Gaming Industry, Show Black Folx the Receipts
As a videogames researcher, I am fascinated when the gaming industry engages with sociopolitical topics not just within their games, but in reality. Specifically, the forms of communication showing support for a cause. Three years have passed since Insomniac Games published a video condemning president Trump’s Immigration Policy. The video was quite moving because of the many people standing behind Founder and CEO, Ted Price, as Price candidly spoke against the policy. As a Black man in America, reading about the games industry from scholars who discuss the lack of Black representation within games and game production, I feel saddened. While feeling saddened, I log on to play a game, and the first thing I see is the “n-word.” It is a reminder that my Black body comes with terms and conditions in digital and physical spaces.
Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery. COVID-19. Two pandemics; structural racism and with it police brutality, and a global respiratory illness with millions infected and hundreds of thousands deceased.
On Sunday, May 31, 2020, around 10:40 p.m., I saw my first act of solidarity from a gaming organization: Bethesda Game Studios. This tweet astounded me. On June 1, 2020, Rare Limited, retweeted with a comment, in support of their parent company, Microsoft, sharing the concerns of their Black/African American employees. Even more shocking, Sony announced they were postponing their June 4th live stream event related to the PS5 in an act of solidarity to “allow more important voices to be heard.”
On June 2, 2020, a gaming news company, gamespot.com, did a 2-hour “Gamespot Stands With Black Lives Matter” YouTube live stream showing the statement, “In solidarity with Black Lives Matter and as part of Blackout Tuesday, we have made the decision to postpone today’s charity stream. Instead, we ask you to consider donating to Black Lives Matter” with tinyurl.com/gs-blm below the statement.
To my surprise, some gaming organizations have shown their support not just with words, but with financial support. On June 1, I read an Instagram post from Evo which is the equivalent to the Super Bowl in the Fighting Game Community (FGC), stating the FGC tournament was donating $7,500 each to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and Visit Lake Street which is an initiative from the Lake Street Council based in Minneapolis, MN. Minneapolis is the city in which George Floyd was murdered. On the same day, the communication service, Discord, pledged to donate “to the Black Lives Matter Movement, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and the George Floyd Family Fund.” Square Enix announced the following day to donate $250,000 and “will match employee donations to support the Black Lives Matter organization and other charities…” On June 3, the Pokémon Company stated they are donating $100,000 each to the NAACP and Black Lives Matter.
I am here for it! Glad to see companies are backing their words up with action. I want to see the receipts for promises can be broken. Again, the public support and donations are great, so it should be no problem to provide a receipt.
Corporate entities have lied to and stolen from people before, so I will not apologize for the skepticism. The long-lasting, tiring, and suffocating struggles and hurdles Black gamers, and Black folx at-large endure will not dissipate with just a few donations. Here are a few ideas for structural changes. More gaming companies need to provide internship programs aimed at minoritized communities, so they as well can gain experience within the industry. Next, hire Black people! If a game uses any aspect of Black culture, Black people should be involved and listened to throughout the production cycle. Have a variety of Black voices at the table in various positions because Black people are not a monolith. Lastly, just because Black people are there does not mean only use them to lessen the odds of your game offending anyone. Everyone within the company is responsible for making projects inclusive and diverse! Take note from Microsoft’s “Gaming for Everyone” initiative highlighting Black achievement in games and efforts to provide space for future growth. I, like many Black gamers, would love to produce the kind of games that express the beauty of the African Diaspora. There is a plethora of people, myself included, ready, and willing to consult, help produce, promote, in whatever ways possible to make digital spaces equitable and enjoyable for all. Otherwise, keep your damn money.
