If you went on the /r/Games thread of Reddit yesterday you might have been surprised to see that it wasn't there at all, and that's because the moderators decided to make a statement on April 1, not with a joke, but with a message on issues that have pervaded into the community that they wanted to draw attention to.
This has been explained in a lengthy post about the "combative and derogatory schools of thought" the mods have seen, and "that what has been intended to be a forum for the potential spread of knowledge and involvement in video games has instead become a battleground of conflicting ideas. Ordinarily, this isn't an issue; discussion by its very nature is certain to bring argument, but when that argument descends into vitriolic attacks between individuals on a regular basis with no chance at deescalation, that's when, put simply, something's got to give."
Memes are referenced, like "gamers rise up", but the issues go deeper than that. "By showing disdain or outright rejecting minority and marginalized communities, we become more insular. In this, we lose out on the chance to not only show compassion to these people, but also the chance to grow our own community and diversify the demographics of those involved in it. Whether it's misogyny, transphobia, homophobia, racism or a host of other discriminatory practices, now is the time to stymie the flow of regressive ideas and prevent them from ever becoming the norm."
The mods explain that, while they remove the harmful comments and ban the perpetrators, these problems are still present throughout the community, with people mocking marginalised members of the community, something that persists beyond this thread and even beyond Reddit, as evidenced by the New Zealand shootings last month.
The post shows some examples of the "transphobia, homophobia, islamophobia, racism, misogyny, pro-pedophilia/pro-rape, and vitriolic personal attacks against other users," which all happen on a daily basis. The mods have shared these examples to give an insight into the reality faced on the platform, before encouraging users to "do better" and "be better".
"Though the industry as a whole has suffered a great deal of trials and tribulations, we also are fortunate enough to be at a point in time in which there seem to be a glut of fantastic games, from major AAA titles down to near-anonymous indie projects that come out of nowhere," the post continues. "So let's revel in what's available to us, and also appreciate the myriad of backgrounds that we as gamers come from. Our differences in experiences comprise the diversity in the content that we consume, and by allowing ourselves to appreciate those differences, we change our perspectives and interpretations; this applies not only in games, but life as a whole."
To conclude the post the mods shared a list of charities aimed at marginalised groups like POC and women's health, which you can donate to.
Is this the kind of message that can make an impact?