A change is coming in the game industry

Industry hit with second wave of abuse allegations

Editor's note: I had no idea what image to put with this, so I put a stock gaming image. This in not to call out any specific gaming company, it's simply there to fill the image slot.

So many things are being brought to light and so many people are starting to understand the terrible things that go on behind-the-scenes of their favorite industries. We need change, and we need it now.

We need to call out these abusers and make them stand for what they've done. To the communities who have taken a stance against actions like these, they need to take actual steps to stopping it.

A Wave Of Sexual Abuse Stories Is Causing A Reckoning In The Twitch Streaming World

"The moment revealed what can happen when streamers band together to face down a common injustice, but it also painted a picture of a male-dominated industry rife with loopholes for abusers to worm their way through."

This is a great in-depth look at the stories of streamers who have come forward to talk about abuse they've faced in the Twitch community. It's no surprise that Twitch is incredibly male-dominated, but it's so sad to see community leaders lead by such awful example. I hate the fact that so many non-white males see Twitch as a place where they don't feel safe. That has to change, and Twitch's management has stayed quiet for far too long.

I really hope this will cause some sort of change in the operation of the platform. If it doesn't, I won't be the only one who will walk away from it.

In light of these stories, Twitch has started banning streamers over sexual abuse allegations. Let's hope they continue to do this and it's not just for show.

Image credit: Twitch

Ubisoft and Insomniac face allegations over mistreatment of women

I really hate that Insomniac has a culture like this. I hate that any place has a culture like this, but I grew up with Ratchet and Clank and Jak & Daxter, so I somehow applied a sense of childlike innocence and family-feeling to the company. Unfortunately, that bubble has been popped, and it's so important that we believe the abused and take a stand against these types of actions.

To add to this, Ashraf Ismail, creative director of Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, has stepped away from the project due to recent sexual misconduct accusations. It's good to see this type of behavior called out so that others will be discouraged from acting like this in the future.

Image credit: Ubisoft

Microsoft’s Mixer streamers are sad, angry, and moving to Twitch

I was really surprised when I first saw this. I know friends who stream on MIxer and I know they probably won't go to Facebook. Every time I get on Facebook I regret it. The interface is slow and unattractive, which is the exact opposite from streaming sites like Twitch.

A friend and fellow newsletter creator (shoutout to The Pause Button) created the website Mixer.rip. It's a memorial to Mixer that's filled with tweets from streamers and those supporting the Mixer streamers. A lot of threads are listed here that highlight streamers who are looking for a new platform. If you have the opportunity, go support these people. A lot of them depend on their streaming income to make ends meet, and Mixer's sudden closing means a huge loss of income for them.

Image credit: Microsoft

Mixer: The Black Experience

I'm sure the Mixer/Facebook deal was already set in stone before these allegations against Mixer came forward, but it definitely didn't help the situation.

It's terrible to see the abuse that non-white people suffer in all industries, and I especially hate to see it in an industry that I call home. Maybe once Mixer moves to Facebook's ownership, we'll see more equitable treatment of people, but with Facebook's history, I really doubt it.

Image credit: Mixer

A heavy week

A lot of this week's articles talk about sexual and emotional abuse in the gaming industry, so if you're not comfortable with those topics, it might be best to skip this week.

This week was heavy for a lot of people in the gaming industry. Even if you don't consider yourself apart of the industry, reading these stories still takes a toll. For a lot of people, it brings up unwanted memories. For others, it reminds them of how terrible people can be. But for all of us, this week shows us that change needs to happen, and it needs to happen now.

Seeing so many people be so strong and speak out about their experiences is the reason why change is coming. It would feel wrong to do a "top 3" articles from this week, so go read their stories and ask yourself what you can do to make this space more inclusive for everybody.

Stay safe,

Development

The $1,000,000 Lord Of The Rings Game Pitch That Went Nowhere

This is pretty wild. I remember playing The Lord of the Rings video games on PS2 and having a great time with them.

I kind of agree with Warner Bros. decision to want to make a game that happened in the same time as the movie but didn't follow the movie exactly. I've never enjoyed a game that's followed a movie beat-by-beat because I already knew what was going to happen. My favorite LOTR games has their own original story and original characters that fit perfectly in Middle-Earth.

Honestly, I would love another great LOTR game.

Image credit: This article

Shawn Layden: "I would welcome a return to the 12 to 15 hour AAA game"

I've never resonated more with a headline.

I've been playing The Witcher 3 on and off for 3 years now. Currently, there aren't a ton of games coming out that catch my interest, so I really want to beat this behemoth of a game before next-gen hits. The problem is that I'm an incredibly slow gamer. Match that with a game that is between 70-100 hours and you get a game that may never be beat.

Some of my favorite games are 12-15 hours and I think it's because they don't outstay their welcome. The Batman Arkham games tell an amazing story with incredible combat and they all last the perfect amount of time. I would love to play a lot of those that have different mechanics and different storylines than the same game for the better part of a year. I would love to see this change in next-gen.

What do you think? Should shorter games make a comeback or are we in the golden age of super long games? Let me know!

Community

How Supergiant Games made the hack’n’slash accessible with Hades

There's the constant discussion of difficulty in gaming that can easily spiral out into toxic conversations. I think it's great that some games are known for their difficulty, like FromSoftware games, but when it comes to accessibility, everyone should have an option to play.

Supergiant Games understood this, so they set out to make their challenging hack'n'slash title Hades more accessible. It's great to see the thought behind these options, especially since the Supergiant team acknowledges that the road to accessibility was only made possible by their community feedback.

Add Supergiant to the list of game devs who are leading by example of implementing accessibility. I can't wait to see who's next.

Image credit: Supergiant Games

Before You Go

We've got to do better

These stories aren't an isolated occurrence. The saddest part about reading them is that something similar is probably happening right now. We have to do better. That means stopping the "edgy" jokes that might make people feel uncomfortable and be vigilant of abuse going on against non-white non-males.

It's easy to say "these companies need to do better," but it really starts with us. We need to watch our words and intentions and make sure that gaming can fully be enjoyed by everyone.

This isn't something that's done overnight, but little by little, we can make things better. Hopefully, next-gen can the generation where everyone can play and not fear abuse or hatred.