To the Editor:

It is unacceptable that Anita Sarkeesian, a cultural critic, and others who express the view that video games are disrespectful to women are being targeted for verbal and physical harassment, even rape and death (“Feminist Critics of Video Games Facing Threats,” front page, Oct. 16).

There is no reason video games cannot become a safe and enjoyable environment for women, or for people of color, those with disabilities and those from any other underserved community. In fact, the “GamerGate” controversy should serve as a call to action. Game makers and fans alike should question and rethink what has seemingly become the norm in gender and racial representation in games.

The rise of empathy games that deal with issues universal to the human experience — such as “Papo & Yo,” based on my own real life as a survivor of an alcoholic and abusive father; “That Dragon, Cancer,” about a boy suffering from terminal cancer; and “Depression Quest,” in which the main character deals with depression — demonstrates that the climate is ripe for companies to create games that are more diversified and inclusive of the gender, racial and ability spectrum.

This doesn’t mean that the market for games we grew up with will diminish. It will simply mean a broader variety.