Lots of reports
By Jari Klapwijk Ann
Many game studios have released reports on abortion rights in the United States. Although Sony last month called on its studios not to release any statements about the theme, several PlayStation studios have responded. Bungie, Xbox, Bethesda and Ubisoft show similarities.
The statements come in the wake of the US Supreme Court ruling overturning the ruling in the Rowe Wade case. This puts an end to the national right to abortion. The U.S. states must now decide whether abortion is permissible. That right is already restricted in Missouri.
The first studio to be heard on Twitter was Insomniac. “We are the people who make the games. Reproductive rights and physical integrity are human rights,” the statement said. Then followed Bend Studio⁇ Media molecule⁇ Sucker Punch Productions⁇ Gorilla⁇ Sony San Diego And PlayStation London With similar statements.
The naughty dog said it would “actively support staff in getting proper care”. The naughty dog will help employees move to a state that allows abortion, if they themselves live in a state that prohibits it. Sony Santa Monica Shares the same message.
Microsoft made itself heard on Twitter. “At Xbox, we are committed to ensuring that our employees continue to have equal access to health care.” Bethesda said: “We believe that the ability to make choices about your lifestyle and body is a human right.”
Shortly afterwards, it was announced that Sony and all its subsidiaries and studios would be reimbursing travel expenses to employees who had to move to another state for proper care. The same goes for Netflix, Paramount, Comcast, Warner Bros. Discovery, Amazon, Xbox and Disney.
In May, Sony CEO Jim Ryan reportedly sent another email within the company asking that dissenting views on abortion rights be respected. This went wrong with many employees, after which Insomniac donated $ 50,000 to WRRAP, a non-profit organization that guarantees reproductive rights. Behind the scenes, Sony reportedly doubled that donation, but stuck with what was described in the internal email.
