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{{quotefarm|date=November 2014}}}} {{quotefarm|date=November 2014}}}}


The '''Gamergate controversy''' began in August 2014 and concerns ] and ] in ]. Many supporters of the self-described Gamergate movement (sometimes referred to as the ] ''#gamergate'') say that they are concerned about ethical issues in ]. Commentators and critics have said that the movement is rooted in a ] against women and the diversification of gaming culture. The '''Gamergate controversy''' began in August 2014 and concerns accusations of ] and ] in ]. Many supporters of the self-described Gamergate movement (sometimes referred to as the ] ''#gamergate'') say that they are concerned about ethical issues in ].


The controversy began after ] developer ]'s ex-boyfriend alleged that Quinn had a romantic relationship with a journalist for the video game news site '']''. This led to harassment of Quinn, including false accusations that the relationship had led to positive coverage of Quinn's game. The conflict escalated when a number of gaming industry employees supportive of Quinn were subjected to harassment, threats of violence, and the publication of personally identifiable information about them (]), leading some to flee their homes. The targets were mostly women, and included Quinn, ] media critic ], and indie game developer ]. The harassment came from ] users, particularly those from ] and ] using the #gamergate hashtag. It was condemned by international media sources as anti-feminist, and heightened discussion of ] and misogyny in the gaming community. The controversy began after ] developer ]'s ex-boyfriend alleged that Quinn had a romantic relationship with a journalist for the video game news site '']''. This led to harassment of Quinn, including accusations that the relationship had led to positive coverage of Quinn's game. The conflict escalated when a number of gaming industry employees supportive of Quinn were subjected to harassment, threats of violence, and the publication of personally identifiable information about them (]). The targets were mostly women, and included Quinn, ] media critic ], and indie game developer ]. The harassment came from ] users, particularly those from ] and ] using the #gamergate hashtag. It was condemned by some international media sources as anti-feminist, and heightened discussion of ] and misogyny in the gaming community.


Many involved with the Gamergate hashtag have said that they are concerned with ethics in video game journalism, with members launching a campaign to get ad providers to pull support from sites critical of Gamergate. This campaign and others like it have been widely criticized in the media as evidence that the ethics concerns are only a front for a culture war against people working to diversify the video game demographic. The Gamergate group's origins in the false allegations and harassment of Quinn, its failure to identify significant ethical issues in games media, and its frequent criticism of game critics who discuss issues of gender, class, and politics in their reviews have also been cited as evidence for this position. The unorganized, leaderless movement has hitherto been unwilling or unable to distance itself from continued harassment. Many involved with the Gamergate hashtag have said that they are concerned with ethics in video game journalism, with members launching a successful campaign to encourage ad providers to pull support from sites critical of Gamergate


The events of Gamergate are attributed to perceived changes or threats to the "]" identity as a result of the ongoing diversification and maturation of the gaming industry. As video games have become ], they have been subjected to ] and treated directly as a vehicle for such commentary. This move to recognize games as art is thought to have prompted opposition from traditional "hardcore" gamers who view games primarily as a form of entertainment. The resulting culture war led to the subsequent harassment and conflict. The events of Gamergate are attributed to perceived changes or threats to the "]" identity as a result of the ongoing diversification and maturation of the gaming industry. As video games have become ], they have been subjected to ] and treated directly as a vehicle for such commentary. This move to recognize games as art is thought to have prompted opposition from traditional "hardcore" gamers who view games primarily as a form of entertainment. The resulting culture war led to the subsequent harassment and conflict.
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The growth of the gaming audience also brought in many female gamers whose primary gaming interests did not conform to those of the male-oriented gamer identity, and who began to question some assumptions and ] that were historically used by game developers. In light of the growing female audience for games, and growing female representation in the gaming industry, outlets became increasingly interested in detailing issues of ].<ref name=Vox /><ref name=Time /> One prominent feminist critic of the representation of women in gaming is ], whose '']'' project is devoted to criticism of female stereotypes in games. Her initial Kickstarter to raise funds for the series and her subsequent videos have all been met with hostile commentary and harassment from hardcore gamers. Further incidents, such as those concerning Jennifer Hepler raised concerns about ].<ref name=Vox /><ref name=Time /><ref name=PolygonFBI /> Prior to August 2014, concerns about escalating harassment prompted the ] to provide support groups for harassed developers, and to begin discussions with the United States ] to help investigate online harassment of game developers.<ref name=PolygonFBI /> The growth of the gaming audience also brought in many female gamers whose primary gaming interests did not conform to those of the male-oriented gamer identity, and who began to question some assumptions and ] that were historically used by game developers. In light of the growing female audience for games, and growing female representation in the gaming industry, outlets became increasingly interested in detailing issues of ].<ref name=Vox /><ref name=Time /> One prominent feminist critic of the representation of women in gaming is ], whose '']'' project is devoted to criticism of female stereotypes in games. Her initial Kickstarter to raise funds for the series and her subsequent videos have all been met with hostile commentary and harassment from hardcore gamers. Further incidents, such as those concerning Jennifer Hepler raised concerns about ].<ref name=Vox /><ref name=Time /><ref name=PolygonFBI /> Prior to August 2014, concerns about escalating harassment prompted the ] to provide support groups for harassed developers, and to begin discussions with the United States ] to help investigate online harassment of game developers.<ref name=PolygonFBI />


In February 2013, ] released her ] game '']'' as a means to represent her own bout with ]. Though the game was met positively by critics, it generated a backlash from some gamers who believed that the game received an undue amount of attention in comparison to its quality. Quinn began to receive ] over the game upon its release, receiving enough harassment to cause her to change her phone number. By September 2014, Quinn had already endured eighteen months of harassment, which had created "an ambient hum of menace in her life, albeit one that she has mostly been able to ignore."<ref name=dot /><ref name="new yorker" /> In February 2013, ] released her ] game '']'' as a means to represent her own bout with ]. Though the game was met positively by critics, it generated a backlash from some gamers who believed that the game received an undue amount of attention in comparison to its quality. Quinn began to receive ] over the game upon its release. By September 2014, Quinn had already endured eighteen months of harassment, which had created "an ambient hum of menace in her life, albeit one that she has mostly been able to ignore."<ref name=dot /><ref name="new yorker" />


==False allegations against Quinn and subsequent harassment== ==Allegations against Quinn and subsequent harassment==
] was the original target of the harassment campaign.]] ] was the original target of the harassment campaign.]]
''Depression Quest'' was released through ] in August 2014, which coincided with the suicide of actor ]. Quinn, who had received the notification of the release from Steam shortly after the news about Williams' death, decided to release the game free as a service to those who may be suffering from depression, the only revenue the game receives is "]" proceeds, part of which are donated to the ].<ref name="new yorker"/><ref name=DQReleaseVB/> She said she did not want to be seen as capitalizing on the public tragedy, and decided that instead she would promote the game some time later out of respect for Williams.<ref name=DQReleaseForbes/><ref name=DQReleasePoly/><ref name=DQReleaseIGN/> Nonetheless her timing was criticized.<ref name="new yorker"/> ''Depression Quest'' was released through ] in August 2014, which coincided with the suicide of actor ]. Quinn, who had received the notification of the release from Steam shortly after Williams' death, released the game free as a service to those who may be suffering from depression, the only revenue the game receives is "]" proceeds, part of which are donated to the ].<ref name="new yorker"/><ref name=DQReleaseVB/> She said she did not want to be seen as capitalizing on the public tragedy, and decided that instead she would promote the game some time later out of respect for Williams.<ref name=DQReleaseForbes/><ref name=DQReleasePoly/><ref name=DQReleaseIGN/>


Shortly after the release, Quinn's former boyfriend Eron Gjoni wrote a blog post containing a series of allegations, among which was that Quinn had an affair with ] journalist Nathan Grayson.<ref name=WaPo /> This post, which ''The New York Times'' described as a "strange, rambling attack",<ref name=NYTimesIntelBoycott /> led to false allegations from Quinn's detractors in the gaming community that the relationship had resulted in Grayson publishing a positive review of Quinn's game, ''Depression Quest''.<ref name=GuardianKS /><ref name=WaPo /><ref name=KotakuRefuted /><ref name="slate" /><ref name=TeleStuart/><ref name=NYMag/><ref name="new yorker" /> Kotaku's editor-in-chief Stephen Totilo affirmed the two had been involved in a relationship, but clarified that Grayson had not written anything about Quinn after the relationship had commenced and that he had never reviewed her games.<ref name=KotakuRefuted /> While Grayson had written an article about the failed ''GAME_JAM'' web reality show which Quinn had participated in and briefly mentioned ''Depression Quest'' in the piece,<ref name=KotakuGJ /> and another Kotaku article had also mentioned her game,<ref name=KotakuDQ /> both were written and published before their relationship began.<ref name=KotakuRefuted /><ref name="pcmag about gg"/> Gjoni later clarified that in relationship to any conflict of interest between Quinn and Grayson, he has "no evidence to imply that it was sexual in nature".<ref name="pcmag about gg" /> Although the accusations of favorable coverage were refuted, the incident led to broader allegations on social media that game developers and the gaming press are too often closely connected and that cultural criticism of video games has led to an increasing focus on social representation and cultural meaning in games by some video games writers.<ref name=WaPo /> A number of commentators in and outside the gaming industry denounced the attack on Quinn as ] and unfounded.<ref name=dot /><ref name=beast /><ref name=BostonGlobe /> Shortly after the release, Quinn's former boyfriend Eron Gjoni wrote a blog post containing a series of allegations, among which was that Quinn had an affair with ] journalist Nathan Grayson.<ref name=WaPo /> This post, led to allegations in the gaming community that the relationship had resulted in Grayson publishing a positive review of 'Depression Quest''.<ref name=GuardianKS /><ref name=WaPo /><ref name=KotakuRefuted /><ref name="slate" /><ref name=TeleStuart/><ref name=NYMag/><ref name="new yorker" /> Kotaku's editor-in-chief Stephen Totilo affirmed the two had been involved in a relationship, but argued that Grayson had not written anything about Quinn after the relationship had commenced.<ref name=KotakuRefuted /> While Grayson had written an article about the failed ''GAME_JAM'' web reality show which Quinn had participated in and briefly mentioned ''Depression Quest'' in the piece,<ref name=KotakuGJ /> and another Kotaku article had also mentioned her game,<ref name=KotakuDQ /> both were written and published before their relationship began.<ref name=KotakuRefuted /><ref name="pcmag about gg"/> Gjoni later clarified that in relationship to any conflict of interest between Quinn and Grayson, he has "no evidence to imply that it was sexual in nature".<ref name="pcmag about gg" /> The incident led to broader allegations on social media that game developers and the gaming press are too often closely connected.<ref name=WaPo />


As a result of these allegations, Quinn and her family were subjected to what '']'' called a "virulent" harassment campaign<ref name=dot /><ref name=WaPo /><ref name=beast /> including ] (the public release of private information such as home address, phone numbers, and credit card details).
{{Quote box | width=30% | align=right| quote="Next time she shows up at a conference we ... give her a crippling injury that's never going to fully heal ... a good solid injury to the knees. I'd say a brain damage, but we don't want to make it so she ends up too retarded to fear us." |source=<small>A threat issued to Zoe Quinn, as reported by '']''.<ref name="new yorker" /></small> }}
As a result of these allegations, Quinn and her family were subjected to what '']'' called a "virulent" harassment campaign<ref name=dot /><ref name=WaPo /><ref name=beast /> including ] (the public release of private information such as home address, phone numbers, and credit card details), threats of rape, hacking attempts, and at least one death threat. She began staying with friends out of fear that she would be tracked to her home.<ref name="new yorker" /><ref name=WaPo /> Quinn told the BBC, "Before (GamerGate) had a name, it was nothing but trying to get me to kill myself, trying to get others to hurt me, going after my family. There is no mention of ethics in journalism at all outside making the same accusation everyone makes of successful women; that clearly she got to where she is because she had sex with someone."<ref name="BBCQuinnInterview"/> Quinn told ''The New Yorker'' that she feels sympathy for her attackers because they have "deep-seeded loathing in themselves."<ref name="new yorker" /> In her first television interview, from an undisclosed location in late October on ]'s '']'', she said she regards her GamerGate detractors as becoming increasingly irrelevant in the industry due to the democratization of game-making tools,<ref name=Ronan /> but nonetheless noted later in an interview with the BBC after speaking at ] in Nottingham that, "I used to go to games events and feel like I was going home... Now it's just like... are any of the people I'm currently in the room with ones that said they wanted to beat me to death?"<ref name=BBCQuinnInterview />


] faced death threats after releasing a new '']'' video.]] ] said she faced death threats after releasing a new '']'' video.]]
The harassment expanded to include renewed threats against ] after a new episode in her series ("Women as Background, Pt. 2") was released shortly after Gjoni's blog entry. She reported that she had received death threats that compelled her to temporarily leave her home.<ref name=BBC /><ref name="TheStar" /><ref name="TorontoExclusive" /><ref name=BF /> Shortly thereafter at the ] in Portland, Oregon, she said, in regard to the accusations that high-profile women were making up the threats against them, that "One of the most radical things you can do is to actually believe women when they talk about their experiences," and that "The perpetrators do not see themselves as perpetrators at all... They see themselves as noble warriors."<ref name=VergeXOXO /> ] said she was harassed after a new episode in her series ("Women as Background, Pt. 2") was released shortly after Gjoni's blog entry. She reported that she had received death threats.<ref name=BBC /><ref name="TheStar" /><ref name="TorontoExclusive" /><ref name=BF />


Others were targeted by similar harassment, doxxing, and death threats under the GamerGate umbrella. Those who came to Quinn's defense were targeted and labeled by their opponents with the "insulting"<ref name=NPR /> phrase "] warriors" or "SJW" for short,<ref name=VergeFish /> which ''The Washington Post'' described as "a derogatory term for people in the video-game industry who use the medium to talk about political issues," though the term has much broader, often negative implications.<ref name=WaPo /> Among those so described was fellow video game developer ], who had been a focus of controversy on social media in 2013.<ref name=VergeFish /> Fish, reportedly known for his combative hostility on social media, was doxxed after speaking in support of Quinn, which included numerous denigrating tweets he made about her opponents.<ref name=FishPaste/><ref name=DailyFish/> Many of his personal details were released<ref name=BI/> and documents relating to his company Polytron exposed in a hack that led him to sell Polytron and leave the gaming industry.<ref name="gs fish" /> Others said they were targeted by similar harassment, doxxing, under the GamerGate umbrella. Those who came to Quinn's defense were targeted and labeled by their opponents with the "insulting"<ref name=NPR /> phrase "] warriors" or "SJW" for short,<ref name=VergeFish /> which ''The Washington Post'' described as "a derogatory term for people in the video-game industry who use the medium to talk about political issues."<ref name=WaPo /> Among those so described was video game developer ], who had been a focus of controversy on social media in 2013.<ref name=VergeFish /> Fish, known for his combative hostility on social media, was doxxed after speaking in support of Quinn, which included numerous denigrating tweets about her opponents.<ref name=FishPaste/><ref name=DailyFish/> Many of his personal details were released<ref name=BI/> and documents relating to his company Polytron exposed in a hack that led him to sell Polytron and leave the gaming industry.<ref name="gs fish" />


⚫ In mid-October, game developer ] shared an ] on Twitter that a fan had shown to her mocking GamerGate supporters. When GamerGate supporters mocked her in return, she promised not to back down and her home address and other identifying information were posted on ]. Wu then said she became the target of threats on Twitter and elsewhere. After contacting police, Wu and her husband fled their home, but she said she would not allow the threats to intimidate her into silence.<ref name="nytimes usu threat" /><ref name=WuBoston /><ref name=WuGuardian /><ref name=WuVenture /> Wu later offered a personal reward for any information leading to a conviction for those involved in her harassment, and set up a legal fund to help any other game developers that have been harassed online.<ref name="wu reward"/> However, no charges were pressed.
===Further harassment and threats===

⚫ In mid-October, indie game developer ] shared an ] on Twitter that a fan had shown to her mocking GamerGate supporters as, among other things, "fighting an apocalyptic future where women are 8 percent of programmers and not 3 percent." When GamerGate supporters began mocking her in return, she promised not to back down and soon watched as her home address and other identifying information were posted on ]. Wu then became the target of threats on Twitter and elsewhere, which ''The Boston Globe'' called "a frightening online campaign threatening rape and death" that Wu and a number of sources have attributed to GamerGate supporters. After contacting police, Wu and her husband fled their home, but she said she would not allow the threats to intimidate her into silence.<ref name="nytimes usu threat" /><ref name=WuBoston /><ref name=WuGuardian /><ref name=WuVenture /> Wu later offered a personal reward for any information leading to a conviction for those involved in her harassment, and set up a legal fund to help any other game developers that have been harassed online.<ref name="wu reward"/>
Afterwards, Sarkeesian canceled a speaking appearance at ] after the school received several anonymous threats, one of which claimed affiliation with Gamergate.<ref name="SLT ALberty101614" />. Some GamerGate supporters have alleged that Wu and Sarkeesian made up the threats themselves as a so-called "]."


Soon afterwards, Sarkeesian canceled a speaking appearance at ] after the school received several anonymous threats, at least one of which claimed affiliation with Gamergate.<ref name="SLT ALberty101614" /> The threats included allusions to the ], a 1989 mass shooting motivated by anti-feminism. Though Sarkeesian had spoken before at other events in the wake of Gamergate which had received similar threats, she opted to cancel when the school could not assure her safety under existing ].<ref name="nytimes usu threat" /><ref name=AnitaUSUCNN /><ref name=AnitaUSUBBC /><ref name=AnitaUSUGuardian /> '']'' referred to the threat as "the most noxious example of a weekslong campaign to discredit or intimidate outspoken critics of the male-dominated gaming industry and its culture."<ref name="nytimes usu threat" /> Some GamerGate supporters have alleged that Wu and Sarkeesian made up the threats themselves as a so-called "]," which led ''The Verge'' to describe the hashtag as "completely devoid of empathy."<ref name=VergeDay />


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A portion of Gamergate supporters, called the "Gamergate moderate" by David Auerbach, have been working to identify and report those that have engaged in harassment under the Gamergate banner, and to better present the concerns of the Gamergate hashtag to the public at large.
After actress and gamer ] made a blog post noting her concerns over GamerGate and how she has avoided discussing it due to fear of the backlash, her address was posted in the comments section. Actor ] and former NFL player ] also posted criticisms of GamerGate, with Kluwe's being noted for its use of "creative insults", but both apparently escaped harassment.<ref name="wapost felicia day" /><ref name=DayGuardian /><ref name=DayTime /><ref name=DayCNN /> This contrast between targeting a woman over two men was cited by some commentators, including ], as evidence of there being misogynistic intent behind the harassment.<ref name=ColbertVerge>. McCormick, Rich. '']'', 30 October 2014</ref><ref name=WaPoColbert>. McDonald, Soraya Nadia. '']'', 30 October 2014</ref>

In an interview with NPR's '']'', voice actress ] called on the gaming community to improve the self-policing of its "small" and "vicious" fringe, and said there are still race and gender barriers within the industry.<ref name="Marketplace"/> Writing for '']'', Todd VanDerWerff wrote that the hashtags's "actually interesting concerns" were being "warped and drowned out by an army of trolls spewing bile, often at women."<ref name=Vox /> A portion of Gamergate supporters, called the "Gamergate moderate" by David Auerbach, have been working to identify and report those that have engaged in harassment under the Gamergate banner, and to better present the concerns of the Gamergate hashtag to the public at large.<ref name="Slate End GG"/> In '']'', Elias Isquith criticized Auerbach's analysis, calling it an appeal to moderation "that negates any group or individual responsibility" for Gamergate's behavior.<ref name=SalonMyth /> One concern is that ] are responsible for many of the threats solely out of a desire to stir up conflict.<ref name="bbc gg condemned"/><ref name=Tsukayama /><ref name=Diver /> One Gamergate supporter interviewed by ] said that "the issue is quickly descending into a quagmire attracting trolls, extremists, and opportunists needlessly stirring the pot of controversy ... harassment both sides of this situation".<ref name="bbc gg condemned"/>


Various supporters, some who requested to remain anonymous, said that they had been harassed for supporting GamerGate, and one said after he reported threats to police he was instructed to leave his home.<ref name=Tsukayama /> '']''{{'}}s ] tweeted that he had received a syringe in the mail, but he was not concerned,<ref name=CathyYoung /><ref name=TC2 /> and ] personality Steven "boogie2988" Williams also remarked that a comment on one of his videos included his address and a threat to his wife's life.<ref name=Diver /><ref name=Codd /> The BBC reported that "misogynist abuse - and vitriolic messages in general - is not limited to either 'side' of the argument".<ref name="bbc gg condemned"/> Various supporters, some who requested to remain anonymous, said that they had been harassed for supporting GamerGate, and one said after he reported threats to police he was instructed to leave his home.<ref name=Tsukayama /> '']''{{'}}s ] tweeted that he had received a syringe in the mail, but he was not concerned,<ref name=CathyYoung /><ref name=TC2 /> and ] personality Steven "boogie2988" Williams also remarked that a comment on one of his videos included his address and a threat to his wife's life.<ref name=Diver /><ref name=Codd /> The BBC reported that "misogynist abuse - and vitriolic messages in general - is not limited to either 'side' of the argument".<ref name="bbc gg condemned"/>


===Industry response=== ===Industry response===
The ] of Quinn and the ]s against Sarkeesian prompted an ] to the gaming community by independent game developer Andreas Zecher, who called upon the community to take a public stand against the attacks. The letter attracted the signatures of more than two thousand professionals within the gaming industry.<ref name=LATimes /><ref name=BBC /> The large and varied response to the letter was considered by many in the industry to be a sign that the people involved in the harassment attacks were not representative and comprised a "vocal minority" of the overall industry population.<ref name=NPR /> Michael Condrey, the lead developer for ], agreed, stating that from his experience with gamers, "The community as a whole is very healthy, engaged and thoughtful and probably like anything anywhere well outside of gaming. In the fringes of a lot of areas of society there are examples of people behaving poorly."<ref name="bbc condrey"/> The ] of Quinn and the ]s against Sarkeesian prompted an ] to the gaming community by independent game developer Andreas Zecher, who called upon the community to take a public stand against the attacks. The letter attracted the signatures of more than 2,000 professionals within the gaming industry.<ref name=LATimes /><ref name=BBC /> The large and varied response to the letter was considered by many in the industry to be a sign that the people involved in the harassment attacks were not representative and comprised a "vocal minority" of the overall industry population.<ref name=NPR /> Michael Condrey, the lead developer for ], agreed, stating that from his experience with gamers, "The community as a whole is very healthy, engaged and thoughtful and probably like anything anywhere well outside of gaming. In the fringes of a lot of areas of society there are examples of people behaving poorly."<ref name="bbc condrey"/>


The ] (ESA) issued a statement condemning the series of harassment, stating "There is no place in the video game community—or our society—for personal attacks and threats."<ref name="wapost esa" /> ] president and co-founder Mike Morhaime denounced GamerGate at ] 2014, saying that "a small group of people have been doing really awful things. They have been making some people's lives miserable, and they are tarnishing our reputation as gamers. It's not right." He called on attendees to oppose hate and harassment and to "be kind and respect one another."<ref name=CNet /><ref name=joystiqblizzcon /><ref name=MCVUK>. Parfitt, Ben. '']'', 10 November 2014</ref><ref name=PCGamerMM>. Wilde, Tyler. ], 6 November 2014</ref> Developer ] stated that the industry needs to "adopt a level of professionalism and diversity commensurate with other industries", and recognizing some of the issues surrounding Gamergate existed within the industry; Molyneux pointed to an example where the industry raced to support Valve's ] after receiving a death threat from a developer who was condemned widely and quickly by the community, but found the lack of similar prompt action in the case of the harassment of female figures in Gamergate disturbing.<Ref name="develop harassment"/> The ] (ESA) issued a statement condemning the harassment. <ref name="wapost esa" /> ] president and co-founder Mike Morhaime denounced GamerGate at ] 2014, saying that "a small group of people have been doing really awful things. They have been making some people's lives miserable, and they are tarnishing our reputation as gamers."<ref name=CNet /><ref name=joystiqblizzcon /><ref name=MCVUK>. Parfitt, Ben. '']'', 10 November 2014</ref><ref name=PCGamerMM>.


] itself has come under complaints due to its inability to respond quickly and prevent harassment over the service. Brianna Wu, shortly after becoming an harassment target, stated that Twitter "makes it very easy to create an account—and then create another account—to harass people with", and challenged the service to improve the speed of responsiveness to abusive account requests.<ref name="businessweek wu twitter"/> Supporters of Gamergate that have been trying to police users that engage in harassment have also found Twitter's tools for reporting abuse to be insufficient.<ref name="bbc gg condemned"/> Robinson Meyer of '']'' said Gamergate is an "identity crisis" for Twitter, as by not engaging in a means of filtering content as has been done on ], they fail not only to protect others from online harassment but also may lose readers that do not want to be engaged in such controversies.<ref name="atlantic twitter"/> In November 2014, Twitter announced a collaboration with the non-profit group Women, Action & the Media (WAM), in which those who believed they have been harassed over Twitter can report this to a tool monitored by WAM members, who would forward affirmed issues to Twitter within 24 hours. The move, while in the wake of the Gamergate harassment, was due to long-standing issues of the harassment of women on the Internet, and the data will be studied for further discussion.<ref name="wsj twitter wam" /> ] itself has come under complaint due to its inability to respond quickly and prevent harassment over the service.<ref name="businessweek wu twitter"/> Supporters of Gamergate that have been trying to police users that engage in harassment have also found Twitter's tools for reporting abuse to be insufficient.


==Debate over legitimacy of ethics concerns== ==Debate over legitimacy of ethics concerns==
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===End of Gamer Identity articles and "Operation Disrespectful Nod"=== ===End of Gamer Identity articles and "Operation Disrespectful Nod"===
In August 2014, shortly following the initial accusations towards Quinn, a number of gaming sites published opinion columns which argued for the "end of the gamer identity", citing the growing diversity of gaming and the mainstreaming of the medium, while those associated with GamerGate were stated to be a reactionary force against these changes.<ref name="BF" /><ref name="Plunkett" /><ref name="Johnston" /> Some of these articles and essays were, as described by ''The New York Times'', "critical of gamer culture and rampant sexism in it".<ref name="NYTimesIntelBoycott" /> One such piece that has received attention was a column by Leigh Alexander for '']'' titled "'Gamers' don't have to be your audience. 'Gamers' are over" which criticized what she sees as the shallow consumerist nature of white- and male-dominated video game demographic.<ref name="NYTimesIntelBoycott" /><ref name="Gamasutra" /> Responding to articles such as Gamasutra's piece, David Auerbach of '']'' accused the games press of attacking their own readers, stating that it is in fact games journalists who risk obsolescence as their traditional audience increasingly turns to commentators and amateur journalists on ] and ].<ref name="slate" /> Other concerns about the divide between gaming journalists and gamers were raised by '']''{{'}}s Keith Stuart and '']'' contributor Erik Kain.<ref name="GuardianKS" /><ref name="ErikKain" /> In August 2014, a number of gaming sites published opinion columns which argued for the "end of the gamer identity", citing the growing diversity of gaming and the mainstreaming of the medium, while those associated with GamerGate were stated to be a reactionary force against these changes.<ref name="BF" /><ref name="Plunkett" /><ref name="Johnston" /> Some of these articles and essays were, as described by ''The New York Times'', "critical of gamer culture and rampant sexism in it".<ref name="NYTimesIntelBoycott" /> One such piece that has received attention was a column by Leigh Alexander for '']'' titled "'Gamers' don't have to be your audience. 'Gamers' are over" which criticized what she sees as the shallow consumerist nature of white- and male-dominated video game demographic.<ref name="NYTimesIntelBoycott" /><ref name="Gamasutra" /> Responding to articles such as Gamasutra's piece, David Auerbach of '']'' accused the games press of attacking their own readers, stating that it is in fact games journalists who risk obsolescence as their traditional audience increasingly turns to commentators and amateur journalists on ] and ].<ref name="slate" /> Other concerns about the divide between gaming journalists and gamers were raised by '']''{{'}}s Keith Stuart and '']'' contributor Erik Kain.<ref name="GuardianKS" /><ref name="ErikKain" />


Some of the gamer community objected to Leigh Alexander's articles written on this topic, calling them "offensive" and "racist". An email campaign dubbed "Operation Disrespectful Nod" was organized which implored concerned gamers to contact advertisers on the sites that published these articles, asking them to pull their advertising.<ref name="NYTimesIntelBoycott" /><ref name="CNNIntel" /><ref name="Engadget" /> In early October 2014 ] pulled its advertising from ''Gamasutra'', citing feedback from its consumers on controversial pieces published on that site; media such as ''The Verge'' and ''The New York Times'' believed it was in response to this campaign, specifically on the aforementioned article by Alexander.<ref name="CNNIntel" /><ref name="VergeNod" /> Eric Johnson of ''Re/code'' and Nick Wingfield of ''The New York Times'' said that it was a "victory" of protesters against the website.<ref name="NYTimesIntelBoycott" /><ref name="recode" /> Rich McCormick of ''The Verge'' disagreed with Intel's decision to cave to what he called "co-ordinated strikes" to silence voices calling for diversity in gaming, writing, "By giving in to its demands and pulling its advertising from ''Gamasutra'', Intel has legitimized a movement that has shown itself to be anti-feminist, violently protectionist, and totally unwilling to share what it sees as its divine right to video games."<ref name="VergeNod" /> Some of the gamer community objected to Leigh Alexander's articles written on this topic, calling them "offensive" and "racist". An email campaign dubbed "Operation Disrespectful Nod" was organized which implored concerned gamers to contact advertisers on the sites that published these articles, asking them to pull their advertising.<ref name="NYTimesIntelBoycott" /><ref name="CNNIntel" /><ref name="Engadget" /> In early October 2014 ] pulled its advertising from ''Gamasutra'', citing feedback from its consumers on controversial pieces published on that site; media such as ''The Verge'' and ''The New York Times'' believed it was in response to this campaign, specifically on the aforementioned article by Alexander.<ref name="CNNIntel" /><ref name="VergeNod" /> Eric Johnson of ''Re/code'' and Nick Wingfield of ''The New York Times'' said that it was a "victory" of protesters against the website.<ref name="NYTimesIntelBoycott" /><ref name="recode" /> Rich McCormick of ''The Verge'' disagreed with Intel's decision to cave to what he called "co-ordinated strikes" to silence voices calling for diversity in gaming, writing, "By giving in to its demands and pulling its advertising from ''Gamasutra'', Intel has legitimized a movement that has shown itself to be anti-feminist, violently protectionist, and totally unwilling to share what it sees as its divine right to video games."<ref name="VergeNod" />
Line 154: Line 151:
A number of commentators have argued that the GamerGate hashtag had the potential to raise important issues in gaming journalism, but that the wave of misogynistic harassment and abuse associated with the hashtag had ], making it impossible to separate honest criticism from sexist trolling.<ref name=Vox /><ref name=WaPo /><ref name=goldman /> The hashtag has also been associated with criticism of feminism and so called "Social Justice Warriors." According to Sarah Kaplan of ''The Washington Post'', "sexism in gaming is a long-documented, much-debated but seemingly intractable problem," and became the crux of the GamerGate controversy.<ref name=WaPo /> Writing in '']'', Ryan Cooper called the harassment campaign "an online form of terrorism" intended to reverse a trend in gaming culture toward increasing acceptance of women, and stated that social media platforms need to tighten their policies and protections against threats and abuse.<ref name=TheWeek /> Speaking on ], academic Cindy Tekobbe said the harassment campaign was intended to "drive women out of public spaces" and intimidate them into silence.<ref name=IPR /> The feminist journalist and author ] characterized the reasons for the ferocity of the reaction against the shift in gaming culture thus: "The problem is that women are creating culture, changing culture, redefining culture, and those cunts, those poisonous cunts, those disgusting, uppity cunts must be stopped."<ref name=boingsjw /> A number of commentators have argued that the GamerGate hashtag had the potential to raise important issues in gaming journalism, but that the wave of misogynistic harassment and abuse associated with the hashtag had ], making it impossible to separate honest criticism from sexist trolling.<ref name=Vox /><ref name=WaPo /><ref name=goldman /> The hashtag has also been associated with criticism of feminism and so called "Social Justice Warriors." According to Sarah Kaplan of ''The Washington Post'', "sexism in gaming is a long-documented, much-debated but seemingly intractable problem," and became the crux of the GamerGate controversy.<ref name=WaPo /> Writing in '']'', Ryan Cooper called the harassment campaign "an online form of terrorism" intended to reverse a trend in gaming culture toward increasing acceptance of women, and stated that social media platforms need to tighten their policies and protections against threats and abuse.<ref name=TheWeek /> Speaking on ], academic Cindy Tekobbe said the harassment campaign was intended to "drive women out of public spaces" and intimidate them into silence.<ref name=IPR /> The feminist journalist and author ] characterized the reasons for the ferocity of the reaction against the shift in gaming culture thus: "The problem is that women are creating culture, changing culture, redefining culture, and those cunts, those poisonous cunts, those disgusting, uppity cunts must be stopped."<ref name=boingsjw />


Issues like sexism and misogyny had been identified as problems in the video game industry and community prior to the events of Gamergate.<ref name="gdc misogyny 2012"/> Wu stated in a November 2014 interview with '']'' that the game industry "has been a boys’ club for 30 years", describing that the common portrayal of women as "sex symbols and damsels in distress" in video games has led to the players taking the same attitudes.<ref name="develop harassment"/> In March 2014, game designer ] wrote a blog post commenting on the "latent racism, homophobia and misogyny" that existed within the online gaming community.<ref name="NYTSuellentrop"/> It is believed this itself is tied to the anonymous, male-dominated nature of the Internet; Astra Taylor of '']'' documented a series of harassment against women from online communities in April 2014, in which the harassment was played off by the male posters as if it was just "harmless locker room talk".<ref name="mj april2014"/> Developer ] considered that the Internet's instant accessibility of social media allows for people to express of-the-moment opinions without thinking about their consequences, leading to a "whole Pandora’s Box" of both good and bad issues that society must consider in terms of freedom of speech.<ref name="develop harassment"/> Issues like sexism and misogyny had been identified as problems in the video game industry and community prior to the events of Gamergate.<ref name="gdc misogyny 2012"/> Wu stated in a November 2014 interview with '']'' that the game industry "has been a boys’ club for 30 years", describing that the common portrayal of women as "sex symbols and damsels in distress" in video games has led to the players taking the same attitudes.<ref name="develop harassment"/> In March 2014, game designer ] wrote a blog post commenting on the "latent racism, homophobia and misogyny" that existed within the online gaming community.<ref name="NYTSuellentrop"/>



===Attacks on women=== ===Attacks on women===

Revision as of 16:01, 22 November 2014

"GamerGate" redirects here. For the type of ant, see Gamergate. For the online video game store, see GamersGate.

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The Gamergate controversy began in August 2014 and concerns accusations of misogyny and harassment in video game culture. Many supporters of the self-described Gamergate movement (sometimes referred to as the hashtag #gamergate) say that they are concerned about ethical issues in video game journalism.

The controversy began after indie game developer Zoe Quinn's ex-boyfriend alleged that Quinn had a romantic relationship with a journalist for the video game news site Kotaku. This led to harassment of Quinn, including accusations that the relationship had led to positive coverage of Quinn's game. The conflict escalated when a number of gaming industry employees supportive of Quinn were subjected to harassment, threats of violence, and the publication of personally identifiable information about them (doxxing). The targets were mostly women, and included Quinn, feminist media critic Anita Sarkeesian, and indie game developer Brianna Wu. The harassment came from social media users, particularly those from 4chan and Reddit using the #gamergate hashtag. It was condemned by some international media sources as anti-feminist, and heightened discussion of sexism and misogyny in the gaming community.

Many involved with the Gamergate hashtag have said that they are concerned with ethics in video game journalism, with members launching a successful campaign to encourage ad providers to pull support from sites critical of Gamergate

The events of Gamergate are attributed to perceived changes or threats to the "gamer" identity as a result of the ongoing diversification and maturation of the gaming industry. As video games have become recognized as a popular art form, they have been subjected to social criticism and treated directly as a vehicle for such commentary. This move to recognize games as art is thought to have prompted opposition from traditional "hardcore" gamers who view games primarily as a form of entertainment. The resulting culture war led to the subsequent harassment and conflict.

History

As video game production developed into a burgeoning industry, games became an increasingly consumer-oriented product focused on appealing to gamers with satisfying solitary experiences. People who had grown up playing these games developed a "gamer" identity that was associated with these early experiences. As early gamers were predominantly male this is also seen as having contributed to gendered interpretations of the identity. The emergence of the industry also gave rise to numerous publications specializing in the coverage of video games and catering for the interests of gaming enthusiasts; some, such as Nintendo Power, were even owned by manufacturers themselves. Such publications were seen by industry leaders as a means of promotion for their products rather than sources for honest critical discussion and there was recurring criticism of the close relationship between gaming journalists and the major gaming companies. The growing popularity of games among casual consumers, due to more accessible technologies such as the Nintendo Wii and smartphones, expanded the audience for the industry to include many who did not fit the mold of the traditional hardcore gamer. As games also came to be seen as an art form rather than a product, games centering on social issues grew in popularity. This increasing perception of games as art prompted gaming publications to move towards cultural criticism of the games. Independent video game development, which allows developers to release titles without publisher interference, has made these games more common.

The growth of the gaming audience also brought in many female gamers whose primary gaming interests did not conform to those of the male-oriented gamer identity, and who began to question some assumptions and tropes that were historically used by game developers. In light of the growing female audience for games, and growing female representation in the gaming industry, outlets became increasingly interested in detailing issues of gender representation in video games. One prominent feminist critic of the representation of women in gaming is Anita Sarkeesian, whose Tropes vs. Women in Video Games project is devoted to criticism of female stereotypes in games. Her initial Kickstarter to raise funds for the series and her subsequent videos have all been met with hostile commentary and harassment from hardcore gamers. Further incidents, such as those concerning Jennifer Hepler raised concerns about sexual harassment in video gaming. Prior to August 2014, concerns about escalating harassment prompted the International Game Developers Association to provide support groups for harassed developers, and to begin discussions with the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation to help investigate online harassment of game developers.

In February 2013, Zoe Quinn released her interactive fiction game Depression Quest as a means to represent her own bout with depression. Though the game was met positively by critics, it generated a backlash from some gamers who believed that the game received an undue amount of attention in comparison to its quality. Quinn began to receive hate mail over the game upon its release. By September 2014, Quinn had already endured eighteen months of harassment, which had created "an ambient hum of menace in her life, albeit one that she has mostly been able to ignore."

Allegations against Quinn and subsequent harassment

Game developer Zoe Quinn was the original target of the harassment campaign.

Depression Quest was released through Steam in August 2014, which coincided with the suicide of actor Robin Williams. Quinn, who had received the notification of the release from Steam shortly after Williams' death, released the game free as a service to those who may be suffering from depression, the only revenue the game receives is "pay what you want" proceeds, part of which are donated to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. She said she did not want to be seen as capitalizing on the public tragedy, and decided that instead she would promote the game some time later out of respect for Williams.

Shortly after the release, Quinn's former boyfriend Eron Gjoni wrote a blog post containing a series of allegations, among which was that Quinn had an affair with Kotaku journalist Nathan Grayson. This post, led to allegations in the gaming community that the relationship had resulted in Grayson publishing a positive review of 'Depression Quest. Kotaku's editor-in-chief Stephen Totilo affirmed the two had been involved in a relationship, but argued that Grayson had not written anything about Quinn after the relationship had commenced. While Grayson had written an article about the failed GAME_JAM web reality show which Quinn had participated in and briefly mentioned Depression Quest in the piece, and another Kotaku article had also mentioned her game, both were written and published before their relationship began. Gjoni later clarified that in relationship to any conflict of interest between Quinn and Grayson, he has "no evidence to imply that it was sexual in nature". The incident led to broader allegations on social media that game developers and the gaming press are too often closely connected.

As a result of these allegations, Quinn and her family were subjected to what The Washington Post called a "virulent" harassment campaign including doxxing (the public release of private information such as home address, phone numbers, and credit card details).

Feminist cultural critic Anita Sarkeesian said she faced death threats after releasing a new Tropes vs. Women in Video Games video.

Anita Sarkeesian said she was harassed after a new episode in her series ("Women as Background, Pt. 2") was released shortly after Gjoni's blog entry. She reported that she had received death threats.

Others said they were targeted by similar harassment, doxxing, under the GamerGate umbrella. Those who came to Quinn's defense were targeted and labeled by their opponents with the "insulting" phrase "social justice warriors" or "SJW" for short, which The Washington Post described as "a derogatory term for people in the video-game industry who use the medium to talk about political issues." Among those so described was video game developer Phil Fish, who had been a focus of controversy on social media in 2013. Fish, known for his combative hostility on social media, was doxxed after speaking in support of Quinn, which included numerous denigrating tweets about her opponents. Many of his personal details were released and documents relating to his company Polytron exposed in a hack that led him to sell Polytron and leave the gaming industry.

In mid-October, game developer Brianna Wu shared an image macro on Twitter that a fan had shown to her mocking GamerGate supporters. When GamerGate supporters mocked her in return, she promised not to back down and her home address and other identifying information were posted on 8chan. Wu then said she became the target of threats on Twitter and elsewhere. After contacting police, Wu and her husband fled their home, but she said she would not allow the threats to intimidate her into silence. Wu later offered a personal reward for any information leading to a conviction for those involved in her harassment, and set up a legal fund to help any other game developers that have been harassed online. However, no charges were pressed.

Afterwards, Sarkeesian canceled a speaking appearance at Utah State University after the school received several anonymous threats, one of which claimed affiliation with Gamergate.. Some GamerGate supporters have alleged that Wu and Sarkeesian made up the threats themselves as a so-called "false flag."


Felicia DayWil WheatonChris KluweFelicia Day (left), Wil Wheaton (center), and Chris Kluwe (right), all gamers, made posts critical of GamerGate on social media, but only Day was singled out for harassment.

A portion of Gamergate supporters, called the "Gamergate moderate" by David Auerbach, have been working to identify and report those that have engaged in harassment under the Gamergate banner, and to better present the concerns of the Gamergate hashtag to the public at large.

Various supporters, some who requested to remain anonymous, said that they had been harassed for supporting GamerGate, and one said after he reported threats to police he was instructed to leave his home. Breitbart's Milo Yiannopoulos tweeted that he had received a syringe in the mail, but he was not concerned, and YouTube personality Steven "boogie2988" Williams also remarked that a comment on one of his videos included his address and a threat to his wife's life. The BBC reported that "misogynist abuse - and vitriolic messages in general - is not limited to either 'side' of the argument".

Industry response

The online harassment of Quinn and the death threats against Sarkeesian prompted an open letter to the gaming community by independent game developer Andreas Zecher, who called upon the community to take a public stand against the attacks. The letter attracted the signatures of more than 2,000 professionals within the gaming industry. The large and varied response to the letter was considered by many in the industry to be a sign that the people involved in the harassment attacks were not representative and comprised a "vocal minority" of the overall industry population. Michael Condrey, the lead developer for Sledgehammer Games, agreed, stating that from his experience with gamers, "The community as a whole is very healthy, engaged and thoughtful and probably like anything anywhere well outside of gaming. In the fringes of a lot of areas of society there are examples of people behaving poorly."

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) issued a statement condemning the harassment. Blizzard Entertainment president and co-founder Mike Morhaime denounced GamerGate at BlizzCon 2014, saying that "a small group of people have been doing really awful things. They have been making some people's lives miserable, and they are tarnishing our reputation as gamers."Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). }}

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