Play Matt: Are Competitive Men a Board Gaming Blight?

jeb wrote:
I think things are getting better. Most of the community would see something like Red Scorpion as problematic now. But that's because of the hard work of taking a stand and pointing out it's wrong when that could be embarrassing or bad for business.

I agree with you. The board game community is growing and becoming much more diverse. I recently read an article written by I believe a designer, but it may have been a publisher, addressing this. It basically said that if you want to sell more games, you have to appeal to the members of this more diverse community. Which in turn will attract more people to the hobby who historically weren't part of it (i.e. non-white, non-male consumers). Which then further increases the size of the market, and you sell more games. If publishers/designers don't do this, then the market collapses because you can only sell so many games to the same small group of white dudes.

I think that we are in a period of transition from the historic board game community being so overwhelmingly male, straight and white, and that is causing some friction.

For example 15 years ago women board gamers who played at our local game stores just did their best to not draw attention to themselves, avoid the creeps, traveled in twos to walk each other to their cars, and used the rest room at the nearest Dunkin Donuts. With the growth of the hobby, which in part was due to significant numbers of woman joining, our store expanded adding more playing areas and a women's restroom and lighting in the parking area. There was some initial friction as some of the regulars didn't like giving up their "man cave" and had trouble adjusting to the changing social norms. However, the management held firm and now the store is thriving.

Additionally, we have seen Cons and tournaments not only create new and better sexual harassment policies, but actually enforce those policies.

Essentially, I am seeing individuals and organizations in positions of power - publishers, designers, retail locations, game clubs, conventions, board game sites and discussion groups - saying representation and inclusion is good for business, and doing what they need to do to make it happen. Part of that work that is being done is acknowledging some of the more unsavory elements within the community, and rather than get defensive about it, or rationalize, or deny, or compartmentalize it, it's being addressed head on...

which of course creates more friction.