Blizzard: "Let's take a stand to reject hate and harassment"
In his opening talk at BlizzCon, Blizzard chief Mike Morhaime warned that harassers are "tarnishing our reputation as gamers"
It's been an ugly few months in the video game industry as the mainstream media has shined its spotlight on the Gamergate movement and the persistent cases of harassment, misogyny, and threats (rape, death, bomb, etc.) that have certainly given gaming a black eye. While some in the industry would rather not talk about it, perhaps hoping it'll just go away on its own, Blizzard boss Mike Morhaime took the opportunity to speak up during his opening talk at BlizzCon 2014 today.
"Over the last few months, there's been a small group of people doing really awful things. They have been making some people's lives miserable, and they are tarnishing our reputations as gamers. It's not right. BlizzCon is a great example of how positive and uplifting gaming can be. Let's carry the good vibes from this weekend out into the world all year round," he said.
"There is another person on the other end of the chat screen. They are our brothers and sisters, our sons and daughters. Let's take a stand to reject hate and harassment, and let's redouble our efforts to be kind and respectful to one another. Let's remind the world what the gaming community is really all about."
Morhaime did not specifically blame the Gamergate movement or even name it. In the end, whether or not any harassment is tied to Gamergate is irrelevant. The bottom line is that the harassment has to stop, and it's encouraging to see prominent figures in the industry starting to speak out against it.