It Begins With You
Creating a positive gaming culture
In recent years the gaming community has become a socio-political quagmire.
The story of GamerGate and the reactionary movements it has spawned has been analysed many times, and I have no intention of adding to it. Enough people have discussed the merits (or lack thereof) of perceived censorship, nepotism, and political correctness propagated by games journalists and so-called ‘social justice warriors’.
I do, however, wish to draw attention to the hostility, suspicion, distrust, and lack of empathetic communication that has become so normalised in the gaming community (although I recognise that these traits are well-represented on the internet at large).
The world you feel
I have been playing video games for about twenty years.
I remember being just six years old when I played classic first-person shooters like Wolfenstein 3D, Rise of the Triad, and Half-Life — games that shaped an industry that has become an indelible part of contemporary pop-culture.
There is no experience quite like immersing yourself in a virtual world in which you have such a palpable impact on your surroundings. The sense of agency and the promise that your actions will directly affect both the game world and its inhabitants is perhaps the biggest reason why people are attracted to the medium.
As I have grown older, I have developed a desire to study and critique games. For me, games aren't disposable commodities or frivolous wastes of time. It isn't enough for me to simply play a game, finish it, and then move on to the next one. It isn't enough to simply be entertained. I spend time copiously re-playing games, thinking laterally about them from larger perspectives, and finding something of meaning that I can extrapolate into the real world.
How are they constructed? How are they informed by other games, other mediums, and the sensibilities of their creators? How and why does an audience perceive, interact with, and respond to them? What can they tell us about the human condition?
These are questions that all gamers should find relatable. They benefit not only those who are passionate about games, but also contribute to the evolution of the medium at large. After all, gaming is still in its infancy and, some might say it is currently experiencing growing pains as it becomes a more widely accepted and inclusive activity.
Further than beyond
Although we may often forget it, we are all video game pioneers. Don’t you think this gives us all an obligation to help push games further into and beyond existing frontiers?
Starting with that perspective is an important step.
In my experience, it’s common for people to avoid taking responsibility in favour of placing it on someone or something else for the sake of convenience. Generally, our first reaction is to blame an external source (whether it’s game designers, games journalists, or ‘social justice warriors’) when something doesn't go the way we would like and we subsequently adopt a combative attitude.
This is not, however, a proactive or sustainable response. It’s important to remember that we shape the industry not only through our purchases but also through our attitude and the way we choose to conduct ourselves. Hostilities don’t always end up being confined to a single group of vocal individuals; they often seep through into many other peripherally related areas, distorting the clarity that could otherwise exist and the potential for proper communication.
Although we may often forget it, we are all video game pioneers. Don’t you think this gives us all an obligation to help push games further into and beyond existing frontiers?
GamerGate is just one of many examples where our tribal nature compels us to associate with groups that reflect our values and to identify everyone else as villainous ‘others’.
Over a year and a half has passed, but both sides of the ideological fence continue to insult, condemn, and threaten each other which does little else but strengthen the walls they respectively and metaphorically erect. Both sides are complicit and both must take responsibility. The nature of criticism demands that we reflect on ourselves (as individuals and as groups) to identify those characteristics which may be causing direct or indirect harm to others. It can be a distressing process but it can also lead to incredible rewards.
Advocating communication is a two-way process that requires understanding and compromise from both sides — a capacity to look beyond the strictly emotional and visceral response that largely governs our knee-jerk reactions. Negativity predisposes people to hostility, which propagates single-minded thinking that fails to take into account broader context.
As gamers, and more importantly as people, we should think about the ‘why’ of things. Making that effort allows us to facilitate an understanding of people and issues whose motivations and implications we wouldn't otherwise concern ourselves with. There are many things in this world that aren't our fault, but that shouldn't stop us from saying or doing something that leads to positive results for the culture we each must take responsibility for shaping. There is nothing to gain by viciously attacking others and creating barriers that halt progress.
“When you blame others, you give up your power to change.”
Dr. Robert Anthony
Creating a positive culture
Change, of course, is gradual. Understanding is more than just a fleeting feeling or moment of inspiration; it is an active process of investigation and communication that happens every minute of every day.
We cannot alter the perspective and attitude of millions of gamers in a heartbeat, but it is something we can strive for — and something we ought to encourage — by being friendly and welcoming.
If we wait for everyone else to take the first step, all we are left with is a perpetual stalemate.
If you are here, visiting Super Jump for the first time, then I hope it is because you are interested in this ideal: thinking about video games and not simply playing them.
Celebrating and unlocking the potential of interactive entertainment and creating a positive culture around it begins with us…
…it begins with you.
