“Fair Play Alliance” of game companies promoting better online behavior

[Jim]

I learned about this when I was doing research on initiatives for improving online behavior. I realize that it might be mostly just for PR, and might not lead to any consequential improvents in what game companies do, but regardless of what they do or don’t do, this provides moral support and more credibility to people who are calling for improvements in online behavior. Kudos to whoever came up with this idea! Gaming spaces are notorious not only for their toxicity, but for people actually defending that toxicity as being virtuous and heroic, and trying to shame and stigmatize people who object to it. This, coming from a multitude of the providers of the most popular games, might go a long way in helping to counteract that.

“As a coalition of gaming companies, we seek to understand and represent the diverse needs of players in how we think about, design, and support our games from the ground up. Together we can do more to unlock the best possible online experiences for players everywhere.”

“The Fair Play Alliance comprises over 100 gaming companies today, all united in our mission to identify, define, and enable awesome player interactions, fair play, and healthy communities in online games.”

Fair Play Alliance

 

[Stanyon]

First world problems?

 

[Jim]

First world problems?

 

[Jim]

First world problems?

All the world’s problems are inextricably intertwined. What happens online can have dramatic effects on what happens offline, all around the world. Don’t think I’m not doing anything offline about the ravaging associated with global monopoly games.

 

[Stanyon]

All the world’s problems are inextricably intertwined. What happens online can have dramatic effects on what happens offline, all around the world. Don’t think I’m not doing anything offline about the ravaging associated with global monopoly games.

I was making a joke but as long as we are there and you show concern about how people act online might affect their actions offline, would it not make sense that playing violent video games in highly realistic immersive worlds might also have an affect especially on young developing minds?

If there is a disconnect between online violence and real violence could there not be a disconnect between online banter and the real world?

The shooter in New Zealand expressed a like for violent video games and in his murder video he filmed it just like what you see in a first person shooter game.

Btw I'm not arguing with you

 

[Jim]

... would it not make sense that playing violent video games in highly realistic immersive worlds might also have an affect especially on young developing minds?

Not only would that make sense to me, I actually think it's true.

 

[Twilight Hue]

First world problems?

Unquestionably.

 

[Stanyon]

Not only would that make sense to me, I actually think it's true.

Just throwing out some ideas, good luck in your work, one less problem is one less problem however small.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

This is a good move. People need to hit those report buttons, too. I was playing Forza Horizon 4 yesterday and one of the user-made car paint jobs was a Nazi one. I hit that report button.

 

[Jim]

The more I think about it, the more I think that the Fair Play Alliance is mostly just PR, and that it will mostly just increase animosities and hostilities between factions. Even so I still think it can be be used in beneficial ways.

 

[Jim]

I haven’t seen any news of the Fair Play Alliance actually doing anything that makes any difference, but I have seen news of what some game companies were already doing, that allegedly helped reduce toxicity in their spaces. What I think game companies could do that might help would be to find online resources for people who are practicing and promoting better online behavior, and continually remind their players about them, in their launchers and on their websites, along with whatever else they’re promoting.