Gamergate: Video game war over women spills into real life

[Blue_Tires]

Los Angeles — Questions of sexism and video game culture once again spilled off the screen and into real life this week.

The popular South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas, abruptly canceled two panels that focused on online harassment in video games. The reason for the cancellations: The festival started getting harassed, too. According to officials, the festival had received unspecified threats of violence if the panels went forward. Since then, SXSW has been in damage control mode, as major sponsors Buzzfeed and Vox Media threatened to withdraw if the panels were not reinstated.


The particulars are specific to the video game industry – a backlash to female game designers and players critiquing what they consider negative depictions of women and minorities in games. But the broader issues raised by the controversy are at the heart of today’s popular culture, some experts say.

Not only are festival organizers missing an opportunity to discuss the roles and perceptions of women, they add, but also the increasing use of violent media and real-life threats to express violent desires – whether or not they are ever acted upon.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2015/1029/Gamergate-Video-game-war-over-women-spills-into-real-life

[KitSileya]

1. The headline implies this is new.

It isn't. From the very first beginning of gamergate, it spilled into the very real life of Zoe Quinn. And then it spilled into the very real lives of other women, like Brianna Wu, and the continuation of of harassment of Anita Sarkeesian, and those who stood up for them.

Not to mention, the internet is real life. These women who are being harassed are for the most part game developers or involved in computer games in other ways. That means that the internet is part of their real life, just as it is for most of us. Anita Sarkeesian's job is on the internet - that means that even if any of the vile behavior of the gamergaters and others happened solely as comments on youtube or posts on 4chan and reddit, it would still be a part of her real life.

[Dwayne Hicks]

2. Gamergate

Is the tea party of gaming. Most gamers do not support them. And this article is a blatant lie.

[BreakfastClub]

4. There are MANY of these boys/men in gaming. And The CS Monitor generally doesn't lie. nt

[smirkymonkey]

5. The CS monitor is a highly reputable publication and has very high

journalistic standards. They don't just publish random hearsay.

[BreakfastClub]

3. I hide my gender when doing anything gaming-related

Sometimes I feel a little guilty about it because I think I should let it be known that I'm a woman, but I can't stand the harassment. I'm sure I'm not alone in letting people assume I'm male, or at least making it unclear whether I'm male or female in the gaming world.

I don't understand why these men (mostly young but also many older ones), feel so hateful toward women. It makes no sense...maybe it's just because of the anonymity of it all or the fact that they think gaming is "theirs." Maybe they would feel stupid if they enjoyed a game created by a woman or if they were beaten by a woman. I just know that I can't play or discuss gaming as a woman online. It seems that most people don't care that much about the rampant sexism going on here. With this kind of blatant misogyny, imagine how hard it is for women to get into any male-dominated field! Where are the TV news stories and the protests? Why aren't more people motivated to do something about it?? Thanks for posting the article.

[Brickbat]

6. "off the screen and into real life this week"

Once again implying that the cruel and terrifying threats women receive online aren't really much to be worried about.

[Starry Messenger]

9. +1

Although I am amazed that this is finally getting any mainstream press attention at all.

[Oneironaut]

7. GamerGate: Hates SJW and assigns them nasty stereotypes,

and then acts like those stereotypes and worse. It's pretty ironic.

When was the last time you heard of a feminist saying she was going to go to someone's house and slit their throat? Hmm...

[Blue_Tires]

8. +1