So...tell me if Im getting the whole gamergate thing right here: 1. A group of gamers (not going to make any generalizations beyond that they are gamers) discovers that (gasp!) games are made by people and that those people (GASP!) know one another and communicate about both personal things and work - are a community, if you will. 2. Discovering that this community of game professionals exchange information with one another that allows them to do their jobs cry CONSPIRACY! thus, misunderstanding the concept of a professional community 3. This all occurring on the internet, these gamers vent their concerns publicly on social media and forums. However, also a bi-product of this all happening on the internet, the concerns are not expressed as: Hey, Im a big fan of games and I like what you all do. Im now just coming to understand the structure of the game industry, but I have some concerns. I would like to have a constructive dialog where I can ask questions and learn more. But rather: ERMAGERD! TEH CONSPIRACIEZ!!!1! IMMA EXFOLIATE UR SECOND CUZINS HAMSTERZ! Which is behavior that matches destructive things that have been happening online for a long time. 4. Some go too far, death threats are made. Two notable female game industry members have to leave their houses. 5. More rational, socially-minded game industry members and commentators, justifiably tired of this crap, say that this is enough and start to comment on whats wrong with the game community and why/how/when it should/can/should be fixed. HOWEVER, they do so by lumping all gamers into a group and gamer is used in the pejorative sense. 6. The gamers - a small but loud minority of the entire game community mind you - dont like whats being said and strike back verbally. Things escalate. Hashtags ensue 7. The rest of gamers who are more diverse and just playing their games look at the negative press being aimed at all gamers and go, wha? heyyyy :-( More hashtags ensue. 8. Somewhere in there, 4chan - the worst thing/place ever/the very gates of Hell itself, donates to a feminist group and creates a female gamer character to become immune to press criticism. 9. Now the vocal gamers have discovered that there is an academic group who studies games. They have also discovered that academic research is done with funding from various organizations - including ones from the US government. 10. Also discovered is that these academics are also part of the overall game community and communicate with people associated with the people they were originally mad at. Now people think that because of government and academic involvement, there is a conspiracy to take games away and/or not make them fun anymore. replygif.net/1075
Posted on: Fri, 26 Sep 2014 15:03:53 +0000
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