He’s the Man with the Plan
Normally, I would not trust someone with two first names; Michael Shannon, Jack Ryan, Andrew Garfield, the list goes on. Xbox head honcho Phil Spencer seems to be a pretty nice guy though. He has a plan to cleanse the world of gaming, in a peaceful way, not like a Thanos way. But he’s not going to do it alone. Instead of being the lone hero, he wants to reach out to other industry leaders and together they can slay this mighty beast known as online toxicity. Is this the beginning of a trend for Microsoft working with other companies for the greater good?
Spencer’s mantra is that “gaming is for everyone”. In his blog “Video games: A unifying force for the world”, he discusses that there are should be no barriers between the gaming community and those wanting to join. “No one group “owns” gaming. Instead, whether you’re new to gaming or are a diehard esports fan, you are welcome to play and welcome to all the fun and skill-building that comes with gaming. In this way, when everyone can play, the entire world wins.”
He goes on to say “By uniting as an industry, we can thoughtfully and deliberately continue building a safe and inclusive gaming environment for everyone. Microsoft, Team Xbox, and I are personally committing to this, beginning with the following principles and actions: We commit to be vigilant, proactive, and swift (…), We commit to empowering you to safeguard your gaming experience the way you want (…), We commit to working across the gaming industry on safety measures.” Those three bold statements are vastly expanded upon in Spencer’s blog, which is a powerful message and worth the read.
Do you think other companies should do more to combat toxicity? Let us know in the comments below.
Source: Microsoft