I Peeked Into D.E.I.

Why does it make people want to D.E.I.?

Before We Dip Our Toes

I didn’t know D.E.I. was such a big deal, as I only saw that people who used it belonged to the opposite extremes. As I looked a bit into it, I noticed a lot of abuse from both sides, whether extreme or not, but it seems like it’s something that people have their minds set on and done.

I only have a basic understanding of the subject, and while it’s something fairly interesting to me, I only seek to discuss the topic. I was on the fence to write about this, seeing that it’s kind of a divisive issue, I think. Still, it’s something that has affected the narrative and designs in games, so let’s take a peek.

I did have a null understating of what D.E.I. in gaming was. The way I looked at it, it was something positive. Why not give voices to different races, ethnicities, and so on? But it’s more than that, it’s what really matters at the end of the day: money. It seems to me like an honest idea that was adapted into something too disingenuous.

I was unaware of how much money following D.E.I., and the consultancy firm, generate. I started watching a few videos on the topic such as the one by Legendary Drops and Padda, read a few articles, and I’ve come to this conclusion: it’s complicated.

Two Sides of the Coin

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, better known as “D.E.I.,” seems to be a system of sorts that companies use to show how diverse it is. How is this affecting video games? Well, it makes them diverse, of course. But a good number of people do think it feels forced in many instances.

I understand the need for diversity, given how inequality has affected many people. From my understanding, the problem then turns into hiring people purely for diversity or adding certain characters just because of diversity. It causes the opposite of its purpose, it could potentially allow unqualified people into positions they aren’t qualified for, while also creating, in a way, that ignorance they’re trying to get rid of.

It reminds me of how once in class we had a conversation about whether people are allowed to write through the perspective of characters of a different race, ethnicity, etc. My take was: yes. A white dude can write about a black dude, and vice-versa, and a straight person about an LGBT person, and so forth. I wouldn’t mind if someone who isn’t Puerto Rican wrote about Puerto Rico, as long as it’s genuine.

I subscribe to the idea that a genuine person will create a genuine work of art that will appropriately reflect a group. A disingenuous person will create a piece of “art” that will reflect what they believe the group to be. The idea is only good under the right people.

This, Too, Keep In Mind

I do believe that some people, given that it’s the internet and gaming has gotten more popular, do hide behind D.E.I. to hide that bit of hatred. I didn’t know about the whole D.E.I. ordeal, but I did see it thrown around quite a bit, that is until I started using Twitter.

It reminds me of how Caravan SandWitch has gotten hate because of game’s LGBT influence, and had people call it “Woke” and “D.E.I. trash.” It has nothing to do with D.E.I., but all to do with the developer's vision that they strongly disagree with.

I do believe some people use the system as a scapegoat to say, “I’m not racist/homophobic/etc., I just want games to be games! Keep politics away!” but that’s another story.

I’d love to know anyone’s take on this topic, and I am open to any opinion.

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What Do You Think?

Should gaming journalists talk about this topic? Do gamers care? Do you agree or disagree with D.E.I., and why? Was this needed?