As a passionate fan and long-time follower of the video game industry, I have witnessed firsthand the unfortunate rise of online harassment against employees of game development companies. This trend has been particularly prevalent in recent years, with social media providing an all-too-easy platform for anonymous trolls to spread their vitriol.
Social media’s emergence has bridged the gap between developers and fan bases in a way that wasn’t feasible with older console generations. This newfound interaction brings many benefits, such as increased communication and openness. However, it also comes with its challenges. Some fans have misused this access by posting harmful comments against developers, as evidenced by Sega‘s recent successful lawsuit against a social media user for excessive defamatory remarks directed at one of their employees (as reported in a Japanese press release translated by PC Gamer).
An instance where an individual made disparaging remarks about a video game on one occasion is not what’s at hand here. Instead, Sega asserts that prolonged harassment had taken place. The person responsible for the derogatory comments is believed to have been posting anonymously, but Sega managed to uncover their identity through legal channels. As a consequence of this revelation, they will be held accountable for compensating our employee, removing defamatory statements, and avoiding such behavior in the future.
Sega’s decision to take a strong stand against harassment is an impressive step, and it will be intriguing to observe if other companies adopt similar measures in response to this industry-wide issue. For over a decade, employees at video game companies have faced escalating harassment. In 2021, Daley Johnson, former community manager at Rare, disclosed that her team endured intense online abuse during the launch of “Sea of Thieves,” prompting Rare to hire a psychologist for group therapy sessions. More recently, Stephanie Tyler Jones, model for “Marvel’s Spider-Man,” spoke out about the harassment she encountered from both virtual and physical sources.
I hope Sega’s actions will lead to a reduction in the harsh language and bullying towards video game company employees on social media. It’s wonderful to be enthusiastic about video games, but when that enthusiasm turns into harassment or creates an unsafe environment, it becomes unacceptable. The possibility of facing legal repercussions could at least make people pause before posting harmful messages.
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2024-07-22 22:10