Why gaming needs some serious CSR

Hello world,

I find it difficult to begin this particular blog post due to the negative reaction it will surely create. I've never let the opinions of others stop me from expressing my own, but the current state of gaming is anything from friendly right now. Regardless, I've felt the need to speak up for some time but wasn't exactly sure how I wanted to approach this topic. If you hadn't guessed already, I'm talking about GamerGate. Please keep in mind, I'm not looking to dissect the controversy. Instead, I'd like to offer a call to action to some major industry stakeholders that have remained shamefully silent in the last few weeks.

Brianna Wu was one of the developers
most recently driven out of her home 

If you're unfamiliar with GamerGate, I suggest taking a look at the extensive write-ups all over the Internet right now. I'd personally suggest this piece from Caitlin Dewey, who writes for the Intersect blog at the Washington Post. While I wouldn't call this article neutral by any means, it gives you a general overview recent of events with implications for not just the game industry but society at large. Essentially, GamerGate started out as a movement to correct ethics in game journalism. It has since morphed into a toxic campaign set on harassing and disenfranchising critics of an increasingly outdated and male-dominated gaming culture. These attacks have been aimed primarily at women in often frightening ways. Each time I log onto Twitter, my stomach drops at the news of yet another female game developer driven out of her home due to death threats. I've considered myself a part of the video game community for a long time, but I did not sign up for any of this. The current environment is not reflective of the world that I've come to know and love. Something needs to change. 

With the situation escalating and GamerGate clearly not going away, I can't help but wonder - where have the major players been all this time? I'm talking about game developers, publishers and studios. You know, the big names like EA, Activision, Ubisoft etc. The radio silence has been disappointing to say the least; most notably because these companies have the highest stake in whether gamers tear each other apart. In light of this, the Entertainment Software Association, a trade organization that represents many of the previously mentioned companies, released a statement this week addressing GamerGate: 

"Threats of violence and harassment are wrong. They have to stop. There is no place in the video game community - or our society - for personal attacks and threats." 

While it's certainly a nice sentiment, I just don't think it's enough. The problem here is that it's very hard to motivate game companies to enter such a controversial debate unless it offers some return on investment. That's where corporate social responsibility (CSR) comes in. CSR involves the integration of social and environmental concerns into a business operation. To save you from any more fancy jargon, it basically means that an organization makes a conscious effort to "do good" in the context of the community it serves. Let me give you a couple of examples. One of my favorites would have to be the It Can Wait movement from AT&T, which encourages individuals to use cellular products in a "safe and responsible manner." While it might seem strange that a phone carrier would ask customers not to use its cellular services, it actually makes a lot of sense. Through this campaign, AT&T ensures that the community understands the dangers associated with texting and driving. As a result, the company enhances its brand image and hopefully spots a nice little increase in profit margins (remember how I mentfioned return on investment?). 

Image via EdTechTimes

Next, let's look at a case more relevant to the topic at hand. South Korea is known for a strong mobile and online culture (particularly in gaming). Unfortunately, this culture has led to unhealthy behavior in the digital sphere, including smartphone addiction, personal anxiety and online bullying. When mobile carrier SK Telecom reached an audience of one million on social media, it teamed up with global PR firm Edelman to create the Social Relay for Clean Online Communications. For the campaign, five "social media mentors" participated in "missions" that encouraged individuals to make positive contributions online. The relay fostered an important dialogue on taking responsibility for words and actions online in addition to shifting perceptions regarding healthy Internet use.

So what does all of this mean? Well, I believe that the concepts behind CSR reign true for any industry and gaming could certainly use some help. Last month, game developer Andreas Zecher wrote an "Open letter to the gaming community"  calling for an end to the destructive behavior stemming from GamerGate. It has since been signed by more than 2,000 developers. So here's my proposition: why can't a major game company follow suit with a similar initiative? Names like Sony and Rockstar carry such weight with gamers and employ teams who could easily come up with creative ways to get loyal fans on board. It's time to end the hate and vitriol behind GamerGate, but there needs to be an organized and sincere effort to get us there. 

Until next time,
-Sarah

I'd like to thank the Academy: DICE 2014

Hello friends!

It's been quite a long time. The past two months have been insanely busy, so I apologize for my absence. February in particular was a whirlwind, as I attended the 2014 DICE Summit thanks to the amazing people at the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. I mentioned my scholarship award in a previous post, but I'll quickly sum things up for context.

My fancy badge for the event

In September, I received the Mark Beaumont Scholarship, an award started in honor of former COO of Capcom North America and Europe who passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack in 2010. To honor this industry veteran, the Academy established a scholarship aimed at students pursuing careers in the business of interactive entertainment. In addition to financial assistance for school and endless bragging rights, the Academy graciously offered DICE passes to the scholarship recipients, including the Randy Pausch Scholarship winners. As a result, I flew out to Las Vegas on Feb. 5 for an experience that would completely change my life.

Now, the Academy didn't simply plop us into the conference without any support. The organization set up an incredibly warm welcome to help us acclimate ourselves and network with industry professionals. DICE is a very exclusive event, with only about 500 video game insiders in attendance, which is a stark contrast to an event such as GDC (Game Developers Conference). In other words, this was a huge opportunity for any student striving to work in the field. Industry legends Don Daglow and Warren Spector served as at-large mentors for the scholarship recipients, also known as "Academy Scholars." In addition to providing general guidance, Don paired each scholar with a personal mentor in line with our professional interests and future place in the industry. I'll talk about these amazing individuals in just a moment. First, I want to give a general recap of the different sessions that I was lucky enough to attend.

DICE lounge and arcade - a great place to meet people between sessions

The main feature of DICE was centered around keynote speakers. The bill was quite impressive, with industry names such as Mark Cerny, Ed Fries, Keiji Inafune, Eugene Jarvis and Ted Price (just to name a few). The 2014 theme focused on "The New Golden Age of Gaming" and each speaker seemed to take this in their own unique direction. But to be honest, I noticed a much different theme that genuinely surprised me - the personal story. These brilliant creators framed their talks in a way that really helped you understand who they were as people. In quite a few instances, this level of intimacy was powerful beyond words. I never expected to come out the presentations feeling such an emotional connection with the person on stage. Whether it was Robin Hunicke on the value of games made by people who actually care about other people, Rami Ismail on the notion that everyone should be able to make games, or Ed Fries and his father teaching us how to fly, I felt personally affected. I highly recommend watching the presentations from this year on the Academy website. I can guarantee that they will motivate, excite and inspire you.



Now DICE isn't only about guest speakers. It is also a fantastic networking event, as the close-knit nature of the conference allows for greater access. To help on this front, Don matched me with two incredibly talented women in the industry - Perrin Kaplan and Connie Booth. Perrin, who now runs Zebra Partners with fellow powerhouse lady Beth Llewelyn, worked as VP of Marketing and Corporate Affairs at Nintendo of America for nearly 16 years. Perrin was able to give me a great behind-the-scenes look at DICE, since her agency ran most of the event. She also offered invaluable career advice based on her own expertise and knowledge of the field. It can be a little overwhelming to figure out your true place in the industry, but her reassurance reinvigorated me to take the world by storm. I will always remember one important thing from Perrin - you have to follow your heart.

Connie and myself at the DICE Awards

Next, there's Connie Booth. How do I begin to describe Connie Booth? Let's start with her day job. Connie currently serves as VP of Product Development at Sony Computer Entertainment America. Her involvement with the company spans 20 years and countless major releases, including a series that defined my childhood - Crash Bandicoot. Her accomplishments are a true inspiration to any young woman looking to leave a mark on the gaming world. In fact, I hugged Don multiple times for making such a perfect match! I ended up spending a great deal of time with Connie, meeting countless interesting professionals and soaking up as much wisdom as I could. Despite her wealth of knowledge, Connie was the most humble person I have ever met. While her colleagues throughout the industry shared their positive thoughts on her work, Connie refused to take a single second to brag about herself. She always found a way to turn it back around to her team. It did not take long to learn that Connie was not only a leader in the games profession but a phenomenal human being. She taught me that to thrive in the industry, you must be gracious, you must be humble and you must be true to yourself.

She also helped shift my perspective in a very positive way. While our professional backgrounds were a little different, she shared a universal law for working in video games - you must understand the game creators. In the business world, it is easy to become secluded from the people actually making your company's product. This separation is much more dangerous when blood, sweat and tears go into the final creation. Connie taught me to consider the game industry from all sides. Shamefully, I had never really thought of it that way. By building relationships with developers and learning more about what motivates them, I'm confident that I'll be able to effectively communicate on behalf of their works of art.

The big show - 2014 DICE Awards

The final hurrah of the week was bittersweet - the DICE Awards. The award ceremony celebrates the best in gaming from indie productions to major AAA releases. I don't know what it is about reflecting on the year's leading titles, but the environment was absolutely infectious. Naughty Dog's The Last of Us, a story-driven zombie apocalypse game that I absolutely loved, swept most of the categories. I happened to be seated behind the table of "Dogs," and it was a beautiful sight each time the studio jumped to their feet in celebration. From the perspective of a fan, I felt absolutely blessed that I was able to share in this joy just by being in the same room. I actually teared up a bit in front of Don, who essentially became a father figure for me at DICE, as we looked back on the night as a whole.

Academy Scholars with Don Daglow and Warren Spector

While I'm hopeful that I'll be able to attend similar events in my professional future, I don't know that I'll ever again experience them in this particular way. As a student, I definitely looked at the week from a special lens. It became all about self discovery. I went into DICE knowing that others believed in me, but this doesn't necessarily mean I fully believed in myself. I left DICE knowing that all of my hard work had paid off. I can be successful in this industry.

To finish, I would like to sincerely thank all of the amazing people who not only helped make my DICE experience possible (particularly the brains behind the entire operation - Don Daglow) but were willing to share their infinite wisdom or simply chat with me about games! It can be intimidating to be present among such greatness, but the DICE community made me feel at home. I can't wait to go back on my own accord in the very near future.

As always, until next time!
-Girl Informer