The Nerd Asks: Do They Really Want Gamers To Evolve?

"Gamers don't have to be your audience" " Gamers are Dead" "A Guide to Ending Gamers" you've probably heard some variation of that throughout the duration of #gamergate and took it as a literal call to end gamers; well you are wrong according to the authors of the articles and proponents of that sentiment. It was meant as a klaxon to signal in a new breed of gamer, someone who is socially and politically aware enough to challenge the preconceived notions of society, to go against the gender norms, to think freely....but is that what they really want? From where I am sitting, the answer is a resounding no.

Majestic

I have always tried to see things with a critical view, eschewing propaganda, agendas and any other biases that may get in the way of me getting to the truth of whatever it is I am examining. I believe it was Socrates that said "A life unexamined is not worth living" and I believe that philosophy to be true, which is why I cannot say that these...(journalists? Pop culture critics? People who probably live in San Fran and have an ironic fashion sense? I'm gonna say critics) critics actually want to see gamers be more aware of the world around them. This current generation of humans, known as "millennials", are the most socially conscious generation to have ever been, we bring awareness to a plethora of causes, have major debates about gender roles in society, challenge the current status quo on an almost daily basis, we are essentially working our butts off to try to make the world better ( or at least that's the end goal) so why is it that gamers are suddenly exempt from this generation?

Vidya gamers ( that's video gamers for the uninitiated) are extremely socially aware, which is why we do not like where all this stuff is heading and have stood against it. We have seen what has happened when a poisonous dogma has been injected into different groups (Feminism, Atheism) and we do not like it because they are the antithesis of critical thinking and awareness; in fact, I'd go as far as to say that they view any sort of different ideas as an affront that must be dealt with...harshly. I know I sound a bit extreme but hear me out, if they want us to be aware of all the political/ social issues and apply that to gaming then should they not be receptive to different viewpoints? How can they say they want the audience to grow when anytime one of us challenges their assertions we are met with calls of misogyny or compared to various hate groups? A medium, nay a person, cannot intellectually grow when they are being denied water to nourish their thoughts. I have seen people like Christinia Hoff Sommers, an accomplished academic, get ridiculed for having a different take on #gamergate by the very same people who swear they want nothing more than inclusiveness and the expansion of gamers awareness. There are women in gamergate who constantly have their beliefs/womanhood challenged  by opposition simply because they do not think in a manner they find suitable; but most commonly I see people get blasted for criticizing any facet of feminism (which somehow is always mentioned in #gamergate). Looked what happened when gamers started turning a critical eye to those that supposedly represented our best interests, we were instantly deemed misogynists that just want to keep gaming an all boys club and repeatedly slandered in the media...simply for asking about the ethical standards in video games journalism. In such an environment, how can they expect me or anyone to believe that they want gamers to grow when any time we show any inkling of being critical we are brow beaten with how terrible we are? The answer, to me, is very simple: they don't want us to grow, they want to mold us.

Just bear with me though

Humor me for a minute, why is it that the critics refuse to acknowledge #notyourshield or that there are a lot of women that support #gamergate? It's because it completely destroys the narrative they are building, they can't sell their ideals on diversity and inclusion if the target is already inclusive and diverse so they make all these articles deriding gamers so that the mainstream media runs that narrative, once that's complete all they have to do is say they want gamers to be more progressive and accepting and the rest of the public will see them as the good guys and gamers as the villains that must be slain. They don't want us to be critical, in fact they want us to just listen and believe what they say..yep just accept what they say as 100% gospel, any fact checking or critical thinking is completely discouraged.  This is all in an effort to make people think only one way, their way, once we have forfeited our rights to question beliefs, they will suddenly proclaim how they saved gaming or something like that, ushering in an new era of inclusiveness and diversity like at XOXO Fest::

Wait I'm sorry which group lacks diversity?

I do not believe that they want gamers to grow, it's more beneficial to them that we do not challenge their beliefs. All of the actions I've seen lead me to believe that all the talk about diversity is just lip service to make themselves look/feel good because if they were truly about it, they would have opened up a dialogue and responded to valid criticisms or at the very least not attempt a multitude of silencing/shaming tactics for those who disagree with them. There is no growth that is possible in this environment and until I see notable efforts being made by these critics to allow for discussion, I will continue to take everything they say with a grain of salt...not too much salt though otherwise I won't be able to stop the ghosts from attacking. What? You think I'm crazy? It's Halloween time...you won't think I'm so crazy when the spirits are absconding away with you and I'm over here enjoying the fact that I'm still living.

-TTBN ( salt hoarder extraordinaire)