The Gamergate issue that swept across the gaming industry two months ago is still making its presence felt. Intel has recently pulled its ads from gaming news site Gamasutra, apparently due to the company being flooded with complaints. Most of the complaints were aimed at an opinion piece that was critical of the insular nature of gamer culture.
The opinion piece, written by Gamasutra editor-at-large Leigh Alexander, called into question the validity of the gamer identity. She wrote that the term Gamer “isn’t just a dated demographic label that most people increasingly prefer not to use. Gamers are over. That’s why they’re so mad“. She ended the column by saying that developers and writers are trying to create a new culture around games, one that is more inclusive of everyone.
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Gamergate supporters, who have been trying to undermine the credibility of game writers and news site, took offense to the story and began a campaign to inundate Intel with a complaints about the piece and cause the company to pull its advertising. Titled Operation Disrespectful Nod, it appears to have been successful in its goals.
Pressure from those behind Gamergate began when a new video from Anita Sarkeesian’s Tropes vs. Women in Video Games was posted on Youtube. Numerous threats against Sarkeesian were issued and she was eventually forced to leave her house for safety reasons. This was soon followed with a coordinated online attack on independent game developer Zoe Quinn.
Intel’s move to pull ads from Gamasutra is an understandable move as it seeks to address the complaints filed with the company. However, this success will likely only galvanise those who are behind the campaign to continue what they are doing.
[Source: Recode]
