Over 90 Percent Of Game Developers Report Harassment From Players Is A Major Problem
"For years, developers have spoken at the Game Developers Conference about the cost of not responding to toxic behavior from select players, including harassment and threats. This year, we asked developers how much of an issue it has become—and what could be done about it."
Game developers can spend years bringing a game from a creative idea to reality. Long hours are spent attempting to perfect every aspect of a game title, in order to make the gamer's first experience an enjoyable one. However, expedited timelines and simple human error can still lead to a game launching with at least a few bugs. As players come across those bugs, they can be quite unforgiving and in turn, lash out at those who brought the game to life. This has led to a problematic relationship between the devs who create, and the gamers who play.
A bit of good news from the GDC report, however, was that 68% of those surveyed said the company they work for has addressed the harassment internally (30%), externally (4%), or both (34%). This seems to line up with more studios taking a stance and condemning such behavior from players in the last year.
When asked how video game companies should address harassment from the player community, those surveyed gave a variety of solutions. One stated, "ban, isolate, and de-platform." While another took a more proactive approach by suggesting game studios have accessible hotlines available and other resources for employees facing community harassment. Another gave dev simply stated, "Accept it, let it go, move on. The loud minority is part of human nature."