Activision Blizzard posted on their website a picture of their "Diversity Space Tool" which was developed by King, a software tool for assessing video game characters along certain axes in order to show their relative diversity. Several people then pointed out that the script was equivocally dystopian.
Yesterday, Activison Blizzard stated that the "prototype is not being used in active game development" and was intended as an additional component to other activities.
Desigend by King is a tool developed by Activision Blizzard, and the company has developed an understanding of diversity guidelines. These guidelines include gender, body type, character role, pose, body movement, and a way to distinguish between "token characters and true representation."
"During this process, the tool can also detect unconscious bias, such as why certain traits are perceived as "male" vs. "female," or why certain ethnic backgrounds are given similar personalities or behaviors," according to the post.
As Fanbyte pointed out, reducing diversity down to a set of metrics is problematic - especially given that an easier approach might be to hire and listen to diverse designers.
Activision Blizzard''s post about the Diversity Space Tool was updated, and a clarifying note was added at the top. "It''s not a substitute for any other essential effort by our teams in this regard, nor will it alter our company''s hiring targets."
Activision Blizzard, of course, lacks goodwill at the moment when it comes to trusting in their employment practices. In several lawsuits, including the State of California, about an alleged workplace harassment, by an employee claiming harassment and retaliation, and New York City, regarding CEO Bobby Kotick''s ability to negotiate the company''s imminent sale to Microsoft for $69 billion. Employees have also led walkouts over changes to work-from-home and vaccination policies, while QA staff
