Video Game consultancy organization The Melanin Gamers announced what it is describing as a rating system for toxicity in online gaming. However, the tool was immediately mocked for its lack of authenticity.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022), Infinity Ward
According to the company’s website, “Melanin Gamers is dedicated to increasing diversity and inclusion in the video games industry. It is more than a gaming community it is a show of support, a cry for some desperately needed change and as a safe space, an online and in real life community for people of colour to come together, share ideas and feel represented.”
“We want to be seen and heard. It is a necessity in the current climate we are living in and we believe that by creating this platform we will be able to strive towards changing an industry so that it reflects all those who are part of it. We are not calling for needless tokenism but a real shift in the tide, from the grassroots to the very top,” it concludes.
A screenshot of The Melanin Gamers website
The site also reveals the company has a diversity and inclusion consultancy. It states, “MG at its heart is a group of dedicated advocates committed to improving representation in popular media. As part of our mission, we have created a brand new D&I Consultancy.”
“With this new branch of our business, we hope to help organisations where everyone feels represented and can thrive. We are here to help identify barriers for underrepresented groups and create strategies to close gaps. We offer a range of solutions to help you effectively tackle these issues,” it concludes.
A screenshot of The Melanin Gamers website
On March 27th, the company announced on X, “The World’s first-ever rating system to identify toxicity in online gaming. Melanin Gamers & Help Keep Watch have launched the First Rating System Identifying Online Gaming Toxicity.
It added, “Please check out the rating system for yourself here: lnkd.in/etehNWk6.”
Melanin Gamers on X
The website features a number of games including Call of Duty, Fortnite, Minecraft, Apex Legends, and Valorant. It also promises that it will include Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Rocket League, Destiny 2, Halo Infinite, and GTA Online.
It claims that its ratings were “created by surveying hundreds of gamers. And represents the average amount of racism, gender discrimination, violence towards others, crude humour and controlled substance conversation experienced while playing online.”
Screenshot of The Toxicity Rating website
The site claims that 78% of Call of Duty players face racism, 90% face direct violent threats, and 67% face gender discrimination. Similarly it claims that 69% of Fortnite players face racism, 66% face gender discrimination, and 85% face direct violent threats.
Even for Minecraft it claims that 56% of players face racism, 54% face gender discrimination, and 78% face direct violent threats.
Godzilla blasts King Kong in Minecraft (2024), Mojang Studios
The methodology of the tool is questionable at best. As former World of Warcraft Team Lead Mark Kern noted it allows anyone who wants to fill out a survey and rate a game can do so without verifying if said person has even played the game.
He wrote on X, “New website lets you report game communities for ‘toxicity.’ It has no way to verify if you played the game and people can say whatever they want. So I decided to report Minecraft hate!”
New website lets you report game communities for “toxicity.”
It has no way to verify if you played the game and people can say whatever they want. So I decided to report Minecraft hate!
(con’t) https://t.co/c8z2xPnMt3 pic.twitter.com/sTFaab3RdS
— Grummz (@Grummz) April 2, 2024
In fact, if one wants to rate the game, they choose which game they want to rate via a drop down menu. After selecting the game, individuals are asked a series of questions.
For Call of Duty, it asks, “Please indicate if the interactive user-generated aspects of this game, such as audio and/or text, included any descriptions of, inferences of, references to, or depictions of sexuality, suggestiveness, provocative attire or nudity.”
Response options are: Yes, No, Unsure.
Toxicity Rating survey question
Next, individuals are asked, “Please indicate if the interactive user-generated aspects of this game included references to or use of illegal drugs, abused prescription drugs, alcohol or tabacco.”
Response options are: Yes, No, Unsure.
Toxicity Rating survey question
It continues, “Please indicate if the interactive user-generated aspects of this game included references to bodily functions such as belching, flatulence, or vomiting used for humourous, offensive or derogatory purposes.”
Response options are: Yes, No, Unsure.
Toxicity Rating survey question
Next, it asks, “Please indicate if the interactive user-generated aspects of this game included the usage of, inference of, or description of racist, xenophobic, and race-based discrimination and/or hate.”
Response options are: Yes, No, Unsure.
Toxicity Rating survey question
It goes on, “Please indicate if the interactive user-generated aspects of this game included descriptions of, inferences of, references to, or depictions of violence in any form.”
Response options are: Yes, No, Unsure.
Toxicity Rating survey question
Finally, it concludes asking, “Please indicate if the interactive user-generated aspects of this game included sexism, misogyny and homophobia.”
Response options are: Yes, No, Unsure.
Toxicity Rating survey question
The last slide asks for demographic data.
Toxicity Rating survey question
Social media users quickly mocked the “rating system.” Lawrence Gilmer wrote, “What is the point of this when the mute button is a few clicks away? And how does one be toxic on Minecraft?!?”
What is the point of this when the mute button is a few clicks away?
And how does one be toxic on Minecraft?!?
— Lawrence “L.G.” Gilmer (@210LG) April 1, 2024
The Culper Report wrote, “Funny thing is, people are going to use this to see which games have the most ‘toxicity’ and go play them lmao.”
Funny thing is, people are going to use this to see which games have the most “toxicity” and go play them lmao
— Culper (@CulperReport) April 2, 2024
Gamer Geek questioned, “I have a question, and it’s an important one. What exactly are those percentages meant to be? Surely it isn’t 76% of the entire community. Kinda seems to me like you just made random numbers up.”
I have a question, and it’s an important one. What exactly are those percentages meant to be? Surely it isn’t 76% of the entire community.
Kinda seems to me like you just made random numbers up.
— GamerGeek (@RealGamerGeek) April 2, 2024
FedUpMajority wrote, “Lol, a group whose name is about racial division and whose mission is to force gamers to view each other based on skin color is going to help us identify toxicity in gaming.”
Lol, a group whose name is about racial division and whose mission is to force gamers to view each other based on skin color is going to help us identify toxicity in gaming.
— FedUpMajority (@FedUpMajority) April 2, 2024
What do you make of this new “rating system” from The Melanin Gamers?
They want to perpetuate their imagined victimhood with these fake numbers.