Hundreds of games developers have added their names to an open letter decrying hate speech levelled at gaming industry workers and calling on a crack down on commenters harrassing writers.
The letter, posted on Medium, comes after a string of high profile cases of abuse, largely against women working in gaming. Last week, games writer Anita Sarkeesian was forced to leave her home, along with her family, after threats were made against them.
Sarkeesian, whose Tropes vs Women essays and videos on the Feminist Frequency site look at the misogynistic representation of women in gaming, has previously called out the anonymous hate speech she has suffered sent via Twitter, YouTube and other services.
It reads, “We believe that everyone, no matter what gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or religion has the right to play games, criticize games and make games without getting harassed or threatened. It is the diversity of our community that allows games to flourish.
“If you see threats of violence or harm in comments on Steam, YouTube, Twitch, Twitter,Facebook or reddit, please take a minute to report them on the respective sites.
“If you see hateful, harassing speech, take a public stand against it and make the gaming community a more enjoyable space to be in.”
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
