Controversy surrounding game sparks debate
By NICK BANDY
Page Editor
Ethical consumption is by no means a new discussion. It’s a topic that is most commonly viewed through the lens of a consumer just like you or I, attempting to navigate a free market while also trying to align our morals with where we spend our money.
But as much as we all like to think that we have the power to ‘vote with our wallets,’ many times it results in very little impact because of the lack of organization, accountability and interest that the common consumer has.
I believe that it is the responsibility of teams and individual players to acknowledge and speak to the wrongdoings that have taken place at the video game publisher Activision Blizzard. Over the last two months Activision Blizzard has been hit with a lawsuit from the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing after investigating the company for years.
The investigation detailed horrible accounts of sexual harassment and workplace abuse toward women, and draws a pretty clear picture of the hurdles that woman and other marginalized groups within the company constantly have to jump over.
Activision Blizzard is the creator of the popular video game “Overwatch,” played by many Esports organizations across the world including the team at Amarillo College. I believe that it is important for organizations like these to address these situations because it directly affects the culture and members of their programs.
The video game industry has historically been held down by misogyny and has had many accounts of inequality whether it be in esports, video game development, media or even just fandoms.
As a leader of a team or organization you cannot ignore such issues and claim to be ‘pro women’ within Esports or video games.
Failing to address problems like these communicates that women still do not have a place in these spaces, and that they will not be treated as such.
Having team members who fight this idea openly shows the shortcomings of organizational leaders who have failed to cultivate a culture of inclusivity, resulting in the same systematic issues that have plagued the industry since its inception.
Women belong in these spaces and they are needed in these spaces. It is the job of those who have a voice to use it to break down those barriers to make a better industry for everyone who cannot.
VERSUS
By TRE BYERS
Staff Reporter
Over the past couple of months, Blizzard Entertainment has come under fire with sexual harassment charges.
These are serious charges, however, people are starting to boycott the game.
I only have to ask….why? Yes, what those people did was awful, but there so many innocent people who spent hours, day, months, years working on the game.
They missed birthdays, holidays, just to make sure people like us could enjoy the game.
So why, I ask, because of the action of a couple of individuals, do we have to give up something so many people worked so hard for, and so many others enjoy? It’s only a game, get mad at the people who did the crimes, not the game itself.
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