In other incredibly obvious gaming industry news, for players all over the world, many gaming communities have a dark, toxic side, and a vocal minority have been doing a lot of harm to the long-term success of gaming titles. A new report from the outlet, Take This, claims that the toxicity of gaming communities has negatively impacted the bottom line of outside studios and publishers, and gaming companies should be trying to weed out these toxic external elements.
Understanding that toxicity is an epidemic in the gaming community. It seems hard to monitor and police acts and it could be even harder to figure out what constitutes toxicity or what is just playful banter.
There Has Been New Research into the Gaming Industry
According to data collected from Nielsen’s video-game-tracking-service, of 2,328 adolescents polled, 60% of players reported they had decided not to spend money in a game, because of how other players treated them in that community. Data also showed that 70% of players reported to have avoided playing certain games because of a community’s reputation, and 60% of players reported that they had, at least once, quit a session or quit playing a game permanently because of harassment and hate.
There were also some more disheartening facts that were put in the published report. Take This later explained:
“The gaming industry should consider expanding and refining moderation efforts, creating preventative and resiliency-building strategies, and increasing strategic and financial investment into community management teams.”
The Future of the Gaming Industry Could Be Looking Up
While toxicity in gaming has been a never ending battle, several developers and studios have stepped up their efforts to combat this negative behavior. As a result, Microsoft has launched a new strike system to weed out any derogatory players, Bungie won a court case against a Destiny 2 player who was harassing its employees, and Sony’s PlayStation 5 Accolades System is attempting to promote positive online behavior.
In more positive examples of what the gaming community is able to do, Bungie announced. The Bungie Foundation’s fourth annual Bungie Day Giving Festival was a massive success, and the Witcher community has rallied around actor Doug Cockle, who voices Geralt in The Witcher series.
Hopefully, this proves to be a step forward for the gaming industry and will have longevity for future gamers, who remain respectful to their fellow players.
What do you think of toxic gamers in the gaming industry? Do the numbers indicate something needs to be done to resolve the problems gamers face when they get online? Let us know in the comments.
Source: GAMESPOT
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