Gamergate can’t talk whole industry ethics as the press is standing in the way

So I decided to write this editorial in response to some things Totalbiscuit has said recently on Twitter.

Now let me just be clear I’m not calling Totalbiscuit a coward in any way here. Who I am aiming to call cowards are those in the press who aren’t bothering with to talk about things in the industry.

What do I mean ?

Well Leigh Alexander made her own list of ethical issues she believes people should address , here have a read. So what has Leigh Alexander done now she operates OffWorld a site she is in change of? Well not addressed any of them yet, no really she’s not done one article talking about any of those issues she brought up. The only thing she’s done close is a piece about strong historical women in games. This is someone with their own site.

Also recently some-one published this an article here called “10 big ethical issues #Gamergate won’t touch” and article I myself wrote a rebuttal to.

Now I know what some people are going to say “Who are you to lecture journalists about talking about ethics in the video game industry?” I’m the guy who wrote on his Destructod blog about how Microsoft were very late paying indie developers who used XNA. I broke that story. #Gamergate supported me and helped call attention to this issue, it helped make people aware of the issue and shine a light on this crap. A blog that was even sourced by Kotaku. The reality is asking #Gamergate to call attention to every issue is a tough ask. Yes Gamergate is a huge mass of people however dealing with issues takes time. Writing things takes time. Heck I myself had a go at addressing one of Leigh Alexander’s ethical concerns and Leigh herself has yet to address pretty much any of those concerns.

I don’t get huge amounts of info from the industry, heck I doubt many who support #Gamergate do. We’re not big fixtures in the gaming industry so many people don’t feel confident talking about it when there are for example things we may not know about such as the reason for review embargoes. It may sound stupid and obvious to those in the industry that embargoes are to allow all the press to get on the same page and a large push in consumer information. However it’s things like this that aren’t always obvious to those on the outside.

The simple answer is #Gamergate isn't talking about many ethical concerns in the industry because many of us aren't informed enough to do those discussions justice. To be able to talk about the industries dirt and horror stories we have to know where the dirt is buried and hear those stories. Most of us aren’t in that positon. Worse with the villification of #Gamergate and anyone associated with it, a climate of fear has been made such that many no doubt feel unable or unwilling to talk to #Gamergate for fear of repirsal. We’ve seen how those against #Gamergate for it’s percieved crimes treat anyone at all who shows any level of compromise. Even one of their own.

So #Gamergate and it’s supporters are being put into an impossible position. Talk about ethics in an industry that we are only for the most part consumers in and not large active parts fully aware of the intricacies and able to talk about ethical concerns within it. Furthermore #Gamergate can’t get additional information and learn more because many developers can’t or won’t talk to anyone because of fear of repirsal.

This situation means that while many would love #Gamergate to talk about ethical concerns in the games industry as a whole. It can’t. It can’t because the press chose to villify it. In doing so the press themselves sunk the very thing they want #Gamergate to do. They want #Gamergate to talk about ethical issues in the industry not just the press so they don’t have to. So having set #Gamergate up with the impossible task there’s very little that can be done.

Oh you thought I was going to say it’s hopeless there’s nothing #Gamergate can do, the press has put #Gamergate in an un-winnable situation. The press has made #Gamergate seems so toxic and harmful to associate with many developers won’t only a few standing up. Well the press is to an extent wrong. No matter how much Ben Kuchera attacks EA employees

No matter how much MovieBob and no doubt others try to have developers fired.

There is still something #Gamergate can do. It’s the same thing that #Gamergate did for me. It can support those who push for better ethics and who do call out the dirt in the industry itself be they developers stepping forward or be it members of the press who do try to talk about these things.

Be it the likes of Jim Sterling calling out bullshots be it Totalbiscuit himself daring to question big “indie” developers choices and take some of that sparkle off of Double Fine or Angry Joe when he confronts industry mouth pieces and puts them on the spot a little.

#Gamergate can’t be the the industry police and discuss all the industries problems most of us are consumers not members of the industry at large. What #Gamergate can do is provide support for those calling out such issues and help those issues gain attention. What #Gmaergate can also do is help point out those happily wallowing in industry dirt and part of the reason for many of the instances of pushback is some people dislike this. The press is to an extent meant to be the industry Watchmen. So now who watches the Watchman? #Gamergate that’s who at present.

One of the big reasons #Gamergate exploded was because people chose to try and suppress a rumour going so far as to DMCA people.

The press chose to be silent when an indie developer filed a DMCA against a youtuber to silence them. The developer didn't address the rumour and refused to give their side calling anyone asking a terrorist. Their only action was to try and silence people. The press stood silently by and let this happen. To his credit Totalbiscuit did stand up and say if this has happened it’s disgusting behaviour, for that he was attacked over twitter and threatened with false DMCA claims by other indie developers.

Are there ethical problems in the industry and a whole not simple the press? Yes. Can #Gamergate be the one to deal with it all? No there needs to be a dialogue and as was shown when Mark Kern asked to start peace talks the press aren’t interested in talking. So we have the situation we’re presently in. We have the press asking #Gamergate to discuss industry ethics and talk about these issues, then we have soe of the press actively working to mke this harder. The only way the rest of the problems in the idustry can be dealt with is by first dealing with the elements of the press as it is they standing in the way of these discussions now.

As for the question of review copies my stance is this. Companies have to decide who they feel it’s worth sending copies to. In Jim Sterling’s case it is a surprise he didn’t get a copy but being independent as he presently is it may be seen that he holds less weight. In an age where the new media and a new press is becoming a thing thanks to youtube, the question has to be quite who is press and it’s up to developers to determine who they feel it’s worth sending review copies to. Would it be nice to have a variety of reviewers getting copies? Yes. Do I expect developers to send Jack Thompson and Anita Sarkeesian review copies? No. In the end review copies are a privilage not an entitlement in the industry, I would hope those who do care to hear Jim’s opinnion hold off on buying the game until he has reviewed it. I can understand the claims that being denied a review copy can be harmful to members of the press and maybe just maybe this is an issue with more than one component and maybe the audience itself needs to take some responsbility along with the industry encouraging that audience to act said way. This however is a discussion for another time.