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[IbizaPocholo]

The Head Of Xbox Says The Gaming Industry Needs More Black Leaders

Time passes strangely these days, so it is easy to forget things that happened or were said or were pledged just five months ago.

kotaku.com

During a recent interview with Xbox chief Phil Spencer, I asked him about this. His company, Microsoft, had made several pledges, including to do better by its Black employees, to recruit more Black workers to the tech giant, and to “double the number of Black and African American people managers, senior individual contributors, and senior leaders in the United States by 2025.”

That was in June, when everyone was talking about racial justice.

“One of the worries is you kind of get hyper-focused at a certain time, and the election comes along and months go by and you almost just kind of shift,” Spencer told me. “The conversation turns to something else. And I do think it’s something that we should come back to.”

We came back to it when we were speaking last month, during a conversation that was set up ostensibly to talk about the next generation of Xboxes, which we talked about plenty. We put the Xbox hardware talk on pause, though, when I asked how Microsoft was following through on its pledges. At one point in the exchange Spencer and I talked about Black people’s prominence—or lack thereof—in game studios and in leadership.

“The area where I think we really need to focus more as an industry, including my own team, are, as you said, those visible leaders,” Spencer said. “Because there was a generation where this didn’t happen.”

For years, Spencer was noting, Black people have not been given many chances to lead in gaming. Other people—the implication being “white people”—have ascended in the ranks at Western game companies.

“And as those people move up inside of the organization, you get a lot of people like me,” Spencer said, acknowledging that he’s yet another white guy in power. “And we don’t need more people like me in our organization. We need a more diverse team. So I’d say, for our focus right now, I think about manager representation.”

Check the link for more.

 

[ruvikx]

“And as those people move up inside of the organization, you get a lot of people like me,” Spencer said, acknowledging that he’s yet another white guy in power. “And we don’t need more people like me in our organization. We need a more diverse team. So I’d say, for our focus right now, I think about manager representation.”

Check the link for more.

Imagine if a Jew said "we don't need more Jews like me in our organization".

White guilt (conveniently not putting his own job at risk, of course) is so blasé in America these days.

 

[Starfield]

fire Bonnie Ross and hire a black dude then.

 

[Stuart360]

How about appointing whoever is best for the jobs, regardless of colour. Checklist culture will fail long term imo.

 

[KURDISTAN YPG]

/ success is earned not giving, dont matter who or what skin color religion you are/preach

 

[Slings and Arrows]

Don't worry about BAMEs, worry about games, Phil

 

[Portugeezer]

A black head of Xbox probably would have had an Xbox launch exclusive game.

 

[Jon Neu]

Yes, those diversity hirings really did wonders for Halo Infinite.

 

[I Love Rock 'n' Roll]

More non believers than anything in order to end far right beliefs that races are a thing. Race is not science.

But yeah, we're talking about the asshole that believes a hadware can sell at 500$ with no games. Not like he's the best at understanding things.

 

[The Cartographer]

“And as those people move up inside of the organization, you get a lot of people like me,” Spencer said, acknowledging that he’s yet another white guy in power. “And we don’t need more people like me in our organization. We need a more diverse team. So I’d say, for our focus right now, I think about manager representation.”

What a tool.

 

[Demon2blades]

Hate things like this people should be hired on their own merit not the colour of Thier skin .

 

[Roufianos]

You know what this industry needs even more? Your studios to actually start making good games.

 

[whitesugar]

funny how these virtue signalling types supposedly striving for more diversity are never willing to give up their own jobs, just those of their subordinates.

 

[TheKratos]

Yes please make me CEO.

 

[The Bloody-Nine]

That's pretty racist of you, Phil.

 

[Gerdav]

“Positive discrimination” one of the far lefts buzzwords, the key is in the second word, no matter who gets the positive aspect someone is always being discriminated against based on race, gender, sexual preference etc etc, identity politics are open racism and pure cancer.

 

[Jack Videogames]

"We don't need more people like me. We do, however, need me. But not anyone else. Just me."

 

[KiNeMz]

What about half black half white? Or 3/4 white with 1/4 black. Or is that not enough. What kind of black? Afro American? are Sudanese included? Papa Nu Guineans?

 

[IfuckinghateReddit]

Then quit, Phil.

 

[The Bloody-Nine]

What about half black half white? Or 3/4 white with 1/4 black. Or is that not enough.

What about just hiring the best people for the job on merit. Skin colour should have nothing to do with it.

"We don't need more white people' is racist as fuck.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Consooooooome more DLC and sign yourself up for subscription services.

It's the right thing to do because we have a black guy on the company website.

 

[SidViscous]

Invest in grass roots education of minorities into these fields and skills and the problem will sort itself out in time.

Diversity quotas alone are a shitty solution for everyone involved.

 

[CAB_Life]

This bodes poorly for their 1st party output, since Halo Infinite is a result of diversity hiring and we can see how that turned out. I’m fairly certain this is empty lip service though, especially since he’s talking to Woketaku.

 

[Jon Neu]

funny how these virtue signalling types supposedly striving for more diversity are never willing to give up their own jobs, just those of their subordinates.

It's the same people who complain about the rich but then don't want to give up their phones, their TV's, their cars, their expensive clothes, their frequent outside of the home meals and so on.

 

[Hunnybun]

He should stick up for himself more. They've made their most powerful console black, and the subservient one white, radically inverting traditional power structures.

Representation matters.

Meanwhile look at shitty Sony and their trash console with its highly problematic white power statements. The white encircles and dominates the black. The white literally elevates itself on a suppressed black stand.

The messaging could not be clearer.

FUCK Sony.

 

[azertydu91]

Yes, those diversity hirings really did wonders for Halo Infinite.

Yep because for a game to be good its team obviously need :
-Every skin colors
-Every handicap possible
-Every sexuality
-Every gender (even the made up ones)
-Every beliefs

Who cares about capable management and competent devs as long as you have not even diversity but exhaustivity?

 

[Killer Sakoman]

Race should not be a problem. Companies are supposed to hire talented people regardless of their religion or color.
Pushing for a specific race or gender in the name of diversity will back fire
Disclaimer : I am not an American white.

 

[Self]

And we don’t need more people like me in our organization.

He's spot on!

 

[thelastword]

There are some awesome black developers, they just need more exposure. Jason MacDonald is just one of them...

 

[Radical Dreamer]

Can this guy shut up for one week lmao

 

[DaleinCalgary]

Not white or black or asian or gay or straight or trans, just..
...good at what they do.

Bluepoint studios

 

[azertydu91]

Race should not be a problem. Companies are supposed to hire talented people regardless of their religion or color.
Pushing for a specific race or gender in the name of diversity will back fire
Disclaimer : I am not an American white.

Yep but I think the problem about those companies is that you can't reach parity for example I studied in an IT school do you know the percentage of females in our school?
It was about 7% ... Go reach parity with that number...Though I'd add that they were more passionate than some of their males counterparts, which is obvious considering that some of their teachers tried to dissuade them to go in IT schools and to aimed at more social jobs .... So of course those that kept in the IT way were more passionate because they had to.

 

[TintoConCasera]

Looks like AAA industry is turning into some political shitfest uh. Good thing we still have smaller devs putting out passion projects without caring about genders or colors.

 

[nyr88nyg]

Maybe pay for scholarships so more black people can educate in game development?

Nah, that would make too much sense.

 

[nyr88nyg]

How about appointing whoever is best for the jobs, regardless of colour. Checklist culture will fail long term imo.

Already has, look at Ubisoft, EA, and 343

 

[Fuz]

Then resign.

 

[ExKing]

/ success is earned not giving, dont matter who or what skin color religion you are/preach

That's always what racists say...

If people of colour had the same opportunites, they'll be everywhere. Period.

 

[TintoConCasera]

Maybe pay for scholarships so more black people can educate in game development?

Nah, that would make too much sense.

Should they pay for scholarships for black people and not for white people?

I mean, opportunities should be given regardless of gender or color. Positive discrimination is still discrimination.

 

[Rossco EZ]

 

[Kev Kev]

Rewarding others based on the color of their skin while punishing others based on the color of their skin


Yaaaaayyyyyyy!

 

[Forsythia]

How cool is it that as a black person you're only hired for your skin colour. And why is it always about black people. There are more skin colours out there.

 

[whyman]

Why?

Should it not be the person that is best suited for the job? Black, Hispanic, White, female, trans or male it should not matter. Strange bordering on racist way of thinking by Microsoft.

 

[Drewpee]

The Head Of Xbox Says The Gaming Industry Needs More Black Leaders

Time passes strangely these days, so it is easy to forget things that happened or were said or were pledged just five months ago.

kotaku.com

During a recent interview with Xbox chief Phil Spencer, I asked him about this. His company, Microsoft, had made several pledges, including to do better by its Black employees, to recruit more Black workers to the tech giant, and to “double the number of Black and African American people managers, senior individual contributors, and senior leaders in the United States by 2025.”

That was in June, when everyone was talking about racial justice.

“One of the worries is you kind of get hyper-focused at a certain time, and the election comes along and months go by and you almost just kind of shift,” Spencer told me. “The conversation turns to something else. And I do think it’s something that we should come back to.”

We came back to it when we were speaking last month, during a conversation that was set up ostensibly to talk about the next generation of Xboxes, which we talked about plenty. We put the Xbox hardware talk on pause, though, when I asked how Microsoft was following through on its pledges. At one point in the exchange Spencer and I talked about Black people’s prominence—or lack thereof—in game studios and in leadership.

“The area where I think we really need to focus more as an industry, including my own team, are, as you said, those visible leaders,” Spencer said. “Because there was a generation where this didn’t happen.”

For years, Spencer was noting, Black people have not been given many chances to lead in gaming. Other people—the implication being “white people”—have ascended in the ranks at Western game companies.

“And as those people move up inside of the organization, you get a lot of people like me,” Spencer said, acknowledging that he’s yet another white guy in power. “And we don’t need more people like me in our organization. We need a more diverse team. So I’d say, for our focus right now, I think about manager representation.”

Check the link for more.

I agree with everything he said except the end. Spencer is the reason Xbox didn't go the way of Sega and is in a stronger position than ever before heading in the new generation. Gaming can use a few more Phil's, regardless of their skin color.

 

[rnlval]

The Head Of Xbox Says The Gaming Industry Needs More Black Leaders

Time passes strangely these days, so it is easy to forget things that happened or were said or were pledged just five months ago.

kotaku.com

During a recent interview with Xbox chief Phil Spencer, I asked him about this. His company, Microsoft, had made several pledges, including to do better by its Black employees, to recruit more Black workers to the tech giant, and to “double the number of Black and African American people managers, senior individual contributors, and senior leaders in the United States by 2025.”

That was in June, when everyone was talking about racial justice.

“One of the worries is you kind of get hyper-focused at a certain time, and the election comes along and months go by and you almost just kind of shift,” Spencer told me. “The conversation turns to something else. And I do think it’s something that we should come back to.”

We came back to it when we were speaking last month, during a conversation that was set up ostensibly to talk about the next generation of Xboxes, which we talked about plenty. We put the Xbox hardware talk on pause, though, when I asked how Microsoft was following through on its pledges. At one point in the exchange Spencer and I talked about Black people’s prominence—or lack thereof—in game studios and in leadership.

“The area where I think we really need to focus more as an industry, including my own team, are, as you said, those visible leaders,” Spencer said. “Because there was a generation where this didn’t happen.”

For years, Spencer was noting, Black people have not been given many chances to lead in gaming. Other people—the implication being “white people”—have ascended in the ranks at Western game companies.

“And as those people move up inside of the organization, you get a lot of people like me,” Spencer said, acknowledging that he’s yet another white guy in power. “And we don’t need more people like me in our organization. We need a more diverse team. So I’d say, for our focus right now, I think about manager representation.”

Check the link for more.

Defining race-based means of production is getting close to Jim Crow and Nazi-style ideology.

FYI, CyberPunk 2077 has a Black book author and it's done on merit.

 

[IDKFA]

That's pretty racist of you, Phil.

Ah, but it's not racist if it's directed at white people. It's what they call "positive discrimination".

 

[TonberrysKnife]

I'm black. Fuck this pageantry of pandering. Hire based off of your skill set, accomplishments and credentials, not your race. This is racial discrimination taking precedent over being qualified to do the job. I hate this shit. If anything, just even the playing field for applicants when applying for a position and we're good. The equality and equity aspects of hiring needs to be looked at personally.

 

[Skifi28]

Either leave or shut up. Saying something for the sake of saying it doesn't mean much to anyone.

 

[GrayChild]

Not white or black or asian or gay or straight or trans, just..
...good at what they do.

Bluepoint studios

Time for REEEEEEEEEEra to cancel Bluepoint due to not being diverse enough.

I see only two black dudes and two asians. What a fucking racist company.

 

[Hudo]

Just hire competent leaders and don't give a shit about gender or the skin color. I feel like the discussion about skin color and gender itself every time has exactly the opposite effect of what is trying to be achieved. Just hire people that fit the role the best.

 

[Birdo]

I hope black people see through this bullshit. They say it just to make themselves look good.