Video Game Industry Rocked by Outpouring of Sexual Misconduct Allegations

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-24/video-game-industry-rocked-by-outpouring-of-sexual-misconduct-allegations

by Kapura • 6 years ago

35 26 6 years ago

bloomberg.com

ReticentVole• 6 years ago

The video game industry is just like any other industry - sex, violence, corruption, success, failure. But because its so consumer-oriented, and probably because everyone who works within it is relatively young, everything receives excruciating attention.

The same stuff occurs in boring industries, but no one cares and it doesn't hit Twitter or Reddit.

Pfhreak4• 6 years ago

Having worked in software for the past decade, including 3 years in games, I'm inclined to say that the culture in games is more permissive towards bad behavior and unprofessionalism.

For instance, I once saw a manager tell one of his engineers to 'bend over and take it', then gesture to the only openly gay guy on the team (who was clearly uncomfortable with the whole exchange). Zero repercussions, not even a talking to. That shit wouldn't fly anywhere else I've worked.

justaman• 6 years ago

There's something to be said about the mental health of employees in the industry. In my personal experience, gamers are not always the healthiest people. Sitting at a desk working all day then going home and sitting at a desk gaming all night. On top of that, these people are put through high stress, cut-throat, deadline driven environments, and you get a recipe for disaster. Now add the fact that people attracted to video games tend to edge on the anti-social.

GaryNumanVevo2• 6 years ago

Agreed, it's definitely more visible because it's consumer facing.

yedava2• 6 years ago

I'd say the video game industry is quite distinct from other industries in that the consumers have great say in how the industry should operate. The selfishness and narcissism of our consumerist culture are quite prominent here and it shows in how exploitative the industry is. I mean 60-70 hr work week is the norm here. Which other 'boring' industry has that?

mschuster91• 6 years ago

Which other 'boring' industry has that?

Meatpacking and logistics (Amazon!).

vsef• 6 years ago

I moved from making AAA games to other parts of the software industry in 2005. It is not "just like any other industry". The working conditions were bad/abusive, very open sexism, lots of young inexperienced employees (like myself at the time) who don't realize what's going on is not the norm elsewhere. I got paid in a class action settlement against one of my employers. I don't get the impression anything has changed.

Leaving games got me: cooler/more interesting work, much better pay, dramatically better work conditions. I never again experienced anything at the level of the unpleasantness of working for a game studio.

j4yav• 6 years ago

I also worked in the video game industry when I was younger (2000-2010 I think?) and had no idea that all the essentially terrible things that were happening were not really normal. Some companies were definitely worse than others but it was definitely quite bad looking back on it.

Some of the companies have had repercussions because of it now.

gadders• 6 years ago

I think it's more the fact that gaming is a "cool" industry like fashion, music, acting, comedy (but on a smaller scale, obviously) where the demand for roles outstrips supply and so it's easier for people to abuse their position to demand "favours" to help people get ahead.

I'd imagine there is less of this for people competing to be java developer #128 at EnterpiseSoftware Co LTD.

racl101• 6 years ago

Couldn't read article. Stupid paywall.

bredren• 6 years ago

This is happening in the DOTA 2 community right now. A pro scene / streamer was outed and their affiliations have been dropping them. Other major streamers are discussing it. It’s all over /r/dota2.

Pfhreak4• 6 years ago

It's good that this is finally happening. Games has been long overdue for a reckoning. There's a really strong culture of worshipping individuals in games, particularly lead designers/creative directors, and a whole lot of bad behavior by them is overlooked/forgiven.

Having worked in the industry I'd believe basically anything anyone told me about the horrors they've seen.

dfsegoat• 6 years ago

Having worked in the industry I'd believe basically anything anyone told me about the horrors they've seen.

Can you (safely) provide any anecdotes? Genuinely curious - not doubting you.

Pfhreak4• 6 years ago

Engineering manager asked a report to 'bend over and take it' from the only openly gay guy in the studio. Lots of off color jokes, (e.g. including animals having crudely animated sex in the background of builds that got sent to playtesters. Jokes about 'red rockets' and 'bearded clams' likewise), loud and angry arguments about whether characters were 'sexy enough' to appease the straight male player (and being 'excited' to see what cosplay of said sexy character would look like.), etc.

GaryNumanVevo2• 6 years ago

outlined: https://outline.com/szyfzv

Kapura• 6 years ago

Meghna Jayanth, who worked on the phenomenal mobile game 80 Days, among other things, has been retweeting a lot of the stories of abuse as they are coming out:

https://twitter.com/betterthemask

dandare• 6 years ago

Tangential question: how come the Bloomberg website recognises me in incognito mode (I have reached the limit on free articles) I how can I overcome it?

eridan2• 6 years ago

use a different browser?

sdinsn• 6 years ago

In incognito mode, the FileSystem API is disabled, so anyone can tell you are in incognito mode by checking it

Bloomberg actually has the best paywall fingerprinting in the business. Using a new browser won't help either

arprocter• 6 years ago

Reader View in Firefox worked for me

greenhatglack• 6 years ago

Last time this garbage happened a game dev killed him self. No trial no due process. Just straight up proxy execution.

Communist playbook.

How this garbage article from a garbage peddler made it to the front page is disturbing.

J5892• 6 years ago

Trial and due process are tools that are unavailable to most victims. In most cases, the only way to deliver justice and protect others from harm is to speak out.

And if you think victims should be silenced by a system that has been designed from the ground up to work against them, then you are part of the problem.

Alec was not executed by proxy. He killed himself after his pattern of abuse was revealed to the world. He did not deserve to die, but trial and due process were never an option.

Video Game Industry Rocked by Outpouring of Sexual Misconduct Allegations

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