-
Why Blizzard Is Right
Posted on January 30th, 2006 11 commentsThere’s been quite the uproar over Blizzard’s decision to email a guild for advertising that it is “GLBT-friendly” as it recruited members. Since the kneejerk reaction seems to be “ZOMG!!! HOMOPHOBES!!!”
I figured I would put forth a viewpoint that landed a little more on the side of reason.
First, we need to review what actually happened, according to one GLBT news site.A person posted in the General (i.e. accessible and subscribed to by almost everyone) chat channel of a World of Warcraft server that “We are not ‘GLBT only,’ but we are ‘GLBT friendly’!”
Blizzard responded thusly,
While we appreciate and understand your point of view, we do feel that the advertisement of a ‘GLBT friendly’ guild is very likely to result in harassment for players that may not have existed otherwise. If you will look at our policy, you will notice the suggested penalty for violating the Sexual Orientation Harassment Policy is to ‘be temporarily suspended from the game.’ However, as there was clearly no malicious intent on your part, this penalty was reduced to a warning. . . .
[Recruiting for a guild using “GLBT” may] incite certain responses in other players that will allow for discussion that we feel has no place in our game.
Well, that’s when the gaming blogosphere blew its collective gasket. I’ve lost count of how many blogs have called Blizzard everything from bigots to homophobes.
Everyone, please take a deep breath and look at this rationally.
What is World of Warcraft rated?
It is rated by the ESRB as “T for Teen.” According to the ESRB, that means:
Titles rated T (Teen) have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older. Titles in this category may contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood and/or infrequent use of strong language.
Given that this is a game which Blizzard expects to be played by teenagers as young as 13 years old, what place does a discussion of gay sex have in such a game?
Well, Blizzard has decided that there is no place for such a discussion in this product.
I’ve read in many places responses like this one found at Cathode Tan:
It’s OK to cybershag in some shack apparently, and Blizzard is OK with that. How about being black? I mean, should players refrain from talking about their race because some white supremacist dickwad might be on the same channel? That’s inane. There is even tell that Blizzard has started to crack down on Christian Guilds (scroll to the bottom). So it’s essentially uncool to bring up anything about yourself that might be controversial to someone on the world’s most popular MMO? Gee, that should be a short list … of everything.
The difference between “teh cybar” and Blizzard’s response is that Blizzard isn’t legislating whether a guild can be gay-friendly, but instead legislating advertisement of such. It would be just as inappropriate for me to advertise in a public, accessible to anyone, chat channel that I was starting a “Hetero-Friendly” guild.
Why do we need to bring sexual preference into at all? Talking about who I like to have sex with just has no place in a game that is not rated “M” or “AO”. That is the only stance that Blizzard has taken, at this point. To construe otherwise would be to try and create controversy where there is none.
I tend to side more with this article from the Escapist, which stated,
“I think I’d rather see none of them at all: pride, hate, or otherwise. I understand the appeal of creating/joining a group with things in common with you, especially something you feel strongly about, but I just don’t like dragging these issues into a world that doesn’t need them. I’ll be an orc, and that’s all anyone needs to know.”
If Blizzard wanted sexual preference discussions in its game, there would’ve been a corresponding series of checkboxes at character creation. If a child plays World of Warcraft and then comes to his or her parent asking, “What does GLBT mean?” isn’t that slightly out of bounds for what World of Warcraft should be covering? Now, I’m not saying that a child should be sheltered to the point that they don’t understand sexual intercourse conceptually at age 13, but it’s not your decision. That decision should be up to the parents, and when someone starts advertising gay-friendly groups in a game, they are removing the choice from the parents.
Frankly, I would like to take this moment to THANK Blizzard for protecting my rights as a parent to discuss sex and gender issues at the time and place of MY choosing, rather than at the whim of someone who needs to exercise gay pride.
UPDATE:
From the WoW forums, and found on The Edge’s website.
Apologies for the length of time it took to get this information out to you.
We encourage community building among our players with others of similar interests, and we understand that guilds are one of the primary ways to forge these communities. However, topics related to sensitive real-world subjects — such as religious, sexual, or political preference, for example — have had a tendency to result in communication between players that often breaks down into harassment.
To promote a positive game environment for everyone and help prevent such harassment from taking place as best we can, we prohibit mention of topics related to sensitive real-world subjects in open chat within the game, and we do our best to take action whenever we see such topics being broadcast. This includes openly advertising a guild friendly to players based on a particular political, sexual, or religious preference, to list a few examples. For guilds that wish to use such topics as part of their recruiting efforts, our Guild Recruitment forum, located at our community Web site, serves as one open avenue for doing so.
We will be clarifying some of the language in our game policies in order to help avoid such confusion in the future.
Still not sure where everyone got the idea that Blizzard BANNED anyone at all. The main focus of people’s hatred towards Blizzard seems to be that they are banning gay guilds. They are not. If you are saying that, just stop it. Blizzard is only restricting in-game, public chat communication. No one has been banned over this whole thing, let alone a guild.
11 responses to “Why Blizzard Is Right”
-
Well, it’s certainly one response … but you’ll notice that it’s not really the one that Blizzard took. The warning was not issued for violating the EULA on the basis of overstepping WoW’s content, but rather to try and keep the members of the guild from being harassed … for being gay … or to quote them more specifically, “Many people are insulted just at the word ‘homosexual’ or any other word referring to sexual orientation”
And as “teh cyber” illustrates, people ARE breaking the content barrier AND talking about sex to kids in the game … completely seperate from a warning such as this. Most people don’t go to a gay friendly guild to swap talk about sex … and I’m not sure where you got that kind of idea. Most people play in these guilds to be around people with similar interests, and more importantly … to avoid be harassed by they very people Blizzard is now protecting with this policy.
As for “hetero” guilds … guilds are by default “hetero friendly”, so that’s a terrible straw man argument. You don’t really have to advertise a fact like that, since 99% of the guilds would be anyway. That’s like saying, “Our guild likes kittens!” … well … duh. People trying to avoid the onslaught of gay bashing prevalent on the net have a slightly harder road to travel. So sure, a guild can be gay friendly.
Just damn hard to get people to know that fact when you can’t, you know, tell people. I guess some people will just get lucky? Legislating how a guild can advertise is just as bad as legislating the guild itself.
And honestly, you think your kid is in greater danger of uncovering something about homosexuality in an MMO than a gay person is to be bashed?
Nobody in WoW is offering your kid a brochure on transexuality. And if parents really want to be first to that kind of talk, maybe letting their kids go rampant on the net and an MMO isn’t the best idea?
Somebody was trying to offer a more friendly environment to certain demographics. But since Blizzards is afraid that “many people are insulted just at the word ‘homosexual’ ” … well, they’ll stop that from happening.
-
The warning was not issued for violating the EULA on the basis of overstepping WoW’s content
Blizzard’s statement that, “We have determined that advertising sexual orientation is not appropriate for the high fantasy setting of the World of Warcraft and is therefore not permitted” would seem to contradict your assertion. (Indeed, I would say that both this and the reason you gave apply.)
And as “teh cyber” illustrates, people ARE breaking the content barrier AND talking about sex to kids in the game …
I shouldn’t have to point out the obvious difference between Cybersex conducted in private chat and advertising sexual preference in a public, high-traffic, available-to-all chat channel.
As for “hetero” guilds … guilds are by default “hetero friendly”
You’re missing the point. The issue isn’t whether a guild is in fact gay-friendly or hetero-friendly. The issue is whether that fact (be it gay or not) ought to be advertised in the public chat channel.
And if parents really want to be first to that kind of talk, maybe letting their kids go rampant on the net and an MMO isn’t the best idea?
Perhaps not, but Blizzard is trying to create an environment where parents can have a little trust that such discussions will not be taking place. Why? Because they can sell more games that way.
Somebody was trying to offer a more friendly environment to certain demographics.
Why should it even come up? I group with all sorts of people. Many of them, I’m not even sure if they are male or female. Why does it matter? I don’t care if they are heterosexual or homosexual! It just doesn’t need to be discussed. I don’t want to know about anyone’s sex life, whether they are gay or not. If someone started proclaiming “I have sex with women” in public chat, I would tell them to shut it… regardless of what gender they were.
-
Indeed, I would say that both this and the reason you gave apply.
I would say only marginally did the “discussion can occur” enter into it, since the suspension was offered specifically for the Sexual Harassment.
In other words, simply saying, “We’re gay … and we will be over here” is considered “harassment” by Blizzard … a pretty low bar.
I shouldn’t have to point out the obvious difference between Cybersex conducted in private chat and advertising sexual preference in a public, high-traffic, available-to-all chat channel.
Nor should I. One is virtual pr0n and the other isn’t. Treating them equally is ridiculous.
Perhaps not, but Blizzard is trying to create an environment where parents can have a little trust that such discussions will not be taking place. Why? Because they can sell more games that way.
And in my opinion, way overstepping their bounds. Simply saying “we’re queer” is hardly inciting a discussion about homosexuality … and if our culture is really that homophobic, then someone should take a stand.
Why should it even come up? I group with all sorts of people. Many of them, I’m not even sure if they are male or female. Why does it matter? I don’t care if they are heterosexual or homosexual! It just doesn’t need to be discussed.
And this is where you are completely missing the point.
It comes up all the time. Every 13 year old kid out there uses queer, fag, homo, etc., as a swear word. So, it already does matter … by default. So some people are just trying to band together against the already rampant gay bashing that occurs on virtually every online game in the world. And in doing so, they only people they injure … are the people offended simply by the term.
And of the two groups, I’m darn sure which one I’d prefer to have around online.
So I’d agree with your position … if Blizzard was suspending everyone guilty of sexual harassment in WoW. But that clearly isn’t the case.
-
And by the by, Blizzard’s own clarification:
However, topics related to sensitive real-world subjects — such as religious, sexual, or political preference, for example — have had a tendency to result in communication between players that often breaks down into harassment.
Seems to indicate that they’re worred about people actually talking about sex … they’re worried about people getting harrased for publically stating their position.
They’ve never said anything about violating their content rating.
-
So I’d agree with your position … if Blizzard was suspending everyone guilty of sexual harassment in WoW. But that clearly isn’t the case.
If someone had tried to advertise a “man on woman sex friendly” guild, players and GM’s would get just as ticked off.
I would.
But, ultimately, I agree with Blizzard when they say, “topics related to sensitive real-world subjects — such as religious, sexual, or political preference, for example — have had a tendency to result in communication between players that often breaks down into harassment.”
There are PLENTY of other avenues to discuss these topics. Why should World of Warcraft be one of them when many players (like me) would just rather not? To clarify, I do often discuss sensitive subjects, I just don’t want to have to in World of Warcraft.
-
The person was originally banned from the game, with a temporary suspension. It was only later downgraded to a warning.
And while Blizzard isn’t banning the guild outright, they are censoring it from recruiting ingame or discussing aspects of the guild ingame. So they might not ban your gay-friendly guild, but they’ll warn/suspend/ban you for stating that you are in a gay-friendly guild.
Not exactly a wonderful distinction.
-
1. Sexual orientation has nothing to do with sex. “Sexual preference” is not the same thing as sexual orientation. Declaring one’s sexual orientation, whether it is straight, gay, whatever is not the same thing as discussing sex.
Sexual orientation is something that you have little control over, whereas “sexual preference” intimates that people have quite a bit of control over which gender(s) they are attracted to. If you are straight, did you choose it? Did you actively say, “I choose to be attracted to the opposite sex, that is what I prefer.” No, I don’t think so.
2. If Blizzard states that “advertising sexual orientation is not appropriate for the high fantasy setting of the World of Warcraft and is therefore not permitted,” then why do they sponsor in-game marriages between characters of different genders? Isn’t the fact that a marriage is taking place an advertisement of the sexual orientation of the two participating individuals? And wouldn’t people in game say things like, “Oh, what a cute couple” and so on? By Blizzard’s policy, such talk should be banned because it concerns sexual orientation.
Oh, wait. No, it wouldn’t be banned, because Blizzard is pandering to the sensibilities of the majority by “protecting” people from harassment, by placing the blame with the victim instead of the perpetrators — e.g. “It’s your fault because you’re the target that caused them to do that to you”, instead of punishing the guilty.
-
Credence February 2nd, 2006 at 14:57
2. So you’re assuming that all the ‘straight’ marriages are actually consisting of ‘straight’ people IRL? Do you also believe that every person who plays as a female character is a female? They’re keeping the real world seperate. WoW being an RPG, it doesn’t (and shouldnt) be important to anyone else in the game if you’re male or female in the real world nor if you’re black, white, or yellow with pinstripes. Should I start a guild for members of the Caucasian race? I’m sure it might technically not be a racist thing to do, but it would create conflict. Blizzard is just trying to keep politics and preference in the real world, where they are already argued exhaustively. I wish them luck at it, personally.
Vis-a-vis the marriage part – are they not allowing gay marriage in game? That *should* be changed, if not. But I don’t think there need to be guilds that stir up conflict, regardless of intent of creators of the guild. I hope never to see guild listings for Asian Pride, White Pride, Black Pride, Straight Pride, nor Gay Pride. But of the 5 I would bet that the 2nd and the 4th would get the most negative press if they were created. Funny ole’ world, isn’t it?
-
There was a load of stuff I was going to say, but Brinstar put it all perfectly. Bravo!
Definitely +1 on Blizzard turning the victims into perpetrators. It’s like blaming black people for racism because they’re walking around and openly being black.
-
” So you’re assuming that all the ‘straight’ marriages are actually consisting of ‘straight’ people IRL? Do you also believe that every person who plays as a female character is a female?”
Um, nowhere does she assume that.
What’s she’s saying is that Blizzard supports and condones the broadcasting of heterosexual activities like marriages ingame, but will suspend you for broadcasting homosexual themes for “fear of harassment”.
If the player themselves is actually gay, female, or whatever, doesn’t even enter into it. Blizzard is trying to avoid the entire issue, role-played, ingame, real, whatever. But of course they aren’t allowing gay marriages, if you’ve read into this at all. They don’t want any activity which might lead to harassment.
So when two lesbian characters get married in Azeroth, all it would take is one person complaining about it to get them in trouble. Could those lesbian (real or RP) players get harassed? Then they shouldn’t do it. That is Blizzard’s policy.
“But I don’t think there need to be guilds that stir up conflict, regardless of intent of creators of the guild.”
How is being “GLBT Friendly” stirring up the conflict? Advertising a friendly place in came is hardly confrontational. If some knee-jerk homophobe can’t resist harassing people because of it, it shouldn’t be the guild who get punished for it … which precisely what Blizzard is doing here.
Blizzard can’t seperate Azeroth completely from reality, as all the griefing, cybering and gay bashing proves. But they could be friendlier to groups trying to be mature about it, rather than protect the ones that aren’t.
-
“It would be just as inappropriate for me to advertise in a public, accessible to anyone, chat channel that I was starting a “Hetero-Friendly” guild.”
I very strongly disagree. “Gay friendly” is inclusive. “Hetero-friendly” is exclusive, because the vast majority of the population is hetero, and therefore seems to intentionally exclude gay people — it’s easily assumed that any given guild would be hetero-friendly. It would be the same difference between “minority friendly” and “white friendly.”
“If a child plays World of Warcraft and then comes to his or her parent asking, “What does GLBT mean?” isn’t that slightly out of bounds for what World of Warcraft should be covering?”
Why in the world would you be so horrified for your child to discover that gay people exist? That’s the sum of what your statement is, that you don’t want your child exposed to gay people. Well guess what? There’s a lot of them out there. In the schools. On the streets. And lots of other people you probably (evidently?) don’t like or want your kids exposed to. Good luck with that.
“Frankly, I would like to take this moment to THANK Blizzard for protecting my rights as a parent to discuss sex and gender issues at the time and place of MY choosing…”
Your child is going to learn many things outside of your preferences, at times not of your choosing. That’s life. You and your child will survive and overcome such terrifying circumstances. And if your child who is playing World of Warcraft is 13 or over, you’re living in a fantasy world if you think they don’t realize there are gay people in the world. Wake up. They might not even be — gasp! — afraid of them.
“…rather than at the whim of someone who needs to exercise gay pride.”
You know who would say something like that? Someone who I don’t want my children to be exposed to.
-
RegularX January 30th, 2006 at 22:18