“There are people … who want to keep it…

October 20 Comments Off on “There are people … who want to keep it… Category: Feed, Games, Tumblr

“There are people … who want to keep it marginalized…” 

Meet the woman whose game sparked a thousand death threats, her first TV interview on MSNBC

“The subtext of some of these objections, that the gaming industry does not need to change, troubles…”

October 19 Comments Off on “The subtext of some of these objections, that the gaming industry does not need to change, troubles…” Category: Feed, Tumblr

“The subtext of some of these objections, that the gaming industry does not need to change, troubles me much more. Historically, the majority culture in America telling a minority culture “can’t you just pipe down and let us keep things the way they are?” has led to some darker chapters in our country’s history.”

A Grab Bag of GamerGate responses.

“The subtext of some of these objections, that the gaming industry does not need to change, troubles…”

October 19 Comments Off on “The subtext of some of these objections, that the gaming industry does not need to change, troubles…” Category: Feed, Tumblr

“The subtext of some of these objections, that the gaming industry does not need to change, troubles me much more. Historically, the majority culture in America telling a minority culture “can’t you just pipe down and let us keep things the way they are?” has led to some darker chapters in our country’s history.”

A Grab Bag of GamerGate responses.

“Co-opting the language and posture of grievance is how members of a privileged class express their…”

October 14 Comments Off on “Co-opting the language and posture of grievance is how members of a privileged class express their…” Category: Feed, Games, Journalism, Tumblr

Co-opting the language and posture of grievance is how members of a privileged class express their belief that the way they live shouldn’t have to change, that their opponents are hypocrites and perhaps even the real oppressors. This is how you get St. Louisans sincerely explaining that Ferguson protestors are the real racists, and how you end up with an organized group of precisely the same video game enthusiasts to whom an entire industry is catering honestly believing that they’re an oppressed minority. From this kind of ideological fortification, you can stage absolutely whatever campaigns you deem necessary. […]

The demands for journalistic integrity coming from Gamergate have nothing at all to do with the systemic corruption of the gaming media. They’ve centered instead on journalists purportedly pursuing social-justice agendas and on ridiculous claims that the press sees gamers as vectors of social contagion. Some of the complaints, like the idea that outlets ought to reconsider their editorial positions if enough readers disagree with them, even stand in direct opposition to traditional journalistic ethics.

All of this makes sense, though, if you think about Gamergate as a mutant variant of the traditional American grievance movement, a rearguard action marching under the banner of high-minded media critique.

The future of the culture wars is here and it is GamerGate.