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Xbox launches "Black History Month" promotional campaign for the month of February.

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https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2023/02/01/xbox-celebrates-black-history-month/

Summary​

  • Xbox will be celebrating Black History Month throughout February.
  • To help introduce our various initiatives, Xbox Researcher Portia Botchway shares her insights as a Black woman in the games industry.
  • We also explain how you can give, discover, play and watch with Xbox to support Black History Month.

GIVE

Gerald A. Lawson Fund Names Recipients

The USCGames maroon and black text logo on a white background.

Xbox is honored to work with the University of Southern California on the Gerald A. Lawson Fund for Black and Indigenous Students, which advances our industry by bringing more voices and talent into gaming.

Today, USC Games announced the first Gerald A. Lawson Fund scholarship recipients, who will be known as “Lawson Scholars.” Jerry Lawson was a Black electronic engineer who pioneered work in the video game industry including the removable video game cartridge, the 8-way joystick, and the pause button. The Gerald A. Lawson Fund was supported in part by donation from Xbox.

“At Microsoft, we are committed to fostering a more inclusive industry,” said Matt Booty, Head of Xbox Game Studios. We are grateful for USC Games’ efforts to do just that with the Gerald A. Lawson Fund. We believe that providing access to higher education and resources for these students will not only contribute to their personal career endeavors but will also spark growth and advancement within our industry.” You can read more about the program here.
Microsoft Rewards

Microsoft Rewards members in the United States can earn and donate points to organizations supporting Black communities with Xbox. The below organizations will be featured on console:

  • Cxmmunity – A nonprofit organization committed to increasing BIPOC representation within the gaming and esports industry through STEAM education and career development.
  • Black Girls Rock! – A global women’s movement and philanthropic organization dedicated to celebrating and empowering women and girls of color, by producing inspiring media content and providing enrichment programs for girls that foster positive identity development, critical thinking, leadership, literacy, tech, and innovation.
  • Gameheads – A tech training program that uses video game design, development and DevOps to create diverse talent and bold new voices, train youth of color for the tech eco-system and prepare them for college, career and civic life.
Xbox gamers can earn Rewards points in various ways, such as playing games and completing Game Pass Quests, completing offers in the Microsoft Rewards app on Xbox, and select purchases at the Microsoft Store (exclusions apply). Earn points and redeem them for real rewards. Join us today and donate through Xbox.
Xbox Ambassadors Features Missions for Black History Month

The Xbox Ambassadors community is celebrating Black History Month with a series of XA Missions that highlight games made by Black creators and feature Black leads. Ambassadors can unlock XP by playing, sharing, and discussing games like The Gunk and Watch Dogs 2. Join the discussion and begin unlocking exclusive rewards by becoming an Xbox Ambassador today!
The Microsoft Game Dev Blog Celebrates Black History Month

A compilation image including seven people across the top and bottom rows with a middle row consisting of swirling clouds with a computer board pattern and red, yellow, and green stars.

Everyone has a different path on their journey into the games industry, whether it’s through school, retail, or the military. On the Microsoft Game Dev blog, we’ll be celebrating the contributions of some of our Black and African American employees and partners who create, publish, and, above all, love games with a special entry in our Pathfinding series. Pathfinding features career advice, industry tips, and personal stories of the journey into gaming. It often takes years of persistence to build on the passion that led them toward gaming in the first place and we’re excited to give a diverse set of people a platform to share the lessons they learned along the way with anyone considering a career in the game industry.
Four diverse avatar characters wearing the Xbox sunset nexus on their tops in celebration of Black History Month.

New Gamerpics, Profile Theme, Wallpaper, and Avatar Items in Celebration of the Black Community

In partnership with Black communities at Xbox, we’re introducing a new gamerpic, profile themes, wallpaper and avatar items! The gamerpic and profile theme will be available on console and the Xbox PC app. Get your avatar items and wallpapers here. Content is subject to availability by country.
The Xbox logo stylized in celebration of Black History month featuring a nexus with a red and orange sunset overlayed with the box art for the games Deathloop, League of Legends, Humankind, and Dishonored: Death of an Outsider.

PLAY

Explore Games Curated by Black Communities at Microsoft

Here at Xbox, we are committed to providing inclusive and engaging gaming experiences so that everyone can enjoy all the positive feelings and connections that games provide us. We want all players to be able to find stories they connect with and characters they relate to.

For Black History Month, we are highlighting Black creators, lead characters, and character creation options that include a variety of skin tones and inclusive hairstyles. This collection is available on Xbox, Windows, and Mobile and will exist year-round as part of our ongoing work to create more inclusive gaming ecosystems and elevate content that resonates with communities.

A few highlights from the full Game Pass collection on Xbox and the full Game Pass collection on Windows include:

Deathloop (Available with Xbox Game Pass and Rated M) – Co-created by Black developer Dinga Bakaba (now the Studio Director for Arkane Lyon), Deathloop has won numerous awards for its unique spin on first-person action adventure and the charisma of its two Black leads. The story follows two rival assassins, Colt and Julianna, playing a deadly game of cat & mouse over the fate of a retro futuristic world locked in a time loop.

League of Legends (Available with Xbox Game Pass) – The massive roster of champions in League of Legends includes characters from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, including Black champions like Ekko, K’Sante, Lucian and Senna. Each champion has a deeply engaging storyline and a unique arsenal of spells and abilities, so jump into the game and experience the dynamic stories of these characters now.

HUMANKIND (Available with Xbox Game Pass) – HUMANKIND is a turn-based strategy game in which you can create your own dynamic civilization by combining over 60 historical cultures from across the world. Explore African history and create your very own story with vibrant cultures such as the Nubians, the Bantu, the Ghanaians, the Zulu, the Nigerians, and more.

Dishonored: Death of the Outsider (Available with Xbox Game Pass and Rated M) – Play as Billie Lurk, the notorious supernatural assassin who plied her trade for years in Dunwall and Karnaca alongside the legendary mercenary killer, Daud. Billie is a resilient and resourceful Black woman who sheltered the empress on-the-run in Dishonored 2, now taking center stage in the third act of the Dishonored franchise.

This collection is available on the Microsoft Store on Xbox and the Microsoft Store on Windows in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United States. Visitors can find this collection at any time by searching within the Stores for “Black History” and related terms.

TUNE IN

Xbox Plays Celebrates Black History Month with Streamer Takeovers

Xbox Plays celebrates Black History Month with streamer takeovers every Monday in February at twitch.tv/Xbox

Every Monday during the month of February, the Xbox Plays team will be inviting some of our favorite streamers to join us on the Xbox Twitch Channel and handing over the keys to the channel for streamer takeovers in celebration of Black History Month! Tune in and catch all the action on Twitch.tv/Xbox!

February 6th

  • Kendrisite playing Minecraft (11am PT)
  • SpringSims playing Disney Dreamlight Valley (3pm PT)
February 13th

  • DataDave playing Deathloop (11am PT)
  • Teonawrites playing Coral Island (3pm PT)
February 20th

  • Xayd playing Disney Dreamlight Valley (11am PT)
  • Prince & Pop playing Halo Infinite (3pm PT)
February 27th

  • Jade Valkyrie playing League of Legends (11am PT)
  • 901thagamer playing Forza Horizon 5 (3pm PT)

I'm a bit confused on the first three avatars in that photo, or is it the orange and purple Xbox logo that represents the campaign?

Strangely enough, games are mentioned but no discounts for BHM, which is notably in contrast with the Anime month announcement from yesterday taking place at the same time, where MS discounted games across the store.

They are however, launching a BHM gamepass collection though, so you can try out some games for free if you have a GP sub..
 
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Majormaxxx

Member
So what is next, white pride month? :D

Just weird from non-US viewpoint. These are consoles for gaming, we are all faceless and have no color, unless you stream half naked to twitch etc.

Good game is a good game, no matter whom made it
I think at this point they can't not do it. The culture conversation is too involved.
 

anthony2690

Banned
This will make their Blacks at Xbox happy, I'm sure of it.
I remember when Era acted beyond outraged over this, blacks in gaming.

Was funny watching all the white people apologising and making themselves look a little silly and acting offended on behalf of black people.

Yet it was a group created by black people for black people 🤷‍♂️



Pretty sure this video has a lot of dislikes what I can't see anymore due to YouTube changes, as Resetera claimed it was racist & comments were turned off as it took off on era/twitter.
 
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Majormaxxx

Member
Just thought of another game. Played it back in the day on my 386.

JAMMIT.

Now THAT was a good bball game.

Also San Andreas! And gta5!
 
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mckmas8808

Banned
So what is next, white pride month? :D

Just weird from non-US viewpoint. These are consoles for gaming, we are all faceless and have no color, unless you stream half naked to twitch etc.

Good game is a good game, no matter whom made it

It makes perfect sense for a US citizen. Our history points to why we have Black History month. It matters whom makes them in the bigger picture.
 

IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
So what is next, white pride month? :D

Just weird from non-US viewpoint. These are consoles for gaming, we are all faceless and have no color, unless you stream half naked to twitch etc.

Good game is a good game, no matter whom made it

It's not just the US. In the UK we have Black History Month, LGBT+ History Month and South Asian Heritage Month.
 
I remember when Era acted beyond outraged over this, blacks in gaming.

Was funny watching all the white people apologising and making themselves look a little silly and acting offended on behalf of black people.

Yet it was a group created by black people for black people 🤷‍♂️



Pretty sure this video has a lot of dislikes what I can't see anymore due to YouTube changes, as Resetera claimed it was racist & comments were turned off as it took off on era/twitter.

The people who got upset looked pretty silly since it was putting a spotlight on to black creators. They might be well intentioned but some things the community affected have first say whether to get upset or not.
 

vj27

Banned
That reminds me, did Microsoft or 343 ever address the Juneteenth Bonobo incident from last year?

1N9FEzW.jpg
0UFoCBA.jpg
Lmao pretty sure they did, completely forgot about that. Sean W my favorite black halo YouTuber (tbh he the only one, he’s funny asl tho cool guy) made a vid about that pretty sure. 90% sure 343 rolled this back and apologized. What’s extra hilarious is that the new (well one of) head of 343 is black lmao. Wonder what his thoughts were on this…
Is there a reason why these gestures by big companies during events like these always appear painfully convoluted and insincere? Obviously they want to keep their ESG score high but it just reeks of unearned, cheap moral virtue.
They do this for like literally every holiday/event this isn’t remotely a new thing and will remain a thing until the end of time, it’s free publicity why wouldn’t you. Like during Independence Day or cinco de mayo or St. Patrick’s day. I honestly don’t see the issue with this since, like I said, companies have been doing this since the dawn of marketing lol.

Also this man is the mascot of black history month for gaming and I will not be told otherwise lol.

m6V5b4e.jpg
 

anthony2690

Banned
The people who got upset looked pretty silly since it was putting a spotlight on to black creators. They might be well intentioned but some things the community affected have first say whether to get upset or not.
If they watched the video and paid attention, there would be no reason to be outraged or act offended on behalf off others.

All they did was ruin the spotlight on this gaming group, that had their chance to show off their community.
 

MiguelItUp

Member
It makes perfect sense for a US citizen. Our history points to why we have Black History month. It matters whom makes them in the bigger picture.
Exactly. It started as a week in 1926, and grew into a month in 1976. It's something that has existed for decades. It was always in honor of the triumphs and struggles of African Americans throughout U.S. history.

It's not uncommon to see companies, brands, stores, etc. acknowledge it.
 
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