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GamerGate is a label for a series of controversies in the gaming industry that occurred during the second half of 2014.
Beginning in August of 2014, a series of controversies erupted, with one side accusing the other of breach of journalism ethics, and the other side accusing the instigators of misogyny and sexism.
Techopedia Explains GamerGate
GamerGate started when Zoe Quinn, an indie game developer, was accused by her ex-boyfriend of having an affair with a journalist for a gaming news site. The affair allegedly resulted in positive reviews for Quinn’s game, “Depression Quest.” She was eventually harassed and subjected to misogynist threats as a result. In another controversy, Anita Sarkeesian, an author and blogger, was subjected to online harassment after she launched her Kickstarter project, “Tropes vs. Women in Video Games,” a YouTube video series that examines gender representations in the video games industry.
So while one side focuses on the aspect regarding women and gaming, the other point of view revolves around the role of media and journalism. Specifically, allegations of favoritism and censoring coverage from developers or journalists with differing viewpoints.
