Sexism in Gaming? Objective and Subjective Perspectives

Firstly I'd just like to say Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there in the U.S., and of course a very belated Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian readers. I usually hold a great deal of disdain for this time of year, but I've grown to accept that the holidays are a part of life that one has to deal with,and luckily Christmas will be over before it even begins. I'm not a Scrooge, I just don't really care that much for Christmas, of any other winter holidays, except Groundhog Day. Secondly,I've been reading a lot about the gamer gate fiascos that have been trouncing about on twitter (mostly) and other social media, spreading like a germ without a host of value to really grow up and outward. Gamer Gate to me has become more of a farce, and although many of you out there hold such strong opinions on such subjects, I feel that criticism is needed when it comes to these so-called "debates", which they are not. I would be keen to believe that 99.9999% of the world don't know what gamer gate is! and would probably laugh at the idea of it, because it doesn't reflect the facts, but rather plays off of stereotypical nonsense that doesn't hold water in any arguments I've read so far. People are literally losing friends over this nonsense,mind even gamers are getting sick of it, I'm sick of it, and move on,y heard about it this week! So why then chime in on the topic if it devalues everything I believe in? Why argue the point? Is there really sexism in the gaming industry, and is it reflected in gaming journalism? Gaming is a form of entertainment, and the audience of users to this tool is so broad, it is enveloped by all stereotypes, the best, and the worst humanity has to offer. Just like radio, television, computers, and of-course the printed word, video games are a form of media. They reflect only what the individual puts into the media's content. As for gaming journalism, if there is a bias, that is a reflection on the medium of journalism itself. People want to blame gamers for how women are portrayed in games, in the industry, and in how we as a society act, and that's the problem: everything has to be up to a standard of reality, even in fantasy! Fantasy is not reality, and if we cannot truly judge the differences in that, then gaming is for a select few who can view the medium as an art form, and not a statement on society. Granted, many games are a statement, but that means those who do not handle such topics responsibly will suffer in the market via sales. I always believe that the consumer votes with their dollar, and if they collectively hate a game, they will simply not play it, and then it will go away simply buy a lack of funding. However, if the game makes money, but is insulting,mor demanding, the. One has to suspend belief and perhaps take into consideration that your feelings are not essentially the majority's feelings. For better, or worst, you will never please everyone, and you will not always be pleased. I cannot stand it when someone treats a person of any sex, race, or creed with disrespect, especially if the person has not yet warranted disrespect, but I'm not going to also sit here, and say a person who plays video games is going to treat a person of the opposite sex equally. Gamers are usually made up of some often most diverse groups in the world, and the demographics are a business's dream come true. Women play video games, and have for generations. One of the most popular games of all time was invented by a woman (PAC-Man) and women write, code, and even build companies up to great heights in the gaming industry today. This is not a blanket statement, it's pure fact. If you want to complain about a lack of female characters, that's debatable, as I see a lack of female presence in many forms of media still today. When it comes down to the heart of the argument: women should have a much stronger presence in games as leading characters, but seeing at how the gaming world is progressing, I think the complaints today are cute, because they won't be the same complaints made in three years, maybe sooner. Girls are getting more characters in leading roles,and who cares, I mean the games are good either way, and if we start to cherry pick how games are made, and how games will make it impossible to offend, or have a certain theme,,then the gamer gets hurt, and feminism gets warped into nazism. I get sick of people always trying to dictate something like a medium as some racist, sexist entity. The games are not the problem, nor are the people who play the games the problem. The problem I find is that we focus on the negatives of a select few, who are indeed scum, and instead of punishing those few people with shame, we attack an entire group, who are as diverted as those who claim to fight against the tyranny of a select few! Here's an example: the Columbine school shooting were done by two boys who happened to play computer games. Does this make every gamer a potential killer? No! Does this mean everyone in the gaming industry promotes shootings? Of course not. That would make everyone who played Minecraft a potential mass murderer. Finally, I would just like to say that I sincerely believe if you are harassing women, no matter whatever the circumstances, you are a douche bag, no question. Women are not here for your sexual objectification, and they belong in the gamer community as much as anybody. Do I believe there is a misconception of women in the fields of gaming? Yes, but that's also because video games are getting a bad rap most times by those who simply do not understand the culture. I do not believe in my heart that the majority of women are being sexually harassed for being gamers. If they are, then it will be fixed by being brought to the limelight more often than isolated incidences, and change will inevitably happen. However, I believe deep-down that girls and guys are equal, one is not greater than the other, and as a gamer who is also part of the blogging/journalism community, I've known many gamers of all sexes that simply love the medium, and simply are enthusiastic about the art of video games, and do not hold malcontent, nor despise their fellow gamers. In conclusion, gamers do need to grow up a bit, but to call them misogynists is quite an exaggeration.