Xbox head Phil Spencer received a Lifetime Achievement Award at DICE 2022 last week, and there was something particular that he wanted to get off his chest: developers should be treated better.
Speaking to IGN after his acceptance speech, Spencer urged gamers to respect creators, some of whom are apparently no stranger to receiving threats for all sorts of first-world problems, such as gameplay quirks and graphical downgrades to something as innocent as concluding a story in a way that doesn’t satisfy fans. The Xbox CEO sees developers as brave people who should be celebrated for what they’re doing.
“[K]eep playing, keep using your voice, understand the power of creativity, the power of community,” Spencer said. “And the other thing I would just say is, let’s respect creators. I think it’s very often that creations can be kind of weaponized and used in battles between platforms and other things. I look at everybody who is brave enough to create something, put it out…have their peers, the industry, players, play and analyze and talk about what they do, and let’s just celebrate the fact that so many great games are coming out from so many creators, and realize that’s such a foundation for where this industry is going to go.”
“We have a responsibility to everyone in this business,” he added. “We have a responsibility to society. And we have a responsibility to ourselves. Our responsibility is simple: do everything possible to ensure that this entire industry is about treating every single person with dignity and respect.”
Xbox CEO Phil Spencer’s Reveals His Message For Gamers After Winning Lifetime Achievement Award (IGN Africa)
- Toxicity was a major theme throughout DICE, an industry-focused conference that brings together executives and developers for a week of networking and discussions culminating in the DICE Awards.
- Spencer has consistently campaigned for greater inclusiveness in gaming, making Xbox one of the industry leaders in accessibility.
- He also recalled what he called the “painful” moment when women described their experiences at Xbox, and “feeling the emotion, the anger, the disappointment.”