Twitch was purchased by Amazon over the summer and has more than 55 million monthly users. The company even sold for nearly $1 billion. Yet, not as impressively, the platform has been taking a hit by those who purport that video games portray women poorly. Overall, that is a sentiment that most agree on. However, Twitch has taken prevention of further damage to the company’s image by ensuring that users of their service know that dressing inappropriately, or not dressing at all – are not options.
“Nerds are sexy, and you’re all magnificent, beautiful creatures, but let’s try and keep this about the games, shall we?” A section within the rules read. This is an issue that Twitch wants to eliminate quickly. The service allows individuals to broadcast gaming, and allow spectating to happen within the gaming world.
Ironically enough, it’s something that has taken off heavily in the recent months, and having over 55 million users speaks to the overall popularity of the service. However, the new rules place a value on “values.” The new rules create a climate where gamers will be punished for behavior that the company or community deems inappropriate. For example, if you broadcast nude images, or if individuals are wearing things like “lingerie, swimsuits, pasties, and undergarments,” the results will be a suspension.
Eventually, that could also mean a ban from the service entirely. However, Twitch did not lose their sense of humor while administering these rules. In fact, they maintained a healthy sense of humor, which is undoubtedly going to help the company police the rules more effectively. Their ability to not come off, as a massive corporate entity trying to ruin the experience is invaluable to a company that isn’t a baby anymore.
This company is owned by Amazon, and now, generates nearly $1 billion dollars. While the ethics of those creating video games, and violence in video games is heavily criticized, then people are quickly being walked into a space where the battle isn’t just happening within the video game, but outside of it as well.
At this point, it’s hard to tell where the company is going as a whole as the industry is still at a relatively young age. The industry isn’t going to break down because of these new rules, but it will likely cause some friction before it’s ultimately accepted.
