Riot Games: Promoting Equality to Contribute Social Tranquillity (2064876)

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The 4^th Valorant Champions Tour 2024 Game Changers EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) has just begun last week. This women-exclusive esports tournament marks another milestone of Riot Games’ efforts in the gaming industry’s journey towards inclusivity and equality.

Who is Riot Games?

The American company was founded in 2006, famously known for developing one of the most iconic games for the world’s entertainment industry, League of Legends. Riot Games since then has diversified its portfolio with several other titles which quickly became a significant player in competitive gaming and streaming communities.

Riot Games emphasises a culture of inclusivity, innovation, and community engagement, focusing on creating immersive gaming experiences. Despite facing challenges, including addressing workplace culture and discrimination issues, Riot Games continues to influence the gaming industry and esports, demonstrating a commitment to growth, improvement, and the evolution of interactive entertainment.

Riot and Tranquillity: how did they respond?

In response to the scandal they had in 2018 and to cater to UK law The Equality Act 2010 (as Riot has their EMEA regional office based in Reading, UK), they started a series of actions to improve equality not only within the company but also in the gaming industry.

Riot aims to improve the company’s impact on equality, they are classified into four categories: recruitment, support, player experience and community.

Statistics have shown in the UK, 70% of people working in the games industry are male, compared to 28% female and 2% non-binary workers. That being said, there is a lot to be done to make everyone within the industry more equal. Riot’s recruitment policy targets balancing the number of different genders, and ethnicities; eliminating pay gaps; and making welfare more consistent, fair and comprehensive for people with different backgrounds. For example, Riot activated its donation matching scheme multiple times in 2022 to help employees provide more aid to causes that were important to them, including Eastern European humanitarian efforts, reproductive rights, tragedy relief, and LGBTQ+ commemoration and education.

Figure 1: Riot’s D&I Report on Recruitment in 2022

When it comes to the support category, Riot acknowledges most of the underrepresented groups and creates communities for them inside workplaces. A survey has shown that there are higher rates of anxiety and depression among LGBTQ+ people are commonplace in society. Rioter Inclusion Groups (RIGs) like Rainbow Rioters act as a medium to allow people within those communities to share the differences, challenges and nuances they face in daily lives, which helps develop better mental health.

Beyond Riot Games’ in-house culture, they also pay attention to aligning equality with global player experiences. The company ensures players’ privacy. Riot Games makes their data collection process more transparent by allowing players to request what personal data has been collected and applied. They do it not just to obey the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, but to ensure the users have the equal rights to know what they want to know.

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Well, what can other game-developing companies learn from Riot Games?

Here are the two questions addressing how the industry can react to this issue with Riot Games’ pioneer experience:

(i) How can a video game raise the awareness of social equality with its game design and settings?

(ii) How can game companies contribute further to equality?

1. Enhancing Social Equality through Game Design and Settings

Inclusive Game Design: Riot Games’ character roster in “Valorant” showcases an array of backgrounds, promoting representation and inclusivity. For example, Riot has their Turkish employees create a character for one of their game titles while balancing the execution of good representation and avoiding stereotypes of Turkish people.

Figure 2: Character description of Fade, an agent on Valorant

Source: PowerToFly on YouTube

This strategic design serves as a powerful tool for fostering empathy and understanding among players, breaking down stereotypes and cultural barriers through immersive storytelling and gameplay.

Recruitment and Culture: Riot Games’ commitment to diversity extends to its recruitment strategies and workplace culture. Game companies can encourage the development process of their games to be influenced by a broad range of perspectives, thereby contributing to a gaming landscape that is more attuned to social equality.

Server Accessibility:
By strategically placing game servers around the globe, Riot Games aims to improve access for underserved regions. This initiative ensures that players from various geographical locations have equal opportunities to participate in the gaming community, democratising access to digital entertainment and competition.

2. Beyond Gaming: Riot Games’ Broader Contributions to Equality

Community Engagement: Riot Games actively implements community guidelines and organises fundraisers to support social equality initiatives. These efforts reinforce positive behaviour within the gaming community and demonstrate the company’s commitment to creating a safe and welcoming environment for all players.

Support for STEM Education: Recognising the importance of education, Riot Games contributes to STEM education initiatives, particularly in underserved communities. By supporting programs that foster interest and skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, Riot Games invests in the development of a diverse talent pool, paving the way for the next generation of game developers.

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Given the Equality Act 2010 has been implemented for more than 10 years, it is concerning to see inequality still exists in today’s UK gaming industry. It is never too late to change and it is workable, just like how Riot Games bounced back after its scandal. It is also hoped that Riot Games being one of the biggest foreign gaming companies can utilise its influence and power to lead the movement of improving equality within the industry, or even further, making changes to the society. What are your thoughts? Comment down below!

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Is Crowdfunding the Independent Filmmakers’ financial saving grace? (C21116531)

Cover image by Cottonbro Studio via Pexels.com

Despite positive change and development within the creative industries, the post-pandemic era occasionally reminds us of its ongoing disruptions, affecting the resources many have relied upon in support of their creative endeavours. Independent filmmakers who already faced many challenges beforehand are now met with a greater burden in securing traditional means in financing their work within the UK due to the decline in support and financial success of independent films.

Finding funding for films has always been a challenge, more so for independent projects that heavily rely on creative grants offered by organisations such as Film Cymru Wales or seeking financial support from private investors. As the UK enters another recession, the cost-of-living crisis has presented itself as another blow towards independent filmmakers, with many private investors and companies already reconsidering their investments in independent film projects due to production costs increasing by around 20% during Covid-19. A further blow facing the sector is the funding cuts by the British Film Institution (BFI). Back in September of 2023, a 10-year strategy Screen Culture 2033 was revealed, heavily affecting the funding towards independent filmmakers. The new BFI Filmmaking Fund’s budget is around £18 million per year, a 28% decrease compared to the £25 million per year under the previous round of funding.

These financial and economic setbacks do pose a threat towards the ‘sustainability’ of the independent film sector, with many organisations voicing their concern about its future as it undeniably progresses towards “market failure”. However, this new reality has caused many independent filmmakers to look at alternative ways and practices towards financing their projects.  

Crowdfunding has provided the independent sector with new prospects for finance and visibility, giving it reason to be optimistic. These creative environments, which are centred on community-based finance, provide an alternative to modern financial institutions and governments. These new internet platforms now provide independent creatives with access to a wide pool of donors to support their niches and small-scale initiatives, while circumventing traditional gatekeepers.

Independent filmmakers now have the opportunity to create and build their own community which has expanded their reach and possibilities for support and success beyond their friendnetworks. Crowdfunding has become an important source for creating value, these platforms as such have removed the middleman and created a more intimate bridge between the artist and its audience. Unlike traditional practices of filmmaking, crowdfunding allows individuals or project backers to participate in the films development as they receive updates on the project’s progress. Most crowdfunding projects in exchange for support reward their donors by creating packages. These rewards vary depending on the amount donated, acknowledging the individuals participation towards the project.

Crowdfunding has given the independent filmmakers greater creative freedom and control over their projects. Some traditional settings would see filmmakers wait months before receiving news if their funding was approved or not. These Platforms now allow creatives to set financial targets, whereby they can visually monitor their progress. Other benefits of these platforms such as Kickstarter, Seed&Spark, and Greenlit ensure your visibility by creating creative-only spaces that give filmmakers a better chance of funding, while other crowdfunding platforms such as Filmocracy offer a streaming service for filmmakers to showcase their finished works.

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However, the guarantee of funding through these platforms is not as simple as it may seem. This community-based funding requires filmmakers to build online communities through other social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as the crowdfunding space alone won’t guarantee the financial support and success of the project. In effect, the use of other socials stimulates a type of “herding”, as new contributors are likely to follow the actions of earlier donors due to peer influence, which has been shown to produce a better successful rating in projects meeting their financial targets.

Filmmaker Isaac Tomiczek ( I Just Stabbed Someone, and Tyler) took to setting up a Kickstarter to fund his project Blockbuster Boys. Tomiczek’s previous works had received backing from grants and investors yet when asked in an interview why the shift to using a crowdfunding platform, his response echoed the growing concerns for the independent film industry.

A few years ago, development funds in the UK film industry were rife… Post-Covid, that culture is nearly non-existent in the UK – Isaac Tomiczek

Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, Tomiczek was unsuccessful in reaching his financial goal.

Source: Blockbuster Boys by Isaac Tomiczek via YouTube

The campaign itself managed to raise £37,134 of its £39,000 target backed by 231 donations. Despite 95% of the funding raised, due to Kickstarter’s “all or nothing” policy, any campaign that fails to reach its financial target within the 30-day window will lose access to all made pledges.  

The current climate within the creative industries is proving to cause a significant strain on funding that might potentially affect the future sustainability of independent filmmakers. Crowdfunding in many ways has been a saving grace in opening forms of funding, whereas other means are no longer possible. However, with many filmmakers turning to platforms such as Kickstarter with a high failing rate of 60%, “Film and video” contributing to 30% of projects seeking funding on the platform, conversations within the industry must take place in looking at alternatives in finding ways to support independent filmmakers to protect the future of the independent film industry.

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Inequalities across the film industry: What is happening behind the scenes for those off screen? (C21074886)

A critical analysis of inequalities across sectors in the film industry through the lens of the SAG-AFTRA strikes.

Last year, film and television productions across the world were brought to a halt. For the first time since 1960, the American Actors’ Union (SAG-AFTRA) and the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) joined each other in strikes against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). Though striking separately, the two unions shared many of the same concerns around the effects of streaming, unregulated use of AI in the film industry, and the need for better pay and working conditions. Because of SAG-AFTRA’s ‘Global Rule One’ policy, stars such as Cillian Murphy and Emily Blunt affiliated with the union walked out of the premiere for their new film Oppenheimer.

Source: ITV News via YouTube (2023)

WGA officially called an end to their strike on September 27th, followed by SAG-AFTRA on November 9th, with both unions having reached agreeable terms with Hollywood. 78% of SAG-AFTRA members signed off on their deal, which included an 11% wage increase for background actors, protection and compensation over the use of digital AI, and a £32m residual bonus for streaming participation.

After a nearly four month pause to the industry, the future finally seems brighter for screen actors as they continue to build “sustainable careers”. But just as it takes a village to raise a child, the film industry relies on the collective work of wider creative crews to bring a production to life. So what is happening behind the scenes for those off screen?

Many creative professionals seem to have been forgotten about when discussing the impact of the industry’s strike season, particularly those across the British film industry. Christopher Ross, president of the British Society of Cinematographers, stated that although the strikes were for US unions, “almost every project is tied in with either US money or US talent”. American productions use British film studios for their generous tax incentives and local experienced workers, pouring billions into the UK economy by doing so. In 2022, a record of 6.27 billion pounds was spent on film and high-end television production in the UK, 90% of which came from American productions.

From costume designers to cinematographers, all UK film departments were expected to support the strikes with nothing to gain from it. Without work or financial support, 80% of jobs were affected. Many workers were forced to find labour elsewhere, downsize, or burn through their savings. So what did those struggling behind the scenes have to say about the situation?

Figure 1: Images by Leo Whitfield

I spoke to Emma Boswell and Katya Nelhams-Wright, founders of The Helicopter Girls. Known for working on productions such as Fast X and Bridgerton, the company provide major film and high-end TV productions with cutting edge aerial cinematography using drone technology. They commented that they saw a 70% decrease in work as a result of the strikes, which is unlikely to pick up until the Summer of 2024. Productions that have gone ahead during this time remained unprofitable to them, as rates were slashed by 50-75%.

This translates across to the experience of the freelancers The Helicopter Girls work with. Leo Whitfield, a freelance FPV drone pilot, said he only worked a total of five days on small projects during the strikes. Financially he became reliant on family and friends and even had to sell some of his professional possessions. Although freelancers are highly relied upon in the creative industries, the policies of being self-employed mean that they fail to access any appropriate financial support.

After speaking to both The Helicopter Girls and Leo, I was left wondering: is there anything that could have been done differently to support them?

In Canada, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) donated $2 million to support those out of work. ‘Wellness webinars’ and advice on how to find temporary work was also provided to those struggling. Whilst the UK government acknowledged impact on their local film crews, their ‘create income replacement scheme’ petition fell short of 70,000 signatures, and so did not provide their creative industries with the same support they had done during COVID-19. The Helicopter Girls and Leo also confirmed that a lack of communication regarding the strikes’ progress left them feeling isolated and uncertain about the future, from both UK and US unions alike.

Screen actors’ are the face of cultural value in the film industry by nature, but those behind the screen are equally responsible for some of the most memorable shots and costumes. There’s a structurally inequal food chain that lies within the film industry, which unfortunately fails to recognise the contributions of those behind the scenes appropriately. The aftermath of last year’s strikes has seemingly created a promising future for the film industry, but I worry that its only created a bigger divide between workers on and off the screen. Discourse in the industry needs to shift its thinking as we’re left to ponder what the future looks like. Is it possible for actors’ to use their visibility to harness support for those unseen? Is it possible for the DCMS to protect their unseen creative workers by mirroring the models used by Canadian unions? For now, the answers to those questions lie in the hands of the people at the forefront of an industry that favours those captivating our screens.