Editor's Note: Why I Still Call Myself a Gamer

[Zipa]

Well done Mr Tito, thank you for not caving to the likes of other gaming sites and actually standing up for gamers and not just decrying them. You and the Escapist has proven itself without doubt a far better gaming site than the rest involved in this gamers are dead travesty.

 

[deathbydeath]

I approve of this article, specifically how its message is "Don't be a dick" as opposed to "Don't be a dick unless someone deserves it". That needs to be more of a thing.

I've always been on the argument that felt the term "gamer" was irrelevant instead of alive or dead, but I fully support people who are willing to say they are gamers because of games and not to be a part of the culture.

 

[Josh123914]

Great editorial. Also props for doing some actual journalism in that write-up last week.
It looked like something out of Reuters (that's a compliment).

 

[Breakdown]

Good article, makes me glad I joined this forum.

 

[Key Puncher]

Thank you. And thank you especially for keeping already mentioned thread open. The issues being discussed are important to the future of games as a medium, even though the diversity of gamers themselves virtually ensures that there will be conflicts of some nature.

I agree completely that gaming doesn't have any more problems with bigotry and vileness than any other mainstream hobby. It brings together people from different walks of life and different backgrounds, and they sometimes bring extra baggage with them from the offline world. It's a wider problem of online harassment, brought by lack of accountability, that somehow gets attributed to gaming itself.

 

[Kuredan]

Greg, Thank you. Sometimes it's hard for the little guys trapped in the middle to stand up. We sometimes get attacked from both sides. Thanks for standing up for and with us. You and Mr. Macris have shown what it means to have integrity in the industry and we salute you.

 

[Thunderous Cacophony]

Good piece.

I've never understood "Don't Read The Comments" as a positive statement for authors on something like the Escapist. Practically by definition, everyone in the forums is a fan of gaming in general and the site in particular. I've seen far nastier things said on Twitter, Facebook, or other integrated sites where people can leave a comment with no effort and move on than I have even seen on the Escapist or another dedicated site where people are getting together to celebrate and talk about a specific thing. I know Tito and various editors and contributors do read the forums, and it's gratifying to see they don't paint all their fans as such awful stains on humanity that even the potential comments on ANY article would be too horrific.

We may not always like everything you do, and we may get angry about some stuff, but we wouldn't be here if we didn't want to be happy, and we wouldn't pour literally hundreds of hours into maintaining an account if we didn't care about you and this site.

 

[nightmare_gorilla]

great job rising above all this, I consider myself a much more moderate person amid this controversy but any website that proclaims me or my hobby to be "dead" doesn't deserve my business anymore and I don't plan to frequent any of those sites going forward. I really have to respect the escapist for being much more fair about this than any other site I've seen and in allowing as free a discussion as possible while still policing the more extreme members on both sides. I've always been of the mind that threats and harassment are wrong but what I saw was equal if not more coming from members of the press as random internet dwellers. so i'm in favor of stamping it out equally on both sides.

 

[Kingjackl]

Well said, Greg.

I believe people calling for the end of the 'gamer' identity are missing the point. There's nothing inherently toxic about gamer culture; the problem is, as always, internet culture. Get gamers out of an online setting and they can all be generally lovely people (if a bit socially awkward sometimes); it's just that so much gamer culture exists primarily online, where the Penny Arcade GIFT applies.

Also, nice reference to the Dragon Age 2 review response. I know I'd be fed up of that after three frigging years.

 

[Nowhere Man]

You just won me back Greg. Thank you so much for this.

 

[R0guy]

You had my respect when you left the forums open and free from censorship Tito. You now have my trust.

You're the man Greg, thanks!

 

[rbstewart7263]

I know ive been naught but a cheerleader for the escapist but, I feel that you guys really deserve the gratitude for being awesome. You guys have been, the best out of all the websites about the issue and I applaud you for it and hope that others do as well. Also the jimquisition this week was awesome.

Kudos

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

Picture aside, great article. The Escapist has been the only site where this topic could be discussed without mods taking the banhammer to half the debate. And I'm very pleased Greg can see through the BS on both sides and realize there are actually legitimate complaints to be made against the canoodling between bloggers and developers.

Keep up the great work Greg! Don't let the debate die!
#Standing!

 

[Vigormortis]

It's one thing to earn back the respect one has lost. It's quite another to earn back the trust.

With this display of genuine emotion and rationality, I think that you, Greg, and indeed this site, have started winning back that trust within whom it was lost. At least, I would hope as much.

Kudos to you and your staff. Not since signing up back in 2007 have I ever been more proud to be an Escapist member.

Thank you.

 

[kael013]

I've always chosen to come to The Escapist for my gaming news because I saw the crew here as people of integrity, as people I could trust to give me the straight facts and no bullshit. So thank you Tito, for this editorial and for the Ethics Policy. In a time where journalists and entire news sites have tried to make this into nothing but anger and hate, something to blow over and be forgotten except by the most bitter of individuals you have gone the opposite direction. You listened and accepted the honest pleas for integrity and acted on them, and in doing so, made gaming journalism a little bit better.

I salute you sir. Well done.

 

[Sartan0]

Thank you for taking the time to put up this post. I will continue to wade in to the comments now and again and enjoy your content.

As for calling myself a gamer, that ship has sailed. The term is too generic and reductive for me but feel free to continue to use it.

 

[Fappy]

Somehow I don't think Grey Carter listened to the "don't read the comments" rule XD

I love you guys.

(Especially you, Grey. Keep kicking that hornet's nest and a power-up WILL eventually fall out, I promise! :3)

 

[TP Potatosalad]

Thanks for posting this Greg. Sometimes people, including myself, get so caught up in an argument that we forget why we're arguing about it in the first place. We're all here because we like games, and all of our expressions of disagreement are rooted in the desire to see things get better, or a fear of things getting worse. I hope that articles like this help lead to better conduct from all parties, and ultimately a rise in the quality of games/game culture in general.