To Humans of the Past, Present and Future, 

Perhaps, it is undeniable that technology has made the world a better place with the increase in our standard of living, quality of life, and the growth of the global economy. 

Perhaps, it is also applicable to say that technology has exposed the dark side of humanity with data security issues, privacy breaches and digital addictions. 

In this era of emerging Artificial Intelligence, humans are forced to ‘upskill’ our human traits to show our worth to the world.

BUT… are we actually progressing?

It is applaudable that the population has gained consciousness of recognising the uniqueness of individuals and embracing this diversity. However, humans are stubborn creatures. Even if our life experiences have taught us that change is the only constant in the universe, we are still reluctant to accept the differences. In physics, the law of inertia is the property of a physical object to resist change unless acted upon by a net external force. Our human mind, though not having a physical presence, perhaps cannot escape this law either. 

In our subconscious, we dwell in the sense of familiarity, stay in the comfort zone, and enjoy the security it brings. In times of change, we should take ‘human inertia’ into account too. 

The gaming industry, to put it nicely, has not been performing well in recent years. The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion department, also known as the DEI, was ‘planted’ among gaming developers to push for the multiplicity of character design that often feels out of place. Their intention was good, but their execution was poor and thoughtless. The outcome remained surface-level to show that efforts were put in, yet it was carried out without deeper connections to its context. It is ironically similar to how DEI promotes inclusivity in the workplace, yet fails to listen to the voice of the stakeholders in the industry. Their implementation feels more like a target to achieve, rather than an effort to foster true understanding and change in mindsets. 

To the gamers, these forceful implants ‘destroyed’ the game and ultimately resulted in the rebounce of the community. Gamers understand the difficulties of developers and pity the money, time and human resources wasted in the process. They support those with good DEI implementations, wishing to establish a statement and convey a message to the industry. So it is not to say that DEI is an ideology that people refuse to accept when the thoughtful integrations are approved and appreciated by the community. It is about finding the right kind of treatment for the different patients: a direct, quick but forceful change or a subtle, non-intrusive yet effective shift over time. 

We should not fail to recognise the original intention of the DEI department and pay attention to the root cause: inequality. But just like what we were taught, success is a long process of making progress. Forceful measures like this do not resolve issues; instead, it is consistency that wins the race.

DEI’s first attempt was extreme and less than ideal. It contributed to further discomfort and reluctance in the community. They present the solution as a yes or no answer, and gamers see it as a take it or leave it expression. No middle ground is accepted. 

Recognising that people need time to adapt is similar to understanding that time is needed to overcome the inertia in the physical world. Change can happen even if no progress is shown in the moment. And to truly put forth the idea of diversification, it is more feasible to invoke change in both the physical and mental world. In a recent university module taken, our cohort was encouraged to explore ‘beauty’ with our own definitions while recognising those of others. One might not agree or approve of others’ viewpoints, but we are not forcefully imposing our opinions upon others. It is about discussions and opportunities to be inclusive of all perspectives. An environment where true diversity is allowed to bloom. 

Humans are not made of 1s and 0s. We live on a spectrum of right and wrong, and our interpretations of the same subject differ. We are not and will never be perfect. Mistakes like this might be a step back from the starting point for this topic. But DEI is not just an issue in the gaming industry; it is a starting point to recognise the importance of seeking a well-rounded solution to inequality.