The internet is a dangerous place. Some of our worst digital myths have been busted Chinabased, and some of the most alarming accounts have been exposed. But the internet still offers plenty of great reasons to explore its hidden corners – including gaming! – so check out these five uncomfortable truth-bending GamerGate videos that make you question your right to exist.
Gamer Girls Are Out to Kill GamerGate
In the beginning, it was widely believed that GamerGate was the work of a small faction of the far-right internet community. That, however, is not the case. GamerGate is a phenomenon that has grown larger and more diverse than anyone could have predicted. On the contrary, the internet’s largest and most prominent gaming organization has consistently been fighting back against the attacks and dirty tricks of the right. In fact, the internet’s largest gaming website, GameSpot, has been a leader in educating, reported and educating the public on what is happening in the gaming industry.
Bigotry, Harassment and the Internet
People can be jerks, but bigots, too, are few and far between. They are the mean and reprehensible individuals who use their small, prejudiced points of view to commit various acts of harassment and violence against others. These individuals are not yourfriendly neighborhood bigots. They are the real deal, and it’s time for game developers and publishers to correct their mistake.
Be Real About Your Belief System
As a social justice warrior who has served as the lead media for the anti-Trump, anti-establishment Movement for the New Century, I have witnessed first-hand the anti-conservative bias of a majority of the online gaming community. It is not just the content, but the tone of many games that has led to this. What started as a movement of self-reflection and criticism has turned into a pandemic of toxic self-hatred.
Stop Talking dirty to Games
Let’s be real: every language out there has its share of off-color or offensive words. But there is a difference between being a “ Dirty Microsoft” and being a “ziplessenius.” The former refers to someone who claims to be a video game analyst, while the latter refers to those who claim to be a game developer. If you frequent gaming forums and messageboards, you are likely to find countless off-the-wall characters like this.
Game Developers Should Tell Story
Games are businesses. If a company wants to tell the truth about how its business is doing, then it should certainly publish accurate and reliable reports about its performance. But that is not the case with many games. Instead, many games have chosen to keep to themselves the dark side of gaming and have kept to themselves their sales numbers. Others have chosen to publish secrets about their products, often without even realizing they are revealing any truth.
Ethical Advertising is Dead
Advertising is a powerful weapon in the fight against social justice causes. It can cost a lot in money and media spends, but it can also create an environment in which people are free to express themselves and make money from that freedom. Advertisements that promote gambling and prostitution are especially appealing to the young generations of people who are increasingly involved in the new economy.
The Problem with Video Games and Video Games as Businesses
Many video games have become instead commodities for the marketplace. As a result, there has been a decline in the overall number of video games in general and of video games in particular. Businesses now have far more options for gaming than there ever was before. Consumers no longer have to settle for a single brand or a collection of games from a variety of companies. They can now choose from a menu of excellent options.
Just because we’re Games Doesn’t Mean We have Free Speech Rights
We tend to forget that the first amendment applies even to the most exclusive of social networks. It’s very nice to be able to listen to political discussions on the interwebs and to read great books, but aren’t you concerned that your ads might be offensive or offensive ads? Sure, you can turn off the interloper, but shouldn’t you be?
GamerGate in Review
Now that the above-mentioned facts have been discussed, let’s examine the state of the movement and campaign against online harassment and harassment in games. Let’s start with the low-key but persistent campaign against harassment and assault against female game developers. What has been most impressive is the consistent and well-organized campaign by game fans and influencers against this campaign. Why does this matter? Because it shows the game developer community that it can stand up for itself and that it can fight back against attacks and the misogyny and harassment that goes along with it. It also sends a strong message to the tech industry that it has a voice and that it can be listened to. While the campaign against harassment is becoming less banner-flagged, the campaign against the gaming industry’s wrongdoings is much more diffuse and diffuse.
Game Developers should Tell Story
The games industry has always been a notoriously closed and murky industry. There are no reliable figures about the number of games being made in the industry and there is no way to tell how much of it is sold or whether there will be another generation of impactful games from the current crop of developers. This lack of transparency has led to a lot of misconception. One example is that of the new generation of Virtual Console games. Some developers believe that they can charge more for these games because they are taking advantage of the fact that current and future generations of consoles don’t support the service anymore. However, this is not the case. The games on these boxes are free to play and they promote the games as if they were paid products.
