78 Zombie Media
described by Gjoni, and initially labelled the “Quinnspiracy” began to
snowball during the summer of 2014 after Adam Baldwin applied the label “Gamergate”, arguing that the nascent online movement was a backlash against political correctness and part of a wider discussion around
culture and ethics.
12
Many of the somewhat squalid events surrounding Gamergate, such as
the misogyny and harassment directed against Quinn and other women
game developers and commentators (such as Brianna Wu and Anita Sarkeesian), are less relevant to this chapter. It will be clear from my own,
brief comments, that my own attitude towards the online phenomenon
was largely negative, although not completely: one ostensible target of
Gamergate’s ire – that gaming journalism is frequently unethical and
corrupt – is very clearly true. Unfortunately, one of the clearest examples of such corruption – the regularly high marks awarded to the game
Assassin’s Creed: Unity, that was clearly released in an unfinished state
while the wider controversy was raging – was largely ignored by many of
the most active Gamergaters who preferred to concentrate on the apparent depredations of a small group of alternative, largely independent developers who were producing games aimed at a different constituency to
that targeted by the large publishers of AAA console games. It was clear
that this was the real target of many of those who organised the push for
Gamergate on sites such as 4chan and the Reddit subgroup “Kotaku in
Action”: labelling opponents as SJWs (Social Justice Warriors), much of
the activity in the name of Gamergate was an attempt to discredit and
drive away those seen as, at best, arguing for greater progressivism and
inclusivity in games or, at worst, seeking to close down and censor any
gaming perspective that did not agree with their own left-wing agendas.
The fact that the effects of much Gamergate-related activity were an attempt to enforce its own crude censorship on those it opposed, through
despicable activities such as doxxing opponents (revealing personal details that could open them to physical assault) and making rape or death
threats was an irony that was not lost on those commenting on Gamergate from the mainstream media.
It is, indeed, this relation to the mainstream media that is most pertinent to the rise of alt-journalism as an activity associated with the
alt-right. Throughout the late summer, Gamergate raged across social
media with the vast majority of participants on sites such as Twitter
blissfully unaware that flame wars were taking place a mere hashtag
away. When major news publications began to pay attention in October
2014, they were almost universally hostile to the phenomenon. Thus, for
example, in the UK, news organisations such as The Guardian and The
Telegraph ran stories with titles such as “Gamergate is loud, dangerous
and a last grasp at cultural dominance by angry white men” (by Jessica
Valenti) or “#Gamergate: the misogynist movement blighting the video
games industry” (Bob Stuart). Titles across the Atlantic tended a little
described by Gjoni, and initially labelled the “Quinnspiracy” began to
snowball during the summer of 2014 after Adam Baldwin applied the label “Gamergate”, arguing that the nascent online movement was a backlash against political correctness and part of a wider discussion around
culture and ethics.
12
Many of the somewhat squalid events surrounding Gamergate, such as
the misogyny and harassment directed against Quinn and other women
game developers and commentators (such as Brianna Wu and Anita Sarkeesian), are less relevant to this chapter. It will be clear from my own,
brief comments, that my own attitude towards the online phenomenon
was largely negative, although not completely: one ostensible target of
Gamergate’s ire – that gaming journalism is frequently unethical and
corrupt – is very clearly true. Unfortunately, one of the clearest examples of such corruption – the regularly high marks awarded to the game
Assassin’s Creed: Unity, that was clearly released in an unfinished state
while the wider controversy was raging – was largely ignored by many of
the most active Gamergaters who preferred to concentrate on the apparent depredations of a small group of alternative, largely independent developers who were producing games aimed at a different constituency to
that targeted by the large publishers of AAA console games. It was clear
that this was the real target of many of those who organised the push for
Gamergate on sites such as 4chan and the Reddit subgroup “Kotaku in
Action”: labelling opponents as SJWs (Social Justice Warriors), much of
the activity in the name of Gamergate was an attempt to discredit and
drive away those seen as, at best, arguing for greater progressivism and
inclusivity in games or, at worst, seeking to close down and censor any
gaming perspective that did not agree with their own left-wing agendas.
The fact that the effects of much Gamergate-related activity were an attempt to enforce its own crude censorship on those it opposed, through
despicable activities such as doxxing opponents (revealing personal details that could open them to physical assault) and making rape or death
threats was an irony that was not lost on those commenting on Gamergate from the mainstream media.
It is, indeed, this relation to the mainstream media that is most pertinent to the rise of alt-journalism as an activity associated with the
alt-right. Throughout the late summer, Gamergate raged across social
media with the vast majority of participants on sites such as Twitter
blissfully unaware that flame wars were taking place a mere hashtag
away. When major news publications began to pay attention in October
2014, they were almost universally hostile to the phenomenon. Thus, for
example, in the UK, news organisations such as The Guardian and The
Telegraph ran stories with titles such as “Gamergate is loud, dangerous
and a last grasp at cultural dominance by angry white men” (by Jessica
Valenti) or “#Gamergate: the misogynist movement blighting the video
games industry” (Bob Stuart). Titles across the Atlantic tended a little