#Gamergate: Beyond Fun and Games
Do you play video games? If so, you may be aware of an ongoing controversy that goes by the name #Gamergate. (∗See explanatory note at the end of this article.∗) There has been a lot of coverage, and a lot of confusing accusations, flying around this story. So btw is going to try and break down the basic facts of this controversy to help you better understand what has been going on.
Major Figures and a Basic Timeline
Credit: Ken Seet/Corbis Images/SuperStock
In 2013, Zoe Quinn, a video game developer created a game called Depression Quest. It received positive responses among those who cover new games for magazines and various websites. In August 2014, Eron Gjoni, an ex-boyfriend of Quinn, wrote a blog post which stated that Quinn had relationships with five men in the video game industry or with video game journalist. Gjoni made this claim to support his belief that these relationship resulted in biased coverage in support of Quinn’s game Depression Quest. Gjoni’s post generated a great deal of discussion and gossip within the online gamer community and across other social media sites. What began as Gjoni’s accusations of nepotism (showing favoritism based on one’s relationship in a professional setting) was soon twisted into charges of prejudice against women within the video gaming industry. Next, enter Anita Sarkeesian, a female journalist and feminist cultural critic. Sarkeesian was already developing a YouTube video series called “Tropes vs. Women,” which provided examples and explanations of the many different ways that popular video games use female characters as props within the video game’s narrative story. Sarkeesian was critical of the way that the video game industry in general diminished female characters. As the controversy around Quinn began to grow, anonymous online harassers launched a bullying campaign against Quinn, Sarkeesian, and others online who spoke out in support of these two women. These harassers have published Quinn’s and Sarkeesian’s personal information online and threatening them with harm Sarkeesian, who has public speaking engagements centering around her YouTube video game criticism series, has received threats of harm if she keeps her scheduled appearances. Another contributor to this confusing controversy is Hollywood actor Adam Baldwin. Baldwin has starred in the Will Smith movie Independence Day as well as television shows such as Firefly and Chuck. He is known in the video game community for his roles in the game Halo and Firefly. Baldwin was the first to use the hashtag #Gamergate in his interactions with this controversy. Baldwin has maintained a critical view of Sarkeesian and Quinn.
An Expanding Controversy and a Shifting Culture
What had once been considered a debate between individuals became a much bigger deal when Intel, one of the largest makers of microprocessors, pulled their advertising from Gamasutra, a popular gaming website. It was believed that Intel did this due to pressure from those engaged in harassment. The company has since apologized for the action, regretting that its action was seen as “taking sides” in the debate. Additionally, Andrea Zecher, a German game designer wrote a public letter encouraging the gaming community to stop engaging in discrimination and harassment of women who work within the video game industry or female video game fans. The letter gained the support of at least 2,500 online signatures. It is not a brand-new revelation that the video game industry is heavily dominated by men and driven by the male customer base. What is new is the fact is that this male dominance is beginning to change, because over a billion people are now engaged in playing games. As the fan base grows, more women enter into this culture. And this cultural shift is most likely the root of much of this story. ∗NOTE∗ It has become common practice in journalist and contemporary history to add the suffix -gate to the end of evens. This is a shorthand way of providing some context to a story that usually involves a conspiracy, a complicated plot, or simply to help designate a scandalous event. This is because of the 1973-1974 Watergate political scandal that led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Burglars authorized by the Nixon Committee to Reelect the President broke in to the Washington D.C. Watergate hotel while looking for political evidence to weaken the Democratic Party nominee for the 1972 presidential election.