter Bob Sapp threatens to go postal on Jace for not “supporting” one of his main ideas.

“World of Warcraft and Sex, Money, Guns with Ice-T and Coco”

Logan Huffman wants to know who is posting comments about him online and asks Jace for help. Meanwhile Joe Flanigan is caught again flirting in the V costume. Jace heads to the set of Law and Order: SVU to catch up with Ice – T and Coco and the Starcraft II team gets “rushed” by World of Warcraft Lead Designer, Jeff Kaplan.

“Logan Huffman Gets Hot and Coco is Even Hotter”

“V” Star Logan Huffman is still trying to get to the bottom of the videos being posted online, meanwhile Hotforwords.com’s, Marina Orlova tries to describe the word “1337″. Plus, ICE-T makes an appearance and gives us an intimate, behind the scenes look at his gaming life.

“J!NX, You Owe Me an ICE-T”

Jace visits Sean Gailey at J!NX, the exclusive clothing partner of the Jace Hall Show, to check out the operations and find out where his royalty check is. Then go back to visit ICE-T, where they flip through some of his wife Coco’s most vivid bikini shots.

“College Humor Laughs It Up and Hot Girl Auditions”

The hunt for the new assistant winds down as the perfect candidate seems to have shown her face, as opposed to other body parts. Jace sits down and talks shop with some of the writers at College Humor and gets an earful from the executives at J!NX.

“Unreal Engine Faces Off With Digital Extremes”

Jace is caught off guard trying to work when Randy Jackson’s “Americass Best Dance Crew” show moves in down stairs and disrupts the office and begins to take action. Meanwhile, the guys at J!NX still want let Jace off the hook on The Jace Hall Show.

“Randy Jackson’s Dance Crew”

Jace tracks down “America’s Best Dance Crew” show creator and American Idol Judge, Randy Jackson to ask him to turn the music in the show down. Meanwhile, Jace gets on the horn to talk some interesting items with game designer Cliff Bleszinksi.

“Dawg: Randy Jackson Goes Off and More Hotness For Words”

Marina Orlova gives Jace and Todd one last chance to get rid of the smoking jacket before she will read one more word. All the while, Randy Jackson continues his tirade against Jace and refuses to move his show America’s Best Dance Crew to a new location.

“Jace pisses off Randy Jackson”

Jace tries to convince Todd that he actually handled the noise problem with Randy Jackson well, which new assistant Ashley seems to confirm for the time being. Meanwhile, Jace and Todd return to the office, where something horrible has gone wrong.

Outtakes: Gary Graham Goes Off!

What happens when The Smoking Jacket Guy gets mad? Gary Graham can barely keep it together as he goes off on Todd and Jace about his new role. Warning: this video isn’t for small children sensitive to language and/or aspiring cameramen. We could barely keep it together with this one.

Outtakes: “Diablo 3 Agreements”

This outtake gives an unusual look at the design process behind the popular video game franchise Diablo. Jace and Todd were given exclusive access inside Blizzard Entertainment headquarters, and found some interesting things, namely, making a video game is a lot like playing darts.

Outtakes “Stan Lee Coffee”

An outtake of what has become one of the most iconic scenes in the history of The Jace Hall Show. Comic book legend Stan Lee can’t keep it together as he and Jace do their best to clean hot coffee off one of the most valuable comic books of all-time.

Outtakes “Creed vs Drago”

In what has to be the most anticipated staged rematch of the past century, Carl Weathers and Dolph Lundgren prepare for their epic rematch, in front of a live-studio audience at HDFILMS. This is the lead-up to proceeding episodes featuring the two film stars.

Outtakes: The College Humor Buzzkill

Everyone is a critic…even the writers at College Humor, who give Jace a hard time about The Jace Hall Show in this short, outtakes clip. Is the Jace Hall Show funny? Don’t ask these guys, they’ll give an answer that’s less than favorable.

The Jace Hall Show Season 4

“Stan Lee Forever & The Old Spice Guy”

Season 4 premieres with EXCLUSIVE in-game footage from the highly anticipated sequels of Duke Nukem: Forever and F.E.A.R. 3. Plus, The Old Spice Guy stops by wearing a towel and the legend himself, Stan Lee asks Jace for a huge favor – which wasn’t exactly what Jace was hoping for.

“Fallout: New Vegas, Audrina Patridge and more with Stan Lee!”

Jace scores an exclusive look at Fallout New Vegas with the designers themselves, and learns one of his arch nemesis is in the game. Jace’s visit with Stan Lee continues to take a turn for the worse, and pop celebrity Audrina Partridge stops by the office…and steps on a few feet.

“The Fallout and RAGE of Audrina Patridge and Felicia Day. UFC Star Cung Le”

Audrina Patridge (Dancing with the Stars) offers to teach Jace and Todd how to dance at the new offices, but the music seems to have thrown Todd off his rhythm causing a painful accident. Meanwhile Jace talks smack with UFC and MMA superstar Cung Le, as things start to get violent.

“Dead Rising and Scrubbin’ It with Donald Faison & Stan Lee”

EA Sports MMA Star Cung Le decides to show Jace his moves in Cung’s Dojo since they don’t have a copy of the game, naturally Director Todd takes the worst of it. Tensions flare up between Jace and Stan Lee as the worst thing imaginable finally blows up before them.

“The Kaboom Challenge! Clone Wars Struts It Stuff”

Team Unicorn’s very own hottie Milynn Sarley challenges Jace to a game of Kaboom, while he and MMA fighter Cung Le ride on horses into the sunset. Also, The Jace Hall Show is given secret access at Sony Online Entertainment to get a peak at Star Wars Clone Wars.

“Clone Wars and The Original Batmobile!”

Jace visits some of the top game reviewers at IGN, and finds out the hard way how they review some of the industry’s most popular video games. Jace is treated to a surprise when his car alarm goes off…apparently there is someone else in the neighborhood with a cooler car.

“Hot Video Game Girls and Being a TV Star”

Jace takes a break from hosting and gets the chance to be interviewed on NGAME.TV – where things quickly take a sour turn for the worst. And are video games too violent? Jace talks the politics of video games with Ted Price, the CEO of insomniac games.

“Marvel vs Capcom, Logan Huffman and Talking Tomb Raider”

Jace gets invited to the “Lost Planet 2″ party and runs into “V” Star, Logan Huffman who is still upset that Jace hasn’t gotten a video of him pulled from Youtube.com yet. Jace then goes to Crystal Dynamics to talk Tomb Raider with brand director Carl Steward.

“The Stars of ‘V’ and President Barack Obama”

Jace manages to piss off two of the most important people in the country, Barack Obama and Jessica Chobot. The former is upset at Jace’s TV show, while Chobot doesn’t appreciate Jace crashing his set. Plus, Jace sits down and talks V with the legendary actress Jane Badler.

“Exclusive Bioware Access and More ‘V’ Stars”

Jace Hall visits BioWare to check out Star Wars: the Old Republic and sees a secret Tomb Raider project. Tempers finally flare on set of Jace’s interview with NGAME TV, not before Jace has a sit down and talks with cast members of ABC’s “V.”

“Star Wars Exclusives and A Stargate Set Visit”

Jace catches up with Stargate Executive Producer, Brad Wright on location in Vancouver to get even more insider info on what has kept the Stargate franchise popular with the fans and networks for so many amazing years. Also, more Star Wars: Old Republic exclusives pop up at Bioware.

“The Stargate Universe and Being Jane Badler”

The “EPIC” Cliffy B. himself has taken up the KABOOM! open challenge on the office Atari to test if he really did put the FUN in fundamentals. Plus, Jace relives one of his lifetime dreams of doing the happy dance on the set of Stargate…much to producer Brad Wright’s dismay.

“Sony Fan Faire and The Impulsive Froglok”

Jace witnesses nerd mating rituals at Sony Online Entertainments fanfare and visits the DC Universe Online studios, where he is met with quite a challenge. Jace also has another intimate chat with President Obama, as the latter continues to express his dismay.

“Watching A Froglok Gets Married and Looking at DC Universe Online”

Jace has decided to take advantage of his co-hosting duties at the Sony Online Entertainment Fan Faire celebration, by showing his new music video to the thousands of EverQuest players in attendance, much to the dismay of the crowd. That didn’t stop one enthusiastic guest from doing something radical.

“Friction with Donald Faison and All The RAGE (Footage)”

Jace finally meets his match, getting destroyed in a game of DC Universe Online. That doesn’t stop him from rocking Vegas with Randy Pitchford from Gearbox, and venturing to Gaikai, where he learns about cloud gaming with company President Dave Perry.

“Duke Nukem Forever…No, Really”

Donald Faison and Jace discuss the best biblical ally to have in a fight, while Donald tries to pitch his newest show idea, he only needs a few bucks. Jace then goes to Vegas to talk Doom, Quake and some of the greatest first person shooters of all time with the guys at id Software.

“Sandeep Shows off and a First Look: RAGE Exclusive”

The team at id Software reveals Exclusive RAGE footage, direct gameplay that only The Jace Hall Show can bring! Plus, Jace puts Sandeep Parikh, one of the stars of The Guild on the spot about his series, and just what exactly he and Todd Roy are trying to pull behind his back.

“Pwning Blimpz; Kelly Hu Is Not a Gamer”

The Jace Hall Show debuts more Exclusive RAGE footage with the id Software team, but Jace isn’t satisfied with just “looking”, he wants to play and has decided to pull a runner! Then Jace and Todd decided to pwn the Goodyear blimp, getting a limited access view of Los Angeles from up above.

“Finale Part 1 of 2 – On a Cliff With Gears of War’s Cliffy B’”

The Season Finale is so 1337 it just couldn’t fit into a single episode. In part 1, we take a special trip to the home of Gears of War and Cliffy B himself in North Carolina, EPIC GAMES where Jace is looking to cash in on the “favor for a favor” that Cliffy promised him.

“Finale Part 2 of 2 – A Talking Fallout Toaster and Mortal Kombat Epicness’”

The Jace Hall Show closes it’s 4th season with an Epic sized finale (is there any other way?) Showcased is Exclusive footage from the new Mortal Kombat game in all of its gory goodness, as well as perfectly inappropriate Duke Nukem: Forever footage in all of its “Glory”.

The Jace Hall Show Season 5

“A Milli Vanilli Reunion, Diablo 3 and Napoleon Dynamite”

The Season 5 debut features Jon Heder a.k.a. Napoleon Dynamite losing a video game battle to Jace, forcing Jace to debut his “Blame It On The Game” music video (starring Fab Morvan and John Davis) that made history. Plus, we sneak into Blizzard headquarters for Diablo 3 EXCLUSIVES.

“Felicia Day Returns & I Play WoW Redux”

Geek Goddess Felicia Day stops by to settle an old score and try to steal something back from Todd and Jace – somehow her underwear drawer gets in the way. Plus, the I Play WoW video that grossed over 13 million views is back in the new I Play WoW redux ENTIRELY using machinima.

“Diablo 3 Voiceover, Felicia Day’s Pissed, and the ATARI Car”

The fight with Felicia Day continues, as Jace gets the opportunity of a lifetime to record an ACTUAL character in Diablo 3 – it didn’t go as well as everyone had planned. Plus, Jace receives an ATARI automobile that you have to see to believe (something Todd can barely put up with).

“An Exclusive Look at PlanetSide 2 and Tay Zonday”

Jace continues to struggle in his Diablo 3 voice session, causing lead designer Jay Wilson to ask for more BLOOD. The SOE team behind PlanetSide 2 offers Director Todd Roy the chance of a lifetime. Jace’s Kaboom skills are put to the test against a team of ambitious gamers.

“Stan Lee Shreds Comics and Vernon Davis Wants the T-Rex”

49ers Tight End Vernon Davis visits the office to buy Jace’s T-Rex, offering a huge price! Matt Higby show Jace more from PlanetSide 2, while YTCracker and MC Lars try to get Jace to show some nerdcore skills by rapping live as Jace debuts his latest music video, “My Game Ain’t Done”.

“Vernon Davis’ Million Dollar Offer & PlanetSide 2 Exclusives”

Comic book legend Stan Lee returns and promptly destroys his ACTION COMICS #1. Meanwhile, Vernon Davis offers a HUGE offer for Jace’s T-Rex, only to have everything fall through in the end. Plus, Jace continues putting up ridiculous scores, pwning little kids in Kaboom.

“PlanetSide 2 Trailer, Jace’s Builds An Epic Arcade”

Jace begins building what is undoubtedly the greatest ARCADE Machine in the history of space and time, while the much balleyhooed PlanetSide 2 trailer Todd was hired to direct debuts…to much jaw dropping. Plus, the fight continues as Thousand Pound fighter Amy Johnson kicks ass.

“Boris Kodjoe, Hot Karate Woman, and The Ultimate Arcade Machine”

The Ultimate Arcade Machine is finally revealed, with pretty much every video game ever made! Get a look at Jace’s new toy and its insane features! Plus, Todd auditions a film and TV star to take Jace’s place as host of The Jace Hall Show, without Jace even knowing it.

“Defiance Gameplay Footage and Rick Fox vs Jace Hall”

Exclusive gameplay and all access behind the scenes look into Defiance, one of this year’s most anticipated shooters. NBA champion and celebrity actor Rick Fox makes his move to replace Jace as host, while Producer Todd makes moves on Rick’s hot sister.

“Rick Fox Takes Over SimCity! Gears of War Designer Married”

Actor and NBA champion Rick Fox scores an exclusive look at the top secret Sims City game at EA. Jace then crashes Gears of War designer Cliff Bleszinski’s celebrity packed wedding – the only problem is that none of Alison Haislip, Isaiah Mustafa or Randy Pitchford will let him in.

“Exclusive SimCity Preview, Jamie Lee Curtis Shows Off”

Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Guest are caught committing a MAJOR gamercode violation, while NBA star Rick Fox previews a never before seen SimCity demo. Plus, if you thought the annoying orange was annoying, wait until you see what Apple’s biggest competitor has cooked up.

“Atari vs. Intellivision AND Jace Hall vs. Eliza Dushku!”

ATARI founder Nolan Bushnell faces off against INTELLIVISION’s Keith Robinson in the final battle of which gaming platform is better. Then actress Eliza Dushku confronts Jace, proving why he shouldn’t question a girl’s game cred, in one of the most epic rap music videos ever.

“Kevin Pereira Flips Out and Debbie Gibson Reloads Electric Youth”

The Jace Hall Show gets an exclusive look at the hidden scandal behind why Kevin Pereira left Attack of the Show. Meanwhile, Debbie Gibson and Jace fight over Afterglow Headphones then think about making a music video together. Has Electric Youth been reloaded?