(Before I start, I wanted to be as impartial as possible but with a topic like gamer gate its hard to report on just the facts, please stay with me and I will try to explain my point of view as best I can)
The events over the last month have attracted a lot of discussion, with games media being called into question about a whole number of different topics. The main points of discussion were centered around Gamergate. There were a lot of arguments, some interesting points raised and some down right stupidity on both sides of the argument. As the dust is being to settle I have to wonder, where do we go from here?
I would say we pick up the pieces and carry on, except its not that easy. I guess we have to start from the beginning. The initial argument came about was because the journalistic side of gaming and the marketing side of gaming were getting to cosy together. It is a major issue as it means the media is not free and independent and thus unreliable at best. Then the internet became a wash with arguments about the media, and demanded transparency from journalists. There was a lot of attacks an abuse from both sides of the argument. At which point the #GamerGate vs #Anti-GamerGate twitter wars started, an argument which subsequently EXPLODED after several of the journalists and independent developers involved in an ?anti-gamer? movement, published and signed an open letter to the gaming community asking gamers to end the harassment towards critics and developers.
So were does this leave us. Its difficult to say. On one hand Journalism will have to change especially its relationship with games companies and the people who play games. In a way thats a victory for gaming. However I feel as though an opportunity was lost here. More now then ever before, the consumer and the reviewer are two separate entities. No longer able to trust one another on their opinions. Journalists will be more fearful of a back lash, and consumers will be more willing then ever to call journalists out on there mistakes.
So what does that translate out to, marketing for smaller games will be harder. Consumers will be more wary when going off reviewers opinions, and a small game that deserved to be played may be missed. Is that much of an issue, probably not, but like I said before other points were raised and other arguments discussed. Heck I didnt even mention the whole topic of women in games and that was almost half of the argument, but for now I wanted to focus on the underlined argument here that set this whole thing in motion.
Ive tried to stay impartial as possible here but Its hard to focus on facts especially with something so opinionated as this, so if you think im fighting either side of the argument or a SJW, I wasn't, I was just wondering where this was all going
So I will finish how I started, by asking, where do we go from here?
The events over the last month have attracted a lot of discussion, with games media being called into question about a whole number of different topics. The main points of discussion were centered around Gamergate. There were a lot of arguments, some interesting points raised and some down right stupidity on both sides of the argument. As the dust is being to settle I have to wonder, where do we go from here?
I would say we pick up the pieces and carry on, except its not that easy. I guess we have to start from the beginning. The initial argument came about was because the journalistic side of gaming and the marketing side of gaming were getting to cosy together. It is a major issue as it means the media is not free and independent and thus unreliable at best. Then the internet became a wash with arguments about the media, and demanded transparency from journalists. There was a lot of attacks an abuse from both sides of the argument. At which point the #GamerGate vs #Anti-GamerGate twitter wars started, an argument which subsequently EXPLODED after several of the journalists and independent developers involved in an ?anti-gamer? movement, published and signed an open letter to the gaming community asking gamers to end the harassment towards critics and developers.
So were does this leave us. Its difficult to say. On one hand Journalism will have to change especially its relationship with games companies and the people who play games. In a way thats a victory for gaming. However I feel as though an opportunity was lost here. More now then ever before, the consumer and the reviewer are two separate entities. No longer able to trust one another on their opinions. Journalists will be more fearful of a back lash, and consumers will be more willing then ever to call journalists out on there mistakes.
So what does that translate out to, marketing for smaller games will be harder. Consumers will be more wary when going off reviewers opinions, and a small game that deserved to be played may be missed. Is that much of an issue, probably not, but like I said before other points were raised and other arguments discussed. Heck I didnt even mention the whole topic of women in games and that was almost half of the argument, but for now I wanted to focus on the underlined argument here that set this whole thing in motion.
Ive tried to stay impartial as possible here but Its hard to focus on facts especially with something so opinionated as this, so if you think im fighting either side of the argument or a SJW, I wasn't, I was just wondering where this was all going
So I will finish how I started, by asking, where do we go from here?