Is the Gaming Community to Blame?
The ongoing debacle about Blizzard Entertainment naturally raises the question as to what part the gaming community has contributed to this sorry state of affairs. There is a school of thought that gamers who blithely accept the status quo and never speak out about sexism, racism and casual misogyny within the games they play, the companies that create them and the wider community are part of the problem. They are effectively "facilitators" and are "complicit" with the perpetuation of these problems. Logically speaking, such observations are correct in a notional capacity. However, the reality of the situation is far more complex and nuanced. For example there are vast swathes of gamers who do not follow any associated news and therefore will be oblivious to the iniquities of Blizzard Entertainment. The same way as they are ignorant of the business practises of their car manufacturer or telecoms provider.
The ongoing debacle about Blizzard Entertainment naturally raises the question as to what part the gaming community has contributed to this sorry state of affairs. There is a school of thought that gamers who blithely accept the status quo and never speak out about sexism, racism and casual misogyny within the games they play, the companies that create them and the wider community are part of the problem. They are effectively "facilitators" and are "complicit" with the perpetuation of these problems. Logically speaking, such observations are correct in a notional capacity. However, the reality of the situation is far more complex and nuanced. For example there are vast swathes of gamers who do not follow any associated news and therefore will be oblivious to the iniquities of Blizzard Entertainment. The same way as they are ignorant of the business practises of their car manufacturer or telecoms provider.
Many gamers play the games they enjoy as a means to decompress from the pressure of modern life and to recharge their emotional batteries. A few hours spent playing an MMO or MOBA is a way to forget, for a while at least, about global warming, political shenanigans and the like. Therefore some players are not really disposed toward having to parse their gaming activities for its social and moral rectitude. It’s something we all do to a greater or lesser degree. Cognitive dissonance is virtually the average person's default position. We like cheap clothes but we don’t like to think we are actively participating in the exploitation of labour in developing countries. We voraciously consume factory farmed meat, yet we purposely distance ourselves from the realities of its production. Save the planet? Absolutely, I’m onboard for that. As long as I can still have my cheap flights. This is how people work and why some gamers want to stay below the parapet and off the radar.
There is an inherent duality in being part of the gaming community. There are times when we as gamers may feel proud to identify as such. And then there are other occasions when we look upon the actions and decorum of certain quarters with a sense of shame. In the past the common refrain you’d hear regarding racism, sexism and other forms of marginalisation would be “this is not representative of our community”. Sadly, post “Gamergate”, it is now very much representative of a sizable part of the community and cannot be easily dismissed as fringe malcontents and freelance trolls. I believe that the game community, just like social and political discourse, is pretty much split down the middle upon clear partisan lines. Exactly the same fault lines appear in most social groups and they are usually based around equality and access to power. The divide is between those who have the advantage and wish to maintain it for their benefit and those who wish to level the playing field.
Video games may well be far more inclusion nowadays but that is only a fairly recent development. Furthermore, such change has not been driven by a strong sense of morality but more by a financial imperative. But if you look at the way video games were created and marketed thirty plus years ago, it was very different. Hence a generation of boys grew up believing that games were very much their exclusive province. That combined with other cultural assumptions about gender roles, employment and social hierarchies certainly helps explain where we find ourselves today. Furthermore, because we live in a more socially conscious world it is now harder to try and remain neutral regarding who to address issues such as that currently blighting Blizzard Entertainment. Yet because of the clear divide in all opinions now there isn’t necessarily a consensus, although I do think there is often a clear “right” answer. And so the gaming community becomes a battlefield. Just another in the ongoing culture war.
So when the question is mooted as to whether the players are culpable to any degree for the ongoing Blizzard Entertainment debacle or indeed the wider failings of the gaming community, I no longer think we say it’s a gray area. As players, or more accurately consumers, we support in large numbers all of the practises and policies that we also continuously complain about. Microtransactions, live services, hype culture, pre-orders etc. We also enable those who we revere by treating them like rock gods. If you tell someone that they’re special and can do no wrong, don’t be surprised when they go along with it, at the expense of others. And then there’s the little, yet important things that we can sometimes let slide. Such as when someone spouts vile crap in world chat. Don’t just block them or quit that specific channel. Call them out or file a report on them. Remember “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing” as Edmund Burke succinctly stated.
Now you may argue that you personally don’t buy pre-orders, spend money on in-game purchases and that you eschew “bro” gaming culture. Good for you. But I think that we’ve reached the point where just not adding another stool to the ever growing lake of faecal matter isn’t the get out of jail card that it used to be. The status quo is demonstrably bad for many people and we cannot just leave it as it is. My biggest concern about the current situation with Blizzard is that the company will offer up some sacrificial lambs, mouth some vague commitments to change and simply try to ride out the storm, only to return to “business as usual” within the shortest time possible. So I believe it is time for everyone who finds the situation unacceptable to make their voice heard. You don’t have to man the barricades. Simply writing a blog post, saying something in your live stream or uninstalling battle.net sends a message. If we want our community back then we have to roll up our sleeves and pitch in.
The Blight of “Bro Culture” and “Boys Club” Mentality
During the summer of 2007 I was working as part of a team of IT contractors undertaking a major hardware rollout for a large smartphone software developer in London. I could spend a substantial amount of time setting up the backstory to this anecdote but upon mature reflection, I don’t think it is actually necessary. Let it suffice to say that the company was mainly staffed by men between the age of 25 and 50. The team of contractors that I was working with had a similar demographic. This is hardly surprising, as IT is still a male dominated field. Both the company that I was directly working for and the one we were providing support services to were very similar in their corporate culture. It was informal with a “work hard, play hard” ethic. Disputes and major decisions were often resolved by public arguments and there was a very clear hierarchy that sadly wasn’t based on intellect or decorum.
During the summer of 2007 I was working as part of a team of IT contractors undertaking a major hardware rollout for a large smartphone software developer in London. I could spend a substantial amount of time setting up the backstory to this anecdote but upon mature reflection, I don’t think it is actually necessary. Let it suffice to say that the company was mainly staffed by men between the age of 25 and 50. The team of contractors that I was working with had a similar demographic. This is hardly surprising, as IT is still a male dominated field. Both the company that I was directly working for and the one we were providing support services to were very similar in their corporate culture. It was informal with a “work hard, play hard” ethic. Disputes and major decisions were often resolved by public arguments and there was a very clear hierarchy that sadly wasn’t based on intellect or decorum.
Drinking culture is far more robust and commonplace in the UK compared to other countries. A swift pint at lunch time is not unusual and drinks after work throughout the week is part of the working landscape. However, on this occasion, it was far more in your face. Hence the standard of behaviour among employees often took a nose dive in the afternoon. The job often felt like a night out, rather than a short term contract. It also reminded me of the last few years I spent at school. Cliques and an “in crowd” were quickly established. Anyone who didn’t quite fit in became the butt of jokes which soon descended into bullying. The few women that worked in the building, mainly in admin, HR and support roles were badgered constantly. The cleaning staff were also subject to racist abuse and regularly taunted. Yet despite all this, because the work was getting done, no one felt the need to do or say anything. Plus in the view of the senior staff, it was all just “high” spirits and anyone complaining should “get over themselves”.
The sad thing about this story is that it is not in any way unusual. “It happens everyday” as Tom Jones wisely stated. Furthermore, if I or anyone else had attempted to do something about the situation it would have ended with our contracts being terminated. There may well have been lasting consequences with regard to being blacklisted by certain recruitment agencies for not being a team player. Because this “boys club” mentality is everywhere. It’s everywhere because it stems from the way society in Western Democracies are constructed and run. Power, opportunity and expectations are all centred around white men. Many people don’t like the phrase “white privilege” and it is misunderstood and frequently misused. So rather than invoke it, I’ll ask a very simple question for people to reflect upon and answer honestly. If you are a white man living in the US, UK or any of the major European countries would you ever want to be any other gender or ethnicity? (For further exploration of this, see Chris Rock).
All of which brings me on to the current debacle regarding Blizzard Entertainment. A sickening shit show which although appalling comes as absolutely no surprise. I have never been a fan of Blizzard. When I started playing MMOs roundabout 2008 I was aware of the behemoth that was (and to a degree still is) World of Warcraft but found the culture surrounding the game’s developers unpalatable. After watching footage from BlizzCon I wasn’t impressed by the strutting, preening narcissism I saw on display. The public Q&A sessions further solidified my opinion, as women were condescended to and those who didn’t fit into the “bro” hierarchy were mocked. Furthermore, the hardcore fans are equally part of the problem as they are the ones treating developers and popular industry figures as if they’re seventies rock stars. It’s hardly surprising when the usual suspects started acting as such.
In the months to come, Blizzard Entertainment will twist itself in knots trying to deny, deflect, and mitigate the charges that have been levelled at them by California Department of Fair Employment and Housing. They have lots of money and an army of lawyers so this isn’t going to be a simple lawsuit. I don’t see them “beating this rap” but I do question whether anything will truly change. Some minor sacrificial lambs will be offered up as a sign of supposed contrition and possibly a senior member of staff such as J. Allen Brack may have to fall on their sword. But they’ll leave with a full pay-out as part of a backroom deal and as history has shown us, it never harms their career in the long run (think Louis C. K.). We’ll also get the obligatory espousing of the “lessons must be learned” mantra but it will be as honest and credible as a politician’s promise. And as for those who work at the coalface in companies such as Blizzard Entertainment, there may well be a cessation of overt harassment but they’ll potentially suffer in other ways and find that there’s no future for them there.
Until we as a society decided to unequivocally address the blight of the “boys club” then it isn’t going to change. What is required are some fundamental sea change in the way we raise our children so that we instil a sense of equality right from the start. We need to also eliminate the gender specific roles and concepts we force both consciously and subconsciously upon the young as they grow up. And in the meantime while we have to endure a generation who have entrenched views that cannot be altered, we need to police and enforce the existing legislation that is in place that protects those who are harassed and marginalised. As for Blizzard Entertainment, they already have form for being the worst sort of corporate entity. They have no principles or sense of obligation to anyone or anything other than themselves. As a result they fully deserve the ire that is coming their way and I would actively encourage you to lend your voice and actions to it, if you can.
I have twin granddaughters. They’re six years old (how the hell did that happen?) and I already see the effects that consumerism and societal expectations have upon them. They are already concerned over how they look, what boys think about them and have clear ideas about gender specific roles. Hopefully as they grow older they will gain the insight and wisdom to shed this cultural baggage, rather than let it define them. As and when they reach an age where they start thinking about their careers and the job market, unless society radically changes in the next 12 years, I will offer them the following advice. Where possible work for yourself and not others. Eschew male dominated, corporate environments. Maintain a network of other skilled female freelancers. Police your workspace and document everything. All of which is advice that is indicative of a broken system but it is the only way to ensure that the wolves are held at bay. Until the “boys clubs” and “bro culture” are finally consigned to the annals of history.
