- In the week that Spain celebrates International Zero Discrimination Day, the Spanish Association of Video Games (AEVI) has announced the launch of #PlayEquall initiative, a campaign in which the video game sector comes together to reinforce the industry’s commitment to the values of equality, diversity and inclusion.
- The platform gathers an ethical pledge drawn up by different video game agents through which the signatories acquire six commitments in terms of equality and diversity at all levels: teams, events and in the games themselves. In this sense, #PlayEquall includes a section with best practice and initiatives in these areas, as well as a space for any agent to join the initiative, from companies, industry associations, institutions and individuals.
- José María Moreno, general director of AEVI, highlights that this initiative is essential to keep moving forward in terms of equality and diversity: “#PlayEquall is a call from the industry to adopt a clear position in favor of diversity, equality and inclusion in the sector, inviting all industry players to actively participate in the commitment to these values”.
Our country has a community of more than 16 million gamers of all ages, genders and conditions. The same happens at the industry level, where creators are as diverse as users. Promoting equality, inclusion and embracing this diversity at both levels is one of the objectives of #PlayEquall.
Equality, diversity and inclusion in the video game sector are key issues that are being worked from the bosom of ISFE, the Brussels-based organization that represents the European video game industry and in which AEVI is integrated, as well as by the associations of the rest of the European countries. In this regard, #PlayEquall arises to bring together all stakeholders in the video game sector in Spain, in line with other projects that have been developed in nearby countries, such as the United Kingdom (#RaiseTheGame) or Germany (hier-spielt-vielfalt.de/en).
According to José María Moreno, general director of AEVI: #PlayEquall is a call from the industry to take a clear position in favour of diversity, equality and inclusion in the sector, inviting all industry players to actively participate in the commitment to these values”.
‘#PlayEquall’, an industry initiative
The #PlayEquall initiative consists of a live platform that will host content related to the industry’s activity in this area. As the website points out, the video game sector has the responsibility to promote as an indispensable condition of its activity the values of equality, diversity and inclusion, to which it is firmly committed. Therefore, the purpose of #PlayEquall is to contribute to generating a culture that respects and encourages individual expression, regardless of factors such as gender, nationality, race, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age or socioeconomic status.
The platform includes an ethical pledge drawn up jointly by numerous industry agents, in which the signatories undertake six commitments in terms of equality and diversity at all levels: teams, events and in the video games themselves. These commitments are: i) the promotion of spaces free of discrimination, racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia or any kind of intolerance, ii) the implementation of the values of diversity and equality in teams and structures, iii) the optimal development of talent and skills in video game companies, iv) actively confront abuses of power and harassment to establish inclusive and safe spaces for participation, v) work towards equitable, non-judgmental and balanced representation within video games, vi) consider all aspects of diversity and equality in our games, teams, publications and events.
The main objective of the initiative is to work together to build a more diverse sector in the direction of inclusion and tolerance, turning these into indispensable qualities of the video game sector. For this reason, #PlayEquall encourages participation in the project, and likewise, to share experiences and case studies that are being carried out by companies, associations and stakeholders, precisely in order to visibilize the abovementioned values. In this sense, the website includes a section of initiatives where materials and projects implemented from the industry itself will be collected and at the same time, future actions that complement the project will be carried out as well.
All parties interested in participating in the project are welcome, as the #PlayEquall website, which will be operational from this day, contains a section for signatories, so that any association, foundation, institution or individual can join the initiative and acquire the agreed commitments. In addition, #PlayEquall will have its own social networks and a contact mailbox section, so that anyone can send their suggestions, comments and questions about the project.
The Spanish Association of Videogames (AEVI) is the main videogame organization in Spain. AEVI represents more than 70 companies and academic centers that generate most of the jobs in the sector in our country and represent 90% of the Spanish market consumption: Asociación de Clubes de Esports (ACE), Activision-Blizzard, Artax Games, Atlas Informática, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Binarybox Studios, Best Ride Simulators, Blackmouth Games, Didactoons, Drakhar Studio, Electronic Arts, ESL, Friday Mood, GAME, Gammera Nest, Gaming Residendes, Galigames, Gato Salvaje Studio, GGTech, Kaiju Entertainment, Killbug Studio, Koch Media, Liga de Videojuegos Profesional, LuegoLu3go, L3TCraft, Mercury Steam, Meteorbyte Studios, Microsoft, Mindiff, Miru Studio, Msi Simulation, Naduku Games, Nintendo, Novarama, Orenji Games, Outright Games, OXiAB, OWO Game, Open House Games, Patrones y Escondites, Petoons, Piccolo Studio, Pixelatto, Possible Lab, Recotechnology, Riot Games, Saona Studios, Secret6, Selecta Visión, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Superlumen, Take Two Interactive, The Longest Road S.L, Troglobytes Games, Ubisoft, Warner Interactive, 1UP Games Studio; y los centros académicos Creanavarra, ESNE, ESIC, EVAD, Rendr Escuela de Videojuegos Master D, Squarebox, CPA Salduie, Universidad Complutense, Universidad Isabel I, Universitat Jaume I, Universidad Internacional de Valencia, Universidad San Jorge, Universidad de La Coruña y Voxel School.
#PlayEquall
https://playequall.es/#contacto
