At DICE 2018, Phil Spencer addressed one of the most ignored issues in the gaming industry – Toxic Behaviors. He stated, at Microsoft “we stand for inclusivity, I personally committed to do better.”
Xbox head Phil Spencer addressed toxic behaviors in gaming culture during his speech at DICE 2018 summit in Las Vegas. According to Spencer, at Microsoft “we stand for inclusivity, I personally committed to do better.”
“I think it’s a leader’s job to absorb the hit, to take personal accountability. And to be clear about our culture: who we are and what we stand for,” he said. “Just as culture is renewing Microsoft, I think culture can be the tool that enables us to realize the true power and potential of gaming.”
“Honestly, toxic behavior doesn’t just hurt the individual it hurts our entire industry. When toxicity is aimed at one of us, it stops with all of us. That’s why I’m encouraged when our community comes together to talk about specific actions.”
In a rather general keynote, Spencer also added that it’s a peculiarity of video games to include, and as such the medium should be considered relevant in the economy of how society currently works.
“It is the only art form where you walk in someone’s shoes and you see the world from their eyes. It’s the only art form where you are on equal footing, regardless of age, education, socioeconomics, race, religion, politics, gender, orientation, ethnicity, nationality, or ability,” the Xbox head observed.
“This is why gaming can be one of the great equalizers and great unifiers for society. Together, we can make gaming a reflection of the world we don’t just want to see, but help change it into the world we want it to be.”
The speech didn’t offer great solutions in concrete terms, but this doesn’t mean it didn’t include some interesting thoughts about the role of video games as something more than a simple entertainment platform. Do you agree with him?
