The official E3 Twitter account issued an apology after sharing an article containing sexist content. The initial tweet immediately sparked controversy, containing a list of “games for women” dominated by free-to-play mobile games like Bejeweled and Sudoku and diminishing language, including the phrase “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Am I right, ladies?”
Four hours after the tweet went live, E3 removed it, and apologized to the community, promising that it would “do better” in the future. Sexist stereotypes have been a persistent issue in the games industry, with women regularly being victims of targeted abuse and harassment. The list article wasn’t produced by E3, though it has also been removed from Parade, the website that published it.
For many, the apology has made little difference, and the general response seems to be befuddlement over why the original tweet was published in the first place. Compartmentalizing games as “for women” or “for men” — or any topic, even beyond games — perpetuates a sexist ideology that was rampant in the past few decades, and persists as an issue even today.
Studies about gamer demographics have found that men and women play games almost equally, as the pastime continues to grow increasingly popular around the world. The games industry is now eclipsing other, older forms of entertainment, like TV and film, leading to a trend of higher game sales and revenue.
E3 was canceled this year, and the future of the convention has been shrouded in doubt as more companies shift to smaller, more frequent digital presentations. The convention still plans on returning in 2021, though some people are finding it doubtful, especially as the coronavirus pandemic shows no signs of slowing down in the United States, where E3 is held.
This, of course, isn’t the type of publicity the company needs. The apology is a good move, as is removing the initial tweet, but the mistake will leave a stain on the company’s reputation that may be difficult to erase, and that certainly isn’t a good thing for its future.
Despite the lack of E3 this year, there doesn’t seem to have been much of an impact on publishers. The coronavirus has kept many at home, leading to a distinct spike in video game sales as people scramble to find something to do. That makes it a good time to focus on inclusivity in the sphere, which there does seem to be a gradual shift towards, despite incidents like this.
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