C o lu m n

Off the Map

Kate Edwards

Games, gamers
and culture wars

For nearly a decade, Ive written for this mag

azine on topics related to geopolitics and culture
and the need to be acutely aware of the sensi
tivities of such issues as they relate to content
in our products. While Ive touched upon the
consumer side of the equation many times, at
least in terms of how end-users will perceive the
content we produce, Ive rarely addressed the
culture of the media the consumers are enjoy
ing, as opposed to the local culture of the con
sumers themselves.
For example, we can talk about the impact of images
used in books and how such images may affect the cultural
expectations in one locale or another, but we rarely talk
about the images in the context of how avid book readers
may react. Usually the medium of delivery isnt as relevant
to the key questions about content sensitivities and their
effect on a specific culture.
One of the topics Ive often discussed is the concept of
cultural protectionism and how local entities such as a
national government will take action to protect their local
narrative, meaning the way in which their culture, their
territory, their histoiy and so on are perceived by people
outside their locale. This kind of protectionism has been the
motive for everything from tourism marketing to persua
sive propaganda to political upheaval and even to military
conflict. Cultural protectionism isnt exclusive to countries
either, it can happen among any group that maintains a
certain identity, and when it feel this identity is being threat
ened in some way.
In 2014, this very kind of protectionism emerged in
the form of consumer activism, and provided us with an
example of what can happen when end-users identify so fer
vently with a medium they eagerly enjoy. The issue at hand,
which continues as of this writing, is what's become known
as Gamergate, and its been one of the most disruptive
22 | MultiLingual June 2015

actions in recent years and certainly one of the most signifi

cant in the game industry as far as its negative impact. Its
an issue that interweaves many threads of discussion, from
online harassment and misogyny to the culture wars around
conservatism, feminism and the role of anonymity in virtual
communities. Its also an issue that affected me personally,
as I remain one of the key targets of this small but vocal
crowd of online antagonists. But at its core, Gamergate is a
tale of cultural protectionism, where a group that felt it had
ownership over the label g a m e r found instead that its just
one part of a now global, multicultural and diverse demo
graphic of game players.
This issue requires a certain amount of background before
discussion, so Ill attempt to summarize as succinctly as pos
sible what happened and how weve come to this point. The
spark that ignited this whole issue was when a games jour
nalist, Eron Gjoni, posted a derogatory piece in early August
2014 about his ex-girlfriend, independent game developer
Zoe Quinn, after they broke up. Within days, Gjonis post
found support from the 4chan message boards, a community
priding itself on its anonymity and its tendency to initiate
harassment and other malicious behavior for any issue or
individual they collectively deem worthy of their negative
attention. Many of these people joined Gjonis rant, includ
ing some notable YouTube broadcasters (such as one known
as TotalBiscuit) and the harassment against Quinn quickly
escalated. Around this time, game industry commentator
Anita Sarkeesian released another video in her ongoing
series about the negative portrayals of women in video
games. Sarkeesians criticism of existing tropes are meant
to spur discussion and help the game industry take a critical
look at its portrayal of women. Yet to this building crowd
of harassers, Sarkeesian was attacking what they hold dear
- their classic video games that they enjoy and to them

Kate Edwards is a geographer and the p rin c ip a l co n s u lta n t o f

Geogrify, a S e attle-based co nsu ltan cy fo r c u ltu ra liz a tio n and c o n te n t
strategy. She is also the executive d ire cto r o f the In te rn a tio n a l Game
Developers Association (IGDA).

editor@multilingual.com

Column
she represented a social justice war
rior (SJW) and radical feminist who
was aiming to change the industry and
take away their cherished games. Sarkeesian had become a target in 2012
when she initiated her video series, but
the mob renewed their attacks on her,
complete with online harassment and
death threats.
As happens with online mobs,
this so-called movement quickly
escalated and took on its own life,
especially when actor Adam Baldwin
(of the beloved geek TV series Firefly)
added his conservative politics to the
mix, railing against the perception of
an out-of-control feminist agenda, and
coined the Twitter hashtag #gamergate.
This provided a more distinct identity
to what was initially random groups of
anonymous individuals in online com
munities that have long been associ
ated with misogynistic behavior.
By the end of August 2014, the
activity had started getting the notice
of a wider range of people in the
game industry, particularly among
independent developers and journal
ists. Gamasutra.com columnist Leigh
Alexander published a particularly
pointed piece about how gamers are
over, essentially denouncing the toxic
online behavior and declaring that the
gamer identity as typically defined
mostly young, white males is no
longer valid because virtually every

one plays games now. The message

and tone of this article set off a new
wave of harassment and hatred among
the Gamergate adherents and fueled
a new level of reaction against other
people who spoke out against them,
particularly women. The practice of
doxing, revealing someones private
information online, such as an address
or phone number, was regularly
employed by Gamergate adherents
against their targets. In some cases
they also employed swatting, which
is alerting local law enforcement to a
fake incident at their targets home
address in the hope that a SWAT team
on high alert would be sent in response.
With Gamasutras publishing of the
inflammatory column, the Gamergate
crowd protested by targeting the web
sites advertisers in September, starting
with the tech giant Intel. In a knee jerk
reaction, Intel removed its advertising
from Gamasutra, contributing to the
perception of a major victory among
the Gamergate supporters. Over the
next few months, Intel would realize
the tremendous mistake it had made
and by early January 2015, Intel
CEO Brian Krzanich announced in
his keynote at the annual Consumer
Electronics Show (CES) that Intel was
committing $300 million in a broad
initiative to not only fix the obvi
ous diversity problems in the game
industry but in the entire technology

sector, starting with full representation

at all levels within Intel. This action
has since inspired other companies to
increase their diversity efforts, such
as Apples public commitment of $50
million in March 2015.
By October 2014, the overt misog
yny of Gamergate began to get widely
noticed. Major media outlets such as
The New York Times, The Washington
Post, The Wall Street Jou rnal and other
outlets correctly identified Gamergate
for what it is: a convoluted mob with
out any single agenda or voice but
with a clear misogynist streak. Even
though the harassment campaign tried
to change the focus of their vitriol to
being an issue over ethics in games
journalism, they were mostly unable to
escape the perception that this was a
group striving to exclude women from
somehow interfering with their gamer
culture. In other words, they sup
posedly werent ranting against Zoe
Quinn, Anita Sarkeesian and others
involvement in the industry as women,
but rather the way that game journal
ists are too close to game developers
and the perception of a lack of objec
tivity in game coverage and reviews.
Unfortunately, this additional facade
increased Gamergates appeal among
new followers.
As for my part in all this, as the
executive director of the International
Game Developers Association (IGDA),

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23

Column
I was proud that our board of direc
nymity, free speech and many of the
ism, this small, isolated realm decides
tors issued a statement in late August
actions being performed by juveniles.
to employ highly unethical methods of
2014 to denounce the harassment
So to return to the cultural protec
attack to those beyond their territory,
and misogyny; at the time we were
tionism point I raised earlier, Im prone
such as constant harassment, public
the only major industry organiza
to cast this episode in that light, particu
humiliation, doxing and swatting.
tion to say anything about the issue.
larly given my perspective as a geog
Indeed, the world has changed
And because I was so outspoken in
rapher and culturalization strategist.
around them. In the United States,
many media interviews on the topic,
Imagine that theres a culture (mostly
nearly 50% of gamers are women.
1 quickly became another key target
young males) high in the mountains
Several years ago the global video
of Gamergate seen as another key
that adopts a certain enjoyable pastime,
game industry began generating more
SJW and as the gamers enemy and
a local cultural tradition (video games).
revenue than the film and music
yes 1 received death threats as well as
For a long while, theyre mostly the
industries combined. Game playing is
constant harassment and
ubiquitous, with a very
derision on Twitter and
wide demographic. In the
Gamergate has been an additional layer o f
on Gamergate blog posts.
United States alone, the
Never mind my 20+ year
average age of a gamer
history in the game indus angst added to the already-dynamic environment
is now 36 years old.
try and the fact that Ive
That tribal perception of
o f an ever-changing industry.
likely worked on many of
a gamer being a young
the games the Gamergate
male has utterly changed.
proponents enjoy, and never mind the
only people enjoying this tradition and
Just as other major art forms such as
fact that Ive likely been a gamer longer
it becomes familiar and comfortable
literature, music, radio, television and
than most of these harassers have been
for them and their tribal name, gamer,
film are enjoyed by virtually everyone
alive. The fact that I am an industry
represents their specific culture. Every
on some level, games have reached the
figure willing to stand up and vocally
once in a while, outsiders (such as
point of being the latest entertainment
oppose their actions made me worthy
women) will wander into their territory
medium to become part of the modern
of their hatred. Ive been blamed and
and might be accepted but are never
human experience.
accused of some of the wildest, most
really considered part of the culture and
Several times Ive been asked by
ridiculous conspiracy theories; in other
certainly arent really allowed to use the
media outlets and others if anything
words, Ive been a convenient enemy
gamer label (or if they do, theyre often
good will result from all this. My
to hate and help fuel their conspiracies
accused of being fake gamer girls or
response is a fervent yes, absolutely.
and internal cultural narrative.
doing it only because their boyfriends
There's no question that this has been
This whole issue continues to
play games). This isolated culture con
a time of turmoil for the game indus
rumble on in the virtual communities,
tinues to grow and companies continue
try, and the disturbing (and illegal)
and for better or worse, for people
to make goods that this culture enjoys
harassment must come to a full stop.
who dont pay attention to Twitter or
(including overly sexist depictions of
Gamergate has been an additional layer
Reddit, Gamergate has been virtually
women).
of angst added to the already-dynamic
invisible. Indeed, even at the annual
But something interesting happens.
environment of an ever-changing
Game Developers Conference in March
Eventually, this cultural tradition finds
industry. As the game industry is so
2015,1 had some long-time developers
a place beyond the traditional gamers
technology dependent, it continues to
ask me about the issue because they
territory. Over time, more and more
evolve its platforms, delivery methods,
had no idea that it had been raging for
people outside their realm are also play
content sources and so forth. In response,
months and had never heard the term
ing games, and many of these people
there has been much upheaval over the
Gamergate. The harassment contin
dont fit the tribal definition of gamer.
past few years, as evidenced in a variety
ues, although not nearly as intensely
One day, after years have passed, this
of ways. For example, the IGDAs own
as a few months ago, and at this time
isolated culture of gamers suddenly
Developer Satisfaction Survey found in
the echo chamber known as Gamergate
realizes that the world around them has
2014 that over the past five years, game
mostly continues to regurgitate famil
changed theyre no longer unique
developers had an average of four jobs!
iar statements and arguments, never
and special, and the companies mak
Many in the industry were anecdotally
offering any new insights or thought
ing their games are also making games
aware of an underlying chum but the
fulness about whatever they were sup
for the people outside their territory.
survey helped shine a hard light on the
posedly raging against from the start.
Their cherished cultural tradition now
realities.
Unfortunately, women developers and
belongs to everyone, and they really
So add to the landscape this addi
their defenders are still being harassed
dont like this idea. As they panic at
tional aspect of industry change,
and targeted, and while the US Fed
this revelation, they lash out at what
that of inclusion and diversity. We
eral Bureau of Investigation has been
they perceive to be the most obvious
all knew that eventually it needed
involved since even before August
cause of this change people different
to be addressed, and I myself having
2014, the agency hasnt made much
from them whove invaded their space
attended and participated in count
progress in apprehending the worst
(mostly women). And while they also
less talks about women in games and
of the mob due to issues around ano
lash out at the ethics of games journal
diversity panels and such discussions,
24

| MultiLingual June 201 5

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Tools & Services Showcase

its clear that theres been a strong
frustration with the lack of progress,
both in the game industry as well as
the broader technology sector. Thats
one reason why the IGDA has adopted
a space program goal of trying to
double the number of women working
in the game industry by 2025. Its why
Intel has come out so boldly in favor
of resolving their diversity problem in
the IT sector once and for all. Its why
were seeing a plethora of STEM (science-technology-engineering-math)
programs arise for young women and
people of diversity.
The reaction against Gamergates
misogynist message has been so strong
that in the end, the very thing their
isolated culture was railing against
is going to actually become a reality.
Their cultural backlash has become
a catalyst for galvanizing an entire
industry to take a hard look at itself
and then have the courage to take real,
measurable steps to change. Granted,
this effort is only getting started and
its a long-term proposition, yet I
remain optimistic. The internet will
always have its echo chambers and
strong opinions, it will continue to rage
on a wide variety of issues and I doubt
Gamergate adherents will go away
anytime soon. But hopefully social
media companies such as Twitter will
also realize some hard lessons about
how to better manage their platforms,
rather than being enablers. And those
of us who engage in social media use
on a frequent basis can learn to better
filter the noise so we can concentrate
on the signals that matter.
For the sake of brevity, there are
many details Ive had to leave out of
this discussion as it has many layers
of complexity and I have no doubt
that its going to result in many mas
ters theses and doctoral dissertations
in the fields of sociology, communi
cation, journalism, cultural anthro
pology and information sciences,
to name a few. Its important for us
to keep in mind that culture doesnt
always have to be defined by country
borders, languages or ethnicities. In
todays increasingly virtual spaces of
communication and social interac
tion, cultural identity associated with
mediums, brands and content types
are becoming ever more relevant and
critical to consider in our work. M
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