Nintendo, Sony Interactive Entertainment’s PlayStation, and Microsoft’s Xbox have announced a joint effort towards “safer gaming.”

Identical statements were released on Nintendo’s website, along with PlayStation and Xbox blogs. In a blog post dubbed “Our Shared Commitment to Safer Gaming,” they explain how gaming is for people of all ages, including those youngest and most vulnerable; especially when interacting with others.

The “Big Three” of console gaming state they are working together and moving towards a “multidisciplinary approach” to keep younger players safe while gaming online.

The following are their “principles guide our work.” In summation; it proposes helping parents understand how to keep their children safe, working with trade organizations and the various nation’s law enforcement, sharing research on preventative measures, and making it easier to report those who harass or otherwise act in an inappropriate manner.

“Prevention: Empower players and parents to understand and control gaming experiences.

• We provide controls that let players customize their gaming experience.  We support parents with the tools and information necessary to create appropriate gaming experiences for their children.
• We recognize that for safety features to be useful, they must be easy to use. We will promote the availability of our safety tools through our platforms, support channels, services, on our websites and in retail stores to reach more players and parents.
• We continually inform our parents and players through our codes of conduct, terms of use, and our enforcement practices.
• We invest in technology to help thwart improper conduct and content before a player is subject to harm.

Partnership: We commit to partnering with the industry, regulators, law enforcement, and our communities to advance user safety.

• The industry’s commitment to safety is central. We believe that we have an opportunity to collaborate for the benefit of the video game industry and all players to offer a safer gaming experience.
• We work with industry trade organizations, industry members, regulators, law enforcement, and experts to develop and advance online safety initiatives.
• We commit to conducting shared research for the benefit of the industry.
• We believe that hate and harassment or exploitation of younger players in any way have no place in gaming. We partner with our community to promote safe gaming behavior and encourage the use of reporting tools to call out bad actors.
• We partner with ratings agencies such as the ESRB and PEGI to ensure that our games are rated for the appropriate audience.

Responsibility: We hold ourselves accountable for making our platforms as safe as possible for all players.

• We make it easy for players to report violations of our code of conduct and, in addition to removing content, we take appropriate enforcement actions for violations, including restricting players from using our services for misconduct.
• We comply with all local laws and will respond to all lawful requests from law enforcement. We promptly notify law enforcement if we observe unlawful conduct or where we believe a player is at risk of imminent harm.
• We publish our rules and requirements and we ensure that players who have been reported understand the requirements for continued engagement with our platforms.”

The trio also state they “welcome others to make and share similar commitments to players everywhere.”