Over 2,000 signatures were collected in support of an open letter that aims to end discrimination in the gaming industry.
The letter’s call
The open letter called for a more peaceful environment in the gaming community and urged gamers to report “hateful, harassing speech.”
“We believe that everyone, no matter what gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion or disability has the right to play games, criticise games and make games without getting harassed or threatened. It is the diversity of our community that allows games to flourish,” said the letter.
Major game developing companies, such as Ubisoft and Electronic Arts signed the said letter. Independent game makers also supported the cause.
Andreas Zecher of Spaces of Play, an independent games studio, wrote the open letter.
Response to threats
The letter served as a response to multiple death threats made to feminist critic Anita Sarkeesian following her series of videos that criticize the widespread misogyny in video games.
The critic pointed out several instances in video games wherein there are “largely insignificant non-playable female characters whose sexuality or victimhood is exploited as a way to infuse edgy, gritty, or racy flavoring into game worlds.”
Following the death threats she called a “form of terrorism,” Sarkeesian called the police and temporarily left her home. Sarkeesian said in a tweet, “I’m not giving up. But this harassment of women in tech must stop.”
