Q & A with Deaf Gamer: DM3
Check out this interview by Callie Frye with Erin Whitney, a Black deaf female gamer! Erin, or DM3, is an avid “Rainbow Six Siege” player and posts regularly on her Facebook/Twitch pages.
Follow her! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DM3.GAMiNGx/ and Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/dm3_x
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CALLIE FRYE:
Hello! I want to thank you for the opportunity to talk with you! I found you by accident. My friend shared on Facebook a vlog you did about BLM and I really liked your thoughts. I then checked you out and found your DM3 gaming page. I have never seen a Black female gamer like you! I just thought I had to talk with you, get to know you more, and share with everyone. So, can you tell us about yourself? What is your name?
ERIN / DM3:
Hi. I’m Erin. (sign name). I’m known as DM3. I’m a gamer and I started my page to vlog to share my love of gaming.
[Video clips from Facebook/DM3_gaming and Twitch/DM3_x]
CALLIE FRYE:
Can you describe your experiences with gaming throughout your childhood?
ERIN / DM3:
Absolutely. I played my first game at seven years of age. I have a big family with many cousins so we had to find a way to share the game since we only had two controllers. It didn’t have four controllers like N64 later on. So when we played fighting games or GTA, whether we died or lost, we would pass along the controller in turns. So that’s how I fell in love with gaming. My first game was Mario on NES. That’s the classic game and I loved it, I never got tired of it.
CALLIE FRYE:
I want to know your opinions on the modern gaming world. Throughout your life, what has been your most favorite game, the one that no other game can beat?
ERIN / DM3:
It’s hard to say. There are so many games I played growing up. There’s no “favorite.” All the games are equal. But right now, the game I am playing the most is Rainbow Six. It’s one of my favorite games right now. I’ve been playing it for five years and have never gotten tired of it.
CALLIE FRYE:
What is Rainbow Six Siege? Do you mind explaining it?
ERIN / DM3:
Rainbow Six is a first person shooter game. It relies on strategy. Your character is in a “SWAT” team. You have to make a plan before you go in and control the setting. There’s no map. It’s a five-on-five match. You have to eliminate all the opponents to win. It’s a very difficult game, for sure. It’s hard because it’s based on actual strategy. If you’re out of ammo, you’re out. You have to be smart. For your health, if it goes down, it stays down — you can’t replenish it like in other games. So when it’s low, you have to work with that. It’s tough and my favorite the past five years.
CALLIE FRYE:
That’s cool. You explained it very clearly. Can you share if there’s a game that is very popular with others but you might not enjoy it at all?
ERIN / DM3:
Fortnite! That’s one game that I just can’t stand. I can’t understand why people like that game. I’ve been told it’s fun, you can build things, but when I tried it, I build things and get killed immediately. I’ve tried it again and again, but I’ve simply deleted the game. I refuse to play it. My friends have tried to convince me to give it another chance, but nah.
CALLIE FRYE:
I’m curious of your thoughts on gaming using a PC vs a console. I know many people play games through either device. What are the pros or cons?
ERIN / DM3:
Yes, there are both pros and cons. With PC, the cool things is a wider field of vision. With consoles, it’s a bit narrower. So sometimes you are playing and you got shot and you don’t know where it came from. With a PC, you can spot where your enemy. They’re lucky. With PC, there’s better graphics and better quality. With consoles, it’s downgraded a bit, their technology is not as advanced. I’m looking forward for the PS5, I’ve heard that their graphics is the same as PC. We’ll see about that! Is it all talk? I’m excited though.
CALLIE FRYE:
I want to talk about your DM3 Facebook page. What inspired you to start that Facebook page?
ERIN / DM3:
Really, I was thinking of what I should do with gaming. I joined a deaf gaming group to share mutual interests, but I noticed there were not many female gamers in the group. I felt alone. I also noticed that female gamers who shared a vlog would get harassed. They would be asked if they were single or be flirted with. I didn’t like that. So I thought of how to make others feel confident. I decided to start my page to show that there are female gamers. There are females who love gaming just like other females. That’s why I started the page, to inspire others. I’ve seen people start to change their perceptions on female gamers. That’s good! That means I’m doing something right!
[Sponsored Video from Convo]
CALLIE FRYE:
I was watching some of your vlogs and I saw that you said you were not a PC gamer, but you wanted to build a PC from scratch. Have you started?
ERIN / DM3:
Yes. Behind me is my PC. It’s a bit empty right now, but I’ve ordered two parts. I’m excited but I will need more parts. I want to order all of it and start building so I don’t have to wait piece by piece. It’s an interesting experience because some parts are not cheap at all, you know? I never realized that. So I’m learning. I’m looking forward to its completion and I will vlog about it!
CALLIE FRYE:
Yes, I’m looking forward to that too! I also saw one of your vlogs in which you explained how others would doubt your skills. You had to prove them wrong by doing livestreams. Why do people assume that about you?
ERIN / DM3:
I think that maybe it’s because I’m a woman. They don’t think we can be as good as men. I’m also deaf, I can’t hear. So there are people who doubt me. So I have to play and save the video and upload it to prove that I have skills. Sometimes I stream LIVE to let people watch me play so they can see I’m for real. Female gamers do have skills. I want others to give them a chance to play if they want to be on their team. Don’t push them aside because they’re a female. I think that’s one of the reasons why. Growing up, do females play games often? No. It’s usually dominated by males. Boys are encouraged to go and play while girls are told to help with the cooking. Maybe it’s a traditional thing? I don’t know.
CALLIE FRYE:
That’s sad. Yeah. I hope that your Facebook page will change people’s perceptions about female gamers.
ERIN / DM3:
That’s the goal!
CALLIE FRYE:
Yes. In one of your vlogs in which you answered fans’ questions — you were asked about what game was your favorite — you said it was hard to pick, but the ones you named, I noticed they had female lead characters. Why is that?
ERIN / DM3:
Yes, one of the games got my attention. It's called “Uncharted: The Lost Legacy.” There are two women on the front cover.
[Image of “Uncharted: The Lost Legacy”]
Both are women of color. One is part Indian and Australian. The second is a Black woman. It’s not often that a Black woman is in a game. I was thrilled. The game is about an adventure that took place in India. I liked it because the characters didn’t need help from men. The women did everything themselves. They fought men. That game showed a strong independent woman, and that’s what I like because that’s who I am, a strong independent woman. I was also impressed because that game didn’t paint the women as “skinny” women. The Black female character was athletic and had muscles. It made sense because the game required climbing on mountains and over hills. There were some critics who said, “Eww, she looks like a man,” or things like that. I push them aside and tell them to stop nagging about female characters on games. So, that’s why it is one of my favorite games.
CALLIE FRYE:
Thank you for sharing. Now I am curious and want to play the game!
ERIN / DM3:
Oh yeah, you will like it. It’s a story and an adventure. I just love it.
CALLIE FRYE:
Now that we’re talking about race and gender, I’ll ask a question about it. Why are there few Black female deaf gamers?
ERIN / DM3:
Well, for me, maybe it’s because of finances. Maybe they don’t have enough to afford games. Were the games too expensive? Or is it because of others perception that females should not play games, that only men can play games? There are so many possible reasons why. I think it’s just a traditional thing, the idea of what a woman should be and what a man should be. No, I want to break that. It’s not true. If you see that a girl loves to play games, let it be. We see a popular gamer, Ewok. She’s a 13 or 14-year old girl who loves to game. She’s on the rise and represents the deaf community. So let her do that! If we allow others to play, then others will become inspired.
CALLIE FRYE:
Yes, I have seen a rise in female gamers.
ERIN / DM3:
I’ve also seen an emphasis on technology. Colleges are starting to offer scholarships for gamers or eSports. Times are changing! It’s good because there is a future for gamers.
CALLIE FRYE:
That is cool. Do you have any advice for Black deaf female gamers who might want to become a skilled gamer like you?
ERIN / DM3:
Find a game that you are interested in. If you like it, keep on playing it. Don’t let others tell you “no.” Break that pattern of being told to stop. Keep on playing and improving. Make others notice your skills. That’s what I have been trying to do, break barriers for you all so it’s easier for others.
CALLIE FRYE:
I’m really inspired. You’re a Black deaf woman like myself and you’re into gaming. I’ve been nervous about playing because I thought it would be too hard but seeing what you do has inspired me and I want to play!
ERIN / DM3:
Yes, it has its benefits such as releasing stress. You will feel relaxed as you play. I also read in an article that gaming can help your mental processes go faster. It will improve your cognitive abilities. It’s interesting to see the benefits that gaming has.
CALLIE FRYE:
I can imagine how it improves your mental simulation. That’s nice. Is there anything else you want to add that I have not asked about?
ERIN / DM3:
Yeah. I want to thank you for doing the interview with me and I am glad you found my page! I feel inspired and I hope this will continue to inspire more people. For Black deaf female gamers, I’ve not met that many but I hope to see more of you get into gaming! If your boyfriend or girlfriend has a game, go ahead and ask them to play with it! Go for it! You won’t regret it.
CALLIE FRYE:
Okay, thank you Erin!
ERIN/ DM3:
No problem!