GamerGate

GamerGate is a consumer revolt by players of video games. The movement originated in August 2014 and at first focused on investigating the ethics of video game journalists, including accusations that developers used personal relationships with journalists to gain favorable reviews and industry awards. The journalists responded by accusing the gamers of misogyny and harassment. This tactic successfully distracted attention from the issue of journalistic corruption. In particular, many gamers were outraged by a group of articles published on August 28 that proclaimed that "gamers are dead." These articles urged the industry to use politically correct themes and recruit more female and gender-confused gamers. An episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit that aired in February depicted a fictionalized version of the affair based on the views of the journalist involved. In the episode, its writers claim that gamers are driven to misogyny and violence by the games they play.

Background

In 2013, Chelsea Van Valkenburg or better known as Zoe Quinn, made a game called Depression Quest in which the player role-plays the life of an individual suffering from depression, and eventually got it green-lit on Steam. Meanwhile, her ex-boyfriend published a WordPress blog called The Zoe Post showing evidence of infidelity, using sex with game journalists and developers as a means to gain favorable coverage for herself and her game amongst mainstream sites. In addition to sites like 4chan, Reddit, and Tumblr (all which are also drastically different politically and culturally), calls from individuals such as Firefly actor Adam Baldwin and even people of diverse backgrounds and members in the LGBT community had rose to support change and unite under umbrella movements such as #gamergate and #NotYourShield.

Responses

Erik Kain, an editor for Forbes, argues that the GamerGate movement is in response towards the increasing left-leaning criticism of video games.

"What it boils down to is many people feeling upset that the video game space has been so heavily politicized with a left-leaning, feminist-driven slant," he said.

Liana Kerzner, writing for Metal Eater, was, among other things, critical of the video game media's part in stoking the controversy, and apologized on behalf of her colleagues:

"The fellow gamers I feel the absolute most sympathy for in all of this are the 'fat, white, heterosexual, cisgendered neckbeards' whose demographic was directly associated with bigotry. Columnists could have just said 'misogynist bigots,' but they didn't. [...] The generalizations were unprofessional, anti-intellectual, and dehumanizing. So, wearing my other hat as a member of the video game media, I am sorry for that. It was wrong, and you guys didn't deserve it. The intentions on all sides of #GamerGate are, for the most part, sincere. I believe everyone wants a free, safe, open and honest video game media and community. There is, however, a deep divide regarding how to go about that."

Edit wars broke out on the GamerGate article on Wikipedia, which resulted in a case before Wikipedia's Arbitration Committee. Some of the editors then moved their dispute to another wiki site. These edit wars in turn drew other media attention.

Miscellaneous

GamerGate.me is a website created by supporters that provides information on email campaigns, blacklists, whitelists, charity drives and in depth commentary, including the Dossier on Games Journo Pros.

What is a SJW or Social Justice Warrior? by Internet Aristocrat

See also

• Swatting
• Doxing

External links

• The authoritarian left was on course to win the culture wars then along came Gamergate, Breitbart news

• I am writing a book on Gamergate, Breitbart news

• The Gamergate movement is making terrific progress. Don't stop now, Breitbart news

• GamerGate Destroys Max Read

• Gamergate hits new low with attempts to send Swat teams to critics

• The Real History of GamerGate., by Ian Miles Cheong of Human Events