Rec Room is an online world of millions of different rooms. It’s a place for players to build and play games with friends from around the globe; social interaction is at the heart of the experience.
Problem
As Rec Room expanded, so too did user-generated content and interactions with all of the good and bad of society at large – issues such as bullying, toxic comments, and harmful online behavior threatened to impact the inclusive and fun atmosphere Rec Room fostered. The challenge was how to scale Rec Room’s moderation interventions to reduce code of conduct violations, all while maintaining high player engagement and positive immersive experiences.
Solution
In collaboration with Modulate, Rec Room integrated ToxMod, the only voice-native moderation solution, to proactively manage and mitigate negative player experiences. ToxMod's advanced machine learning frameworks helped Rec Room gain deeper insights into player interactions and the effectiveness of various enforcement strategies.
Rec Room's team decided to experiment with lower-impact interventions like short mutes instead of immediate account bans for single instances. This strategy was based on Rec Room’s data suggesting that less severe moderation actions could still effectively influence players to change their behavior while recognizing that players make mistakes or have impassioned reactions in game, every once in a while.
Key features of the solution included:
- Real-Time Systems: ToxMod's real-time capabilities allowed Rec Room to detect, review, and respond to code of conduct violations.
- Disruptive Behavior Data: Toxmod delivered data about key disruptive behaviors which informed how Rec Room approached Code of Conduct enforcement.
- Adaptive Enforcement: The ability to tailor responses dynamically, such as choosing short-term mutes over long account bans, helped Rec Room manage infractions more appropriately.
Outcomes
The implementation of ToxMod and the shift to a more targeted moderation approach yielded significant positive outcomes for Rec Room:
- Reduced Toxicity: The data showed a noticeable decline in repeat code of conduct violations among players who were initially muted. Short-term mutes allowed players to self-reflect and modify their behavior without feeling excessively punished.
- Rec Room saw a ~75% reduction in repeat toxic offenses through warnings.
- And a ~90% reduction in repeat violations through mutes and bans.
- Enhanced Community Sentiment: Feedback from the community indicated higher satisfaction with moderation practices. Players appreciated the fairer and less disruptive measures.
- Retention and Engagement: By avoiding the harsh measures of banning accounts, Rec Room saw improved player retention and engagement rates. Players were more likely to stay and enjoy the platform due to the balanced approach to rule enforcement.
- Scalable Moderation: ToxMod's efficient processing of millions of hours of audio enabled Rec Room to scale their moderation efforts seamlessly as their user base continued to grow.
Testimonial
"ToxMod has been a valuable tool in helping us maintain the positive, welcoming environment Rec Room is known for while treating our community with fairness and respect," said Yasmin Hussain, Head of Trust and Safety at Rec Room. "Nuancing our moderation actions has reduced negative experience, but also fostered a safer and happier community.”
Rec Room is free to play and cross plays on VR, mobile, console and screen devices. Visit recroom.com to download and play today.
To learn more about ToxMod and how it can benefit your platform, visit Modulate.
