“Parents think video games are the worst thing in the world. But my thing is ‘Have you ever sat down and watched them?’ Have you ever heard them play? There’s a whole new friend group out there.’”

 By Scott Gilman, staff writer for UNSUGARCOATED Media

Aalia Lanius had a question on her mind when she sat down with Dena Mekawi, co-founder of ThunderPixel Games and repeat advisor for the United Nations, and Greg Zinone, founder of Pros vs. G.I. Joes and ROI Co-Labs, for Episode 51 of UNSUGARCOATED With Aalia. Why should we play video games? 

Her guests were uniquely suited to answer.

Mekawi is an influential part of the minority of women in games. After her success working for the United Nations and founding Style and Residency, a private consulting company, she joined ThunderPixel Games at the ground floor, becoming foundational enough to land herself the title co-founder. At the heart of ThunderPixel Games is the mission of bringing people together through gaming.

Greg Zinone, meanwhile, is a staple in the gaming and philanthropy space. He got his start with his program Pros vs G.I. Joes, which set active military up to play video games with pro-athletes- relief, entertainment, and meeting your heroes. Since then, he’s been growing ROI Co-Labs, which provides financial aid and educational programs to street artists to help them succeed in streaming, online music, and other digital arts.

Zinone starts the conversation by heralding the community. 

“The space decided to open itself up and say let’s get bigger, ok? Let’s open this space up to not just hardcore gamers, but people who can help the space,” he says, disclaiming that he didn’t play many games before he got involved with charity. The gaming world has opened itself up as a realm of opportunity.

“I’m a co-founder of a gaming studio now,” Mekawi agrees. “Yes, I never… I played games when I was younger, but you never know, you could make a career out of it as well.” 

It’s not just a monetary opportunity, though. It’s also the mental health factor. Video games bring mental stimulation and joy to many of their players, and Aalia asks Mekawi and Zinone to speak on that. 

Zinone brings a strong example to the conversation: Call of Duty is now used to help military personnel affected by PTSD re-expose themselves to triggering situations in a safe and controlled manner. This is a far cry from a couple years ago, when people were pulling the game off the shelves because they were worried it would harm rather than help. He discusses the change and how attitudes about video games have dramatically shifted. 

Mekawi brings up another mental health benefit- an idea for an initiative she thinks could gain traction in the gaming world. 

“You see all these guys and men… the idea of toxic masculinity and how men aren’t free to share their emotions,” she ponders. “There’s a lot of stigma around mental health issues for boys and men… What if there’s something that unites and connects men through where they already are: in gaming? What if there’s this cool movement where men can just log on and talk about what’s happening in their life?”

There is, of course, a flip side to all of this. Mekawi and Zinone are intimately aware of the gaming space and know its drawbacks.

Zinone speaks on corporate invaders and bad-faith intruders. There are people who see how successful the gaming space and the charity through gaming space has become and seek to take advantage of that. Greg says there are plenty of people looking to make a “quick buck.”

Mekawi covers the inequality of the industry, saying “Around forty percent of gamers are female, but in 2019 I think twenty-four percent [of game developers] were female.”

However, as the episode ends, Mekawi reinforces that she is using her platform to improve the gaming space, as Zinone is making lives better with his. To see the nuanced expertise of these industry insiders and the many more benefits of gaming that couldn’t possibly fit here, check out Episode XX of UNSUGARCOATED With Aalia!

Watch here on YouTube 

Listen here on iHeart

Listen here on Apple Podcasts

Listen here on Google Podcasts

Listen here on Spotify

Listen here on Spreaker

To learn more about Dena Mekawi and ThunderPixel, check out her website: www.denamekawi.com, ThunderPixel’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thunderpixel-games/, and her twitter: @dena_mekawi

To learn more about Greg Zinone and ROI Co-Labs, check out its website: www.roicolab.com and his twitter: @GZinoneRWTT

For more information on UNSUGARCOATED Media or your award-winning host, go to www.UNSUGARCOATEDMedia.com and stay connected with Aalia on IG:  Instagram  as well as on Linkedin and Clubhouse