if the games industry wants to be mainstream entertainment, players will have to step up to the plate and take responsibility for their behaviour.
on November 9th Treyarch/Activision released the latest installment in the Call of Duty franchise: Black Ops.
The game already broke some sales records and will be without a doubt a huge commercial success. Treyarch added several new features to the franchise among one thing the possibility to create personalised emblems.
I does not take to be a genius to know that overnight several offensive emblems appeared (including fascist symbols, various body parts and bestiality). Luckily Treyarch included the possibility to report these emblems and Treyarch is taken measures against these emblems.
But there is only so much a game designer can do to protect his game. If this industry wants to be taken seriously by the mainstream, it is time its consumers step up to the plate and take some responsibility.
Scrolling through the various forum post regarding offensive emblems, it as good to see that some player actively report these emblems, but some posts make me cringe. Players who think these emblems are covered by free speech, players who think violent games are an excuse to display disturbing emblems and players who admit playing these games with kids in the neighborhood and last but not least clearly minors who got these game from their parents. For these players think they still live in a bubble where their actions have no consequence for them or for their favourite form of enterntainment.
Now matter how hard everybody wants this industry to go mainstream, it will only work if its consumers grow up and start help defending games as a grownup entertainment.
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