Bungie speaks up | This Week in Business
Brendan Sinclair
Managing Editor
Friday 6th May 2022
Historically speaking, the games industry hates politics.
It didn't even bother to establish a US trade group until the end of the 16-bit era, and even then, it had to be compelled into establishing one by Congressional hearings because major players like Nintendo and Sega were too busy trading petty barbs to worry about presenting a united front to save the industry from heavy-handed regulation.
And as much as game companies have always loved a good "ripped from today's headlines" marketing hook, they have usually loved disavowing any kind of political meaning or message just a little bit more.
But things are changing over time.
Bungie this week published a blog post expressing its dismay over a leaked US Supreme Court draft decision that would overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling protecting a woman's right to an abortion in the country.
QUOTE | "At Bungie we believe that everyone has a right to choose their own path and that freedom is expressed across all facets of life. The leaked draft decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade represents a blow to freedom in America and is a direct attack on human rights." - Bungie, in its blog post.
The interesting thing here is that this was a proactive statement on a hot-button political issue. (Although maybe not as hot a button as it used to be; an ABC News/Washington Post poll found Americans want the court to uphold Roe v. Wade 54% to 28%, while 70% believe the decision to abort should be left to the woman and her doctor compared to just 24% who believe it should be determined by the law.)
When the draft leaked, I don't know if anyone in the press' first thought was to fire off an email to Bungie's PR
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