TRIGGER WARNING
*I will be speaking about some of the topics circulating the internet from the lawsuit against Activision Blizzard by the state of California as well as other sensitive subjects but won’t go into heavy detail. If you’re uncomfortable with this topic, please refrain from reading on.*
The Gaming Industry
I’m sure you’ve seen loads of coverage about the California vs Activision Blizzard lawsuit that broke in the past few days. There have been various allegations from many women with occurrences of sexual harassment, discrimination, racism, and even retaliation. It’s time for companies like Activision Blizzard and Ubisoft (who had similar allegations against them) to start treating their employees with respect.
Women should not have to worry about being assaulted, harassed, or discriminated against, period. I just can’t seem to wrap my head around the fact that the higher-ups let this drag on for so long without doing anything about it themselves. It’s pretty pathetic and speaks volumes about the character behind these companies.
They tote themselves around as safe spaces for their gamers yet treat their own paid employees like this. I’m really at a loss for words. I feel so deeply upset for those who’ve been affected by the villains at these companies and there’s just so far that we have to go in this industry to make sure things like this never happen again.
I as a white male find it disgusting that there's such an unequal and unfair advantage for white males at these companies. There needs to be more diversity in the workplace. It will mitigate things like this from happening because there won’t be a chance for a group who's privileged to force themselves on women that just want to be treated equally.
The Gaming Community
I can’t really say that the gaming community is much better. Whether it’s in-game chat or in the comments section, there’s a part of the gaming community that has a viciousness to it that is growing like cancer. Far and wide there are predominately male gamers who use misogyny, homophobia, and racism in these spaces, turning what should be an inclusive and fun experience into someone’s worse nightmare.
Just like the gaming industry, things have to change. The bitterness that a part of the community has to people who are different from them has to stop. The best example from off the top of my head is all of the hate that The Last of Us: Part 2 had gotten because the game focused on strong female characters and strong LGBTQIA+ characters.
There’s no more room for people that want to be hateful in this world. Women, POC, LGBTQIA+, and other marginalized groups deserve the same equal treatment as anyone else. The gatekeeping has run its course and things need to change for good.
What’s Next
There is a ton that both the industry and the community need to do in order to make these places free from worry and become more inclusive. People need to be accepting and respectful toward one another. I feel that people have seemed to forget what being a decent person even is anymore.
Gaming has always been such a huge part of my life and while some aspects of it have made me proud in the last few years, there’s a huge part that’s made me question whether I even want to be associated with the community or industry. I have an intolerance for intolerance.
We all have a duty not just as gamers but as human beings to treat each other the way that we want to be treated. We’re letting each other down. If you’re a male and you want to be proactive in doing more for women, get out there and do something. Sitting around and being complicit just makes you another part of the problem.
