At least once in every gamer’s career, they’ve encountered toxicity. Toxicity is found everywhere in the multiplayer scene, whether that be through voice chat, text chat, or even through minute actions in-game like taunts or sprays. It has been a history as long as multiplayer games have been on the market, with various but unsuccessful attempts at combating it. Of course, it makes sense - if people can be unpleasant to each other face-to-face, who’s stopping them from doing the same online? But it becomes infinitely easier for destructive language to hurt both gameplay and personal feelings when toxic players can hide behind a screen, and gaming no longer becomes the relaxing safe haven that many use as a hobby or even a lifestyle.
GamerSafer aims to fix in-game toxicity once and for all. It was founded in 2019 by Maria Tamellini, a mother who loved gaming, but feared for her children’s safety and peace of mind while playing games online, and for good reason. According to TechJury, about 72% of gamers are 18 or over. While this statistic demonstrates that gaming can be picked up by just about anyone, it doesn’t bode well for those under 18 who may be picked on or taunted unnecessarily by those potentially far older. So how does GamerSafer aim to combat online trolls?
GamerSafer uses a multitude of techniques to make sure that parents don’t have to be helicopters around their children to keep them safe online. By using facial detection features on smartphones, GamerSafer can assure that only players who agree to a healthy gaming environment can play, all while keeping harassment and toxicity out of the gaming sphere. A player is able to log into a game, scan the QR code in the app, and in less than one second can be verified and get into the game.
As for preventing toxicity, GamerSafer can ban anyone using the app for their community - and said players will not be able to return to the community. The biometric security features guarantee that neither the player nor the parent can create a new account and get around an in-game ban. Along with this, parents are able to see player insights via the Parent Control Dashboard in the app, which allows them to connect with their children as well as monitor online activity.
One of the biggest questions surrounding GamerSafer is this: Are biometric detection features really necessary, or are they just an invasion of privacy that isn’t needed to keep gaming safe and non-toxic? Personally, I believe that in this age of technology, our personal information is not safe from many apps or websites out there - but GamerSafer has platform compliance with the ever-evolving rules on internet and biometric privacy and safety, to assure that user information is not being used maliciously and as minimally as possible. Along with this, biometrics are one of the only ways to truly crack down on ban evasion, and provide a permanent solution compared to other less effective approaches.
The biometric authentication by GamerSafer isn’t only used for confirming player identities. It also keeps out “alts”, or alternate accounts, as well as prevents toxic behavior from becoming the norm in spaces that choose to use the platform by banning the player permanently. The company fully believes that the anonymity that the internet provides ultimately becomes the death of many healthy gaming platforms- and this sentiment is very true. As someone who plays online multiplayer games frequently, I find the easier it is to access a new account and hide behind a different username, the easier it is for toxicity to be perpetuated in the gaming sphere.
Lastly, GamerSafer doesn’t have to just be for kids - sometimes, even those over 18 are looking for a non-toxic place to hang out and enjoy a diverse environment with people of all ages and identities, and foster a social community with users who are accountable for their actions while online. Ultimately, the company strives to create a system where all players are held accountable for their actions, and those who opt-in to the platform are provided a toxicity-free gaming environment no matter who they are. GamerSafer is looking to revolutionize the world of safe online gaming as we know it, with more rules and regulations to keep gamers doing what they love in a toxicity-free environment.
Commenti