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.
Over 1300 developers, including the likes of Ubisoft, Microsoft, Sony and EA have signed the open letter, which was originally posted by Berlin–based Spaces Of Play.
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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