The Entertainment Software Association, which represents the US gaming industry, has released a measured and somewhat tepid statement regarding the recent Muslim ban instated by Donald Trump. In it, they ask the White House for “caution”.
Since Saturday, travellers and duel-nationals from Iraq, Iran, Somalia, Libya, Yemen, Sudan and Syria have been barred from entering the US (all seven countries are Muslim-majority). Some legal US residents who carry green cards have been detained or turned away from flights to the US. It is a dark and shameful moment in US history that sets it back decades in foreign policy, ethics and empathy.
The ESA said today, “The Entertainment Software Association urges the White House to exercise caution with regard to vital immigration and foreign worker programs.” They note that gaming companies “rely on the skilled talent of U.S. citizens, foreign nationals, and immigrants alike. Our nation’s actions and words should support their participation in the American economy”.
The press release adds that they recognise that “enhancing national security and protecting our country’s citizens” are critical. In an email, the ESA did not provide further comment.
The ESA has published Press Releases about immigration and travel issues before, including P1 Visas, which foreign esports athletes must obtain before competing in major US tournaments. After the Trans-Pacific Partnership passed, the ESA expressed the importance of fair trade to the industry — something that may be tested after US President Trump renegotiates the North American Free Trade Act (NAFTA) and imposes a high tariff on Mexican trade.
Over the weekend, game-makers like Playdots, Inc., Cardboard Computer, MidBoss and Vlambeer pushed back against the travel ban. Game Developers’ Conference representatives full-throatedly described their reaction as “horrified”, asking the community to “keep fighting for inclusivity”. The ESA’s statement reads a little spineless in comparison, but as lobbyists, they can’t really say much.
Comments
25 responses to “Video Game Lobby Group Gives Measured Statement On Trump Immigrant Ban”
Well this was an industry, I ironically did not even consider would be impacted heavily by this, given it’s also my favorite hobby… goddamn.
Yeah, I know that I and a lot of other people shared this feeling when Obama, Bush and Clinton also temporarily banned travel to the US from a few countries.
Actually, no, nobody really made a fuss about it. People are just getting angry at it this time because Trump did it.
So you have personally interviewed every single person on earth to see how they reacted when previous presidents enacted similar orders? How else would you know exactly how EVERYONE acted?
Because there weren’t riots, protests, a million news stories, billions of angry tweets and Facebook posta about those previous times. Yet it’s this time that garners all the attention? Yeah, it doesn’t take “interviewing everyone on the planet” to see a pattern emerging through social and traditional media.
So what? Because people did not react one way in the past, They are not allowed to act at all against something in the future?
Have you every thought that maybe the reason there is such huge protests is because its much more easily reported now? Heck even i did not know that obama had done similar (Most likely to appease those mongoloid republicans in congress”.
People have the democratic right to protest, Wether you like it or not. People like Hasbrogamer act like its illegal to criticize or say anything negative about the small handed moron drumpf.
Not quite the same thing.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/jan/30/donald-trump/why-comparing-trumps-and-obamas-immigration-restri/
To be fair the low hanging fruit would be Bush instead, he clamped down hard in a short ban after 9/11 (still longer than the short, but useless one Trump has imposed), to which very few people made a sound. I personally don’t like Trump, but I find it funny that a lot of the older academics that are tearing Trump a new ass hole and calling him the second coming of Hitler were mysteriously quiet during the Bush administration because they likely had connections to people lost in 9/11.
A lot of these issues boil down to perspective and the far left seems to have lost it around the time Liberalism stopped being about complete critical thinking, only to find itself being about feelings and virtue signalling over everything else. The right definitely has racists (and a questionable morale compass), but the left has moved the goal posts to the point where its literally them vs the world.
Let’s not pretend that “them vs the world” only exists at one end of the political spectrum.
Of course not, all the Antifa Anarcho douche nozzles and the actual racists within Trumps camp that saw him Trump’s conservative outlook as a way to actually oppress minorities in America. My problem with the left is that as someone who has voted Greens pretty much all my life, I feel like the shifting sands have pretty much left anyone that doesn’t hard commit to the left being called racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, etc. Even if you mostly agree with them, you will still get labelled as something if your ideologies don’t perfectly align.
To me both sides look just as horrible as each other.
Calling for a ban straight after a major terrorist attack and calling for a ban 16 years later (on countries that haven’t even committed terrorist attack against the US, while leaving those that did suspiciously free) are very different.
Thats why I said useless, I think there is a strong argument for changes to immigration in a lot of western countries (both in terms of being more humane and still being firm to keep its people safe), but the statistics very clearly show that the majority of countries his EO targetted have not produced terrorists.
Yeah people can ID that Trump is a massive cunt on the surface and underneath, amazing huh?
Yeah because those times were not the same as this time. They were for very particular and real reasons. Were reactions to key events. This however they invented a problem, sold people on the fear of it and then invented this ‘solution’ for something that doesn’t exist. If it was really about making their country safer why dont they do something about domestic shootings whose numbers obliterate the ones we are supposed to be scared of
Yes they are angry because Trump did this because Trump hasnt got a damn clue of anything. Just wants everyone to bow before him.
So the refugee crisis is and invented problem? Not a single one of the refugees have been a terrorist? Even if it stops one terrorist from getting into America, I’m fine with the inconvenience that this temporary ban is to regular people.
Given how many actual citizens kill other innocent Americans with guns, in mass shootings, you are worried that about that possible that s refugee might rise up? HAH. As for our country I am more worried about the multiple drivers A DAY trying to kill me while I am out for my ride. They terrorise me, not some mythical refugee. The funny thing all ridiculousness does is help marginalise and inspire more actual local Muslims who are at the tipping point of badness anyway
If to protect our freedoms we have to become the very thing we deem as bad, doesnt that actually defeat the point. In fact isnt that the thing some terrorists actually want to achieve?
So all that it takes to make a Muslim into a terrorist is to do something that they don’t agree with?
Not at all. Islamic terrorists aim to convert other countries to Islam.
When the differentiating factor is one man, it’s referred to as “hypocritical”. Might want to learn about that word, it’s going to be occurring a lot over the next 4 years.
So the internet only just popped up when Trump was sworn in? These things were reported, but quickly forgotten because people LIKED Obama & Clinton. When Bush was in, the focus was more on “Bush is sending people into a war no one wants” rather than his policies.
It’s called Google, please begin using it to educate yourself before commenting in the future.
Funny, because it’s becoming illegal to say anything other than “Trump sucks! He’s ruining the world!”.
Thank goodness someone with common sense and sees it the real way instead of clouded leftist judgment. No one is affected any more than when Obama did it. All the lefties have felt like they lost control and running around like little kids screaming that they didn’t get there own way. The thing I love is how the political system is now on it’s knees.
Did Obama’s ruling affect Green card holders? No. It only slowed the refugee process down.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/jan/30/donald-trump/why-comparing-trumps-and-obamas-immigration-restri/
Obviously Sir it’s not
But it is a popular view right now (probably because of his actions). There is a prodigious amount of condemnation of his recent action, and what seems little praise.
You Sir – however, have the right to express your opinion and hold different views from the mainstream majority.
Either way my good man, you can’t argue that it seems most of the world isn’t impressed with this Executive Order (for good or ill).
Just stepping in to ask that people – please – continue keep things civil. (Edit: not that I don’t believe you won’t – I’m very fortunate in how good a community Kotaku Australia has – but that I need to sleep and I can’t keep a close watch on this sort of stuff 24/7.)
Well now we have to be jerks… 😉
Jesus, is that his signature at the bottom? It looks more like an electrocardiogram.
It does seem odd to me – not saying its a bad signature (mine is complete chicken scratch), but I do find it hard to read “trump” from the last bit?
There seems to be too much lowercase in the second 2/3rds of the signature? And it ends is what seems to be a d?
Between what’s meant to be either the last “d” in Donald or the “T” in Trump and the final letter he just squiggles up and down about 10 times, far too many times for a 5 letter word. It’s not even a close approximation of what someone who knows how to write “Trump” would actually write.
It’s like a child mimicking something he’s seen his parents do.