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#GamerGate is a consumer revolt triggered by the overt politicization, ethical misconduct, and unprecedented amounts of censorship targeted at gamers and video games as a whole that is presently being perpetrated by many entities within the industry.
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'''GamerGate''' is a consumer revolt against unethical practices in video game journalism and entertainment media, including (but not limited to) [[Corruption|corruption and conflicts of interest]], [[collusion]], and the [[Censorship|censorship of ideas and discussion]].  It is comprised of video game enthusiasts all over the world working together to eliminate ethical misconduct by industry professionals and promote fair and balanced video games media.
  
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== Origins ==
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As a group, GamerGate is leaderless and unstructured so all efforts and projects are collaborative endeavors agreed upon and fulfilled by the group’s majority.
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''For a more detailed account of the origins and history of GamerGate, please read the [[Timeline]] article.''
 
  
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==The Three C's of GamerGate==
  
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The events leading up to the creation of #GamerGate began on August 16, 2014, with the publication of "thezoepost" by Eron Gjoni, a programmer and ex-boyfriend of indie game developer Zoe Quinn.<sup>[[[1]]]</sup> In it, he claims that Quinn emotionally manipulated him and cheated on him with 5 other individuals over the course of their relationship. Three of these individuals were listed by name - among them are Joshua Boggs, Quinn's employer, and [[Nathan Grayson]], a gaming journalist associated with [[RockPaperShotgun]] and [[Kotaku]].
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The multiple journalistic failings that GamerGate has exposed and challenged can be summarized and sorted into the following three categories:
  
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*'''[[Corruption]]'''
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**Conflicts of interest (COIs), including the non-disclosure of personal relationships (romantic and otherwise), non-disclosure of direct financial support and/or investments, and the non-disclosure of Patreon contributions.
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**Cronyism
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**Bribes and similar enticements (or threats and similar intimidation tactics) towards reviewers to grant games a better score then they deserve.
  
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On August 17, YouTuber MundaneMatt published a video in which he discussed thezoepost. The video was taken down by Quinn using a DMCA copyright claim, as the video contained a publicly-available screenshot from her game Depression Quest. Soon afterwards, InternetAristocrat published his own video about thezoepost, titled "The Five Guys Saga".<sup>[[[2]]]</sup>
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*'''[[Collusion]]'''
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**Secret cooperation of supposed competing outlets to push (or silence) a message or narrative.
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**Industry-wide blacklisting
  
 +
*'''[[Censorship]]'''
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**Wide-spread prohibition of GamerGate and GamerGate-related topics on forums and comment sections.
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**Abuse of DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) takedown measures
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**Social media blockbots and shadow-bans
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**Attempts to ban or censor video games based on content
  
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On August 19, YouTube video game reviewer TotalBiscuit made a post on Twitlonger criticizing the use of DMCA takedown requests to censor critical works,<sup>[[[3]]]</sup> which was interpreted by many to be a veiled reference to MundaneMatt's video. The post was submitted to the subreddit /r/gaming on the same day. Over 25,000 comments on the /r/gaming post were later deleted by the moderators of the subreddit,<sup>[[[4]]]</sup> and various users were shadowbanned (a ban that makes a user's posts invisible without informing them they are banned) for upvoting posts discussing the scandal.
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==Endeavors, Achievements, &amp; Criticism==
  
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GamerGate strives to find and expose unethical practices in video game journalism, communicate the desire for better ethics and representation, and inspire and foster positive change in the video game industry.  The #GamerGate hashtag on Twitter is the primary medium for communication and collaboration, and websites like 8chan, Reddit, and Tumblr boast high numbers of participants and supporters as well.
  
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As the scale and impact of the scandal increased, gaming journalists were placed under increased scrutiny by their readers. It was eventually discovered that several prominent gaming journalists had been donating money to Quinn's Patreon account,<sup>[[[5]]]</sup> among them [[Polygon]] editor Ben Kuchera<sup>[[[6]]]</sup> who had been donating to her Patreon account for several weeks before he wrote an article about Depression Quest. It was also discovered that Kotaku writer Patricia Hernandez was in a romantic relationship with indie game developer Anna Anthropy, and had written several articles which were favorable towards her and her games.<sup>[[[7]]]</sup>
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Because GamerGate has no defined structure, much of the communication and messages directed towards developers, publishers, and journalists are done on an individual basis. However, GamerGate participants will frequently come together to collaborate on campaigns, referred to as [[Projects:Hub|operations]].
  
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The largest and most successful operation, [[Operation Disrespectful Nod]], resulted in many different companies pulling their ads from sites that practiced unethical journalism, made no efforts to improve upon confrontation, and/or directly insulted their customer base through open disdain and mockery of gamers.  Other operations have resulted in the direct improvement of gaming journalism.  The [[Rebuild Initiative]] has given greater exposure to quality gaming media sites and strengthened the relationship between developers and gamers, and [[Operation UV]] directly influenced the enhancement of FTC rules regarding affiliate advertising and prompted websites to place disclaimers on paid advertisements disguised as articles.{{cite|site=Reddit|url=http://www.reddit.com/r/KotakuInAction/comments/2nb3hw/important_update_the_ftc_heard_our_complaints|title=Important Update: The FTC Heard Our Complaints. They Are Going to Issue Revised Disclosure Guidelines for Affiliate Links and You Tubers. We've Been Instrumental in Making Real, Lasting Positive Changes to Online Journalism - TheChiefLunatic - November 14 2014|aurl=http://archive.is/Pbwwb}}{{cite|site=TechRaptor|url=http://techraptor.net/content/ftc-forces-gawker-make-disclosures-affiliate-links|title=FTC Forces Gawker’s Kotaku To make Disclosures for Affiliate Links - Georgina Young - November 27 2014|aurl=http://archive.is/WsxLf}}
  
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On August 21, [[The Fine Young Capitalists]] posted an interview<sup>[[[8]]]</sup> in which they described how Zoe Quinn shut down their website,<sup>[[[9]]]</sup> citing issues with their policies involving transwomen. On the same day, many users of 4chan's /pol/ (Politically Incorrect) and /v/ (Video Games) boards decided to help fund TFYC through their IndieGoGo page.<sup>[[[10]]]</sup> Over the next few days, 4chan users raised more than $23,000 for TFYC.<sup>[[[11]]]</sup> On the same day, InternetAristocrat released his second video about the controversy, titled "Quinnspiracy Theory: In-N-Out Edition".<sup>[[[12]]]</sup> Two days later, on August 24, TFYC's IndieGoGo page was hacked and changed to appear as if the campaign had shut down. TFYC later restored their page and announced that no money was lost as a result of the hack.<sup>[[[13]]]</sup>
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Despite GamerGate’s positive changes on the industry, it has been met with heavy criticism from the journalists and publications under fire and their supporters, as well as third-wave feminists involved who have attributed the harsh criticism towards female offenders to misogyny and sexism. Additionally, due to the unstructured and anonymous nature of GamerGate, many individuals have taken advantage of the lack of accountability and have trolled and displayed abusive behavior towards members of the video game industry, notably women. As a result of all of this, GamerGate’s detractors have commonly referred the revolt as a &quot;misogynistic hate campaign&quot; run by straight white males who want to drive women out of gaming.  However, statistics{{cite|site=Medium|url=https://medium.com/@cainejw/an-actual-statistical-analysis-of-gamergate-dfd809858f68|title=An Actual Statistical Analysis of #GamerGate? - jw - October 25 2014|aurl=http://archive.is/eWgbg}} show that this interpretation is patently false, and the existence of [[NotYourShield|#NotYourShield]] suggests that GamerGate's demographics are far more diverse than its critics imply.
  
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== Origins ==
  
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On August 26, Kotaku editor Stephen Totilo announced that journalists affiliated with Kotaku would no longer be allowed to contribute to the Patreon accounts of video game developers.<sup>[[[14]]]</sup> On the same day, Polygon made a similar announcement, stating that their writers are permitted to donate to the Patreon accounts of developers, but must disclose these contributions when relevant.<sup>[[[15]]]</sup> Critics quickly pointed out that this policy fails to follow the standards set by the Society for Professional Journalists, which explicitly states that journalists must ''"remain free of associations and activities that may compromise integrity or damage credibility"''.<sup>[[[16]]]</sup>
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''For a more detailed account of the origins and history of GamerGate, please read the [[History of GamerGate]] article.''<br>
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''For a comprehensive timeline of GamerGate, please refer to the [[Timeline/Full|Timeline]].''
  
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On August 27, actor Adam Baldwin tweeted the first two videos of the Quinnspiracy Theory series, coining the hashtag '''#GamerGate''' in the process.<sup>[[[17]]]</sup> Some critics of #GamerGate insist that it was a coordinated effort by 4chan and the #burgersandfries IRC channel but these claims are baseless or factually incorrect.<sup>[[[18]]]</sup> The name "GamerGate" is used by the public to describe the scandal at large, the consumer revolt that formed as a result, and (inaccurately) the gamers behind the revolt.
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The events leading up to the creation of GamerGate began on August 16, 2014, with the publication of &quot;thezoepost&quot; by [[Eron Gjoni]], an ex-boyfriend of indie game developer [[Zoe Quinn]].{{cite|site=Wordpress|url=http://thezoepost.wordpress.com|title=thezoepost – Eron Gjoni – August 16 2014|aurl=http://archive.is/4d3CK}}  The blog post outlined Quinn’s emotional abuse and infidelity, but what gamers took immediate notice of was the fact that Quinn, a developer, had engaged in romantic/sexual relations with industry professionals who had the potential to promote her and her work, including [[Nathan Grayson]] and Joshua Boggs. Discussion erupted on social media and various gaming websites, as suspicions of [[corruption|corruption and cronyism]] in the video game industry had already been present and thezoepost seemed to be a solid confirmation of those suspicions.
  
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Most attempts to discuss these revelations online were [[censorship|silenced]] through thread deletions, DMCA video takedowns, and shadow-banning, but the attempts to silence conversation on the subject inadvertently caused a Streisand Effect and the topic spread.  The publication of thezoepost, the impact it made in gaming circles, and the internet-wide attempts at smothering discussion of it is referred to as the [[Zoe Quinn Scandal]].
  
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On August 28, the coordinated [[Gamers are Dead]] campaign begun, with several gaming journalism outlets, including (but not limited to) [[Kotaku]], [[Gamasutra]], [[RockPaperShotgun]], and [[Destructoid]], posting ten different articles all decrying "gamers", "gamer" culture, and the "gamer" lifestyle to be "dead" within the same 24 hour period.
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As the scale and impact of the scandal grew, gaming journalists were placed under increased scrutiny by their readers, and many conflicts-of-interest were discovered and spread.  In late August, actor [[Adam Baldwin]] coined the hashtag &quot;#GamerGate&quot; in response to the deluge of exposed breaches in video game journalism{{cite|site=Twitter|url=https://twitter.com/AdamBaldwin/status/504801169638567936|title=#GamerGate: - Adam Baldwin - August 27 2014|aurl=http://archive.is/L37RL}}, a hashtag that was quickly adopted by those arguing for better ethics.  Shortly after, the coordinated [[Gamers are Dead]] media campaign began, with several different outlets posting articles decrying gamers, gamer culture, and the gamer lifestyle all within the same 24 hour period. The timing of the articles and the united message they spread caused #GamerGate supporters to immediately suspect [[collusion]], which was all but confirmed in September 2014 with the revealing of the secret [[GameJournoPros]] group.{{cite|site=Breitbart London|url=http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-London/2014/09/17/Exposed-the-secret-mailing-list-of-the-gaming-journalism-elite|title=Exposed: The Secret Mailing List of the Gaming Journalism Elite. - Milo Yiannopoulos - September 17 2014|aurl=http://archive.is/gqlKc}}
  
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Over time, the hashtag #GamerGate evolved to become the consumer revolt known as ''GamerGate''.
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== Consumer Revolt ==
 
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After the 28th, the #GamerGate hashtag would become the de facto way of communicating the desire for better ethics and representation in gaming journalism. Several campaigns, referred to as "Operations" within the #GamerGate community, would become more common and well-organized. The largest and most successful of these, [[Operation Disrespectful Nod]], has resulted in many different companies pulling their ads from sites such as [[Gamasutra]] and [[Kotaku]], including companies like [[Intel]], Mercedes-Benz, Adobe, and Dyson. The operation also revealed that multiple companies listed as "advertisers" with Gawker were either not currently advertising with them, were going to pull out due to Operation Disrespectful Nod, or had never advertised with them at all.
 
  
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==Further Reading==
  
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Other operations are currently in effect, such as [[Operation Baby Seal]], [[Operation UV]], and the [[Rebuild Initiative]]. Operation UV has already succeeded in changing FTC rules regarding affiliate advertising<sup>[[[19]]]</sup> and has prompted Gawker to place disclaimers on articles containing affiliate links.<sup>[[[20]]]</sup>
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===Articles===
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{| class=&quot;table&quot; width=&quot;100%&quot;
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! width=&quot;45%&quot; | Title
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! width=&quot;10%&quot; | Author (Publisher)
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! width=&quot;45%&quot; | Summary
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|-
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| [http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2014/10/09/gamergate-is-not-a-hate-group-its-a-consumer-movement/ #GamerGate Is Not A Hate Group, It's A Consumer Movement]<br>(''[http://archive.is/A6SU2 Archive]'')
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| [[Erik Kain]] (Forbes)
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|
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|-
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|[http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Hollywood/2014/09/09/GamerGate-Why-Gaming-Journalists-Keep-Dragging-Zoe-Quinns-Sex-Life-into-the-Spotlight Gamergate: Why gaming journalists keep dragging Zoe Quinn’s sex life into the spotlight]<br>(''[http://archive.is/yCOdz Archive]'')
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| Noah Dulis ([[Breitbart]])
 +
|
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|-
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| [http://www.historyofgamergate.com A People's History of #GamerGate]<br>(''[http://archive.is/cCmR3 Archive]'')
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| Gurney Halleck
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|
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|-
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| [https://medium.com/@aquapendulum/my-letter-to-jason-schreier-about-gamergate-ethics-f890d357188 My letter to Jason Schreier about GamerGate &amp; ethics]<br>(''[http://archive.is/G74rS Archive]'')
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| aqua
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|
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|-
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| [http://www.reason.com/archives/2014/10/12/gamergate-part-i-sex-lies-and-gender-gam #GamerGate: Part I: Sex, Lies, and Gender Games]<br>(''[http://archive.is/lnJUK Archive]'')
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| Cathy Young (Reason)
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|
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|-
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| [http://www.kazerad.tumblr.com/post/98113646063/gamergate-primer-finale #GamerGate: Primer/Finale]<br>(''[http://archive.is/elYvQ Archive]'')
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| Kazerad
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|
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|-
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| [http://www.techcrunch.com/2014/09/25/gamergate-an-issue-with-2-sides/ #GamerGate – An Issue With Two Sides]<br>(''[http://archive.is/hPeb7 Archive]'')
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| Allum Bokhari (TechCrunch)
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|
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|-
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|}
  
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===[[Infographics]]===
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{| class=&quot;table&quot; width=&quot;100%&quot;
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! width=&quot;45%&quot; | Title
 +
! width=&quot;10%&quot; | Author (Publisher)
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! width=&quot;45%&quot; | Summary
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|-
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| [https://i.imgur.com/qJetJIQ.png #GamerGate explained in five minutes or your money back]<br>(''[http://archive.is/ChFuz Archive]'')
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| ''Unknown''
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|
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|-
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| [https://i.imgur.com/tvTzYuS.png So, what exactly is #GamerGate?]<br>(''[http://archive.is/1UZTV Archive]'')
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| ''Unknown''
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|
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|-
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| [http://i.imgur.com/8iAPNvT.png So. You discovered #GamerGate.]<br>(''[http://archive.is/P8ZHW Archive]'')
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| ''Unknown''
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|
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|-
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|}
  
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The GamerGate revolt has also been the focus of heavy criticism from influential feminists within the gaming industry, as multiple reports of third party trolling and other forms of abusive behavior, mostly directed towards prominent women in the video game industry, are common. As a result, GamerGate is commonly referred to as a "misogynistic hate campaign" by its detractors, although statistics suggest that this view of GamerGate is inaccurate.<sup>[[[21]]]</sup>
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===Videos===
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{| class=&quot;table&quot; width=&quot;100%&quot;
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! width=&quot;45%&quot; | Title
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! width=&quot;10%&quot; | Author (Publisher)
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! width=&quot;45%&quot; | Summary
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|-
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| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&amp;v=ipcWm4B3EU4 #GamerGate in 60 Seconds]<br>(''[http://archive.is/uj5am Archive]'')
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| LeoPirate
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|
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|-
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| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEMdf8D0lfw The Evidence and History of #GamerGate]<br>(''[http://archive.is/y6wnh Archive]'')
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| BeerandSticks
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|
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|-
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| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaMccosnRMc #GamerGate: TotalBiscuit on Ethics, Was Offered Free Stuff for Reviews]<br>(''[http://archive.is/sugkt Archive]'')
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| David Pakman w/ [[John Bain]] (The David Pakman Show)
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|
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|-
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| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmosgPNXmNc #GamerGate Crush Saga: Episode One]<br>(''[http://archive.is/gFNNX Archive]'')
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| [[Erik Kain]] w/ Greg Tito, [[John Bain]], &amp; Janelle Bonanno
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|
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|-
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| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtzrUsi6Y1s HuffPost Live: 3 Strong Women Of #GamerGate Fight Back!]<br>(''[http://archive.is/w91Hn Archive]'')
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| Ricky Camilleri w/ [[Georgina Young]], Jennie Bharaj, and Jemma Morgan (Huffington Post)
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|
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|-
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| [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCExXie1XB4 #GAMERGATE! Gamer's fight back! Guest video by TheInvestigamer!]<br>(''[http://archive.is/LiVWz Archive]'')
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| TheInvestigamer
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|
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|-
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|}
  
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== The Three C's of #GamerGate ==
 
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The core of the GamerGate revolt can be summarized by these three tenets:
 
  
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== See Also ==
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* [[Corruption]]
 
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* [[Collusion]]
 
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* [[Censorship]]
 
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== Resources ==
 
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=== Consumer Revolt ===
 
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* [[#GamerGate Is Not A Hate Group, It's A Consumer Movement]]
 
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* [[https://i.imgur.com/0C8rmUZ.png]]
 
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* [[Gamergate: Why gaming journalists keep dragging Zoe Quinn’s sex life into the spotlight]]
 
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=== Five minute intro to #GamerGate ===
 
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* [[https://i.imgur.com/qJetJIQ.png]]
 
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* [[https://i.imgur.com/tvTzYuS.png]]
 
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* [[http://i.imgur.com/8iAPNvT.png]]
 
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=== Core Reading[edit] ===
 
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* [[A People's History of #GamerGate]], 2 November 2014
 
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* [[My letter to Jason Schreier about GamerGate & ethics]]
 
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* [[5 Indicators You’ve Been Misinformed About #GamerGate]]
 
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* [[#GamerGate: Part I: Sex, Lies, and Gender Games (recommended to read comments)]]
 
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* [[#GamerGate: Primer/Finale]]
 
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* [[#GamerGate – An Issue With Two Sides]]
 
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* [[#GamerGate: What do you want?]]
 
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=== Core Watching[edit] ===
 
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* [[David Pakman interviews TotalBiscuit on Gamergate]]
 
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- See [[David Pakman]]
 
  
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[[A People's History of Gamergate]]
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* [[A Game by Any Other Name: Assessing the Conflict in Discourse]]
 
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* [[#GamerGate Crush Saga: Episode One (feat. TotalBiscuit)]]
 
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- See [[TotalBiscuit]]
 
  
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[[DeepFreeze]]<br>
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* [[HuffPost Live: 3 Strong Women Of #GamerGate Fight Back!]]
 
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* [[#GamerGate Part 1: The Path We've Taken]] - (NOTE: This is merely a mirror not IA himself)
 
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* [[#GAMERGATE! Gamer's fight back! Guest video by TheInvestigamer!]]
 
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* [[I will now ramble about games media for just under 30 minute (TotalBiscuit)]]
 
−
 
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- See [[TotalBiscuit]]
 
  
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[[GamerGate Achievements]]<br>
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* [[Greg Lisby Interview]]
 
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* [[TotalBiscuit talks about the recent failures of gaming journalists]]
 
−
 
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- See [[TotalBiscuit]]
 
  
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[[The GamerGate OP]]<br>
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=== See Also[edit] ===
 
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* [[The ABCs of Gamergate]], George, 2 November 2014
 
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- [[Archived Version of The ABCs of Gamergate]]
 
  
−
+
[[NotYourShield]]
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* [[The ABCs of Game Journalism]], George, 19 February 2014
 
−
 
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- [[Archived Version of The ABCs of Game Journalism]]
 
  
−
+
[[Operation Pass The Torch]]
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* [[The Gamergate Culture War: Big Picture Edition]], Plexico Gingrich, 23 November 2014
 
−
 
−
- [[Archived Version of The Gamergate Culture War: Big Picture Edition]]
 
  
−
+
[[Vivian James]]
−
* [[Opinion: Opening the gates of #Gamergate]], Kyle Arsenault, 27 November 2014
 
−
 
−
- [[Archived Version of Opinion: Opening the gates of #Gamergate]]
 
  
−
+
== References ==
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* [[NEVER Stop Supporting #GamerGate]], Blake Foxx 8 October 2014 8:02 PM
 
−
 
−
- [[Archived Version of NEVER Stop Supporting #GamerGate]]
 
  
−
+
<references/>
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== References[edit] ==
 
−
 
 
−
# [[↑]] [[The Zoe Post]]
 
−
# [[↑]] [[Quinnspiracy Theory: The Five Guys Saga (Mirror)]]
 
−
# [[↑]] [[@TotalBiscuit What the hell just happened?]]
 
−
# [[↑]] [[r/gaming 25k deleted comments]]
 
−
# [[↑]] [[Zoe Quinn's Patreon]]
 
−
# [[↑]] [[Zoe Quinn's Questionable Patreon Donors]]
 
−
# [[↑]] [[Patricia Hernandez's Journalistic Integrity]]
 
−
# [[↑]] [[TFYC Interview]]
 
−
# [[↑]] [[Zoe Quinn and the Fine Young Capitalists]]
 
−
# [[↑]] [[The Birth of Vivian]]
 
−
# [[↑]] [[The Fine Young Capitalists Funded With 4chan’s Aid]]
 
−
# [[↑]] [[Quinnspiracy Theory: In-N-Out Edition (Mirror)]]
 
−
# [[↑]] [[Indiegogo Campaign Hacked This Weekend, But Wasn’t Part Of A Widespread Attack]]
 
−
# [[↑]] [[Statement from Stephen Totilo regarding ethics]]
 
−
# [[↑]] [[Polygon statement regarding ethics]]
 
−
# [[↑]] [[Polygon vs SPJ regarding ethics]]
 
−
# [[↑]] [[@AdamBaldwin First use of #GamerGate for the consumer revolt]]
 
−
# [[↑]] [[A Narrative of #GamerGate and Examination of Claims of Collusion with 4chan]]
 
−
# [[↑]] [[Important Update: The FTC Heard Our Complaints]]
 
−
# [[↑]] [[http://techraptor.net/content/ftc-forces-gawker-make-disclosures-affiliate-links]]
 
−
# [[↑]] [[[1]]]
 
−
 
 
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Retrieved from "[[http://wiki.gamergate.me/index.php?title=GamerGate&oldid=8547]]"     
 
  
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* This page was last modified on 28 February 2015, at 05:47.
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[[Category:GamerGate]]
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* This page has been accessed 39,284 times.
 
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* Content is available under [[Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike]] unless otherwise noted.
 

Latest revision as of 08:34, 25 September 2020

GamerGate is a consumer revolt against unethical practices in video game journalism and entertainment media, including (but not limited to) corruption and conflicts of interest, collusion, and the censorship of ideas and discussion. It is comprised of video game enthusiasts all over the world working together to eliminate ethical misconduct by industry professionals and promote fair and balanced video games media.

As a group, GamerGate is leaderless and unstructured so all efforts and projects are collaborative endeavors agreed upon and fulfilled by the group’s majority.

The Three C's of GamerGate

The multiple journalistic failings that GamerGate has exposed and challenged can be summarized and sorted into the following three categories:

  • Corruption
    • Conflicts of interest (COIs), including the non-disclosure of personal relationships (romantic and otherwise), non-disclosure of direct financial support and/or investments, and the non-disclosure of Patreon contributions.
    • Cronyism
    • Bribes and similar enticements (or threats and similar intimidation tactics) towards reviewers to grant games a better score then they deserve.
  • Collusion
    • Secret cooperation of supposed competing outlets to push (or silence) a message or narrative.
    • Industry-wide blacklisting
  • Censorship
    • Wide-spread prohibition of GamerGate and GamerGate-related topics on forums and comment sections.
    • Abuse of DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) takedown measures
    • Social media blockbots and shadow-bans
    • Attempts to ban or censor video games based on content

Endeavors, Achievements, & Criticism

GamerGate strives to find and expose unethical practices in video game journalism, communicate the desire for better ethics and representation, and inspire and foster positive change in the video game industry. The #GamerGate hashtag on Twitter is the primary medium for communication and collaboration, and websites like 8chan, Reddit, and Tumblr boast high numbers of participants and supporters as well.

Because GamerGate has no defined structure, much of the communication and messages directed towards developers, publishers, and journalists are done on an individual basis. However, GamerGate participants will frequently come together to collaborate on campaigns, referred to as operations.

The largest and most successful operation, Operation Disrespectful Nod, resulted in many different companies pulling their ads from sites that practiced unethical journalism, made no efforts to improve upon confrontation, and/or directly insulted their customer base through open disdain and mockery of gamers. Other operations have resulted in the direct improvement of gaming journalism. The Rebuild Initiative has given greater exposure to quality gaming media sites and strengthened the relationship between developers and gamers, and Operation UV directly influenced the enhancement of FTC rules regarding affiliate advertising and prompted websites to place disclaimers on paid advertisements disguised as articles.[1][2]

Despite GamerGate’s positive changes on the industry, it has been met with heavy criticism from the journalists and publications under fire and their supporters, as well as third-wave feminists involved who have attributed the harsh criticism towards female offenders to misogyny and sexism. Additionally, due to the unstructured and anonymous nature of GamerGate, many individuals have taken advantage of the lack of accountability and have trolled and displayed abusive behavior towards members of the video game industry, notably women. As a result of all of this, GamerGate’s detractors have commonly referred the revolt as a "misogynistic hate campaign" run by straight white males who want to drive women out of gaming. However, statistics[3] show that this interpretation is patently false, and the existence of #NotYourShield suggests that GamerGate's demographics are far more diverse than its critics imply.

Origins

For a more detailed account of the origins and history of GamerGate, please read the History of GamerGate article.
For a comprehensive timeline of GamerGate, please refer to the Timeline.

The events leading up to the creation of GamerGate began on August 16, 2014, with the publication of "thezoepost" by Eron Gjoni, an ex-boyfriend of indie game developer Zoe Quinn.[4] The blog post outlined Quinn’s emotional abuse and infidelity, but what gamers took immediate notice of was the fact that Quinn, a developer, had engaged in romantic/sexual relations with industry professionals who had the potential to promote her and her work, including Nathan Grayson and Joshua Boggs. Discussion erupted on social media and various gaming websites, as suspicions of corruption and cronyism in the video game industry had already been present and thezoepost seemed to be a solid confirmation of those suspicions.

Most attempts to discuss these revelations online were silenced through thread deletions, DMCA video takedowns, and shadow-banning, but the attempts to silence conversation on the subject inadvertently caused a Streisand Effect and the topic spread. The publication of thezoepost, the impact it made in gaming circles, and the internet-wide attempts at smothering discussion of it is referred to as the Zoe Quinn Scandal.

As the scale and impact of the scandal grew, gaming journalists were placed under increased scrutiny by their readers, and many conflicts-of-interest were discovered and spread. In late August, actor Adam Baldwin coined the hashtag "#GamerGate" in response to the deluge of exposed breaches in video game journalism[5], a hashtag that was quickly adopted by those arguing for better ethics. Shortly after, the coordinated Gamers are Dead media campaign began, with several different outlets posting articles decrying gamers, gamer culture, and the gamer lifestyle all within the same 24 hour period. The timing of the articles and the united message they spread caused #GamerGate supporters to immediately suspect collusion, which was all but confirmed in September 2014 with the revealing of the secret GameJournoPros group.[6]

Over time, the hashtag #GamerGate evolved to become the consumer revolt known as GamerGate.

Further Reading

Articles

Title Author (Publisher) Summary
#GamerGate Is Not A Hate Group, It's A Consumer Movement
(Archive) 		Erik Kain (Forbes)
Gamergate: Why gaming journalists keep dragging Zoe Quinn’s sex life into the spotlight
(Archive) 		Noah Dulis (Breitbart)
A People's History of #GamerGate
(Archive) 		Gurney Halleck
My letter to Jason Schreier about GamerGate & ethics
(Archive) 		aqua
#GamerGate: Part I: Sex, Lies, and Gender Games
(Archive) 		Cathy Young (Reason)
#GamerGate: Primer/Finale
(Archive) 		Kazerad
#GamerGate – An Issue With Two Sides
(Archive) 		Allum Bokhari (TechCrunch)

Infographics

Title Author (Publisher) Summary
#GamerGate explained in five minutes or your money back
(Archive) 		Unknown
So, what exactly is #GamerGate?
(Archive) 		Unknown
So. You discovered #GamerGate.
(Archive) 		Unknown

Videos

Title Author (Publisher) Summary
#GamerGate in 60 Seconds
(Archive) 		LeoPirate
The Evidence and History of #GamerGate
(Archive) 		BeerandSticks
#GamerGate: TotalBiscuit on Ethics, Was Offered Free Stuff for Reviews
(Archive) 		David Pakman w/ John Bain (The David Pakman Show)
#GamerGate Crush Saga: Episode One
(Archive) 		Erik Kain w/ Greg Tito, John Bain, & Janelle Bonanno
HuffPost Live: 3 Strong Women Of #GamerGate Fight Back!
(Archive) 		Ricky Camilleri w/ Georgina Young, Jennie Bharaj, and Jemma Morgan (Huffington Post)
#GAMERGATE! Gamer's fight back! Guest video by TheInvestigamer!
(Archive) 		TheInvestigamer


See Also

A People's History of Gamergate

DeepFreeze

GamerGate Achievements

The GamerGate OP

NotYourShield

Operation Pass The Torch

Vivian James

References

  1. ↑ - "Important Update: The FTC Heard Our Complaints. They Are Going to Issue Revised Disclosure Guidelines for Affiliate Links and You Tubers. We've Been Instrumental in Making Real, Lasting Positive Changes to Online Journalism - TheChiefLunatic - November 14 2014" Reddit - (archive)
  2. ↑ - "FTC Forces Gawker’s Kotaku To make Disclosures for Affiliate Links - Georgina Young - November 27 2014" TechRaptor - (archive)
  3. ↑ - "An Actual Statistical Analysis of #GamerGate? - jw - October 25 2014" Medium - (archive)
  4. ↑ - "thezoepost – Eron Gjoni – August 16 2014" Wordpress - (archive)
  5. ↑ - "#GamerGate: - Adam Baldwin - August 27 2014" Twitter - (archive)
  6. ↑ - "Exposed: The Secret Mailing List of the Gaming Journalism Elite. - Milo Yiannopoulos - September 17 2014" Breitbart London - (archive)
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