Interactive entertainment firm, Zynga, has launched Access All Areas, an immersive virtual studio offering educational tools and career resources to foster diversity and inclusion in gaming. Inspired by the studios of Zynga’s subsidiary NaturalMotion, the web-based platform, that also supports mobile, is designed to assist educators, parents, and children, especially those from underrepresented communities in the UK.

The Access All Areas platform takes users on a self-discovery tour of a virtual studio where they can enter various virtual rooms to discover what happens behind the scenes, listen to real professionals talk about their roles in gaming, follow the timeline of a game from pre-production to launch, and more. During the educational journey, users will also identify the fundamental skills required for a career in gaming and learn how various STEM and STEAM skills can apply to a range of roles in design, art, data science, analytics, and software engineering.

The Access All Areas platform offers universal access; web-based hosting with mobile support; a 360-degree interactive virtual environment; interactive hot spots; career resources; educational tools; and community groups to connect with peers and offer feedback for continuous improvement

Access All Areas has been made possible by Zynga’s social impact fund, which launched in 2020 with the mission to invest in underserved communities globally. The goal is to help increase diversity and inclusion within Zynga and the wider games industry.

“We built Access All Areas in conjunction with partners and experts to increase awareness about gaming careers and to broaden access for everyone, especially young creative minds from different backgrounds,” said Kerrie Neale, Co-Founder of Access All Areas and Senior Director of Analytics at NationalMotion. “Today’s launch is the result of passionate work by our teams to deliver an innovative digital space that educates students on all aspects of gaming, from transforming a game from idea to product to discovering various pathways into a gaming career. We welcome everyone to explore and experience the diverse talent pool that goes into creating amazing games.”