by Joseph Knoop
It’s no shocker that the world of video games, as of late, has become a remarkable cesspool of misogny and harassment, particularly towards those in minority groups. Anyone who’s given even a fleeting glance can see there are issues with an industry that, for so many years, catered exclusively to male power fantasy and Mountain Dew aficionados.
Of course, where triple A developers haven’t cared to shine their multimillion dollar flood lights, indie developers like Zoe Quinn and activists like Anita Sarkeesian have taken to the niche corners of the culture. I’ve played Quinn’s text-based game “Depression Quest,” and it was a stunning portrayal of what it’s like to live the monotonous drudge, sometimes explosively middling chaos that is a mental health disorder.
According to what information I’ve gathered, Quinn was the subject of harassment (both on the internet and real life) from individuals who suspected her of sleeping with male game journalists for positive coverage. As far as anybody can tell, that has never actually happened, as a sum of zero articles has been produced on Quinn by anyone known to be intimately involved with her. Not that her private life matters or should be discussed in any way.
All that said (and believe me, we could talk for days on the insanity of a few small, terrified men), we feel it’s important to note BYTE has a policy that all should be aware of as we throttle into the academic year.
Let me be very clear about this…
As Editor-in-Chief of a video game and geek culture organization, I am stating that we will not tolerate any form of harassment, online, physical, or otherwise towards women, minority groups, or men for any reason. In our short time as an organization, we've already met some of the most passionate gamers and students, and many of them are women. This industry is about finding the types of interactive experiences that fundamentally change and challenge you as a person, not determining who’s better at a hobby.
Mark my words, if one of BYTE’s members is found creating a negative environment for any group of people, I will personally take it upon myself to make sure that they never work with us again, and that every single leader in Ball State’s student media knows their name. There are no second chances. This is how it is and how it will be as long as I’m in charge.
Female gamers are some of our greatest friends and allies. They bring perspective to the culture that others cannot possibly hope to employ. They bring talents many of us could never develop. They are now the largest demographic in the entire culture, and we owe it to represent all sides fairly.
We don’t care if you play Dark Souls. We don’t care if you play Candy Crush. If games give you some amount of enjoyment or meaning, you are one of us, and we welcome you with open arms.
