Equality & Diversity Report

Equality and Diversity in Videogames

In the video game industry, equality and diversity is a controversial subject, both when considering games’ accessibility and their character designs. In recent years video games’ diversity has improved in all aspects, but there are still some controversies regarding such issues.

Accessibility

In video games, there are many different ways of ensuring that they are as playable as possible. Most video games with spoken dialogue have the option to toggle subtitles, which make it much easier for the deaf or hard of hearing, as well as closed captions to help players recognise sound effects. In Minecraft the options menu has settings for closed captions, which displays text on screen in response to sound. In addition, it also has a text-to-speech narrator, which reads out all text sent in the chat and in the menus. These options are useful for players who are hard of hearing, in particular children. The game also has the option to change the controls to the player’s liking.

Many games also have difficulty settings, which cater to players of different skill levels, allowing players new to the genre or games in general to play more easily. However, this is less common in older video games, as the amount of actual content was restricted due to technical limits – thus, games were often made harder to compensate. The Metal Gear Solid series has had difficulty settings since the first game. Harder difficulties removed the in-game radar, forcing players to either memorize entire levels on other difficulties, or be able to improvise very quickly. Easier difficulties allow players to get to grips with the game, while series veterans can pick harder difficulty settings to provide a challenge, even if they are good at the game.[2]

Age ratings, such as those given to games by PEGI or ESRB, can help determine a game’s target audience, particularly if the rating also has content descriptors. Some instances can be misleading; Pokémon Red & Blue was originally approved for all ages in its initial 1999 release, but it was re-rated as a 12+ game by PEGI due to gambling references, although the only gambling depicted is simple slot machine games. In this example, the in-game characters encourage the player to gamble, which is likely the reason for this rating, although the gambling is only with virtual currency, and the casino itself is run by the game’s antagonists.

Game-related charities such as SpecialEffect have been founded to help address issues in game accessibility, by spreading awareness about the different ways developers can make their games more usable. SpecialEffect in particular have compiled a list of features for developers’ reference; this list includes issues regarding cognitive-, sight-, audio- and input-related methods. For example, it suggests developers add a broad range of difficulty settings, and the option to simplify or change game controls to the player’s liking.[5]

Representation

Diversity is a common issue in games, as it is in all forms of media. In particular, sexuality, race and religion are among the most discussed topics. Games in The Sims series have always allowed players to make bisexual or gay characters, but more recently in The Sims 4, players have been given additional options to let them make transgender characters, alongside the option to simply let characters wear any clothing regardless of gender, which allows for more diverse households.[4]

Race is a prominent topic in video games, both in terms of inclusion and social commentary. In South Park: The Fractured But Whole, players can choose their character’s skin tone during character creation, but the game’s difficulty is raised (other characters have different dialogue, and the player receives less money and items) if your character has a darker skin tone.[1] While this is in poor taste, it can be considered biting commentary on racism, as one could argue that such “difficulty settings” exist in real life. As well as this, players have the option to choose their character’s gender, and whether they are cis or transgender, and once again, character dialogue will change to affect this. Characters address the player differently based on their gender and race, which is an accurate, if pessimistic, satire. Compared to its predecessor, South Park: The Stick Of Truth, the game allows more character-defining options and more commentary regarding these.

One example of (arguably) regressive representation is Metal Gear Solid V, in which the character Quiet is always dressed in revealing attire, and narrowly escapes sexual assault. In addition, the game also features a disturbing audio recording of another character being gang-raped. While these are most likely pure objectification, it could also be interpreted as critical commentary about the objectification of women.[3]

Religion is a central theme in many video games, due to the popularity of depicting supernatural characters in fiction. In the first person shooter Doom, players fight against demons in a journey both to and from Hell, and the game contains many instances of satanic imagery along with intense violence. This has led it to be controversial amongst Christian communities[6] and even accused of being the catalyst behind the Columbine High School Massacre due to the use of firearms in the game. Although the use of firearms is questionable, it can be argued that the game’s depiction of unholy demons as enemies could be considered pro-religion.

References

[1] Eurogamer.net. (2018). South Park: The Fractured but Whole's difficulty slider changes the colour of your skin. [online] Available at: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-09-07-south-park-the-fractured-but-whole-difficulty-slider-changes-the-colour-of-your-skin [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018].

[2] IGN Boards. (2018). Differences in difficulty levels in Metal Gear Solid (1998).. [online] Available at: http://www.ign.com/boards/threads/differences-in-difficulty-levels-in-metal-gear-solid-1998.453545807/ [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018].

[3] Rezaee, S. (2018). 5 controversies that will haunt the legacy of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. [online] Gameskinny.com. Available at: https://www.gameskinny.com/ypjap/5-controversies-that-will-haunt-the-legacy-of-metal-gear-solid-v-the-phantom-pain [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018].

[4] Sacks, E. and Sacks, E. (2018). Sims 4 introduces gender customization options. [online] NY Daily News. Available at: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/sims-4-introduces-gender-fluid-options-article-1.2659708 [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018].

[5] Specialeffect.org.uk. (2018). Accessible Gaming Wish List | SpecialEffect. [online] Available at: http://www.specialeffect.org.uk/accessible-gaming-wish-list [Accessed 11 Jan. 2018].

[6] The Escapist. (2018). DOOMed to be Controversial Forever. [online] Available at: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/columns/pixels-and-bits/14432-Why-DOOM-Is-A-Controversial-Video-Game [Accessed 18 Jan. 2018].