1 big thing: Tomb Raider steal

Video game screenshot of a woman in a tank top leaning over, scuffed with mud, grimacing

2. Activision advises no vote on harassment report

3. You ask, we answer

Animated GIF of a circular gaming character and a thought bubble

4. Need to know

5. Worthy of your attention

6. Activision's edits

Screenshot of a paragraph describing the Blizzard gaming division, with references to World of Warcraft changed to just Warcraft

Happy Monday. Stephen here to kick off the 52nd week of our newsletter.

Thank you so much to everyone who has subscribed. I'm super excited for the next 52.

Today's edition: 1,240 words, 4.5 minutes.

🎁 Like the newsletter? Refer Axios Gaming to your friends to spread the word, and get free stuff in the process. Follow the link here to begin.

🐦 Find us on Twitter: @megan_nicolett / @stephentotilo.

Guess my cat loves licking my Xbox controller because of its gamer flavor.

Gaming

deepBlue

Keep up with the multi-billion dollar video gaming universe, from the hottest games to the most interesting studios and players, by Stephen Totilo. Biweekly – Mondays, Thursdays

Axios Gaming

1 big thing: Prince of Persia's troubled timeline

2. A changing workforce

3. Two big mobile announcements

6. Dream boy Barret

Hello, my favorite readers. It's Megan with today's Tuesday edition of Axios Gaming. But first: 

🚨 Situational awareness: My last day with Axios Gaming is this Friday, May 6. I know! I'm very sad too. I'll have more to say about where I'm heading later this month on Twitter. 

1 big thing: Nintendo legend's unique path

Former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime

2. NYC funds sue Activision, Kotick

3. Bungie takes abortion stance

6. Dev bets on Raleigh's gaming retail

Lots to get into today, including the first part of my interview with former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé. More to come from that down the line.

1 big thing: IGDA promises to rebuild trust

Photo illustration of Jakin Velam, the interim executive director of IGDA.

2. Activision Blizzard hit with more unfair labor practices charges

3. The week ahead

6. The one that got away

It's the best day of the week, with Megan. Because it's Friday, not because it's a Megan edition of Axios Gaming, but thank you for asking. Wow, I'm blushing.

Today's edition: 1,154 words, 4½ minutes.

Survival of the hungriest is my specialty. 

1 big thing: A developer's journey to Nashville

2. Culture where it counts

3. Spot the scammer

6. Goodbye!

Hello, and welcome to your final Axios Gaming newsletter with Megan. Tomorrow, Stephen takes the reins for a bit.

Going to the store to get a pack of cigarettes.

Editor’s note: The first story has been corrected to show that Iron Galaxy was only responsible for the development of Killer Instinct’s second and third season (not the whole game).

National

Digital Distribution platform GOG, headquartered in Poland, is now providing its employees with menstrual leave, a policy unheard of in the game industry, and even many countries.

Why it matters: It’s considered a controversial policy, one that some say respects the physical toll of menstruation but risks making employees who take advantage of the time off seem less capable.

How it works: GOG estimates an additional day off per quarter, but allows employees to take time as needed “whenever period pains occur,” culture and communication manager Gabriela Siemienkowicz told Axios.

Employees can also choose to take paid time off by hours, instead of an entire day.

Siemienkowicz calls the policy “experimental in a sense that we plan to evaluate in what way those additional days off impact the well-being of our menstruating employees at the end of 2022, and consider expanding the policy in the upcoming year.”

The idea was inspired by Siemienkowicz’s own experience when she was having an especially painful period.

After bringing the topic up during a “Women of GOG” meeting, she learned she wasn’t alone. “We shared the same view on this matter and would appreciate the possibility to simply lay down and take most of the day off without sacrificing one of the regular paid absence days we have available throughout the year.”

“It fosters inclusiveness by accepting that there are biological differences in the workplace,” she said, adding that it helps break down taboos around periods. “By giving such additional days off, we acknowledge these symptoms are real.”

The big picture: Labor conditions within the video game industry are changing, from four-day workweeks to more inclusive policies like menstrual leave.

Focus on improving work culture has accelerated in the last few years around topics such as unionization, remote work and shorter working hours.

Siemienkowicz said the response so far has been overwhelmingly positive, but there’s “still much work to be done, and our efforts towards making GOG a more inclusive workplace do not end here.”

She said the conversation internally has shown that “menstruation is still a taboo to some, which results in misinformation and unconscious bias.”

Responding to the company’s announcement on LinkedIn, a Unity senior software engineer said the policy is discriminatory. “I wonder how this can be considered ‘inclusive,’ when it's the exact opposite of that.”

“Excellent news. Men and robots will be more competitive than women,” said a VR and UX researcher.

What’s next: There’s still a great deal of work to be done in dismantling the taboo around periods and the effect on the workplace.

“I can only hope that this policy will serve as a sign that GOG is an inclusive company that respects individual needs of its employees and that everyone can feel both safe and appreciated here,” Siemienkowicz said.

Sign up for the new Axios Gaming newsletter here.

Gaming platform GOG now offering employees menstrual leave

It's a policy unheard of in the game industry.

Illustration of a calendar with red circles.

Paid leave

Digital Distribution platform GOG, headquartered in Poland, is now providing its employees with <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="menstrual leave" data-vars-click-url="https://link.axios.com/click/27449034.31055/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubGlua2VkaW4uY29tL2NvbXBhbnkvZ29nY29tL3Bvc3RzLz9mZWVkVmlldz1hbGwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPW5ld3NsZXR0ZXJfYXhpb3NnYW1pbmcmc3RyZWFtPXRvcA/5a52c920a227620e7a8b467dBc6365a92" data-vars-content-id="06902bc2-c1b8-4dbf-98e7-34f60708d66a" data-vars-headline="Gaming platform GOG now offering employees menstrual leave" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://link.axios.com/click/27449034.31055/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubGlua2VkaW4uY29tL2NvbXBhbnkvZ29nY29tL3Bvc3RzLz9mZWVkVmlldz1hbGwmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPW5ld3NsZXR0ZXJfYXhpb3NnYW1pbmcmc3RyZWFtPXRvcA/5a52c920a227620e7a8b467dBc6365a92" target="_blank">menstrual leave</a>, a policy unheard of in the game industry, and even many countries.Why it matters: It’s considered a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="controversial" data-vars-click-url="https://link.axios.com/click/27449034.31055/aHR0cHM6Ly90aW1lLmNvbS82MTA1MjU0L21lbnN0cnVhbC1sZWF2ZS1wb2xpY2llcy8_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPW5ld3NsZXR0ZXJfYXhpb3NnYW1pbmcmc3RyZWFtPXRvcA/5a52c920a227620e7a8b467dB3a25fea2" data-vars-content-id="06902bc2-c1b8-4dbf-98e7-34f60708d66a" data-vars-headline="Gaming platform GOG now offering employees menstrual leave" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://link.axios.com/click/27449034.31055/aHR0cHM6Ly90aW1lLmNvbS82MTA1MjU0L21lbnN0cnVhbC1sZWF2ZS1wb2xpY2llcy8_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPW5ld3NsZXR0ZXJfYXhpb3NnYW1pbmcmc3RyZWFtPXRvcA/5a52c920a227620e7a8b467dB3a25fea2" target="_blank">controversial</a> policy, one that some say respects the physical toll of menstruation but risks making employees who take advantage of the time off seem <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="less capable" data-vars-click-url="https://link.axios.com/click/27449034.31055/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY25uLmNvbS8yMDIwLzExLzIwL2J1c2luZXNzL3BlcmlvZC1sZWF2ZS1hc2lhLWludGwtaG5rLWRzdC9pbmRleC5odG1sP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9bmV3c2xldHRlciZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1uZXdzbGV0dGVyX2F4aW9zZ2FtaW5nJnN0cmVhbT10b3A/5a52c920a227620e7a8b467dB1df8c82b" data-vars-content-id="06902bc2-c1b8-4dbf-98e7-34f60708d66a" data-vars-headline="Gaming platform GOG now offering employees menstrual leave" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://link.axios.com/click/27449034.31055/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY25uLmNvbS8yMDIwLzExLzIwL2J1c2luZXNzL3BlcmlvZC1sZWF2ZS1hc2lhLWludGwtaG5rLWRzdC9pbmRleC5odG1sP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9bmV3c2xldHRlciZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1uZXdzbGV0dGVyX2F4aW9zZ2FtaW5nJnN0cmVhbT10b3A/5a52c920a227620e7a8b467dB1df8c82b" target="_blank">less capable</a>.

From the Valley to D.C., Big Tech players like Facebook, Google and Amazon are under more scrutiny than ever as new technology develops and privacy and antitrust concerns grow in lockstep with companies’ ambitions.

Technology

Artful depictions of sex have a crucial place in video games because of how they allow people to examine their ideas of romance and relationships, according to one developer.

Driving the news: Designer and writer Sharang Biswas gave a Game Developers Conference talk exploring how sex is, and can be, depicted in games.

From the beginning, video games have often problematically incorporated sex, with rampant sexism, glorified assault and transactional approaches to pursuing romance.

Many tend to be goal-oriented, where the objective is to build a romance with a character just to sleep with them.

The big picture: Games depicting sexual behaviors are often a way to discuss broader societal issues.

“Expanding the conversation about sex through our various artforms, including games and playful experiences, is important,” Biswas said.

Just as important, he said, is to ask: “Why shouldn't we include sex in games if sex is a facet of human experience? If it's a thing that many people derive pleasure from, we can also put it into games, which is another thing many people derive pleasure from.“

The very act of sex, Biswas said, whether it’s who we have it with or when, “has been a reason that people have been persecuted” since the beginning of time.

“Sex can help build queer communities, because sex and queerness has a lot of links,” he said.

Furthermore, “some people argue that queer sex is in itself a revolutionary act of resistance.”

What's happening: Gamemakers in the indie scene are leading the charge when it comes to games that explore sex and sexuality, without actually having to have sex.

Robert Yang is one of the best-known developers tackling sexuality through games like Hurt Me Plenty that explores consent and care.

Naomi Clark’s two-player card game Consentacle is about navigating boundaries and figuring out how to please a sex partner.

“The game is all about when you have a body that's not considered normative, how do you have sex?” Biswas said.

“There is no one way that people have sex,” he says, nor is there one specific body type that should be allowed to.

Biswas advises developers to think about getting weird, and consider “mechanics that aren't directly about sexual acts.”

“We all have normative notions about what sex looks like,” Biswas said, pointing to questions like what kind of bodies are permitted to have sex or what objects people are allowed to use.

“These ideas are ingrained in society,” he added, and the best way to question them is to use speculative fiction.

Sign up for the Axios Gaming newsletter here.

How developers are rethinking sex in video games

From the beginning, video games have often problematically incorporated sex.

Illustration of a pixelated bird and bee flying across the image.

Video games

Artful depictions of sex have a crucial place in video games because of how they allow people to examine their ideas of romance and relationships, according to one developer.Driving the news: Designer and writer Sharang Biswas gave a Game Developers Conference talk exploring how sex is, and can be, depicted in games.

SOC Investment Group is urging investors to vote against the proposed Activision Blizzard and Microsoft merger during Activision’s upcoming meeting on April 28.

Why it matters: SOC, which owns “a small percentage” of Activision stock, is calling for investors to elect “a new, competent, and dedicated board of directors” at the company’s next meeting.

Driving the news: “We are skeptical that any transaction with Microsoft (or a similar acquirer) would be viable, given the shift in the climate of anti-trust enforcement, as well as evident sources of potential harms to competition stemming from the merger,” executive director Dieter Waizenegger wrote in a prepared statement.

“This transaction fails to properly value Activision and its future earnings potential, in significant part because it ignores the role that the sexual harassment crisis — and the Activision board’s incompetent handling of it — has played in delaying product releases and depressing the share price.”

“In overseeing the merger negotiations, the Activision board went above and beyond in its fecklessness,” Waizenegger continued.

Catch up quick: Microsoft announced plans to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion in cash in January.

SOC has been highly critical of Activision Blizzard’s response to its harassment scandal, previously saying it has not ​​gone "nearly far enough to address the deep and widespread issues with equity, inclusion, and human capital management."

In his statement today, Waizenegger said that “Activision shareholders would be better served by replacing the incumbent board with directors that would allow the company to assume its real potential, including actively engaging with and empowering Activision Blizzard employees in their effort to rebuild the corporate culture and restore the company’s reputation.”

Group urges investors to reject Activision, Microsoft merger

SOC Investment Group is calling for investors to elect a new board of directors.

Photo: Michael Ciaglo/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Activision

SOC Investment Group is <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="urging investors" data-vars-click-url="https://link.axios.com/click/27373271.15057/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc29jaW52ZXN0bWVudGdyb3VwLmNvbS9lbmdhZ2VtZW50cy1hbGwvc29jLXVyZ2VzLWEtdm90ZS1hZ2FpbnN0LXRoZS1wcm9wb3NlZC1tZXJnZXItYmV0d2Vlbi1hY3RpdmlzaW9uLWJsaXp6YXJkLWFuZC1taWNyb3NvZnQtb24tYXByaWwtMjg_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPW5ld3NsZXR0ZXJfYXhpb3NnYW1pbmcmc3RyZWFtPXRvcA/5a52c920a227620e7a8b467dB847b2c54" data-vars-content-id="6c395687-1534-422f-bf39-f5c324f1ab04" data-vars-headline="Group urges investors to reject Activision, Microsoft merger" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://link.axios.com/click/27373271.15057/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc29jaW52ZXN0bWVudGdyb3VwLmNvbS9lbmdhZ2VtZW50cy1hbGwvc29jLXVyZ2VzLWEtdm90ZS1hZ2FpbnN0LXRoZS1wcm9wb3NlZC1tZXJnZXItYmV0d2Vlbi1hY3RpdmlzaW9uLWJsaXp6YXJkLWFuZC1taWNyb3NvZnQtb24tYXByaWwtMjg_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPW5ld3NsZXR0ZXJfYXhpb3NnYW1pbmcmc3RyZWFtPXRvcA/5a52c920a227620e7a8b467dB847b2c54" target="_blank">urging investors</a> to vote against the proposed Activision Blizzard and Microsoft merger during Activision’s upcoming meeting on April 28.Why it matters: SOC, which owns “<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a small percentage" data-vars-click-url="https://link.axios.com/click/27373271.15057/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXhpb3MuY29tL2FjdGl2aXNpb24tYm9iYnkta290aWNrLW1pY3Jvc29mdC1nb2xkZW4tcGFyYWNodXRlLTE0MjBjMmFiLWZlNTAtNDg4MS1hZDdiLTk0ZjY4MjgwZGIzZi5odG1sP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9bmV3c2xldHRlciZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1uZXdzbGV0dGVyX2F4aW9zZ2FtaW5nJnN0cmVhbT10b3A/5a52c920a227620e7a8b467dBd55ccc14" data-vars-content-id="6c395687-1534-422f-bf39-f5c324f1ab04" data-vars-headline="Group urges investors to reject Activision, Microsoft merger" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://link.axios.com/click/27373271.15057/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXhpb3MuY29tL2FjdGl2aXNpb24tYm9iYnkta290aWNrLW1pY3Jvc29mdC1nb2xkZW4tcGFyYWNodXRlLTE0MjBjMmFiLWZlNTAtNDg4MS1hZDdiLTk0ZjY4MjgwZGIzZi5odG1sP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9bmV3c2xldHRlciZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1uZXdzbGV0dGVyX2F4aW9zZ2FtaW5nJnN0cmVhbT10b3A/5a52c920a227620e7a8b467dBd55ccc14" target="_blank">a small percentage</a>” of Activision stock, is calling for investors to elect “a new, competent, and dedicated board of directors” at the company’s next meeting.

A representative for California Gov. Gavin Newsom told Axios that yesterday’s report claiming he directly interfered with the ongoing Activision Blizzard lawsuit is “categorically false.”

“The Newsom administration supports the effective work [the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing] has done under Director Kevin Kish to enforce civil rights laws and protect workers, and will continue to support DFEH in their efforts to fight all forms of discrimination and protect Californians,” said communications director Erin Mellon.

In a statement sent to Axios, Kish said that DFEH “has litigated groundbreaking cases that are a model of effective government enforcement of civil rights."

“We continue to do so with the full support of the administration. Our cases will move forward based on the facts, the law, and our commitment to our mission to protect the civil rights of all Californians,” Kish said.

Catch up quick: Two lawyers on the Activision Blizzard case have resigned or been fired — assistant chief counsel Melanie Proctor and chief counsel Janette Wipper, respectively.

Proctor reportedly told staff she was resigning in protest of Wipper's firing, which she claimed was due to Wipper's “attempt to protect” the DFEH's agency's independence from interference by the Office of the Governor, Bloomberg said.

Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to identify the agency involved as the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (not the California Department of Fair and Equitable Housing).

Newsom denies Activision Blizzard interference

A representative says reports the governor interfered with the ongoing Activision Blizzard lawsuit are “categorically false.”

Photo: Brontë Wittpenn/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

A representative for California Gov. Gavin Newsom told Axios that <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="yesterday’s report" data-vars-click-url="https://link.axios.com/click/27373271.15057/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXhpb3MuY29tL25ld3NsZXR0ZXJzL2F4aW9zLWdhbWluZy02OThhZWZhMy02ODYwLTQxZDctYTlhYS03NDY5ZGFjZmZjZWEuaHRtbD91dG1fc291cmNlPW5ld3NsZXR0ZXImdXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249bmV3c2xldHRlcl9heGlvc2dhbWluZyZzdHJlYW09dG9w/5a52c920a227620e7a8b467dB59c52b4a" data-vars-content-id="a1ae7906-111a-41e2-a0aa-6d313b4e8b65" data-vars-headline="Newsom denies Activision Blizzard interference" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://link.axios.com/click/27373271.15057/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXhpb3MuY29tL25ld3NsZXR0ZXJzL2F4aW9zLWdhbWluZy02OThhZWZhMy02ODYwLTQxZDctYTlhYS03NDY5ZGFjZmZjZWEuaHRtbD91dG1fc291cmNlPW5ld3NsZXR0ZXImdXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249bmV3c2xldHRlcl9heGlvc2dhbWluZyZzdHJlYW09dG9w/5a52c920a227620e7a8b467dB59c52b4a" target="_blank">yesterday’s report</a> claiming he directly interfered with the ongoing Activision Blizzard lawsuit is “categorically false.”<ul><li>“The Newsom administration supports the effective work [the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing] has done under Director Kevin Kish to enforce civil rights laws and protect workers, and will continue to support DFEH in their efforts to fight all forms of discrimination and protect Californians,” said communications director Erin Mellon.</li></ul>

A decade after its creation, “Tropes vs. Women in Video Games” creator Anita Sarkeesian believes the series has had an essential, undeniable impact on the games industry.

Driving the news: Reflecting on her work and its impact during a Game Developers Conference talk on Thursday, Sarkeesian says that making those videos today might be “not impossible, but harder,” as there are fewer examples and “the pattern is less egregious.” 

“The past 10 years have been a grim reminder of how ubiquitous and pernicious racism, sexism and transphobia can be in this industry, but they are also encouraging proof that real progress is possible.”

Catch up quick: In 2012, Sarkeesian Kickstarted a video series critiquing different tropes in video games, such as damsels in distress, or women as rewards. 

Sarkeesian and her work became an instant target for abuse and harassment for criticizing video games’ misogyny and otherwise poor treatment of women.

During GamerGate, Sarkeesian was one of several women specifically targeted with death threats, rape threats and bomb threats at events she was speaking. She said that abuse has continued for the past decade.

Sarkeesian has continued to be a prominent critic and force of change; she’s since won major awards for her work, including a Peabody.

Sarkeesian said in her talk that “Tropes” helped create conversations: ”it illuminated patterns of problems that had been had been staring people in the face for decades that many of them had never even noticed before.”

Developers have approached Sarkeesian over the years to express their regret and ignorance over including harmful stereotypes, she said.

“I am not here to be your feminist priest and grant you absolution,” Sarkeesian said. ”But I am here to tell you that you can be better and you can do better, and that's how change happens.”

“Tropes” and Sarkeesian herself have come “to symbolize so much for so many people in so many different ways,” she said.

“In one hand, I hold trauma and fear and anger. And then on the other hand, I hold tremendous and enormous pride at the contribution that ‘Tropes’ has made to the shifting tide of games culture.”

“The nightmare that some gamers felt — I was ushering in a world in which devs lost their 'uncompromised artistic freedom' and sometimes actually had to tell stories about women as real human beings — I guess that came true. We won.”

What’s next: Although progress has been made, Sarkeesian said, the industry itself is nowhere near equitable. 

“It was never just enough to talk about in-game representation,” she said, pointing to ongoing revelations of abuse and worker mistreatment in games. 

“This industry is drowning in trauma, abuse and harassment…As an industry, we are not OK and we haven't been OK.”

And that abuse doesn’t stop with major CEOs at companies like Activision Blizzard. 

“Clearly, this industry is not yet prepared to truly reckon with these powerful men and the harm that they cause,” she said.

“It's happening in small studios, too, because this isn't fundamentally a problem of money, it's a problem of power.”

“The struggle is bigger than any one of us,” Sarkeesian said, “and involves everyone who cares about creating a better, safer, more inclusive gaming industry and gaming culture.” 

Sarkeesian reflects on 10 years of “Tropes vs. Women in Video Games”

Sarkeesian said at GDC that making the series today might be “not impossible, but harder.”

Anita Sarkeesian attends The Women's Media Center 2016 Women's Media Awards at Capitale on September 29, 2016 in New York City. Photo: Mike Pont/WireImage via Getty Images

A decade after its creation, “Tropes vs. Women in Video Games” creator Anita Sarkeesian believes the series has had an essential, undeniable impact on the games industry.Driving the news: Reflecting on her work and its impact during a Game Developers Conference talk on Thursday, Sarkeesian says that making those videos today might be “not impossible, but harder,” as there are fewer examples and “the pattern is less egregious.”

Megan Farokhmanesh

Stories

Gaming platform GOG now offering employees menstrual leave

Newsom denies Activision Blizzard interference

Group urges investors to reject Activision, Microsoft merger

Sarkeesian reflects on 10 years of “Tropes vs. Women in Video Games”

How developers are rethinking sex in video games

Newsletter editions

New gaming cities

Nintendo legend's advice

Mobile Warcraft

Tomb Raider twist

Road to redemption