Xbox has announced a partnership with other gaming giants, PlayStation and Nintendo, to commit to safer gaming for all players.
In a post on the Xbox website, Microsoft announced they have partnered with PlayStation and Nintendo to bring safer gaming to all.
The post, written by Dave McCarthy, the Corporate Vice President of Xbox Operations, described how gaming is for everyone.
Within that group are the “youngest and most vulnerable players.” He went on to say that “all players deserve to have fantastic social gaming experiences in settings where respect and safety are mutual.”
Xbox is aligned with Nintendo and PlayStation in a mutual belief that “protecting players online requires a multidisciplinary approach – one that combines the benefits of advanced technology, a supportive community, and skilled human oversight.”
McCarthy outlined the three principles that will guide the companies work.
Prevention
Prevention is to “empower players and parents to understand and control gaming experiences.”
They will provide users with controls to customize their gaming experience. Parents will be provided with the tools and information needed to make gaming a safe place for their children.
These tools will be easy to use, and proper information will be readily available to all to reach as many players and parents as possible. Parents and players will also be kept up through their “codes of conduct, terms of use, and our enforcement practices.”
The three companies also will invest in technology to stop improper conduct and content before it ever reaches the player.
Partnership
They commit to “partnering with the industry, regulators, law enforcement, and [their] communities to advance user safety.”
“We believe that hate and harassment or exploitation of younger players in any way have no place in gaming,” said McCord. “We partner with our community to promote safe gaming behavior and encourage the use of reporting tools to call out bad actors.”
They will also partner with game rating agencies such as the ESRB and PEGI to ensure games are rated appropriately.
Responsibility
Xbox, Nintendo, and PlayStation will hold themselves accountable for ensuring gaming is a safe space for all.
They will make sure it’s easy for players to report code of conduct violations and follow up with appropriate enforcement actions such as account bans.
Rules and requirements will also be made readily available for all users to ensure “that players who have been reported understand the requirements for continued engagement with [their] platforms.”
It’s heart-warming to see that competitors are banding together to put the interests of the community first.