At the opening of The Game Awards this evening, host Geoff Keighley kicked off the show by calling attention to the ongoing problems of abuse and harassment in the games industry.
"We gotta be real, and we can't ignore the headlines that are out there," he said. "Game creators need to be supported by the companies that employ them. I think we all agree with that. So let me just say this before we get to any of the news, announcements, or awards. We should not and will not tolerate any abuse, harassment, and predatory practices by anyone, including our online communities. We all love games, and if we want this industry to keep going, we must build an even brighter and more inclusive future.
"The games we play and the games that we love teach us that we can impact the world around us, and tonight I call on everyone to do their part to build a better, safer video game industry. Speak out online, vote with your time and with your dollars, empower these world builders who are creating the future of all entertainment."
This speech was accompanied by a banner referring viewers to the Games and Online Harassment Hotline, which is a free, text message-based hotline offering support for victims of harassment and abuse either online or within the games industry.
Keighley, however, stopped short of calling out any specific names or companies, despite the fact that his statement comes in the midst of an ongoing lawsuit filed against Activision-Blizzard alleging harassment, discrimination, and abuse toward the company's employees and subsequent employee walkouts. Keighley was previously criticized for his response to a question about Activision-Blizzard's involvement in the awards in an interview with The Washington Post, but later clarified that the publisher would not be involved in the ceremony beyond its award nominations. Activision Blizzard president Rob Kostich is on the board of directors for The Game Awards.
The Game Awards will continue throughout the evening, and you can catch up on the ceremony and watch along with us here at IGN.
Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.
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"We gotta be real, and we can't ignore the headlines that are out there," he said. "Game creators need to be supported by the companies that employ them. I think we all agree with that. So let me just say this before we get to any of the news, announcements, or awards. We should not and will not tolerate any abuse, harassment, and predatory practices by anyone, including our online communities. We all love games, and if we want this industry to keep going, we must build an even brighter and more inclusive future.
"The games we play and the games that we love teach us that we can impact the world around us, and tonight I call on everyone to do their part to build a better, safer video game industry. Speak out online, vote with your time and with your dollars, empower these world builders who are creating the future of all entertainment."
This speech was accompanied by a banner referring viewers to the Games and Online Harassment Hotline, which is a free, text message-based hotline offering support for victims of harassment and abuse either online or within the games industry.
Keighley, however, stopped short of calling out any specific names or companies, despite the fact that his statement comes in the midst of an ongoing lawsuit filed against Activision-Blizzard alleging harassment, discrimination, and abuse toward the company's employees and subsequent employee walkouts. Keighley was previously criticized for his response to a question about Activision-Blizzard's involvement in the awards in an interview with The Washington Post, but later clarified that the publisher would not be involved in the ceremony beyond its award nominations. Activision Blizzard president Rob Kostich is on the board of directors for The Game Awards.
The Game Awards will continue throughout the evening, and you can catch up on the ceremony and watch along with us here at IGN.
Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.
Continue reading...
