EA's survey spanned some 2,252 participants from across the gaming spectrum. The study was led by Jenny Shi, and her findings were recently published on
Medium. Participants were given a range of questions on the topic of inclusivity, and given examples to illustrate the cases.
"Inclusion can mean many different things," writes Shi;
"for the purpose of this research, we provided the following examples to better define inclusion: Being able to customise your character to have a wide range of skin colours and body sizes; Stories or plots with culturally diverse characters; Healthy and friendly in-game chat experiences; Offering features that allow those with special needs to play."
The biggest finding from the study appears to dispel the myth that the backlash seen against inclusivity in games represents the majority view. In fact, the survey shows that such views are overwhelmingly in the minority. Just 13% of participants said that inclusivity in games was "not important". In fact, only 7% said that they would be less likely to play a game with inclusive content! Meanwhile, a huge 56% of gamers said that inclusivity was important, and 45% say that they are more likely to play a game with inclusive content. 31% were neutral on the issue. Shi lists the following four conclusions as the key takeaways of the report.
- "Inclusion is a pressing concern for many players, and backlash comes from a minority."
- "Representation is getting better in the industry, but needs to be authentic."
- "Fixing disruptive behaviour and toxicity is more important than ever."
- "Despite having interest in playing games socially, female players face more barriers to playing online multiplayer. Managing disruptive player behaviour can help knock down those barriers."
