On Tuesday, the Xbox Facebook page posted a dedication to Black developers, creators, and players, in which they vowed: “to bring people together, to cultivate joy, creativity, and teamwork.”
The post caused outrage among some gamers, who proceeded to leave racist comments, including one who asked if March would be dedicated to white people.
Ben Palmer who goes by palmertrolls on Instagram decided to get back with the racists and pretended to be Xbox on Facebook commenting back, “Yes, we’ll talk about their role in slavery, colonization, torture, the burning of cities, Jim Crow segregation, and police brutality,” Xbox responded.
The player replied by claiming that they would be switching to Playstation. But they probably didn’t expect the response they got from the rival video-game company.
“Great! Can’t wait for you to see our posts about Black History,” “Playstation” chimed in.
Still pretending to be Xbox, Palmer commented back telling social media users to “Please be patient as we work to ignore all your racist comments.”
Xbox posted a message on its website that read in part:
“Xbox believes in the power of gaming to bring people together, to cultivate joy, creativity, and teamwork. We’re committed to building a community where everyone is welcome to play, and one way to do this is through supporting and amplifying the voices of underrepresented communities in gaming.
Muse reported that Black Americans are more likely to agree with the positive outcomes of gaming, for example, teamwork and communication, compared to other communities. In honor of Black History Month, we’re spotlighting the contributions of Black and African American developers and creators and celebrating gaming as a source of joy, connection, and self-care for many in the community.”
The gaming company plans on celebrating and amplifying “black voices during this Black History Month and beyond.”
For starters, the company will allow Microsoft Rewards members in the U.S. to earn and donate their points to organizations supporting Black communities.
The company’s “Game Camp” will be in New Orleans from March 9 through April 27. The goal of Game Camp is to offer those from underrepresented communities access to subject matter experts, tools, and industry connections to help them through the game creation process.
Furthermore, Xbox Game Studios has partnered with HBCU Connect to increase inclusive hiring, and ambassadors of the company will spotlight stories about representation in gaming.
Sounds like a good start.
