A new international survey has found that most gamers are in favour of socially responsible games, affirming once again that no, the gaming industry isn’t just about violence.
It’s no secret that social responsibility — especially environmentalism — is on the rise. In fact, this attitude has seeped into the gaming industry. A recent survey found that the majority of gamers are keen to reduce their carbon footprint. From the same survey, approximately 66% of gamers are reported to be eager to support and play socially responsible games.
On April 27th, leading digital consulting firm Accenture published a report titled Gaming: the new super platform, which you can read here. It surveyed 4,000 respondents from China, Japan, USA, and the UK, which represent 47% of gamers across the globe, as well as 64% of all direct consumer spending on gaming.
The report starts off by explaining just how much the gaming market has grown: there are currently an estimated 2.7 billion gamers worldwide. The makeup of the gaming environment has also changed dramatically over the past few years, with only 52% of the total gaming population being male. Females now account for 46%, and the remaining 2% identifying as non-binary or preferred not to answer.
Even more interesting, Accenture’s research found that gaming was becoming more social. While it’s true that there has always been a social aspect when it comes to playing video games, a whopping 84% now felt that they were able to further connect to others with similar interests thanks to gaming.
The research also found a significant change in attitude as well. When asked if they were more inclined to play games developed by socially responsible companies, 66% of the respondents agreed, and an additional 26% adopted a neutral stance.
However, the gaming industry hasn’t exactly been famous for its progressive social impact. For starters, the survey addressed the social issues that still remain in gaming, highlighting that about 44% of people acknowledge that “video games provide a safe outlet for trash talk”. That said, companies are currently trying to combat this.
Take 343 Industries for instance, the company behind the Halo franchise and one of the few gaming companies noted to have high social impact ratings. Riot Games was another, as they started improving their social responsibility publicly and have recently established a social impact fund.
Nothing stays the same, and this is especially true for gaming. Not only do we constantly have new technology that allows a completely new, elevated immersion in gaming, but the perceptions surrounding it have changed as well. It’s reassuring to know that game companies, no matter how big or small, are taking heed of the people’s concerns and advocating to be more socially responsible.
