NCSoft president: "The games industry's evolution towards acceptance and diversity is ongoing"

gamesindustry.biz:

The commercial video games industry is more than 50 years old, yet there is still the sense that it is struggling to find acceptance among the mainstream – at least, when compared to the likes of TV and film.

While negative media coverage from mainstream publications or attacks from politicians may be less common than in decades past, the industry still attracts scrutiny (currently, it's most often around loot boxes and monetisation, or concerns around addiction). But the situation is improving overall, and countless industry members and organisations are doing their part to demonstrate the benefits that video games bring into people's lives.

One example is 'Push Play: Gaming for a Better World', a book published back in March and written by NCSoft's president and chief strategy officer Songyee Yoon. The title explores the many positives of playing video games, why they have become so popular, and how the industry can overcome some of the biggest challenges it faces.

Speaking to us recently, Yoon encourages the games industry to find more ways to highlight the great work it does, rather than focus primarily on defending the medium.

"Play is an integral part of human evolution and learning," she says, mentioning that this is a topic she covers in her book. "Gaming, being the most refined form of play in our time, has much to offer. Instead of focusing on what gaming is not, it's more effective to showcase its true essence. The industry's effort to create a more diverse range of games, beyond merely violent and intense ones, will help showcase the broad spectrum of gaming as an expression of creativity."

She highlights, as so many have, that both film and TV have already been through this battle, especially when movies first emerged in the late 19th century and the early 20th century.

"They were often dismissed and not considered a legitimate form of art," Yoon says. "They were seen as technological novelties or commercial gimmicks with no established standards or critical