Gamergate

I recently tweeted a high-profile article on the Guardian about Felicia Day and GamerGate, the online movement mostly visible on Twitter, but also making waves visible enough that big news outlets like the Guardian see it newsworthy. Soon after, I received messages from GamerGate proponents (and that’s both great and terrible about Twitter – anyone can message anyone), telling me how that is not what GamerGate is about. I understand their concern: they identify with GamerGate and when others write that GamerGate is about something they don’t identify with, they feel misrepresented. The feeling is understandable: “They say I stand for harassment, but I don’t. They need to stop saying those things about me.” ...

So, are you a gamer? I probably am, but the answer is easy for me. I am what has been the target demographic for games since their birth as a form of commercial entertainment: a straight, white male. I’m also in my 30’s, which makes me representative of the current core of how gamers are usually identified. However, ‘gamer’ does not equal ‘player’. While the word ‘player’ denotes somebody who plays, the word ‘gamer’ has a more specific meaning. It refers to people who are both playing games and identifying through that activity. ...