Video Game Critic Cancels Speech after Threats of Massacre Violence

Angry violent male gamers continue to threaten video game critic with massacre, cancels speech at US university.

LINK

Come on you American game developers, this needs to stop.

 

there is a real ugly and even evil side to gaming; activision made $1 billion in one week with call of duty 2 years in a row some one tell me that those activision game programers give a damn about any speech being canceled and people out there wanting to kill other people because they OPPOSE VIOLENCE.

billions of dollars to be made and the people making the money do not give a damn about any thing except making their next mill...

its evil and its sick.

 

Well everyone can only rely on law enforcement at this point. It's a sad day when the only argument you have is a threat. In any case since all these threats are delivered via the web, it can be traced unless you're in touch with a uberhacker of some sort, and I'm not sure those guys are particularly interested in this ongoing problem.

So I guess it's only a matter of time before they're caught. Watch the news I suppose.

Uh, what does this have to do with game developers? It's not game developers attacking feminists.

 

The person signed it "<3 #GamerGate" as a false flag. GamerGate is an ongoing problem in the gaming industry about game journalism corruption..Currently all the game journalists are calling it "misogynistic hate group" because some of the people of interest are female.

I'd say it's relevant to game development, but I was hoping to not get into this argument again; we all know where this thread is heading...

 

Dunno steer clear of it all. I'm doing my thing. I treat women like everyone else.

 

That's what I thought, too. This is all messed up but, as far as I understand, this (very real!) problem isn't arising from other developers, it's from the audience.

That's not to say that there aren't also problems within development communities, though thankfully those aren't this acute or severe as far as I know.

 

Kind of?. Maybe initially that was what it was about, but now it just seems weird and incomprehensible. It seems like as it continues it makes less sense. Every time a new article appears it seems to have a new angle or theory. It's just getting more strange and weird.

 

And those who imagine themselves developers.

I agree, I (sort of) get it as well, certainly there are some problems (and some perceived problems). What I don't get is the reaction. It is so far beyond and worse than any of the issues it seems to be sparked by. The worst of the actions, don't seem to be geared at actually fixing or solving anything, just random anger.

Man, if only the angriest of either side would just step back and redirect that anger at human trafficking/human rights violations/child abuse/etc. That would be proportional and awesome.

 

I don't think anyone knows anymore, there's at least two groups in GG that I can recognize fighting two different things with a bit of crossover. They're definitely not misogynistic but are definitely against third wave feminists.

I think the whole thing is mainly just a feedback loop where both groups are going at each other; perpetually making the other more angry.

Sadly humans as a race don't seem to get mad about things that matter.

 

While I readily admit that there are some valid issues, I honestly don't believe that most of the trouble being stirred actually has anything to do with that. I'm under the impression that the genuine issues are being abused as excuses for all of this.

 

Totally. What confuses me is that some of the responses of either side actually prove the other's argument. Far beyond reason. It almost feels like the extreme stuff is trolls having fun taking advantage of the issue. There is some legit debate to be had, but it is all kind of lost because of the vitrol. Maybe that is the point. I was interested back when it started, but became apathic because of the noise.

Ok, now I am very ANGRY! You twisted my words, I didn't say games didn't matter! #DabehHatesGames ARggghhh!!!

 

Agreed. A shame really. I don't see it returning to the original issues, it seems like it will become more and more about reactions and other stuff.

 

I expect that's exactly what it is. Considering it statistically, given the existence of people who enjoy stirring trouble, the huge coverage and attention the issue is getting, and how easy the targets are (by which I'm referring to how easily this particular crowd will allow itself to be riled up) I find it hard to believe that trolls aren't involved, even if they didn't get it started.

 

So... is this good or bad?

 

This is just wrong.
Gigi

 

Agreed. We have the right to disagree. We have the right to articulate why we disagree. We have the right to peacefully protest.

We do not have the right to spew threats and vitriol. Free speech does not mean, "spew garbage."

If anything I think we should close ranks around Sarkeesian. I don't agree with some of her material, but the people doing this aren't developers, or even mainstream gamers. The people doing this are complete nut-jobs, and it won't stop until we all make clear that there is no pulpit for this sort of behavior. I can articulate the (many) reasons that I think her material is wrong later; this is a more pressing issue.

And, even with the stuff I disagree with, there is value in having someone talk about inequalities. As others have said, there is a good discussion in this that is getting drowned out by rampant douchebaggery.

 

I'm ignoring Sarkeesian. I don't need to listen to her babble, which is militant and uniformed. I have listened to and heard real feminists who put forward a view, and I've made up my mind to do what I was doing before: treat everyone equally. My games won't change. That is all.

That is all anyone needs to do. You don't need to get behind anyone or any movement. That is the problem. You need to think for yourself and do what a morally healthy person would do, but not allow yourself to get bent for an agenda of any kind.

Why?

1. You don't know how many of these threats are psychological warfare and fake (on both sides)

2. both sides do not need more power. All we needed are for people to recognise that women in the game industry need the same salary and rights.

3. Everything else is a massive clash of agendas, egos and people standing for personal gain. Steer well clear - don't give both sides more power by getting involved since you don't in fact, need to get involved. You can be a morally correct and good person without any of it.

4. Starve both beasts, as neither are actually really helping anyone but themselves. If you want to help, just be a good person. That's all you need.

5. Oh, avoid hashtags. They're kind of like gang signs or a red light to keep fighting each other.

 

There are definitely people out there that believe in the hatred and BS they spew, and they've been enabled and, in a way, created by game developers. When a kid grows up playing games where women are presented primarily as, say, strippers that can then be killed for cash (Duke Nukem 3D), well, that can maybe skew his perspective a bit, especially if the kid was already sort of messed up.

Developers share responsibility by presenting women in their games as things to essentially be treated this way, and by continuing to make games that are heavily skewed toward a pretty messed up mentality if you look at them honestly.

This is coming from somebody who loved Duke3D, and GTA, and all that. What developers can do, indies included, is to make sure women aren't marginalized or made into just flesh decoration in their games, and give serious consideration to the ways women are presented in their games.

Personally, I think nerds should be united when it comes to making sure women feel comfortable in the world of games.

 

By your argument then, games affect personality. So all those people killing people played COD. I don't think that works. I think what happens is that fruitcakes now have access to the internet and will latch onto anything that makes noise for them.

 

While I was sympathetic to some of the journalistic integrity themes at the outset, I just couldn't get into the whole hashtag way of going about it. It's pure anarchy and only promotes what you describe, a never ending shouting match.

If they are really serious about it they should have created a readily identifiable group somewhere on the web, allowed membership, stated their goals, and nurtured some healthy debates. Until that happens, this is just going to be a giant drama queen Charlie Foxtrot on both sides and in between.

Though, I must say, I find it a very long stretch to try and lump a group in with that kind of behavior just because some mentally unbalanced idiot mentions them in their screed. It's just so very intellectually dishonest. Especially when we're talking about a hashtag and a cursory read of that hashtag shows plenty of supporters denouncing said idiots behavior. But that's agendas, biases, and such, I suppose.

 

Yup, my argument is that games affect personality. Not, as the extreme you immediately jump to, that they define personality. I'm not arguing that shooting people in games makes you a killer, I'm arguing that repeated exposure to a particular viewpoint in video games in a rewarding way will have some influence on your development as a person, especially at a young age. And your rebuttal seems to be that they can have absolutely no influence.

 

Not me, no. I'm not even remotely affected by media as I understand it to be media.

People with mental illnesses are another story. But they're also affected by marijuana, films, music and The catcher in the rye.

 

It's about convenience. Just like discussions, actually scientific studies are hard work.
I don't know if I remember it completely right.
There was this one folk here in Germany, who went completely batshit about violent videogames a few years ago.
He claimed that he will conduct a study that will provide absolute fool-safe proof that violent videogames make you aggressive. He kept talking about it and then: Silence.
Turned out that his study has actually suggested the opposite. Funnily enough, it were the non-violent racing games, that made people the most aggressive (which frankly, doesn't surprise me all that much).
Because god knows, shutting up about it and hoping that nobody notices, is more likely than him admitting fault.

It's exactly this "convenience" that I see in the Anti-GG crowd. There are reasonable, levelheaded people like MundaneMatt and they refuse to discuss with him. Instead they wait for some halfwit to make something stupid like a death-thread, then paint the entirety of GamerGaters as such people.
Arguments are just SO much easier, if you dehumanize your opposition, am I right?

In general:
If you keep dodging discussions with reasonable people like this, I don't care about what you have to say, because you don't have anything to say.

Just my 2 cents...

 

If you think only the mentally ill are affected by media, and you not at all, here's some things to consider:

Wear deoderant? You almost certainly do. That's because the media has convinced you and everybody around you that you smell bad.

www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-advertisers-convinced-americans-they-smelled-bad-12552404/

Bet you've always imagined giving a girl a diamond ring as a part of the whole marriage thing, even if you're not interested in marriage yourself. Yup, media.

Seriously, I could list examples all day about how the media has influenced you, personally, without even knowing you. Don't even try to tell me you've never had a jingle stuck in your head. Hell, don't try to tell me you've never worried about penis size. Almost all women have body issues thanks to media. The media you consume affects you.

 

I dont think so. Gaming is the last bastion of freedom where its not overly politically correct, where people can blow off some steam, as they continue to clamp down are going to start exploding more often.

 

So by your own declaration, as proof that video games don't affect personality, driving games make people more aggressive. You do realize that your proof only proved my point, which isn't that violent games make you violent, but that video games in general can affect your personality?

 

I never do and never have. I consider being clean enough. Sorry.

I'm not married, and don't have plans for it. Nor will I wear jewellery of any kind.

I'm hard of hearing so that's probably not really something that happens to me.

I have worried about penis size. Up until communal showers at the swimming pool, then I stopped worrying and realised I was fine. But penis size is a male obsession, since the dawn of time. Certainly before the internet

It certainly seems to affect you, but it doesn't affect me. This is because after I've consumed it, I go for a poo and it's gone.

 

So is your argument that you personally are not affected by the media now, or are you still going with "only crazy people are affected by media"? Or are the majority of people just crazy? If your argument is the latter, I'll concede.

 

In fact, a few are right here!

I agree with @hippocoder; his is a cooler head. Thanks to my own life experiences, when I see someone being bullied, I find myself wanting to intercede (it would have been nice when I was in elementary and middle school, of course then I grew up and all of a sudden no one wanted to mess with me anymore for some reason.) But, this isn't the correct answer for this situation - being a nice person who treats people with respect is. So, thanks for correcting me bro. Sometimes my heart is way bigger than my head (though, that can inflate from time to time too. )

 

It seems to me that if you're getting mad enough over a hobby to send people death threats, you have too much free time on your hands and need to be reinserted in a lower position in the food chain.

 

I wish more people would take this to heart. Like, not only related to GamerGate, but in general.

 

No, I'm pretty certain I smell bad without being told I do. I wear deoderant, not because others expect me to do so, but because I can't stand the odor myself.

 

Sometimes, when I'm really mad at someone, I do the polar opposite: I eat at Taco Bell. They always deserve what they wind up getting.

 

Alrighty then...

 

You monster!

 

No, I make darn sure they deserve it.

 

I don't quite get what you're trying to tell me.
I never claimed that media doesn't affect you (which I also don't believe). I think you confuse me with @hippocoder, who claims not being affected by media at all.

 

I think she should have gone on with it, with police/guard present at the event.
Also, they can, and will, find the person responsible.

 

Assuming the person responsible would be stupid enough to actually show up.

What exactly does this whole thing have to do with game development? As I understand it she was going to speak about a topic related to video games...

 

And then die? Police presence doesn't stop terrorists, you know.

 

Terrorists don't typically announce their target ahead of time. I do agree though that it is better to be safe than to risk others lives.

 

Why take such an enormous, unnecessary risk?

I sure hope so.

 

Trust me, that fool is NOT is terrorist!! No terrorist is going actively state what they are going to do before they do it.

 

The same reason America doesn't negotiate with terrorist; to prove that she will not be bullied around by fools.

If she believed in her cause so much, then she wouldn't have cancelled. Did Martin Luther King cancel events because of threats on his life? Did JFK, Malcolm X, the current president(or any president), etc? No.

I guess her feminist cause ain't that important.

Yeah, I know I'm comparing Sarkeesian to great people like them, when she's not, but I highly doubt anything bad would've happened with police presence.

 

Thread is meandering into hypothetical scenarios and is likely to be locked by a moderator soon unless people just stick to facts. In hindsight I probably should have locked it instead of replying. Hopefully another moderator will as this is leading nowhere that's good.

Like or loathe figureheads, there is no place for violence.

 

Gotta love internet drama.

 

I don't agree because games is not supposed to represent reality.
Duke Nukem is only a super entertaining game with stupid and comic aliens ; some streap tease bonuses are there only to denote that humoristic and fun side of the game and give male players (that are the majority playing that game) some small happy sexy touch. Nothing shocking.
If you need something more serious in some ways there is Sim City you can play, or you can find COD, BattleField that don't have any problem related to woman representation.

It's sad to find some people that escalated so high with the help of medias for a not so vital problems, why they just don't find another kind of job, make something else, or try to find good people to work with instead of loosing their energy in some sort of battles or debates that will never bring them any real joy or anything good.
I could only say to them : TURN the PAGE, invest your energy in better positive projects with better positive people instead.

Hopefully, there are marvellous indie developpers making amazing games, specially in Unity forums

 

The American government also has quite a lot of resources at their disposal to deal with threats that she does not have.

That's never stopped you in the past.

 

I'm curious how often threats of violence happen normally against other popular people. For instance, take Justin Bieber. He's very popular, but a significant portion of the population doesn't like him. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he received a few letters of intimidation out of all the mail he receives.

Would he halt his tour because of those letters? Probably not. We probably wouldn't even know about them ...