DICE Summit: The game ushered in the metaverse, but brought new ethical challenges

At this year's D.I.C.E. Summit, the possibilities and responsibilities of an all-encompassing digital world like Metavalse became the main part of the conversation, a gathering of gaming industry professionals in Las Vegas and the medium's first large-scale live meeting since the pandemic.

Game industry executives, and even Avengers co-director Joe Russo and Endgame co-director Joe Russo, have declared that the gaming industry is on the verge of defining the next generation of the online world, though everyone is less clear about what's specific. However, Laura Miele, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Electronic Arts, cautioned that the industry needs to build a more welcoming, diverse space before it can turn its attention entirely to the next evolution of gaming and social connectivity.

When it comes to building the world, Russo says everyone is learning from the gaming world. He talked about the Avengers. Doomsday Strives to construct an immersive world based on legends and numerous films where viewers can get lost. Russo said the film "wouldn't have been successful without the previous 10 years and 21 films."

Russo says that the metacosm is a "virtual world." "It's something we want to swim in," he said.

But take it one step at a time.

In a conversation Wednesday morning, Miele referred to the case against Activision Blizzard, referring to reports documenting a workplace where sexual harassment is rampant and often goes unpunished, as well as cases where women have been paid lower, denied promotions and retaliated against when asking questions to their managers. She didn't name Sport Blizzard alone, but she stressed that creating an inclusive, positive work environment is the first step toward a better, more thoughtful game culture and a task that needs to be completed before the game looks ahead to the battered New West and beyond.

"These are real stories, real people, and this is happening in companies in our industry," Miele said. "Now all the success, all the growth... And the power of the game in the world, if the company can't figure it out, if it can't solve this tricky problem, we can't move forward, we won't get through. "

Workplace health is a major topic of conversation at D.I.C.E., where a conversation focused on what it's like to go back to the office and workers' habits have been forever changed by the pandemic. Even the conversation about NFTs (or non-fungible tokens) and how online certificates that allow ownership of digital goods and so-called "play-to-earn" models can transform games is mostly about why the topic has encountered so much resistance among game studio developers.

"Dismissive," is host Min Kim of Bonfire Studios summing up the reaction of early developers to developing games that implement NFT functionality on the blockchain. Panelists tried to take a measured approach, noting that no popular game had yet been able to show a wide audience why player ownership would create a better gaming experience, while acknowledging that the ethics of many early adopters were considered problematic because the initial game in the field was first built around making money or collecting plans.

A spokesperson for D.I.C.E. compared it to the beginning of free mobile games, which introduced a number of controversial mechanics, including loot boxes and their gambling-like nature, as well as endless microtransactions, which can still be occasionally a controversial topic today. "We haven't seen that blockbuster game that changes the developer's perspective yet," said John Linden, CEO of Mythical Games. Citing the example of the trading card game Hearthstone, Lyndon argues that NFTs are in need of such games, and that the work shows new possibilities for certain types of games.

But before everyone worries about the new business model, Miller cautions that the gaming industry needs to clean up its current business model. Miller spoke of the need for internal introspection, but also preached the importance of working to create a safe and positive player community.

"Let's create some real accountability," Miele said. "Whether it's through our existing industry organizations, or we're creating new things, we need to openly track progress on our commitment to (diversity and equity). Many of us have been working together for a long time, and guess what? We don't play games in our garage anymore. We have tremendous power and responsibility in this world."

Miele talked about a pair of initiatives in the electronic arts world that she said has had a positive impact on cultivating a more open-minded and popular gaming community, as online games are notorious for players exhibiting foul language and troll-like behavior. She specifically mentioned the so-called ping system of Respawn's apex Legends, which allows players to communicate through in-game symbols rather than verbally. Miele said other developers can use EA's patent inclusion tool for free.

Another initiative the company has taken is to be more proactive in reaching out to players in question.

Miele said: "We've seen that many of them have actually changed when players receive feedback about their behavior. "So, for example, 85% of Apex Legends players received emails from us after exhibiting a violation of our positive game charter, and they didn't do it again. There is no need for us to ban them or punish them. We just sent them an email reminding them to follow the rules of the game. I still believe in the kindness of people. "

Metavalse-like worlds have received more attention since Facebook renamed itself Meta, but throughout D.I.C.E., there are many questions that are hinted at when it comes to building a welcoming digital universe. The issues surrounding social media and the spread of disinformation remain unresolved, and Miele believes that the gaming community reflects the environment in which they live. She encouraged the industry to take a look at its own house before building more virtual ones.

"We are here, at the intersection of technology, entertainment and social activity, in a uniquely strong position," Miller said. "