Disgusting coever-up (Gaming Industry Journalism)

[ulukinatme]

Rhode Irish, I think the videos I posted about are a fair assessment of the situation. They don't go into the details driving the corruption/collusion angle, but they combat the way the media is portraying GamerGate as a misogynistic movement to keep women out of gaming, which is not what the majority wants.

As far as the corruption/collusion angle that the majority of GamerGaters really want to discuss, there's some details in the "#GamerGate explained" pic I posted above. It's hard to find other details though. 4chan and Reddit have deleted so much stuff regarding GamerGate it's insane, and the Wiki article regarding GamerGate has stuff removed from it all the time. Case in point, you can't even find details in it regarding the collusion and ethics listed in the picture I posted above...it's been removed again to highlight the misogynistic angle propaganda.

 

[ulukinatme]

Check out this Forbes article that was written in 2012, long before GamerGate got started back in August. It talks about the ethical issues of gaming journalism. It also talks a bit about libel issues that correlate mostly to UK laws, so that part is unrelated for us.

Video Game Journalist Robert Florence Leaves Eurogamer After Libel Complaints - Forbes

Thought this final message was a bit funny in retrospect:

If you have any other information on this whole mess, please let me know. Also please refrain from any distasteful comments about any of the parties involved. It only takes a few bad apples to turn a conversation about free speech and journalism into one about misogyny.

That's essentially what happened with the GamerGate movement. It started with ethics in journalism and was relabeled as misogyny.

Here's another interesting article I found. Deals with the coordinated attack that journalists took against the gamers back in August. Essentially eight or more different websites all released similar articles about how gamers were dead, how journalists no longer needed them, etc.
GamerGate explodes: Gaming journalists declare the gamers are over, but they are.

Good piece from Washington Post talking about GamerGate:
How some Gamergate supporters say the controversy could stop “in one week” - The Washington Post

Article about GameJournoPros, a mailing list of journalists and others in the industry that broke some of the info regarding collusion and the "incestuous relationship between press and developers":
The E-mails That Prove Video Games Journalism Must be Reformed

 

[dshans]

I got the "Bu", but "goodway" versus "goodway" was too subtle for me.

Apparently for me as well. I'll blame it on a sticky space bar ...

 

[IrishLax]

I just watched the Colbert piece. Either he is grossly misinformed (very probable, happens more often than you think with those guys) or someone is just flat out wrong here.

 

[DogDaysIrish]

Nothing wrong with sleeping with people. You just close your eyes and doze off.

 

[wizards8507]

I just went through the "Depression Quest" so-called game at the center of this manufactured controversy and that was likely the biggest waste of life I've ever done online. It's not even a "game," it's just shitty prose.

 

[Wild Bill]

I just went through the "Depression Quest" so-called game at the center of this manufactured controversy and that was likely the biggest waste of life I've ever done online. It's not even a "game," it's just shitty prose.

Worse than the suspended five thread?

 

[Whiskeyjack]

The indie gaming market is intensely competitive, but also very lucrative for those few who blow up. Developers can make a game on a shoe-string budget and become millionaires within a year if: (1) the game gets approved through Steam Greenlight; (2) the right YouTube celebrity does an episode on it; or (3) if a respected reporter writes a glowing review of it.

As someone who is currently working to gain exposure for an indie game, I've already witnessed cronyism and corruption among the indie gaming media establishment. But even if you don't want to take my word for it, just use your common sense. The sudden success of indie gaming has caused lots of money to flow into what was previously an obscure niche for hobbyists. Of course there are devs willing to pay (or provide sexual services) for exposure.

As ulukinatme notes in his post above, this issue actually predates Zoe Quinn. But she's found it convenient to change the subject to misogyny (a debate tactic which should immediately call its user's integrity into question). And then feminist troll Anita Sarkeesian found it a convenient platform on which to grind her favorite axe. And then the national media found it a compelling narrative to tell to non-gamers, since sexually-repressed neckbeards are easy targets (regardless of how representative such types are of the gaming community generally).

What seems more likely to you? That "gamers", as a community, are all fedora'd woman haters who are senselessly blasting these women because of the Patriarchy, or that there's genuine corruption here, a lot of gamers are upset about it, but they're being unfairly marginalized by a member of a Government-Approved Victim Class® looking to beat-up on an unsympathetic target?

 

[zelezo vlk]

How can gamers hate women when so many of them had sex with my mother last night?

Sent from my Samsung via Tapatalk

 

[IrishLax]

The indie gaming market is intensely competitive, but also very lucrative for those few who blow up. Developers can make a game on a shoe-string budget and become millionaires within a year if: (1) the game gets approved through Steam Greenlight; (2) the right YouTube celebrity does an episode on it; or (3) if a respected reporter writes a glowing review of it.

As someone who is currently working to gain exposure for an indie game, I've already witnessed cronyism and corruption among the indie gaming media establishment. But even if you don't want to take my word for it, just use your common sense. The sudden success of indie gaming has caused lots of money to flow into what was previously an obscure niche for hobbyists. Of course there are devs willing to pay (or provide sexual services) for exposure.

As ulukinatme notes in his post above, this issue actually predates Zoe Quinn. But she's found it convenient to change the subject to misogyny (a debate tactic which should immediately call its user's integrity into question). And then feminist troll Anita Sarkeesian found it a convenient platform to grind her favorite axe. And then the national media found it a compelling narrative to tell to non-gamers, since sexually-repressed neckbeards are easy targets (regardless of how representative such types are of the gaming community generally).

What seems more likely to you? That "gamers", as a community, are all fedora'd woman haters who are senselessly blasting these women because of the Patriarchy, or that there's genuine corruption here, a lot of gamers are upset about it, but they're being unfairly marginalized by a Government-Approved Victim Class looking to beat-up on an easy target?

The music industry cronyism and payola scandals of yesteryear seem incredibly analogous to this whole thing.

 

[phork]

When in youth its hip to Rage Against the Machine. When you realize that people will give you stuff in order to write some made up bullshit about your product. There is no ethics in anything.

 

[Rhode Irish]

The indie gaming market is intensely competitive, but also very lucrative for those few who blow up. Developers can make a game on a shoe-string budget and become millionaires within a year if: (1) the game gets approved through Steam Greenlight; (2) the right YouTube celebrity does an episode on it; or (3) if a respected reporter writes a glowing review of it.

As someone who is currently working to gain exposure for an indie game, I've already witnessed cronyism and corruption among the indie gaming media establishment. But even if you don't want to take my word for it, just use your common sense. The sudden success of indie gaming has caused lots of money to flow into what was previously an obscure niche for hobbyists. Of course there are devs willing to pay (or provide sexual services) for exposure.

As ulukinatme notes in his post above, this issue actually predates Zoe Quinn. But she's found it convenient to change the subject to misogyny (a debate tactic which should immediately call its user's integrity into question). And then feminist troll Anita Sarkeesian found it a convenient platform to grind her favorite axe. And then the national media found it a compelling narrative to tell to non-gamers, since sexually-repressed neckbeards are easy targets (regardless of how representative such types are of the gaming community generally).

What seems more likely to you? That "gamers", as a community, are all fedora'd woman haters who are senselessly blasting these women because of the Patriarchy, or that there's genuine corruption here, a lot of gamers are upset about it, but they're being unfairly marginalized by a Government-Approved Victim Class looking to beat-up on an easy target?

What seems most likely to me is that there are some people with a legitimate set of beefs with the gamer journalism industry, but their position (like just about everything else) is not totally pure. Even in the video in the OP, they raise some real questions but they are mixed with an element of slut shaming that seems unnecessary and gratuitous. For a lot of people, slut shaming and misogyny are bigger crimes than unethical journalism, so a large segment of the media has latched onto that.

It seems like neither side is pure as the driven snow here. Hopefully the gamergaters can clean up their message delivery so their issue can get the attention they feel it deserves.

 

[IrishLax]

The worst part of that Colbert piece is where they showed some video game cut scene that was like set in the Middle Ages or a fantasy realm and they were sacking a village and the guy was like "everyone grab a whore" or something... and they tried to make it all "OMG this is is so appalling... look at how this game objectifies women..."

These same people pitching a fit probably love Game of Thrones, which is just another entertainment media with similar themes. This whole thing screams faux outrage over something that is laughable to get upset about (because gaming as an entertainment media is not something that is publicly broadcast, nor is it supposed to be anything more than make believe)... whereas the corruption aspect is actually kind of a big deal because you're talking about substantial amounts of $$$.

 

[ulukinatme]

whereas the corruption aspect is actually kind of a big deal because you're talking about substantial amounts of $$$.

That's a good point. We're talking about an $80 billion industry here. Colbert's piece equates Hollywood mag journalism to gaming journalism, but I'd be surprised if the Hollywood dirt rags were pulling in $80 billion. There's also a big difference here: Hollywood dirt rags are often written in jest with bullshit stories that will sell. There's no niche in the gaming journalism community that does that, they're supposed to report accurately and as unbiased as possible about a topic so the consumer is informed before a purchase.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

The music industry cronyism and payola scandals of yesteryear seem incredibly analogous to this whole thing.

Hadn't occurred to me, but that's a great analogy.

What seems most likely to me is that there are some people with a legitimate set of beefs with the gamer journalism industry, but their position (like just about everything else) is not totally pure. Even in the video in the OP, they raise some real questions but they are mixed with an element of slut shaming that seems unnecessary and gratuitous. For a lot of people, slut shaming and misogyny are bigger crimes than unethical journalism, so a large segment of the media has latched onto that.

I've only watched about half of the OP vid, but where are you getting slut-shaming from? Who Quinn slept with and why is relevant as it relates to her credibility and conflicts of interest in the gaming media establishment. But apparently once someone pulls the "Misogyny!" alarm, any mention of a woman's sexual relationships becomes subject to strict scrutiny. That's a very convenient debate tactic for someone at the center of a corruption scandal, who just happens to be a woman.

It seems like neither side is pure as the driven snow here. Hopefully the gamergaters can clean up their message delivery so their issue can get the attention they feel it deserves.

#GamerGaters aren't a political party with a hierarchy capable of keeping people "on message". It's a group of loosely affiliated hobbyists online who are concerned with the media establishment that reports on their favorite subject. Those criticizing them keep bringing up all these vile messages they're receiving as proof of the moral depravity of their opponents, but: (1) there's plenty of evidence indicating that much of this is fabricated in the first place; and (2) this is the internet, where anonymity allows the extremist fringe present in any group to be unusually loud and vile.

Getting back to my previous example, was Fox News right to dismiss the Occupy Wallstreet movement by focusing on a few dirty hipsters who felt entitled to a high-paying job? Was MSNBC justified in dismissing the Tea Party as a bunch of racist cranks because of a few people who brought offensive signs to a rally? Was the CFB media establishment correct to dismiss ND fans as a bunch of whiny conspiracy theorists because someone at NDNation made a post about anti-ND bias in the ACC? I don't think so. Either address the movement's position on its merits, or ignore it. But to focus on an extremist fringe and use it to smear the group as a whole is dishonest, and it indicates that one isn't capable of countering the argument on its merits.

These same people pitching a fit probably love Game of Thrones, which is just another entertainment media with similar themes. This whole thing screams faux outrage over something that is laughable to get upset about (because gaming as an entertainment media is not something that is publicly broadcast, nor is it supposed to be anything more than make believe)... whereas the corruption aspect is actually kind of a big deal because you're talking about substantial amounts of $$$.

Absolutely. And how convenient that the person who originally started manufacturing this faux outrage just happens to be at the center of a corruption scandal.

 

[Irish#1]

Excellent video here, and from a self proclaimed feminist:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/5RVlCvBd21w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Here was her first video. After it was released a lot of social media justice warriors called her conservative and a few nasty other things...but as it turns out she's a liberal

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/9MxqSwzFy5w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

She appears to have a nice set of lungs. Maybe she should use them to her advantage! lol

In all seriousness, video games are certainly a huge moneymaker, but as pointed out the audience is pretty narrow so I don't see the media really getting behind this story.