The new ratings system evaluating online toxicity in games
Games are rated by regulatory organizations such as the ESRB and PEGI, evaluating titles based on their content and subject matter. These ratings aim to inform buyers, especially parents, about what their children could encounter while playing a game.
However, the Toxicity In Online Gaming report says that these evaluations have a gap: they do not provide an evaluation of a game's online community. The report created by The Watch, Melanin Gamers, Leo Burnett, and The Angus Reid Group, aims to take on that task.
GamesIndustry.biz spoke with Kohl Forsberg, executive creative director of Leo Burnett Canada, about the initiative. He says the published ratings are a step towards creating more transparency and a better understanding of the realities of navigating online spaces.
Forsberg says, "This mission of making gaming a more inclusive space for everyone is something Melanin Gamers has been doing for a long time. We've been working with them for a few years on this idea and trying to at least help push and lead the work we're hoping developers will start doing to make that space better for everyone."
He explains that disseminating information can be challenging for anyone, especially parents. However, caretakers may not have the time or resources to properly understand online gaming experiences. The toxicity ratings report aims to be another tool; while the current ESRB and PEGI classifications are unable to include warnings about the online experience of a game that hasn't even launched when they're evaluated, these toxicity warnings can indicate what that experience is like long after launch.
"We want parents to be aware of this. There's a whole other world associated with gaming that aren't exactly gamers. It's a really important space for us to be in so that parents can be aware of [this]," he says.
"[Speaking] as a parent who isn't as in touch with everything going on, I grew up with a rating system indicative of gameplay. Now that rating system doesn't speak to the
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