boredsilly

My thing is what exactly would better gaming journalism look like? What is it that is so bad now that needs to be fixed, and what isn't happening that people want to see?

Josh-da-man

I'm late to the party here, having just found about gamergate, and spent yesterday afternoon researching it.

Not being a video gamer (except for a lot of Guitar Hero/Rock Band when that was still around) and the occasional puzzle game on my iPad, it's fascinating to watch this thing go down.

Gaming journalism is not, I suspect, much different from any kind of entertainment journalism where nobody wants to bite the hand that feeds them. Rolling Stone has been fawning over shitty albums for a long as I can remember. Nothing new.

It's funny - and telling - that the neckbeards didn't get whipped into a frenzy until they thought a girl gamer fucked some guy to get a good review.

I've seen a few of Sarkeesian's videos, and, while I think raises some good points she also comes as being smug and condescending and is occasionally full of shit. But in the end, I can't morally side with the people who want to ram a hot tire iron up her c*nt and drink her blood.

And, of course, this snowballed, and the tea party kook fringe at Hot Air and Breitbart (thanks to Baldwin?) has taken up the cause of defending the poor gamers from Feminazi "bullies." Nice to see two groups come together over their shared pathological hatred of women.

One thing I can't figure out is how The Fine Young Capitalists fit into this. They purport to be "radical feminists" but they're being supported by the 4channers and the tea baggers, so I don't know if they're legit, or if they're the equivalent of those crisis pregnancy centers run by anti-abortion groups.

Jay G.

The Fine Young Capitalists are planning a female-only game jam which was criticized by Zoe Quinn earlier this year. It looks like 4chan learned of the jam after "GamerGate" started, when TFYC went on reddit to complain of Zoe Quinn "doxxing" them, so it seems like they may be supporting it just to spite Quinn. There's also the possibility that 4chan is supporting it so as to deflect the claim that GamerGate is sexist; i.e. they can go "we're not sexist, we supported an all-woman game jam." Of course, another possibility is that 4chan isn't just one voice, so at least some of the 4channers donating may be opposed to the GamerGate conspiracy theory.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fine_Young_Capitalists
http://apgnation.com/archives/2014/0...ng-capitalists

slop101

In most polls/statistics, that's enough to count you as a gamer.

Dan

Colbert did a bit on Gamergate last night, followed by a quick interview with Anita Sarkeesian.
<iframe width="854" height="510" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Fix2Bi0FShY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

As expected, the gators are obsessing over the fact that she couldn't refused to call out three specific "sexist" games, as if she hasn't already documented MANY more than that in her video series.

I think she did quite well, and Colbert did a great job at pointing out the absurdity of the... movement? revolt? Whatever it is...

chuckd21

Twitter is pretty hilarious about all this right now. Sometimes sad, mostly hilarious.

RocShemp

I'm confused. I thought this whole Gamergate nonsense started because people were bitching about developers having close friendships with game reviewers/reporters. Then some asshat uploaded private conversations with his ex. Now it's about sexism in video games?

Seriously, the more I read about this shit, the less it makes sense.

mhg83

Do they realize Colbert is a Satire program?

Breakfast with Girls

It started with the blog article written by the ex-boyfriend.

If you really want to understand it, this is the best summary and analysis of the entire phenomenon that I've read:

http://deadspin.com/the-future-of-th...rga-1646145844

slop101

There's nothing to "understand". It's basically the same type of assbags who get butthurt at game reviews for games they've yet to play, but now they're also butthurt that women dare chime in on games as well. These wastes of space never mattered before, and they shouldn't matter now. They just seem to yell loudly on twitter.

chuckd21

fujishig

I only understand like half the words in this post, but can someone tell me... are these gamers hardcore?

RocShemp

So basically assholes being assholes (just louder than usual)?

Dan

Exactly right.

mhg83

Surprised this wasn't posted yet

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/E47-FMmMLy0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

And a long but good response video

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/IAF2UmyXe-4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/rhPHFX3BLmc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

slop101

I get her deal, but I saw that original video as sort of rhetorical, and a generalization, which is rather accurate. He responses all seem to boil down to #notallwomen, pointing out smaller, specific differences rather than addressing the overall general issues.

Dan

No.

Groucho

He's right about it being long.

Dan

No, you!
Oh, you fixed your typo.

YES!

RocShemp

It's an okay video but point #11 is bullshit. Yeah, some folks for mysterious reasons like those "angry" video game reviews where guys yell about random bullshit in the game(s) being discussed but there are plenty (like myself) who simply find them obnoxious. And, although point #12 is correct in that admitting to liking such games won't reinforce the non-existent stereotype that men are not real gamers, it does usually result in people questioning the sexual orientation of said male gamer (to the point of harassment) simply due to his taste in games. But I guess you have to have tunnel vision to make this list work.

Jay G.

For those who can't or don't want to watch the video, here's the original article it's based on:
http://www.polygon.com/2014/4/23/564...ing-while-male

I believe all the numbered points are the same.

I think the point isn't that everyone likes "angry" video game reviews, but that the opinions in those reviews aren't dismissed simply based on tone. You can be like, "I find his tone obnoxious," but that rarely if ever translates into "therefore he's not a real gamer."

That's the point though. When someone disagrees with a male gamer's taste in games, they're going to attack/dismiss that one single gamer, not male gamers as a whole. It's specifically about the stereotype.

BTW, the homophobia of the gamer community is just another aspect of what's wrong with it as a whole, in addition to the misogyny. Pointing out the homophobia doesn't diminish the misogyny in any way.

The point of the list wasn't "men have it perfect." Yes, individual male gamers can become victim to harassment and such. The point was that gaming male has certain advantages that may be "invisible" to many unless they sit down and think about it, which most probably don't.

spainlinx0

People who say women don't get harassed as an automatic, have they ever played an FPS when the rare girl actually enters a chat lobby? It's nonstop. It's pretty embarrassing.

Solid Snake

it is. i don't like chat anymore. just got worse as time passed.

RocShemp

There you have me at a loss and I'll take your word for it (as I do with most such horror stories I hear about) because I simply don't play multiplayer. I've tried it a few times and usually just grow bored with it. I'm more a single-player gamer.

Brack

That's the reason why you won't find women in chat lobbies. My stepdaughter plays COD with her friends, and all other multiplayer games with friends. I could be making a huge assumption, but most women like playing multiplayer with their friends (doesn't everybody?). Regardless, I rarely hear people chat in multiplayer anyway unless playing with friends.