Throughout this course, we have touched on the effects and dangers 2014’s Gamergate posed, on specifically, females and minorities within the online journalism and gaming community. Stemming from the behavior of a misogynistic ex-boyfriend’s intentions, Gamergate resulted in the targeting and harassment of individuals through the usage of in-game behaviors such as, trolling and griefing, as well as behaviors that threatened safety, sanity, and normalcy. An article from the magazine outlet, The Guardian, (“What Gamergate should have taught us about the ‘alt-right'”), specifically discusses the lessons society should have learned from the events of GamerGate, but failed to do so. Those who were being targeted felt unacknowledged and lived in fear whilst society turned a blind eye to this ethical atrocity.

As tensions increased amidst the 2016 presidential election, the female democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, became the victim of harsh meme creations, violent tweets, and outrageous claims, both at the hands of American civilians, the media, and fellow frontrunner Donald Trump himself. But she was not the only candidate who was targeted. (Now President) Trump also became the butt of many a joke and false accusation, but Hillary’s were different. Because of her gender, she was not only harassed for her physical appearance, but was on the receiving end of sexual remarks and desires of violence and assault, some even expressing the desire to rape her. The vast difference between these two candidates – besides their claims, beliefs, values and political parties – was their gender. This identification became the forefront of criticism and critique Clinton experienced at the hands of the harshest crowd: the Internet.

As stated in an article posted on The Atlantic, “Fear of a female president,” Clinton’s candidacy revolved around the media’s harsh comparison between her and Trump. Each argument tried to resonate by utilizing the fact that she was simply a female to back an outrageous and outdated statement in regards to gender assumption and ability. The article explicitly states, “At the Republican National Convention, this fervent hostility was hard to miss. Inside the hall, delegates repeatedly broke into chants of ‘Lock her up.’ Outside the hall, vendors sold campaign paraphernalia.” What was this paraphernalia you may ask? Simply put, it was both insulting and derogatory towards not only Clinton, but to women in general. Pins, buttons, and T-shirts displayed phrases like ‘don’t be a p*ssy, vote for Trump 2016,’ ‘Hillary sucks but not like Monica,’ and ‘a b*tch: don’t vote for one.’ Images depicted cartoon versions of Clinton being urinated on, knocked out, and killed. Both atrocious and vicious, these vendors attempted to push an ideal of women as ‘less than’ in comparison to men, both politically-speaking and simply in reference to cultural and societal boundary and normativity.

It is shocking to me that beliefs and practices like these still exist when referencing females and their capabilities. Time and time again, women have proven themselves to be strong, smart, and resilient, yet in the year 2020, four years since the election, not much has improved when it comes to shaming women for their bodies, their knowledge, and especially, their ability to run a country. Referencing the example of Clinton’s candidacy, this is simply one of many displays of media criticism and Internet trolls who express these toxic beliefs of men’s overpowerment to women. Media holds the power to assist in changing these beliefs and empowering women to take a stand against these criticisms, but will backlash follow? With Gamergate behind us, will it happen again similarly to the 2016 election? Will women continue to live in the shadow of men when it comes to politics, societal boundary, video gameplay, movie production, the music industry, and almost every other outlet of creativity? Will women ever really be able to achieve what men have? Will these achievement be acknowledged as equal and just?

Works Cited:

Beinart, P. (2016, August 4). Fear of a Female President. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/10/fear-of-a-female-president/497564/.

Lees, M. (2016, November 4). What Gamergate should have taught us about the ‘alt-right.’ Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/dec/01/gamergate-alt-right-hate-trump.

When it comes to the term ‘griefing,’ I was unfamiliar with what it entailed, what it meant, and its effects on the gamer when it comes to irritation, harassment, and targeting, specifically at the hands of females, women of color and sexual minorities. As someone who is unfamiliar with gaming culture/community, this course has taught me the ins and outs of those who share a passion for gaming in regards to connection and shared interest. The gaming community can serve as a beneficial environment for adults of all ages, as well as youth, who utilize the community as a way to bridge the gap between distance and difference. The community has the ability to allow individuals to connect on a deeply personal level or a deeper, more emotional level based on the players’ interest and intention. But as positive as the community can be, it can also serve as a dangerous and detrimental environment for fellow gamers as ‘griefers’ threaten and target individuals of their choosing based on stereotype, prejudice, and judgment. In Chapter 2 of the book, “Diversifying Barbie and Mortal Kombat,” the chapter, “Gaming’s Many Social Justice Warriors and the Quest for Accessible Games,” by Lisa Nakamura, states the definition of griefing: “Griefing, the purposeful use of digital affordances to destroy another user’s pleasure or freedom of movement, is a perennial practice, and women, people of color, and sexual minorities are targeted more than others” (p.35).

Nakamura states that as GamerGate emerged, the harassment experienced on social media towards female users served as the platform for mainstream exposure in regards to targeted and intentional griefing, specifically at the hands of female gamers. Only when news of this behavior became popularized did society no longer turn a blind eye to this griefing behavior. As a young woman myself, this type of deliberate harassment and pleasure stemming from annoyance and nuisance in the form of multiplayer video gameplay, is both frightening and considerably threatening to my safety and willingness to participate in video gameplay. Although I have never personally experienced griefing, I would not know how to handle the behavior nor how to avoid it. When playing with others, running the risk of harassment and judgment comes as both an expectation and a realistic fear. Why is this our reality? Why do women, minorities, and those who differ from the ‘societal norm’ face harsh treatment? How can this be changed or avoided?

In an additional article, “Toxicity and Abuse When Gaming Online: Flaming and Game Rage,” from the website The Cybersmile Foundation: Gaming, griefing is listed as the disruption of other players on purpose with an intent to annoy other players. The article states that certain players who engage in gameplay amongst griefers actually enjoy playing with these individuals due to the challenge presented in an attempt to overrule one another through who can cause the utmost damage or annoyance in the game. Although this behavior can be interpreted in that manner, the article blatantly also states that griefing is usually recognized as a toxic behavior that can reasonably be reported to game moderators or administration teams.

In conclusion, the behavior and intention of ‘griefing’ lies in the desire to troll, to disrupt, to annoy, to throw off, and to essentially, hurt another player’s ability to succeed within gameplay. But these intentions can also translate as a way to channel behavior that is labeled as cruel, damaging, and morally unjust. It is best when analyzing any type of potentially dangerous and servile behavior to determine the intentions. Are they purely due to game strategy or are they a cause of an underlying target towards a specific individual?

Works Cited:

Kafai, Y. B., Richard, G. T., Tynes, B. M., & Nakamura, L. (2017). Chapter 2. “Putting Our Hearts Into It”: Gaming’s Many Social Justice Warriors and the Quest for Accessible Games. In Diversifying Barbie and Mortal Kombat: Intersectional Perspectives and Inclusive Designs in Gaming (pp. 35–47). Lulu.com.

Solutions, M. W. (2020, April 5). Types Of In-Game Abuse – Cybersmile. Retrieved from https://www.cybersmile.org/advice-help/gaming/types-of-abuse.

As a young adult looking back on a certain time period, I am reminded of what I loved most. Whether it be family vacations, road trips, sports, or hobbies, remembering my past usually leads me down a path of what brought me significant joy. When I think of my upbringing as the oldest sibling of three girls, I remember how often we played board games. These board games taught me important skills that I continue to use to this day including interpersonal skills, money management, healthy competitiveness, and strategy. Specifically, my favorite board games to play included Monopoly, Trouble, CandyLand, Connect4, Operation, and Twister. Although at first glance, these games don’t appear to be useful in the development and maturation of a child, I truly believe that without them, I wouldn’t have become as aware and social as I became due to my amusement when it came to playing with my siblings, friends, and my parents.

As technology became increasingly prevalent in both society and game design, my joy for games quickly transitioned from traditional board games to video games. For Christmas each year, I would beg and plead that Santa bring me a PS4, but never received one. You don’t need that, my parents would remark. So, my siblings and I attempted to convince them to buy us a Spongebob Squarepants Plug n’ Play TV game. With a simple connection via a port in our television, we would take turns completing individual player games which required minimal skill and concentration. Even then, we enjoyed our time taking turns playing to see who would get a better score so much so that we would sit in front of the TV for hours on end every weekend. Although at first glance it does not seem I would benefit from playing a simplistic Nickelodeon game via our television, some of my fondest memories stem from the time we shared, huddled next to one another, staring intently at the screen, waiting for our turn to beat one another. It truly allowed me to bond with my younger siblings whilst also allowing me to exercise creative strategy, patience, and accepting failure.

As I entered my teenage years, I was gifted a cell phone in exchange for good grades and good behavior. I was ecstatic as at the time, a cell phone was a rarity. Of course, the first thing I did was begin to download applications, games, and utilize my camera to truly make the most of my new technological device. The first game application I added to my phone was Angry Birds, followed by Temple Run, and then eventually, Candy Crush. All of these games were purely individual, so I could play on my own time at my own pace. Although I truly enjoyed these games, I yearned for the same feeling I once had when I played hands-on board games and interactive games with my siblings. Don’t get me wrong the addictive, can’t put it down mentality of mobile games was there, but I craved the same nostalgia I felt when I thought of the other games I would play as a young girl.

As stated in the book, “How To Play Video Games,” “mobile games achieve such ubiquity in part thanks to their gameplay and software accessibility…interaction with the game can occur throughout the day whether the player be at work, school, home, or on a commute” (219). The ease and accessibility of these mobile games promoted their use as I utilized each moment of ‘downtime’ to further myself in the games I had downloaded. But, the nostalgia and feeling I once had playing games with my siblings was not there.

Although these games required skill, repeated use, concentration, and self-competitiveness, I always look back on the games I used to play with my siblings as both special and meaningful. They hold a significantly fonder part of my memory due to their mark on my childhood and the precious time I spent utilizing these games as a social conjunction between one another.

Societal progress has pointed towards positive change when it comes to representation and the acceptance of communities and individuals who ‘differ’ from the established norms, but can the same be said for video games? Video games, in actuality, serve as a large influence in both culture and behavior, so why aren’t these growingly accepted communities represented? The classic macho-masculine, superhero strength six-pack physique, heterosexual male character ever-present in video games still remains dominant. Where are differing races? Where are the females, both feminine and masculine? Where are the lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer representational characters? Why aren’t they given the same storylines and popularity that the heterosexual, white males are?

As we analyzed in class, the game, The Last of Us, has become a Playstation hit for its storyline, violence and usage of graphics. The game is undeniably one of the best due to its developed narrative and intricate gameplay, but does it promote the repression of undermined and underrepresented groups? The narrative, after all, follows the journey of Joel, who is put in charge to protect Ellie from all the potential dangers they may encounter while exploring a post-apocalyptic United States. Who’s to say that Ellie is unable to protect herself? Why is the male character, yet again, placed in the dominant role while the female figure is expected to be submissive?

Along with the lack of female character representation, the article, “Where Is the Queerness in Games? Types of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Content in Digital Games” written by Adrienne Shaw and Elizaveta Friesem, attempts to analyze an archive of LGBTQ characters present in games. The article states, “The common sentiment in the existing literature is that games are rarely able to subvert normative gender and sexuality, but if improved, they might be able to do a better job. The structure of the game industry and process of commercial game design tends to reproduce more problematic or marginalizing forms of representation” (3878). By this statement, the article further emphasizes the lack of queer representation in video game culture despite the continuous cycle of video game production.

The examples the article discusses, which made up the authors’ collected archive of LGBTQ representative games included, Gabriel Knight: The Beast Within, and Carol and Greta: Fallout 3, which are, thus, considered homosexual and ambiguous due to reliance on suggestive narratives. The characters themselves are never explicitly revealed to be homosexual. The text states that the historian mentions that Gabriel’s character in The Beast Within identifies with King Ludwig II who is known to be gay. It is only suggested that this character is a part of this community and his gameplay as a homosexual is repressed. Carol and Great, throughout Fallout 3 are represented through their actions and behavior as a homosexual couple, but again, it is never explicitly revealed to the player. The text emphasizes, “In general, women’s homosexuality seems to be more often marked through relationships to other women and men’s homosexuality appears to be marked more often through stereotypical signifiers” (3881).

In conclusion, it is evident that narratives and popularized video games are not doing such a good job in ensuring the representation of these repressed communities. I believe that these communities deserve the right to experience gameplay with characters in which they can identify with and relate to. As a heterosexual female, even I, struggle to find characters in which I feel powerful and empowered playing as. It is time for a change.

I think it is certainly the perfect progressive climate for a wider range of representation and the elimination of repression in video game culture.

Sources used:

Shaw, A., & Friesem, E. (2016). Where Is the Queerness in Games? Types of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Content in Digital Games. International Journal of Communication, 3877–3889.

Walkthrough – The Last of Us Wiki Guide. (2014, December 9). Retrieved February 19, 2020, from https://www.ign.com/wikis/the-last-of-us/Walkthrough

This week in DMS448 Games Gender and Culture, we analyzed the debate regarding whether or not video games are better without stories. Bianca Batti and Alisha Karabinus’ article, “A Dream of Embodied Experience: On Ian Bogost, Epistemological Gatekeeping, and the Holodeck,” critiques Bogost’s proposed ideas that “the idea of games seeking to tell stories is an ‘unambitious goal,’ one that he says games should abandon in order to ‘pursue the one they’re already so good at: taking the tidy, ordinary world apart and putting it back together again in surprisingly, ghastly new ways.’ Essentially, they argue that his claims are politically driven and as a male, his arguments negate intersectionality and its presence in gaming narratives.

In Cody Mejeur’s essay, “Too Narrative, Too Queer: The Border Wars of Game Studies,” he argues his personal viewpoint backed by evidence that narratives do matter and serve as a tool for exciting and marketable games. He states, “The narratives we have about games and the peoples who play them affect our realities of what games are and who gets to play and be represented in them.” Using the example of the game, “Gone Home,” a narrative can contribute to both the actions and mechanics of a game. “Gone Home” displays queer representation and weaves a narrative that circulates around the relationship between queer males. Thus, it received criticism of being too queer and too narrative in reviews.

Personally, I find that video games should almost always feature a narrative or a story. Video games serve a different purpose for everyone who plays them, as some enjoy them as a tactical form of entertainment while others value an escape from the outside world; an opportunity to be/play as whoever they desire in a virtual reality that differs from the world they live in. The opportunity to utilize a character’s skills while also understanding their background, the events that have shaped them, and their values/desires prove to give virtuality a humanistic appeal. I believe that any opportunity for humans to exercise empathy or emotion, in general, in regards to another human being (whether that character is ‘real’ or not) can benefit the human race greatly.

In today’s culture, turning a blind eye to others and their problems and conflicts is ever-present. Beyond the boundaries of everyday life, video games serve as a way in which human connection and interaction can be promoted and highlighted. On the other hand, a narrative can push a storyline that can ‘trigger’ or hinder an individual’s identity in their real-life outside of the game. With the presence of trolls, as well as narratives that promote stereotypes and violence, certain narratives can negatively affect the progress of queer and transgender communities, as well as other communities. Narratives can also fail to acknowledge an individual who feels underrepresented or unrecognized. For example, many narratives feature a woman who is depicted as an ‘object’ or simply placed in the game for visual sexual appeal. She is not given a rich backstory nor as much focus as the male characters. She also lacks the ability to be able to do as much as the male characters. I do believe, however, that the positives outweigh the benefits in regards to narratives’ purposes. Narratives have the ability to bring individuals together through commonality and humanistic appeals.

Sources used: “A Dream of Embodied Experience: On Ian Bogost, Epistemological Gatekeeping, and the Holodeck article and Cody Mejeur’s essay, “Too Narrative, Too Queer: The Border Wars of Game Studies”