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Racism and homophobia in online play is affecting sales, says ex-Microsoft man

Former Microsoft game user research head Bill Fulton - who previously worked on games like Shadrowrun for the company - reckons the general behaviour of many gamers online is "drastically reducing our sales".

"Of all the ways I spend my free time, playing games online is the only one I would describe as 'frequently barbaric'," he said. "Insults of all kinds, including racist and homophobic slurs, are commonplace.

The women I know who play online avoid anything that would identify them as female - including voice communication - in order to avoid the unwanted, and frequently negative, attention. And that's just how players are intentionally insulting - what some people do while playing online can also be aggravating."

Not sure where he's getting this from. All our online gaming involves pleasant chit-chat and flowers. More rather sobering quotes through the link.

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Patrick Garratt avatar

Patrick Garratt

Founder & Publisher (Former)

Patrick Garratt is a games media legend - and not just by reputation. He was named as such in the UK's 'Games Media Awards', the equivalent of a lifetime achievement award. After garnering experience on countless gaming magazines, he joined Eurogamer and later split from that brand to create VG247, putting the site on the map with fast, 24-hour a day coverage, and assembling the site's earliest editorial teams. He retired from VG247, and the games industry, in 2017.

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