I don't believe that what fuelled #GamerGate over the past month or so was necessarily just a movement of 'social justice warriors' versus misogynistic 'gamers'.
Certainly, sexist behaviour is inseparable from what has happened, and that has been covered en masse pretty much everywhere else.
However, I think that it was also fueled by an unrest surrounding gaming culture.
Change is coming - some of it social - that is being repelled by old beliefs that die hard.
But other changes in the market look like they're threatening core gaming – and unless they're examined and resolved, then more culture wars will happen.
Rest in peace?
Gamers aren't dead – but the culture is sick and needs medicine to be better. And it's not just gamers that need to change the culture – there are plenty of good people that got caught in the crossfire.
What's more, developers and publishers helping to facilitate the change in the industry, particularly the shift to mobile and free-to-play, need to find ways to appeal to gamers to help heal the culture, but also because there's major monetary benefit for doing so.
So why are gamers so mad?
Put yourself in the shoes of a passionate 'core gamer.' The games you enjoy are getting more expensive – sure they still cost $60, but they feel like they're getting shorter and DLC season passes add on to the cost from day one.
Meanwhile, there's seemingly a story about layoffs at the studios who make the games you love every other week, and the idea that this might be the last console generation is bandied about often enough to be concerning.
And if you're a PC gamer, sure Steam has been a bastion of great titles, but there's a lot more low-quality content being dumped on the store regularly. And the difference between something like Depression Quest and Gender Bender DNA Twister Extreme may seem trivial on the surface.
Gaming has really taken off on mobile, but those games largely aren't for you.
Gaming has really taken off on mobile, but those games aren't for you.
Either they're casual games with 'exploitative' IAP, or dumbed-down core games with awful virtual controls, and maybe support for an expensive gamepad if you're lucky. And even those dumbed-down games aren't being made that much because it's all the casual schlock that looks like it's making the money.
In the back of your mind, maybe these gamers fear that their favourite gaming series might go under if the publisher suddenly starts profiting more off of a casual game, or a heavily-monetised version of what they like.
Oh, and the loudest voices in the gaming community, including both prominent indie developers and much of the mainstream media that you would hope speak for you?
They don't care - they shout down your concerns by calling you hateful, and call you names, often insulting your appearance and gender in a way that if you did to them, they would be outraged at.
Looking ahead
Many progressive-minded developers took your money, then made t-shirts reveling in how they're destroying your hobby. They may be ironic t-shirts, but sometimes sarcasm just is deflecting real emotion.
Combine all this, and yeah, perhaps you might be willing to join up with vile, troublesome people in the name of taking back what you love from the forces who would dare destroy it. Zoe Quinn, Phil Fish, Anita Sarkeesian, and Jenn Frank, all getting harassed, some to the point of leaving gaming?
Maybe you'll feel like they're just collateral damage in the name of a greater cause.
Now step back. Rhetorical experiment over. Perhaps the 'gamer' side of things makes more sense? Yes, pro-GamerGate people are irredeemably linked to misogynist behaviour that would do things like threaten sexual violence against industry critics,and leak personal and financial info of one of their supporters.
A poisonous atmosphere
I don't like Phil Fish much either, but leaking his router password was just spiteful, and the current gaming social culture needs to change because it is hostile in so many aspects.
If gamers open up, there will be room for crushing candy, crushing depression, and crushing skulls.
Women, people of colour, and LGBTQ folks get the brunt of it, but I think even white, cisgender, and heterosexual gamers can agree that something like Xbox Live voice chat can be unbearable because of all the awful people that tend to yell at each other, creating a terrible atmosphere.
There will be improvements for all when gaming culture is more open and friendly to everyone, but especially to those outside the mainstream/traditional audiences.
And I think gamers will find that if they open up, there will be room for crushing candy, crushing depression, and crushing skulls in gaming.
In order for this to happen, however, the change that is happening in gaming has to work out for gamers as well. If not, then there will be more culture wars – and there's plenty of people with powerful poison ready to silence those they disagree with.
The economic forces at work in gaming's changes can go a long way toward finding ways to address the concerns of gaming going forward.
There's no real reason why mobile and free-to-play can't be more gamer-friendly. I also think for the developers and publishers who find a way to crack the code, they can be the landing spot if sections of the industry that support core gaming start to collapse.
Biting the core
Platform holders like Apple and Google can go a long way toward supporting core games on their platform. Getting more gamepads out there, and encouraging developers to release games that support them will address many of the concerns.
Also, cultivating markets where higher-budget premium games aren't necessarily a risk will be important. Microconsoles will help in this facet, particularly if traditional consoles' growth slows down. Having compelling gamer-friendly content could help sell a lot of hardware and software for when the old providers fail at satisfying gamers.
But what about free-to-play? That's a tougher nut to crack on mobile. It's an economic reality, and there is a generation of gamers who are fine with it.
Look at how well Dota 2 and League of Legends do on PC. Dota 2 players bought items in large part to create a large prize pot for The International.
Gamers will have to accept that some of this change is inevitable.
Succeeding with core F2P on mobile is not going to take finally making a mobile MOBA, but creating an experience that players can have fun with, and will want to support the culture of the game. Candy Crush competes with Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for people's time. Gamers want to play games, and finding a way to get their money may be a safer bet than casual players.
Gamers will have to accept that some of this change is inevitable. Mobile isn't going away, and neither is free-to-play, but there's no reason why either side of the equation has to be hostile to each other. Gamers need vote with their wallets to be the change they want to see, but developers need to provide it.
And gamers need to help police their communities, because more people want to play games and feel welcome while doing so. The toxic elements can be fought – and those in the media along with developers need to not just lump in the bad with the overwhelming good.
Gamers aren't dead and the culture isn't even close to being irreparably broken. Nevertheless, effort will be need to be put in to ensure that the issues surrounding gamers and gaming are addressed. If not, another 'GamerGate' is just around the corner.
Formally of 148Apps, which was acquired by Pocket Gamer owner Steel Media in 2012, Carter Dotson is a freelancer writer working for Touch Arcade and Gamezebo.
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Male gamers are not the problem. Harassment by gamers is not the problem. THE MEDIA IS THE DAMN PROBLEM!
Try and call it sexism. When consumers drop and do as smart gamers do and listen to the actual gaming community on what is good and what is bad, maybe then the people like you will finally understand that it is the perception that developers are getting good reviews on crap games. Why do metascores have such a huge difference between what journalists give and what the actual gamers give? That is why #gamergate exploded. Perception is everything and the perception your industry is giving to your consumers is one of corruption and kick back and a flagrant rat's ass not being given on whether the consumer is being given a fair service or not.
As for females saying they get harassed in games...strange, I played EQ when it first came out in 1999 and still do play, I played WoW when it first came out but stopped due to the direction that Blizzard went with the game. Any raids I was involved in, guess what? Nobody harassed any of our female players, ever. Congratulations, you have met the MINORITY voice in the community while playing a large MMO. With the number of racist, homophobic, sexist, anti-Semitic chat I have seen in WoW during my time playing, are all gamers those things as well? No, a small minority; vocal but small. That is the same thing you have seen in gamergate. A vocal, small minority and to clump every gamer into that category is insulting at the least.
Feminism, pushing for female special rights and not equal rights for decades. While I do not agree with harassment, threats are 99.9% of the time empty especially coming from gamers. If I had to call the cops every time I was harassed and threatened, it would be about 3 times per day. Why? Because of my political beliefs.
The trust between the journalism industry and their consumers has been breached. The ball is in your court to regain that trust. Good luck regaining mine as I have not used any gaming journal reviews in about 15 years due to perceived corruption. Keep on thinking this is not about corruption.
I think it is right to ask for more transparency in journalism. This has nothing to with feminism or with "special treatment" for me. As I said I never felt out of place in everquest, this kind of abuse is something that has come recently to me.
Maybe all the guys that are doing it just assume that every woman who plays video games is a militant feminist, but not all of us are.
I never once said all gamers either, I said certain gamers. I also said that I think there are many wonderful gamers, but I still believe the abuse deserves to be spoken about. It's just like with bullies at school how you were told to "ignore them" but ignoring them doesn't help, it's better to communicate as a whole.
I wish that it wasn't dismissed so quickly by some in the community as 'nothing to worry about,' but I tell you, it gets tiring really fast. It shouldn't be a battle to just enjoy a hobby, you have been doing forever.
I agree it is insulting to hear that all gamers are sexist, homophobic and racist. Considering I have been one for 26 years. Probably longer than a lot of the loudest bullies in the community who think that I and other minorities shouldn't be there.
Women in a prominent position like a Gaming Journalist on a major platform don't get a pass on harassing or abusing their readership. Having a vagina does not grant you immunity. Male journalist get hate mail like all the rest so enough of the endless damseling and infantilization. Women aren't children.
"if those gamers wanted their opinions heard, they have got to stop with the gendered slurs and talk about the porblem they face"
The gender slurs are pouring out the mouths of the press and it's all over this freaking aritcle but you haven't called any of it out since you've been conditioned to assume endless male bashing is some how acceptable. The fact that male bashing makes lots of male gamers upset is exactly why you got a backlash in the first place. The common rule of respecting people is not embraced by a corrupt media that would rather fuel outrage to get page hits than stop hating on their own customers.
"This has nothing to with feminism or with "special treatment" for me."
You've already embraced a clear double standard so to hell with your feminism and expecting special treatment. You gave a huge loop hole for female journalist that would almost guarantee they'd be despised by readers sick of being attacked for their gender and I'm talking about the males.
" It's just like with bullies at school how you were told to "ignore them" but ignoring them doesn't help, it's better to communicate as a whole. "
The press are the bullies. They spent the past 4 weeks running a smear campaign against gamers across the internet after doing the same in a more low key way for years. The male hating journalism is toxic. This is hurting the gaming community and lots of real people who don't want to be intimidated by unapologetic bigots in the press hate mongering for profit.
However, it seems dangerous to start picking fights with different parts of the gaming community. The fact you might not have experienced any/much anti-female dialogue is meaningless unless you are a woman or playing as a female character.
Similarly, it's easy to say 99.9% of threats are empty. Who's to judge which are the 0.01% we should be taking seriously?
Where, I feel, you do hit a cord is perception issue. The bottomline is that consumers don't need journalists any more - and not just in gaming. That is both a good and a bad thing for both groups.
Because journalists - any journalists - are just better informed people. They're not special in any other way. Trust - as much as anyone has it for any professional group in society - will be rebuilt, but only on an individual level by those journalists (or other professionals) who prove they can inform the debate.
What about the anti male dialogue? I am so sick of the self righteous bigots who want to go around lecturing men on civility but do nothing to stop others from attacking them for being men. That's the bull crap that needs to stop. Men and women lining up to defend women is fine but when we see no one step up to defend male gamers from abuse and harassment by corrupt journalists addicted to hate mongering against them then that's a darn problem.
This entire article is another male hate piece from gaming journalist. This is evil, this is oppressive, and this needs to stop.
Mum never stopped loving games and when the ps1 came out she was right on it, she got us x-men fighting games, we would spend hours in the family room playing together, laughing, taking turns.
Mum also really got into spyro, she was a fantasy freak loved Hercules, dragons, lore etc. I remember dad, my sister and I breaking out in hysterical laughter fits listening to her swearing every time she missed a jump. A demure woman, who worked at the local council swearing at a little dragon in a game. Even now it brings a smile to my face.
When the ps2 came out, mum got us that and also decided to try a pc. My sister really got into gameboy and pokemon, I veered off into fantasy rpg, the first rpg I played on pc was ultima. I eventually discovered everquest it wasn't just epic the atmosphere and immersion, the people were epic, it was unlike anything I had ever played before. I like fansy was on Sullon Zek, and I was lucky enough to witness the majesty of fansy's creation. I I do miss those days. I, like fansy also have a love of minstrels and bards, they are always my first choice, then druids.
The hatred of my femaleness didn't become apparent to me until I used a headset in raids in world of warcraft or I openly told guild members I was a woman. World of warcraft post wotlk, raids were not a nice place if you had a female voice and because I was heals I had to communicate. My sister who plays league of legends and has twitch is constantly told the only reason she does it for male attention. Her accomplishments downplayed and she is told she only gets people watching her because she is a girl.
I had no idea why I was singled out, why my sister is singled out, why my sister and I were threatened or mocked for doing what we had always just done with our family and friends, what we enjoyed and still do enjoy to this day, there are gamers out there that are wonderful people, but the hurt that comes from being in certain communities that just hate you for being a woman who plays, when it just came as naturally to me as it did to them. I had no agenda, nothing to prove, I had no ulterior motive other than my love of gaming, my love of fantasy. The same with my sister.
I then started seeing other women and minorities facing the same problems, I still do not have a clue as to why it is happening. I don't understand why there are some male gamers that hate us so much, and believe that we shouldn't be allowed to even talk.
My father was diagnosed with cancer 11 months ago, I lost myself in games when I wasn't helping my mum make sure he had everything he wanted and needed. He lost his large bowel and needed a stoma, even with chemo it moved to his liver. My mother had to became his fulltime carer and to help them I made all their meals. But when I got home, I put my head into the games, I had to because the image of him withering away in that bed and not a thing I could do would help, killed a big part of my soul. It was the only thing that stopped me from breaking down completely, staying strong for my mother and showing my father that he was going to make it! I was playing secret world at the time, it made all the difference in my psyche. I lost my father to stage 4 colon cancer on the 7th, I haven't been able to play since, it's the longest I've ever gone. I can't bear to play at the moment, because I hear him laughing along with us as we watched my mother. Hear his quips when we played x-men together. I haven't slept well in a long time, perhaps that's why I am writing this, because the whole thing, the gamersgate thing is just leaves me worried that the games and community I used to love are being taken away by jocks with a vendetta, by angry, nasty jocks with no rational thought between them, who want nothing but one dimensional characters and for anyone who doesn't agree to shut up. It's not the community I remember, it's not the same and it's not because "women and minorities are now playing" we were always there.
Games have meant a lot to me, my family and all the inhouse fighting, it makes me afraid to speak up sometimes, that I will be attacked if I do. I haven't said a thing about it to anyone, but I am writing this now just to get it out of me. I have seen the toxicity and the bigotry certain gamers can hurl at people, I experienced it first hand. I see the way that minorities are treated, women are treated in some places and the same sentiment is thrown out every time "just ignore it." But none of us should ignore the very real threats of violence coming from both sides of this debate, the doxxing, the hatred that everyone is throwing at each other, over a medium that is supposed to be for fun and friendly competition. On the one hand the social justice people want kindness and progression (I am all up for that) but on the other they stoop to the level of certain gamers that attack, dox and abuse. You can't ask for peace and friendly discussion if you abuse people, it doesn't matter what they think, doxxing is WRONG on any side of this and I will never support that witch hunt.
I don't know what to think about the gamersgate, I do believe there is nepotism and cronyism in the triple a publishers midst. But there is misogyny, racism and homophobia that takes all the joy out of the games.There are so many lies in all of this that I can't wade through it. But I feel there is a number of straight white male gamers attack anyone who voices an opinion different than their own, they throw around 1984 buzzwords like PC, racecard, agenda to deflect any real debate and when that doesn't work they use threats of violence. They fear that the community is "changing" and that games are "changing." But from all my experiences since 1989 I have never known such antagonistic, obnoxious, cruel gamers than the ones who infest todays triple a MMO's, they are the ones changing it. I can't bring myself to go back to WoW since MoP, the community was abhorrent and the complete dumbing down of the system was the last straw for me.
I was never treated like I am now treated in certain MMO's and forums, even tabletop was not an issue for me, I have no idea why there is a certain kind of gamer that doesn't want to question the status quo, that shouts that everyone other than them has an agenda. That people discussing things makes them so mad they attack without reason. I just know that those kind of gamers weren't always there, I never used to have this fear surrounding my hobby, I never used to be afraid to speak in games. I feel that people on both sides of this don't even really care about the games anymore, it's become more of a statement to both of them. A battle that both fervently want to win and the rest of us are just pawns to be used in their 'war.'
I don't want to belong to any side of this, I just wanted to voice how I have been feeling, what I have personally witnessed and how tiring it has been to be always politicized. I want both sides to stop, to be honest. I want to have a reasonable discussion with reasonable people, I don't want to fight about who has the most "minorities" on their side, I just want gaming to get better for everyone and for everyone to feel that they can speak about what they like and dislike without mountains of bureaucracy and hostility.
I shouldn't have to fight this hard just to enjoy my hobby, to be allowed an opinion on my hobby without fear of personal attacks instead of debates. I shouldn't have to wade through a political battlefield because I just happened to have rolled female.
Enough of these unprofessional manipulative phonies getting over on their yellow journalism. End the corruption and demand they stop attacking gamers regardless of their identity. That's the least the gaming public should expect.
http://www.640toronto.com/2014/09/16/vgs-sexist-gaming-culture-vs-journalistic-integrity-how-do-you-fix-a-broken-system-with-nhl-15/
The gaming media, instead of reporting on the initial flashpoint or TFYC's situation honestly, chose to close ranks and spin a false narrative that hordes of white male virgin "misogynerds" from 4chan were running a hate campaign against women filled with sockpuppets.
The truth is we have passport photos and even live video proving gamergate isn't the "white male misogynist harassment campaign" you and others have been told it is: https://i.imgur.com/cNkeRde.jpeg, tweets https://i.imgur.com/BgY7IyD.png https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYqBdCmDR0M
The thousands upon thousands of women, minorities, and LGBT gamers in gamergate are sick of SJW's speaking over them, ignoring them, and worst of all using them as a shield against criticism. And that's why they invented the hashtag #notyourshield to amplify their voice. If you truly care about social justice I implore you to speak to them and find out the truth for yourself.
If anything you have this completely backwards as the supporters of #gamergate that have been subjected to everything up to and including racial slurs on the level of being called "house ni**ers".
In fact the de facto leader of the anti-gamergate side has herself retweeted offers to pay people Nintendo demo codes if they'll post false-flag racism and threats to her under the #gamergate tag: http://i.imgur.com/uN5dkYH.jpg
As well as having personally participated in the doxxing and threatening of even children with violence: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BxItIhIIQAABIu7.png
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BxFz-WhCMAAJBO1.jpg
https://medium.com/@sixthman/who-is-harassed-more-f81799a2f550
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBmifFUBmg8
Let alone developers: http://33.media.tumblr.com/f45ec5af72b60bda7c696817ca14ddbf/tumblr_nbjxzdpHI91tkhroeo1_1280.jpg
Or anyone else that dares disagree with them, here's just a HANDFUL of the vicious abuse thrown at anyone supporting #gamergate:
Terrorists (http://gamesnosh.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/devin.jpg)
Pathetic (http://gamesnosh.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/freelance-dev.jpg)
Racist (http://gamergateharrassment.tumblr.com/image/96832821253)
Nerds (http://gamergateharrassment.tumblr.com/image/96824882816)
Parasites (http://i.imgur.com/YYx4VM3.png)
Worthless (http://38.media.tumblr.com/3f7e5d258c3590d92e21a91c941cfc48/tumblr_nbel0pMV3y1tkhroeo1_1280.png)
Deserving death (http://31.media.tumblr.com/05ce05fa39964870e51b029b76eb4453/tumblr_nbdot0XTYQ1tkhroeo1_1280.png)
Confederates, Neo-NAZIs (https://twitter.com/devincf/status/509120907000823808)
Misogynists (http://33.media.tumblr.com/33f424d2dca74196a76641c295295c24/tumblr_nbgypnmym01tkhroeo1_1280.png)
Drug users (https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BwYnLcPCcAExa7T.png:large)
Dweebs (https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bwjyo6TIgAM-3xN.jpg:large)
NAZIs (http://gamergateharrassment.tumblr.com/image/96981951159)
Subhuman (http://i.gyazo.com/af9f579b915579b16382885ee071a8a6.png)
Sociopaths (http://31.media.tumblr.com/6b838763c2a04c7356eb12aac086d2d4/tumblr_nbdfr6ZW3f1tkhroeo1_1280.png)
Scum (http://i.imgur.com/rLT5hMG.png)
Morons (http://33.media.tumblr.com/839ef95775ce258ea9b69e3092b74c13/tumblr_nbaq6t5l8a1tkhroeo1_1280.png)
Fat (http://38.media.tumblr.com/c006886fc38d780246bb0541e2158026/tumblr_nbaprdoOzq1tkhroeo1_1280.png)
Nonexistent (http://38.media.tumblr.com/4f6b44d2d02dcf5637449c43f59081f0/tumblr_nbaraiM5CK1tkhroeo1_1280.png)
Hateful (http://38.media.tumblr.com/04d047edde4912a0ae1d08d5d34eb073/tumblr_nbavqcjInC1tkhroeo1_1280.jpg)
Autistic (http://38.media.tumblr.com/070bec77b1eb20d7127eeb53e24cd739/tumblr_nb9o4uaZLh1tkhroeo1_1280.png)
Deserving violence (http://media.tumblr.com/5fcf2906cbd6a4f0a2d0d118938a6647/tumblr_inline_nb9hwmg56l1t04v2j.png)
Bullies (http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/821/909/564.png)
Racial slurs (https://forum.encyclopediadramatica.es/attachments/1409516437457-png.47336/)
Enablers of child pornography/Pedophiles: (http://38.media.tumblr.com/60d8774d77925c6c2b33da61a320fcc9/tumblr_nbgx6jSebG1tkhroeo2_1280.png)
Peddlers of child porn: (http://i.imgur.com/KJiOEB4.jpg)
Threatened with violence (https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BwYqklLIQAAJRrt.jpg:large)
Shit (http://t.co/ts4PPb3tl3)
Manbabies (http://31.media.tumblr.com/7300d99c72d76c2a2b3b90d4c3f9d222/tumblr_nb4nduL6ik1tkhroeo1_1280.png)
Terrible people (http://38.media.tumblr.com/6f9fb624582e4d5a09ceb2174da96c18/tumblr_nb4rxxXlrK1tkhroeo1_1280.png)
And best of all?�?Trash: http://i.imgur.com/E4kRwKN.png
Really, I think that the gist of the pro-GG folks tend to have flashes of validity, but there's so many flaws in the movement. And even if you look at things like the GameJournoPros thing that's popped up, the majority of the conversation surrounding it relates to Zoe Quinn. Still. This all was sparked off by it, and the feelings about what was revealed about her continue to spark the emotions.
(BTW, if I recall correctly, TFYC's issue initially was with what they said about trans women and their eligibility to participate. There's not just jealousy involved. Though the hacks are reprehensible.)
Oh, and you're absolutely right. There are some awful people in the progressive movement whose behavior is reprehensible, and are guilty of the same crimes they accuse others of engaging in, and just plain aren't helping anyone. That's why I made a point of it in the article – because it is wrong. And the reports on Twitter of pro-GG folks being hacked and losing their jobs for their views? Shameful if true. And I'm at a point where I think there are people who could convince themselves it's the moral thing to do.
The point is everyone needs to come together to find the solution.
The media is there to serve the public not rule it.
I mean, look at the celebrity nude leaks scandal. Or the move to get Jane Austen on British money. There's a particular universal harassment of women who take strong stances, or have the audacity to take nude photos of themselves for private audiences, or anything that seems hostile on a surface level. Gamer culture is no more particularly sexist than any other culture, really.
But I do think that it manifests itself in interesting ways. Perhaps due to the competitive nature of gaming? Or it may even just be that because gaming culture is so inherently tech-savvy, it's prone to more internet-based issues, and to carry these discussions on for longer because this is our native land.
But considering that my hope for this article is that the industry finds a way for core games – the kinds of games I love, and ARE dominated by a male audience – to have a place in the future, but also that perhaps the culture could be nicer and not willing to insult people based on their race or gender? So that my friend that I regularly play Xbox with doesn't get creepy messages? There are people that can shake off those things – but others can't. And it takes just one bomb threat, or one harasser to show up at someone's doorstep, or to steal financial information and bankrupt someone, for this to be a massive, massive, massive problem.
And really, I hate that there aren't more women in gaming culture. Women are great and making friends with them and spending time with them in other communities really changed my perspective on the world and made me a better person, and I hate that gaming culture is such a sausage fest. And I certainly think that gaming's progressive movement is a lot more flawed than they'll admit, but they're also doing a LOT of good. And ultimately, I think if they 'win', the world will be better than maintaining the status quo.
But ultimately, I think the culture can change and improve without leaving you behind. And it shouldn't. And the people that will criticize you for being male and enjoying the games you do? They're wrong. But why are they mad at you and your culture? Everyone needs to examine why the people they disagree with disagree with them, and why they act the way they do. And that goes with you. Why does it seem like journalists and feminists seem so hostile to you? What can you do to help make them less hostile?
(Also, 4chan culture seems to still use a gay slur to refer to various people – and I've seen various defenses that don't criticize this language! Perhaps 4chan *is* a problem and does need changing?)
Cut the crap. Sexism in gaming is a manufactured controversy by a bunch of manipulative bigoted haters who saw it as a means of putting them in position of power within the gaming community. The public need not submit to corrupt media turning them against one another for profit. This is classic yellow journalism and it's fueled by demagoguery being used to exploit prejudice in the people.
You need to apologize to male gamers for disrespecting them for years. Then you need to apologize to the whole community and resign. That's how I see it.