Last Thursday (24), after receiving the Life Achievement Award at the 2022 DICE Awards in recognition of major career achievements, Phil Spencer, CEO of Xboxdelivered a speech of appreciation asking for dignity and respect for gaming industry employees and fans.
During the statement, Spencer said gaming can be a force for good in the world and the industry has a responsibility to billions of gamers to ensure everyone is treated fairly.
“We have a responsibility to everyone in this business. We have a responsibility to society. And we have a responsibility to ourselves. Our responsibility is simple: to do all we can to ensure that this entire industry treats every person with dignity and respect.” says the CEO.
He also addressed toxicity issues, saying tolerating abuse and not providing a safe environment for everyone working in the industry is a major flaw, ending with the saying “we can, must and will do better”.
After the awards, during an interview, the Xbox boss reinforced his request in the speech. When asked if he had any messages for fans, his response was:
“Let’s respect the creators. I think a lot of times creations can be weaponized in some way and used in cross-platform battles etc. I see anyone who’s brave enough to create something, to release it. Make sure that your peers, the industry, gamers are playing, reviewing and talking about what they’re doing, and let’s celebrate the fact that so many great games have been released by so many creators, and realize that’s the basis of where we’re headed industry.”
