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2 thoughts about gaming culture (GamerGate and Hatred)
10 years ago
Does anyone even read Journals anymore?
Not a big journal just...I guess thoughts I had brewing over those last few weeks in my head, related to gaming.
The first one is GamerGate...for the longest time, I kinda...well, I kinda didn't associate with it. Neither do I really now. When the whole thing began, I was definitely ProGG, mostly because the issue was fresh. There were clear accusations and proof of said accusations that there was both an Agenda being driven by Indie Game Devs like Phil FIsh, Internet Personalities like Zoe Quinn and Anite Sarkeesian and more or less Independent gaming sites like Kotaku, AND that there was wholesale Nepotism going on, both to push said agendas, supress any counter effort against said agenda and you know, profit of the people involved. There were clear cut fronts, and the whole thing was more or less two sides opposite each other, and YES, the ProGG side was on a higher moral ground at the time. For one because the AntiGG side didn't do anything to really refute the claims made against them and tried to brush it under the rug, while defacing the ProGG side with (as it turned out) faked attacks performed by hired goons disguised as ProGG members, and SJW's (no, not getting tired of that term) acting like their usual caustic selves, trying to white knight their idols and rallying on their social media hives.
But things changed since then. For one, the ProGG side lost its steam, with a lot of the more prominent members just jumping off or loosing interesting (like InternetAristocrat for example). For another...lets be honest, this thing has been BLOATED out of proportions. The Moral High Ground has been lost, because there are a lot of honest to god assholes and trolls on the ProGG side now, and a lot of actually smart, not immoral people have come out to speak out against Gamergate. And NOBODY can really keep track of anything anymore. Both sides have melted into this grey slude vs grey slude war.
So that is the reason I really side with any of the both sides anymore. But this issue is going to keep being an issue, someone will make another video, or tumblr, or news article about it and keep this horrible thing going for ages.
NOW, onto something more joyful. Hatred. I heard about this game via Gametrailers, its made by a polish developer and its related to GamerGate thus: The Developers of the game wanted to make a game that is NOT joyful, is devoid of color and fun, meant to shock, meant to be violent, rebellious against the trends of art in gaming and political correctness. Its a game about a misanthropic psychopath, played by the player, going on a top down/isometrically displayed "genocide crusade" where your goal is to kill as many people as possible, by gunning them down, cutting them down and straight up executing them, as they run from you in panic and mortal terror, plead for their life, and then die in agony. Meanwhile the police will try to stop you, and you will react in kind and kill them back, your goal being to go out in a blaze of destruction, terror and death.
Yeeeeeeeeah. I...honestly have no idea what to think about it. Everytime I try to say "That concept and game idea is good/bad" I rethink it more and don't come to a conclusion. For one I can totally see why people would want a counter-argument to the whole "Artiste-Avant-Garde" game culture and political correct crusade that perforates every inch of culture nowadays. On the other hand, it comes off kinda "Rebel for rebel sake, we will pander to people sick of games like Fez and use shock and awe as a means of marketing." That kinda diminishes the product, because I think that products meant as answers to certain other products or trends, intentionally and up front, damage the worth of said product (like The Golden Compass being described by its creator as the atheist answer to Narnia). And I dunno, I wanna play it, just for the experience, but this game is probably SO fucking forbidden here in germany, and even IF I can get it...seeing how much the government has been spying on its citizens internet history...yeah. Better not risk it. Still...its tempting.
The first one is GamerGate...for the longest time, I kinda...well, I kinda didn't associate with it. Neither do I really now. When the whole thing began, I was definitely ProGG, mostly because the issue was fresh. There were clear accusations and proof of said accusations that there was both an Agenda being driven by Indie Game Devs like Phil FIsh, Internet Personalities like Zoe Quinn and Anite Sarkeesian and more or less Independent gaming sites like Kotaku, AND that there was wholesale Nepotism going on, both to push said agendas, supress any counter effort against said agenda and you know, profit of the people involved. There were clear cut fronts, and the whole thing was more or less two sides opposite each other, and YES, the ProGG side was on a higher moral ground at the time. For one because the AntiGG side didn't do anything to really refute the claims made against them and tried to brush it under the rug, while defacing the ProGG side with (as it turned out) faked attacks performed by hired goons disguised as ProGG members, and SJW's (no, not getting tired of that term) acting like their usual caustic selves, trying to white knight their idols and rallying on their social media hives.
But things changed since then. For one, the ProGG side lost its steam, with a lot of the more prominent members just jumping off or loosing interesting (like InternetAristocrat for example). For another...lets be honest, this thing has been BLOATED out of proportions. The Moral High Ground has been lost, because there are a lot of honest to god assholes and trolls on the ProGG side now, and a lot of actually smart, not immoral people have come out to speak out against Gamergate. And NOBODY can really keep track of anything anymore. Both sides have melted into this grey slude vs grey slude war.
So that is the reason I really side with any of the both sides anymore. But this issue is going to keep being an issue, someone will make another video, or tumblr, or news article about it and keep this horrible thing going for ages.
NOW, onto something more joyful. Hatred. I heard about this game via Gametrailers, its made by a polish developer and its related to GamerGate thus: The Developers of the game wanted to make a game that is NOT joyful, is devoid of color and fun, meant to shock, meant to be violent, rebellious against the trends of art in gaming and political correctness. Its a game about a misanthropic psychopath, played by the player, going on a top down/isometrically displayed "genocide crusade" where your goal is to kill as many people as possible, by gunning them down, cutting them down and straight up executing them, as they run from you in panic and mortal terror, plead for their life, and then die in agony. Meanwhile the police will try to stop you, and you will react in kind and kill them back, your goal being to go out in a blaze of destruction, terror and death.
Yeeeeeeeeah. I...honestly have no idea what to think about it. Everytime I try to say "That concept and game idea is good/bad" I rethink it more and don't come to a conclusion. For one I can totally see why people would want a counter-argument to the whole "Artiste-Avant-Garde" game culture and political correct crusade that perforates every inch of culture nowadays. On the other hand, it comes off kinda "Rebel for rebel sake, we will pander to people sick of games like Fez and use shock and awe as a means of marketing." That kinda diminishes the product, because I think that products meant as answers to certain other products or trends, intentionally and up front, damage the worth of said product (like The Golden Compass being described by its creator as the atheist answer to Narnia). And I dunno, I wanna play it, just for the experience, but this game is probably SO fucking forbidden here in germany, and even IF I can get it...seeing how much the government has been spying on its citizens internet history...yeah. Better not risk it. Still...its tempting.
When it comes to politically incorrect games/books/images, I figure let them make it. Trying to ban it makes them heroes. Just have some faith in humanity and hope that people either see the cruelty in it and/or won't translate it into reality. The idea that porn/games/novels/shows/movies leads people to kill/rape/be bigots is dubious. They were probably already screwed up to begin with.
SJW Feminist and Gamer/Game Designer Zoe Quinn gets exposed as having had sexual relationships with several video game reporters, probably selling sex for good reviews. Said cycle of nepotism gets exposed to the internet, and said game dev and her connected friends, collegues and white knights try to sweep it under the rug and Streisand Effect happened. Huge movement starts to uncover just how much corruption, nepotism and agenda pushing is there in Game Dev Scene and Gaming Journalism.
Yeah, me too. I mean, honestly, we all need some political incorrect things now and then, especially since SJW's and such REALLY ruined everything that is fun and remotely offensive.
What's the Streisand effect?
The Streisand Effect basically boils down to the fact that the more you try to hide something, to brush it under the rug so to speak, people will go after it and try to find out whats being hidden. An example in the furry fandom? Image Boards. Take U18-chan for example, their servers are in a country that gives a fuck about american copyright law so posting copyrighted furry art there is both legal and illegal, but no one can go after it or demand it to be removed. Artists who aggressively demand their art NOT to be posted there and who resume to threats usually get more of their shit posted, because Streisand Effect. But when an artist acts cool, doesnt go after people posting their art or ask nicely, like say...Alps Sarsis, their stuff will not really be distributed there.
As for GamerGate, or well, what STARTED Gamergate, lemme link you this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wt8k-3xD5s
Its a bit long, but the first half is what matters most.