Jimquisition: Toxic
- Thread starter Jimothy Sterling
- Start date
It's funny I kind of zoned out during your rant, but I did start thinking about something important. I started thinking about how the rise of big-name-nerd video commentators has served as an antidote to the "Native Guerillas" that game studios employ to manipulate discussions in message boards. You can look this up, there are companies whose sole business is to monitor online discussion and to manipulate it. Not just game publishers, though they have admitted that they do this but other businesses and political organizations as well.
You might scoff at this idea, but I've read testimonials from former employees, they're a lot better at this than you may think. Now with guys like Jim, we finally have a voice to fight back with.
You might scoff at this idea, but I've read testimonials from former employees, they're a lot better at this than you may think. Now with guys like Jim, we finally have a voice to fight back with.
That was not my intention but I understand why it was done, and I'd like to take this opportunity to say that I was not the one who flagged his comments for moderation.themgauls said:
Jim, I think I've said this before, but you really should consider voice acting. I would buy any game if you're the villain in it.
I can't speak for everyone, obviously, but the way I see it anger is not so much a tool as a drive. It's what powers the weapon rather than the weapon itself. Anger is what motivates someone to shout about something, not the thing the slap the publisher in the face with. What should be equally important is not just who we direct our anger at, but how we manifest it. Because in the end, even if your anger is the most well-deserved possible, it will amount to little if all you do is bombard someone's twitter feed with blatantly offensive and quite cruel threats. Not that anyone here would do that, but it's something to keep in mind. Don't just think who - think how.
Its true that not everyone in the gamer community, if you can call it that, is of the same mindset. But the truth is that if you are ever on a message board, YouTube comment or anything else on the internet with interest to games has often become common to see violent threats, the refusal of ones right to an opinion, ganging up on a singular person or various "isms."Moth_Monk said:
That is not to say we all have issues, but as shown by every form of media that has often come under fire, we need to put our best foots forward, encourage discussion and allow it to be inclusive, if only for the reason that more people means newer games and ideas.
As such, one. if you see toxicity taking place, like bullying, you have to try and stop it or you are helping the problem and two. anger and fan collaboration can result in change, much like protests in the 20th century, we must be taken seriously and focus on companies that can actually create a change. Not on single people or just because someone "wrote a line of dialogue we didn't agree with" or had a complaint about the medium.
As for making us look bad and people not caring, we are still Fox news, who has millions of view, using us as their common scape goat, companies are losing developers and creative minds who are sick of being pushed around, thus hurting the industry and all in all, it makes it hard when you want to talk to people about something you like or bring up a game of a forum without either being insulted or starting an unintentional debate. As such, Toxicity is a problem.
I think Jim Sterling undermine his argument. It's alright to be upset about things. Just be upset about things that matter. Therefore, anyone who gets upset about videogames is wrong. All I have to say to anyone who thinks women are oppressed by videogames: Look up the name Malala Yousafzai. Anyone who gets upset that your character do bad things in a game named after a felony; upset that a female character doesn't wear, looks, and act the way you wanted to; upset that a game obviously over-promised on what it can deliver; or anything else related to videogames are just crybabies complaining about first world problems.
I really wish it was possible to scorn Anita Sarkeesian without it being about the sexist gamer angle.
