Gamergate - OP updated 27 October

[Kathranis]

On a secondary note, does anyone else feel that the word "journalism" is wholly inappropriate for this particular industry?

It's equal parts regurgitated PR, advertising, tabloid news, cult of personality, tumblr blog, and opinion pieces, increasingly relying upon clickbait. About the only thing with a shred of integrity are the independent reviews.

If it were really journalism, people would be investigating this incident, not recapping it or censoring it for fear of getting dragged in.

[Granyala]

Failure is within the zero integrity, unethical, consumer and fan centric state of gaming discussion and journalism.

Which is why I don't give a damn about "professional gaming reviews".
I rather read reviews from ordinary players and get an image of the product or if really unsure I just wait for a steam sale and grab it for single digit prices.

[Tyrgannus]

On a secondary note, does anyone else feel that the word "journalism" is wholly inappropriate for this particular industry?

It's equal parts regurgitated PR, advertising, tabloid news, cult of personality, tumblr blog, and opinion pieces, increasingly relying upon clickbait. About the only thing with a shred of integrity are the independent reviews.

If it were really journalism, people would be investigating this incident, not recapping it or censoring it for fear of getting dragged in.

Well by that standard journalism in all genres and avenues has been dead for some time, not just the game industry.

[Imnick]

Has anyone found those reviews yet because as far as I can tell they don't actually exist?
There aren't any reviews written about Depression Quest by the people she slept with during the time period she was sleeping with them.

[Pull My Finger]

It all starts from somewhere. Have you even seen the video? Kotaku is quite a big deal of a site. And it's corrupted.

I didn't. The frist two minutes put me off terribly. I can't watch a half an hour of material that's so obviously one-sided, sensationalist and out to cause damage. I've seen enough to know where to sort it.

How can you trust a review when you hear about shit like this? I, for one stopped caring about all those "big" gaming sites a long time ago. This is why the whole gaming "journalism thing" (because it isn't even real journalism) is ruining the industry.

Well my take on it is that I don't trust reviews at all in the first place. They're just not important to me. I know that "reviews", especially those in magazines, are, directly or indirectly, paid advertisement. We all know that. I couldn't care less. I don't need a site like Kotaku to tell me what game I should buy. If I'm interested in something, I'll watch videos, talk to people who's opinion and experience I generally appreciate, etc.

After all, we've been into this hobby for long enough. We're mostly able to tell crap games from the good ones, we don't really need reviews from some self-proclaimed gaming "journalists". I think the most frustrations that seasoned gamers experience with unfortunate purchases don't come from the fact that they can't tell if a game is good, or right for them. It's more the fact that a lot of people just get caught up in a hype too easily, and that wishful thinking often seems to override their capabilities of objective observation.

Finally, I certainly don't give a rat's ass about all that ridiculous and uncalled-for commentary and blogs and whatnot, that those "journalists" keep pestering us with because they're trying to make themselves important. At the end of the day, they're just hacks and scribblers. Who cares about their ramblings on feminism or whatever topic seems to be highly discussed at those sites at the moment.

So, I don't really care if the "integrity" of sites like Kotaku, Rock-Paper-Shotgun or whatever gets compromized. Those people can do what they want and go to bed with whoever they think they have to. They're free to fuck, scam and kickstart each other all day long. Idiots will be idiots, and will always quarrel and squabble about. Luckily, they're not the gaming industry. I wouldn't be too concerned.

[Imnick]

Has anyone found those reviews yet because as far as I can tell they don't actually exist?
There aren't any reviews written about Depression Quest by the people she slept with during the time period she was sleeping with them.

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/tag/depression-quest/
There's only two articles here, and the one by Nathan Grayson (the accused) is not a review. It's literally a bullet point list of links.
The other article isn't a review either.

[Deleted]

Which is why I don't give a damn about "professional gaming reviews".
I rather read reviews from ordinary players and get an image of the product or if really unsure I just wait for a steam sale and grab it for single digit prices.

I agree with you. People should stop listeing to One's (1) guys opinion, and start listening to the greater communitie's opinion. Despite the issue, all those professionals are always somewhat biased even if they don't show that.

[hellhamster]

I didn't. The frist two minutes put me off terribly. I can't watch a half an hour of material that's so obviously one-sided, sensationalist and out to cause damage. I've seen enough to know where to sort it.



Well my take on it is that I don't trust reviews at all in the first place. They're just not important to me. I know that "reviews", especially those in magazines, are, directly or indirectly, paid advertisement. We all know that. I couldn't care less. I don't need a site like Kotaku to tell me what game I should buy. If I'm interested in something, I'll watch videos, talk to people who's opinion and experience I generally appreciate, etc.

After all, we've been into this hobby for long enough. We're mostly able to tell crap games from the good ones, we don't really need reviews from some self-announced "gaming journalists". I think the most frustrations that seasoned gamers experience with unfortunate purchases doesn't come from the fact that they can't tell if a game is good, or right for them. It's more the fact that a lot of people just get caught up in a hype too easily, and that wishful thinking often seems to override their capabilities of objective observation.

And I certainly don't give a rat's ass about all that ridiculous and uncalled-for commentary and blogs and whatnot, that those "journalists" keep pestering us with because they're trying to make themselves important. At the end of the day, they're just hacks and scribblers. Who cares about their ramblings on feminism or whatever topic seems to be highly discussed at those sites at the moment.

So, I don't really care if the "integrity" of sites like Kotaku, Rock-Paper-Shotgun or whatever gets compromized. Those people can do what they want and go to bet with whoever they think they have to. They're free to fuck, scam and kickstart each other all day long. Idiots will be idiots, and will always quarrel and squabble about. Luckily, they're not the gaming industry. I wouldn't bee too concerned.

The thing is, they are part of the gaming industry because a huge chunk of people believe what they write and spend their money on games they recommend, no matter how bad and incomplete and rushed it actually is. The next year, same deal, another incomplete and rushed game that will probably get a 8.5 or above. There is no real progress. This is why me and everyone else is concerned.

[GypsyTrampThief]

So that video was basically 24 minutes of a frustrated Man Child "Internet Aristocrat" verbally shifting his fedora around while railing against the fact that Game Journalism hates men, right? What a joke. The Video game industry full of some of the worst people on the fan side AND developers side, and there's not a whole lot that people can do about that. Zoe Quinn used sex to get what she wants? Holy shit, she must be the first person in history to do that ever. Grow up and get out of the house a little more and find some real problems to deal with.

[Kathranis]

It wasn't about getting reviews, AFAIK, it was about getting positive press coverage. That's probably why there won't be a lot of blowback on the media side. It's obvious that there was wrongdoing, but there's not a lot of solid evidence.

[Seraphinea]

Yeah. It's becoming more and more obvious as time goes on and applies to all sorts of forms of discrimination. Some people claim that it's terrible to be racist to a black guy and I agree with them up until they turn around and make it seem like it's impossible or worse yet right for a black guy to discriminate against a white guy. This applies to things like gender and sexuality as well - with the ridiculous idea that there's no discrimination being aimed at men or straight people.

This can't be further from the truth.

[Almaric]

RIP Zoey, RIP Phail Fish. #rekt2014

[Graeham]

This can't be further from the truth.

So you're claiming that it doesn't happen at all?

[Deleted]

Also, this whole "she slept her way up!" thing, to me, sounds like the oldest and most obvious trick in the book. In certain people's minds, it's the easiest way to slander a woman publicly. I don't have a clue if it's actually true or not, mind you. And frankly, I don't give the slightest damn. Why would anyone? Who's interest is this? Sounds like a bunch of sissies who are terribly jealous at some self-publicizing emo chick that managed to do something they couldn't: get a game on Steam..

So, you're saying that you think it's ok she slept with journalists and other people to get her game to top, she destroyed a contest that would have helped women create games, she silenced criticism against her, took money for a failed project and even more?

Yes, I do care if it's real or not, because, if it is... it's kind of bad how she manipulates others so easily and yet gets away with it. It's important because others might try, and before you know it you'll end up with a bunch of mediocre games eclipsing the good games simply because they were made by women/men who slept with others just by taking this bitch's model and cheated other people who voiced opposition simply by using the people they slept with.

This must not create a precedent. It must be ended here and now, her game should be taken off steam and she should go to jail or at least pay a fee. Because otherwise more will try.

[tehdef]

So that video was basically 24 minutes of a frustrated Man Child "Internet Aristocrat" verbally shifting his fedora around while railing against the fact that Game Journalism hates men, right? What a joke. The Video game industry full of some of the worst people on the fan side AND developers side, and there's not a whole lot that people can do about that. Zoe Quinn used sex to get what she wants? Holy shit, she must be the first person in history to do that ever. Grow up and get out of the house a little more and find some real problems to deal with.

Uh dude, I don't think you understand. This directly impacts his professional industry of choice, and makes it harder to take gaming journalism as an unbiased and scholarly review harder. This IS a real problem for the gaming community of people who choose to focus their time on the merits of a game, and not using their leverage to sink or float games.

Part of me wishes that Adam Sessler was still around. Dude was at least honest and cared about only a few things. TB and Yahtzee are some of my go to reviewers now. Most reviews "normal people" online these days though are full of vocal minority and nasty biased, and undereducated reviews.

[jimlow]

I love the internet aristocrat. He's like a buoy of sanity in an ocean of madness.

[Frozenbeef]

People are manipulative, she obviously lacks enough talent to make t by herself so uses her womanly charms..can you really say you wouldn't do the same if you were struggling?

[Post]

So that video was basically 24 minutes of a frustrated Man Child "Internet Aristocrat" verbally shifting his fedora around while railing against the fact that Game Journalism hates men, right? What a joke. The Video game industry full of some of the worst people on the fan side AND developers side, and there's not a whole lot that people can do about that. Zoe Quinn used sex to get what she wants? Holy shit, she must be the first person in history to do that ever. Grow up and get out of the house a little more and find some real problems to deal with.

I always love it how there's always someone who attacks the people calling out something shitty that happened, no real reason for it, just "fuck you!" to people talking about something scummy someone else did.

[hellhamster]

People are manipulative, she obviously lacks enough talent to make t by herself so uses her womanly charms..can you really say you wouldn't do the same if you were struggling?

She went way too fucking far destroying a charity, closing down sites and boards, and went on to silence and attack every single person criticizing her. While in the meantime she scams people into giving her money in order to complete writing a video game that doesn't even exist on paper.

All in the name of "feminism". Real feminists are laughing at her.

[Dezerte]

The way I see it this has nothing to do with feminism.

As for my general thoughts on the matter I'd refer to the post TB made on twitlonger.com.