NPD Analyst Thinks Gaming Is Better Off Without Trolls
The NPD is known for their creation of monthly sales data from the U.S. gaming market, and analyst Mat Piscatella regularly runs down software and hardware sales performance in his YouTube channel. He also recently made comments about “toxic customers” in the gaming industry and how he believes they should be dealt with.
The games industry would be well served to fire the toxic portion of its customer base. It limits the upside and audience growing potential of attracting new gamers to the market. For too long it has tolerated and even courted the most toxic. This isn’t sustainable.
— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) July 25, 2018
Piscatella is referring to parts of the community that spread hatred, which can be seen in the anger at Battlefield V developers for including a female solider, the backlash toward Ellie’s sexuality in The Last of Us, and abuse directed at the Mass Effect developers following Andromeda.
Any person that causes a significant negative impact on the engagement potential of a game through actions that a reasonable person would deem to be in extremely poor taste or against a protected class would probably suffice. Dropping n-bombs on people, for example. Fire them.
— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) July 25, 2018
His comments stem from some of the backlash against Ubisoft for banning racist trolls in Rainbow Six: Siege. From the harassment of women to using the n-word, Ubisoft is making their stance clear, which is upsetting some people.
Good.
— Rainbow Six Siege (@Rainbow6Game) July 13, 2018
If you can’t enjoy games without being racist, maybe you’re not actually in it for the games. pic.twitter.com/5a7XWrlzV9
— Palle Hoffstein is melting (@Palle_Hoffstein) July 14, 2018
A refreshing change from other companies like ArenaNet caving fairly fast to fan pressure.