The Most Ambitious Gaming Crossover of All Time?
It’s not often you see the three biggest companies in the gaming industry, come together for a common goal, but it does happen on occasion. Today, Xbox, Nintendo, and PlayStation have teamed up to create a safer gaming industry. In a statement released on Xbox’s website, the three gaming powerhouses have come together to announce their intent to make online gaming safer for players of all ages, across all platforms.
“We believe gaming is for all people of all ages, including our youngest and most vulnerable players.”
The Big 3 are taking what they consider to be a “multidisciplinary” approach that “combines the benefits of advanced technology, a supportive community, and skilled human oversight.”
The joint press release proceeds to breakdown the mission’s guiding principles. The breakdown is as follows:
- Prevention
- Partnership
- Responsibility
Let’s take a bit more of an in-depth look at what each of these principles hold.
Prevention hopes to give parents the knowledge and control to provide their child with a safe gaming experience. This includes having useful, and easy to use, safety features that will be heavily advertised and explained online and in retail stores. It also includes new technology to prevent improper conduct and content before players can be exposed to it.
Partnership will be achieved not just by the three companies coming together, but by working with industry trade organizations, industry members, regulators, law enforcement, and experts to create advanced online safety protocols. It also includes conducting related research, reporting/banning tools, and working with rating agencies such as the ESRB and PEGI to ensure that games are rated for the appropriate age group.
Responsibility will ensure that each of the three companies hold themselves and each other accountable for making their platform as safe as possible. They will ensure it’s easy to report players, and that the appropriate enforcement action will be taken for violations, and any inappropriate content will be removed. The companies will comply with local law, will respond to all lawful requests, and will report to law enforcement if there is ever a reason to believe a player is at risk, or to report an unlawful act. The rules and regulations will be clear to all, especially players who have been reported.
“We can accomplish more when we work toward the same goal, and so we will each continue investing in, evolving, and amplifying our approaches to user safety. As we continue this work, we will prioritize protecting the safety of our players, especially those most vulnerable.”