Shadowstalker16: I don't know if you're speaking about gaming in general or this forum, but do keep in mind that this started with the labeling of the gamer identity as misogynistic, un-diverse and dead. I think you'll have problems with that at the every least if all the current things are bothering you.
As to causing strife, it really cannot be blamed on the movement itself. GG is little more than a people looking into and searching for proven lack of journalistic ethics. Its only as dividing as much as people who don't want that to happen wants it to be.
If anything the only people not accepted here are people who regularly post in this thread or is proGG (and ofc trolls and scammers and spammers). Everyone loses REP everyday while the poor people we harassed off this forum for asking to debate their theories are free to post as they see fit, as it always has been and no one is forcing them to speak to people they don't want to, as it should be.
''Bullies'' or asks them about their discrepancies and they call the questioners bullies? And what of their own bullying? That is bothering too no doubt?
And AFAIK this isn't very influential on the general forum. The news and discussion stays in here, and people have expressed their desire to keep it in here and that's what happens most of the time. And some posting about this is better than nothing at all right?
I am replying to everyone who replied to me here through this post. While I can respect the investigation into the lack of ethics in journalism, I do not see this being a widespread issue in the gaming media these days. In fact, I believe things are slowly improving in that regard. Back in the 90s, gaming magazines were mostly advertisements for products (remember Nintendo Power?) and heavily biased in their reviews.
These days the journalistic standards have risen, and if any corruption comes to light, the journalist in question is fired.
Also, the GG movement is associated with doxing, cyberbullying, swatting and general anti-social behaviour, especially towards minorities and women. I´m sure none of you folks have participated in any of these things, but keep that in mind when you mention "Gamer Gate". This is what most people see. Attacks against Zoe Quinn, Anita Sarkeesian, Brianna Wu and other vocal female gamers or game developers. That is unacceptable behaviour.
As for bullying? Although I wouldn't go so far as to call it that; but notice how my first post was downvoted almost immediately, even though nothing I said was deserving of such treatment. You say that your opinions are silenced, yet you actively harass and silence the opinions of others who politely disagree?
I think the biggest issue here is that gaming is simply evolving as an art form. Just as theatre, film, literature and modern art were once criticised for daring to explore what was conventionally accepted, now games which cater to a different crowd are also feared and criticised. The result is this.
No one is trying to take away your beloved games. Dark Souls can peacefully coexist with games such as Gone Home. The reason the media is showing so much attention towards games of the latter category is that they are new and exciting in this genre. As games become increasingly diverse, the media attention will also wither. There is no grand "conspiracy".
Also, if it bothers you so much, vote with your wallet, not with your "fists".
To the poster who suggested I look into the matter: I am also a very active Redditor and am familiar with this fiasco. I see a lot of negativity and trolling. A lot of downvoting. A lot of namecalling. I have experienced first hand the negative effects of Gamer Gate, as swarms of people have gone through my Reddit posts downvoting every single one (regardless if the post was about cute puppies or feminism).
What is it about diversity that frightens you so much? I am a woman who has been gaming since my father brought home a Commodore 64 in the late eighties. I have fallen in love with games to the point where I went to university to study computer science and game design. They have been there for me when I was being bullied in school. I didn't have a group (like this) to relate to and unleash my anger, but I had my games. Nevertheless, I will surely be downvoted for daring to say that "I am a woman" because apparently we are not "real gamers". I would wager that I know more about games and the industry than most of you. Everything from obscure JRPGs (only released in Japan) to systems such as the ZX Spectrum and MSX, both of which I own since I collect old computers, consoles and games.
The reason I came here to voice my disappointment is that this thread is featured on the front page of the GOG community. Hardly obscure.
Of course, you are always free to your discussions and opinions; I just hope that the rest of this community will remain a safe, friendly place for everyone - just as it once was.
I hope you fine folks will take the time to read through what I have said, rather than spamming the downvote button.
If you think unethical journalists are questioned (which is not very easy since they ignore all questions as harassment) and fired, it may surprise you to know 90% at least of these people :
http://deepfreeze.it/journo.php still retain their positions at top gaming ''journalism'' sites. It is quite wide spread from my opinion, and I make that opinion after looking at that and the general state of which gaming sites I can visit in general. If you don't find a problem with the state game journalism is in, I welcome your right to hold your opinion. But most of the people in gamergate think there is a problem and even the Society of Professional Journalists said there was so they are doing non violent activism to better the sate.
I didn't downvote your post. And I welcome your opinion. Its a feature of this thread really. I was at 250REP when I started posting. Now I'm at ~85. ''Associations'' made by whom exactly? Other journalists from tabloid sites / outlets. Do you think they'll report on it fairly if they're running this movement that questions journalists' ethical standards? And is a tabloid / outlet or potentially corrupt journalist the most reliable source on the matter?
There IS NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER that GG harassed Zoe Quinn or Anita or Brianna. Anita had her glory days before GG and Zoe had a group of channers after her that were from /lolcow and not /GGHQ. Brianna has been proven to create alt accounts harassing herself. Like, there is actual proof she harasses herself. And look at the many GGers who got harassed. Milo Y was sent dead animals and syringes and dick pics (he said he liked the latter) when he was doxxed. Lizzyf620 was doxxed as well. There have been ~15 bomb threats against GG meetups / events and a group of female gamers / MRAs were kicked out of a gaming convention just for being proGG.
Look for archived links or screencaps and not what people say through naked claims on posts. As a kind of proof collector, I have never found an instance of GG harassing / bullying beyond unsourced opinion pieces or articles that quote one-another in a circlejerk.
You know that GG is just as diverse if more diverse than aGG right? lol look at this thread. Look at the prominent figures. If raw numbers are your measure of diversity, the GG panel at the SPJ debate event had 3 women and 3 men (3 women, 2 men, 1 evil right wing but fabulous guy). A lot of the prominent figures are also ''minorities''.
You may know more , and you probably do because I only got into gaming post 2005, and I don't doubt your ''gamer cred'' or whatever because you're a woman, and I'm sure most people GG or otherwise don't either.
Nothing about ''diversity'' is scary. But when you're a journalist, you have the duty to take unproven opinions like Sarkeesian's and many other pseudo scientific theories as what they are- unproven fancies instead of believing them as fact. What proof do we have that the current ''diversity'' drives have done anything at all to welcome such ''minorities'' you speak of? Does having a poorly written brown skinned guy as protag make me feel more immersed because I'm also brown skinned or will I feel more immersed as a well written white protag with immersive writing and proper character development? So shouldn't the current call for diversity be questioned if the aim is to make gaming be more welcoming rather than pushing one unproven idea as the truth without proof and saying ''minorities'' will feel immersed.
If we want to make gaming more inclusive, we must question what is making it more / less inclusive. When any attempts at questioning these dogmas are mass reported by journalists as harassment and racism and misogyny, you get a stagnation of the dogmas that are implemented solely to satisfy those who believe it and don't reach the end goal. Gaming journalists want to continue with this stagnation, GG questions and receives bad press in return.
And seriously, I wasn't downvoting you, and if I was certainly not because of your gender . Regular posters in this thread lose rep on a daily basis. PM / ask anyone else. I'm not doing it.
