Anita Sarkeesian

[Dee]

...and the whole situation. xD

Where do I begin?  Who is Anita, you ask?  Well, she's an infamous feminist critic who claims to be a serious gamer and scrutinizes the misogynistic aspects developers love to throw into video games without a second thought.  She has recently come under even more serious pressure (like she wasn't before?) by having received quite a few death threats from users on social media sites.  Now, I think threatening bodily harm and death is entirely going overboard, but how do you feel about the situation?  Do you agree with what Anita has to say or do you think she's full of shit?

If you want to check out her videos, she does quite a few here on her youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/feministfrequency

 

[Icetex's iconIcetex]

i will file this under "i don't care" or this:

 

[Dee]

i will file this under "i don't care" or this:

Haha, why is that? Can I assume you hate her as much as those giving death threats?

 

[seasidemike]

I have watched many if her videos and I think she is brilliant abc brave and right. Sometimes she takes topics a bit too far and puts issues where there really aren't any, but over all her observations of video games are true.
Those who hate her just don't like a female main character, which she most certainly is.
She is smart, well spoken and truthful.

 

[Icetex's iconIcetex]

i will file this under "i don't care" or this:

Haha, why is that?  Can I assume you hate her as much as those giving death threats?

well because it started the gamergate thing
i don't hate her
its just whole thing lead to nonsense

 

[Dee]

i will file this under "i don't care" or this:

Haha, why is that?  Can I assume you hate her as much as those giving death threats?

well because it started the gamergate thing
i don't hate her
its just whole thing lead to nonsense

It is pretty nonsensical, but why is that? Is it because she doesn't know what she's talking about? Is it because she has a point and people are offended and have no other way of expressing their disagreement?

 

[Icetex's iconIcetex]

i will file this under "i don't care" or this:

Haha, why is that?  Can I assume you hate her as much as those giving death threats?

well because it started the gamergate thing
i don't hate her
its just whole thing lead to nonsense

It is pretty nonsensical, but why is that?  Is it because she doesn't know what she's talking about?  Is it because she has a point and people are offended and have no other way of expressing their disagreement?

its not any of that above
i don't personally have opinions on subject of her and gamergate
just i think that thing got blowup and misinformation
i mean i know a lot girls that are gamers so..

 

[Kirito]

I didn't know her at all. As usual I'm not up to date whatsoever when it comes to videogame news. TBH while I can agree on a lot of stuff she says idk... it's entertainment. This obviously coming from a white male gamer, but if games became completely politically correct I'd find that a loss. Even if it's just pixels on a screen I quite like having sex and violence in videogames.

 

[Icetex's iconIcetex]

I didn't know her at all. As usual I'm not up to date whatsoever when it comes to videogame news. TBH while I can agree on a lot of stuff she says idk... it's entertainment. This obviously coming from a white male gamer, but if games became completely politically correct I'd find that a loss. Even if it's just pixels on a screen I quite like having sex and violence in videogames.

this

 

[Dee]

I didn't know her at all. As usual I'm not up to date whatsoever when it comes to videogame news. TBH while I can agree on a lot of stuff she says idk... it's entertainment. This obviously coming from a white male gamer, but if games became completely politically correct I'd find that a loss. Even if it's just pixels on a screen I quite like having sex and violence in videogames.

I think she has some really great points, but there are times when she over dramatizes what's happening in video games as a statement/someone's beliefs as opposed to just entertainment in an overly dramatized fictional world. I wouldn't want games to become politically correct either, but there comes a point where the gaming industry needs to embrace the view points of other people--women would be a good start considering how many of us play video games--and get ideas and feedback from the opposite gender in a predominantly male industry.

 

[Kirito]

I didn't know her at all. As usual I'm not up to date whatsoever when it comes to videogame news. TBH while I can agree on a lot of stuff she says idk... it's entertainment. This obviously coming from a white male gamer, but if games became completely politically correct I'd find that a loss. Even if it's just pixels on a screen I quite like having sex and violence in videogames.

I think she has some really great points, but there are times when she over dramatizes what's happening in video games as a statement/someone's beliefs as opposed to just entertainment in an overly dramatized fictional world.  I wouldn't want games to become politically correct either, but there comes a point where the gaming industry needs to embrace the view points of other people--women would be a good start considering how many of us play video games--and get ideas and feedback from the opposite gender in a predominantly male industry.

I don't disagree, just depends how far you take it. I have no problem with playing a female character for example, but I'd find a forced romance scene with a dude in there boring and annoying... Ideally devs should take a good hard look at games from bioware, as flawed as they sometimes are, the character development is almost completely up to you.

 

[Dee]

I didn't know her at all. As usual I'm not up to date whatsoever when it comes to videogame news. TBH while I can agree on a lot of stuff she says idk... it's entertainment. This obviously coming from a white male gamer, but if games became completely politically correct I'd find that a loss. Even if it's just pixels on a screen I quite like having sex and violence in videogames.

I think she has some really great points, but there are times when she over dramatizes what's happening in video games as a statement/someone's beliefs as opposed to just entertainment in an overly dramatized fictional world.  I wouldn't want games to become politically correct either, but there comes a point where the gaming industry needs to embrace the view points of other people--women would be a good start considering how many of us play video games--and get ideas and feedback from the opposite gender in a predominantly male industry.

I don't disagree, just depends how far you take it. I have no problem with playing a female character for example, but I'd find a forced romance scene with a dude in there boring and annoying... Ideally devs should take a good hard look at games from bioware, as flawed as they sometimes are, the character development is almost completely up to you.

It's not so much about playing a female character as it is just having a female perspective on any gender. O too would absolutely hate a romance scene, but it's interesting you automatically go to the example of romance when it comes to a woman's perspective. I like action and shooters, killing and explosions as much as the next person. I hate romance, so it makes me wonder if men assume all women want is romance.
------------------------------------------------------------------

I didn't know her at all. As usual I'm not up to date whatsoever when it comes to videogame news. TBH while I can agree on a lot of stuff she says idk... it's entertainment. This obviously coming from a white male gamer, but if games became completely politically correct I'd find that a loss. Even if it's just pixels on a screen I quite like having sex and violence in videogames.

I think she has some really great points, but there are times when she over dramatizes what's happening in video games as a statement/someone's beliefs as opposed to just entertainment in an overly dramatized fictional world.  I wouldn't want games to become politically correct either, but there comes a point where the gaming industry needs to embrace the view points of other people--women would be a good start considering how many of us play video games--and get ideas and feedback from the opposite gender in a predominantly male industry.

I don't disagree, just depends how far you take it. I have no problem with playing a female character for example, but I'd find a forced romance scene with a dude in there boring and annoying... Ideally devs should take a good hard look at games from bioware, as flawed as they sometimes are, the character development is almost completely up to you.

It's not so much about playing a female character as it is just having a female perspective on any gender.  O too would absolutely hate a romance scene, but it's interesting you automatically go to the example of romance when it comes to a woman's perspective.  I like action and shooters, killing and explosions as much as the next person.  I hate romance, so it makes me wonder if men assume all women want is romance.  

 

[Kirito]

Lmao because I don't mind a romance scene when I play the dude, it's a matter of immersion. Has nothing to do with "men" assuming anything. Also, it was just an example to show that taking it too far would lose me as a customer very fast.

Not sure what you exactly mean about "a female perspective on any gender" though.

 

[Dee]

Lmao because I don't mind a romance scene when I play the dude, it's a matter of immersion. Has nothing to do with "men" assuming anything. Also, it was just an example to show that taking it too far would lose me as a customer very fast.

Not sure what you exactly mean about "a female perspective on any gender" though.

Just a different perspective, honestly.  There would be absolutely nothing wrong with encouraging and actually bringing more women into the picture, but not just women, more people of color, age, and all walks of life.  It's not just women who need to be brought in, but people who can diversify the industry and normalize what is reality because we are a diverse group of people living on this planet.  At least then we wouldn't be seeing so many video games released where the majority of the protagonists are white males in their 30s. Now, that obviously isn't always the case, but it's something we've come to expect to an extent.  It's just what's normal and that needs to change.  Stories need to change.  Characters need to change.  Their motives, beliefs, values, life experiences need to change.  That's not to say we can't have what we have now, but more needs to be explored by developers.

 

[seasidemike]

From a business perspective you would think that the gaming industry would realise this as they are isolating a large potential selling market.

 

[Shole]

I consider her to be wrong in a lot of things. She is now really taking it to far with the Video Games are sexists thing. Indeed there are fewer female main characters in single player games, but that's what sells. Money controls the world as far as I know, that's why we have anime harmes and ecchi, because it sells. It's no different in the gaming industry.
What I dislike about her is how she took other peoples gameplay videos added as her own and work for maybe 1 day and got for it 160k .
I am a supporter of GamerGate, but Anita has really little to do with it. She is basically just a hater of it and is not connected with it.
Oh and for those who think GamerGate is about sexism or gender roles in video games, you are wrong. It's a movement against corruption in gaming journalism. It really has little to do with Anita other than the fact that her followers attack and doxx pro GamerGate people.

Lmao because I don't mind a romance scene when I play the dude, it's a matter of immersion. Has nothing to do with "men" assuming anything. Also, it was just an example to show that taking it too far would lose me as a customer very fast.

Not sure what you exactly mean about "a female perspective on any gender" though.

Just a different perspective, honestly.  There would be absolutely nothing wrong with encouraging and actually bringing more women into the picture, but not just women, more people of color, age, and all walks of life.  It's not just women who need to be brought in, but people who can diversify the industry and normalize what is reality because we are a diverse group of people living on this planet.  At least then we wouldn't be seeing so many video games released where the majority of the protagonists are white males in their 30s. Now, that obviously isn't always the case, but it's something we've come to expect to an extent.  It's just what's normal and that needs to change.  Stories need to change.  Characters need to change.  Their motives, beliefs, values, life experiences need to change.  That's not to say we can't have what we have now, but more needs to be explored by developers.

The games are really diverse it's just that you need to look for them. Some games are just boring as it is no matter what the protagonist looks like.
What I think is wrong with Anita's videos is her one sided argument. If you watched the videos you know the Hitman game that is shown there. She claims that females are used as objects, but what the 100s of guards that were male and were killed by the hitman before he got to the stripper(Whom by the way she doesn't need to kill because you get negative points for doing so, so basically she killed a female char for no reason).

There is also a huge diversity in MMO's , just look at WoW with it's features to create a character that can be of any color and any gender.

But going back on the death threads, wasn't there proof that she was safe from the bomb threat?
If you are an online persona, that is also a bit famous online you will receive a death threat. Especially if you state your opinion and don't allow others to state theirs.

Also there is the fact that she is a hypocrite, in a early video she state that she is and never was a gamer and doesn't like games while in a newer video she says that she is a gamer and was since a young age.

The 25 Whilte Male Gaming Privileges video is just retarded. You are not getting better at gaming just because you are white.

tlr

Anita is a great scam artist and has earned a lot of money brainwashing people who know nothing about games nor play them that games are evil and misogynistic and that men don't want girls in gaming. (That's why I tried to teach every gf I had how to play games, because I don't want them t here)
Here is a video that makes it more clear : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuRSaLZidWI

 

[Dee]

From a business perspective you would think that the gaming industry would realise this as they are isolating a large potential selling market.

I totally agree with you. Although it's not always the case as we now know there are quite a few number of women actually playing video games, comparable to the number of guys, the industry is going to have to dip their toes into another pond sooner rather than later.

I consider her to be wrong in a lot of things. She is now really taking it to far with the Video Games are sexists thing. Indeed there are fewer female main characters in single player games, but that's what sells. Money controls the world as far as I know, that's why we have anime harmes and ecchi, because it sells. It's no different in the gaming industry.
What I dislike about her is how she took other peoples gameplay videos added as her own and work for maybe 1 day and got for it 160k .
I am a supporter of GamerGate, but Anita has really little to do with it. She is basically just a hater of it and is not connected with it.
Oh and for those who think GamerGate is about sexism or gender roles in video games, you are wrong. It's a movement against corruption in gaming journalism. It really has little to do with Anita other than the fact that her followers attack and doxx pro GamerGate people.

Lmao because I don't mind a romance scene when I play the dude, it's a matter of immersion. Has nothing to do with "men" assuming anything. Also, it was just an example to show that taking it too far would lose me as a customer very fast.

Not sure what you exactly mean about "a female perspective on any gender" though.

Just a different perspective, honestly.  There would be absolutely nothing wrong with encouraging and actually bringing more women into the picture, but not just women, more people of color, age, and all walks of life.  It's not just women who need to be brought in, but people who can diversify the industry and normalize what is reality because we are a diverse group of people living on this planet.  At least then we wouldn't be seeing so many video games released where the majority of the protagonists are white males in their 30s. Now, that obviously isn't always the case, but it's something we've come to expect to an extent.  It's just what's normal and that needs to change.  Stories need to change.  Characters need to change.  Their motives, beliefs, values, life experiences need to change.  That's not to say we can't have what we have now, but more needs to be explored by developers.

The games are really diverse it's just that you need to look for them. Some games are just boring as it is no matter what the protagonist looks like.
What I think is wrong with Anita's videos is her one sided argument. If you watched the videos you know the Hitman game that is shown there. She claims that females are used as objects, but what the 100s of guards that were male and were killed by the hitman before he got to the stripper(Whom by the way she doesn't need to kill because you get negative points for doing so, so basically she killed a female char for no reason).

There is also a huge diversity in MMO's , just look at WoW with it's features to create a character that can be of any color and any gender.

But going back on the death threads, wasn't there proof that she was safe from the bomb threat?
If you are an online persona, that is also a bit famous online you will receive a death threat. Especially if you state your opinion and don't allow others to state theirs.

Also there is the fact that she is a hypocrite, in a early video she state that she is and never was a gamer and doesn't like games while in a newer video she says that she is a gamer and was since a young age.

The 25 Whilte Male Gaming Privileges video is just retarded. You are not getting better at gaming just because you are white.

tlr

Anita is a great scam artist and has earned a lot of money brainwashing people who know nothing about games nor play them that games are evil and misogynistic  and that men don't want girls in gaming. (That's why I tried to teach every gf I had how to play games, because I don't want them t here)
Here is a video that makes it more clear : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuRSaLZidWI

You make some good points. I agree with both sides in that yes she has some points, but in other aspects she tends to take them too far. However, I don't agree with a lot of the responses she is getting simply because she has an opinion on something. Whether she is right or wrong, it is entirely subjective. It's fine not to agree with her, but you really shouldn't hate her because she's said something you don't agree with. If she were being racist or sexist (which, in some cases people tend to think she is being), I could understand some of the hatred, but she's simply telling us what SHE sees--right or wrong. This is her experience with gaming, and we are all going to have different ones as we are different people.

 

[Kirito]

Just a different perspective, honestly.  There would be absolutely nothing wrong with encouraging and actually bringing more women into the picture, but not just women, more people of color, age, and all walks of life.  It's not just women who need to be brought in, but people who can diversify the industry and normalize what is reality because we are a diverse group of people living on this planet.  At least then we wouldn't be seeing so many video games released where the majority of the protagonists are white males in their 30s. Now, that obviously isn't always the case, but it's something we've come to expect to an extent.  It's just what's normal and that needs to change.  Stories need to change.  Characters need to change.  Their motives, beliefs, values, life experiences need to change.  That's not to say we can't have what we have now, but more needs to be explored by developers.

As long as it doesn't come to no more hookers or strippers in games and no longer being allowed to shoot the black guy I would agree. I realize that might sound offensive, but I'm for more creative freedom. As long as this enhances storylines I like it, but if it becomes yet more ridiculous censorship I'm fully against it. And tbh the few videos I've seen do cry out "we shouldn't allow this in games" rather than "developers should broaden their perspective".

 

[Dee]

Just a different perspective, honestly.  There would be absolutely nothing wrong with encouraging and actually bringing more women into the picture, but not just women, more people of color, age, and all walks of life.  It's not just women who need to be brought in, but people who can diversify the industry and normalize what is reality because we are a diverse group of people living on this planet.  At least then we wouldn't be seeing so many video games released where the majority of the protagonists are white males in their 30s. Now, that obviously isn't always the case, but it's something we've come to expect to an extent.  It's just what's normal and that needs to change.  Stories need to change.  Characters need to change.  Their motives, beliefs, values, life experiences need to change.  That's not to say we can't have what we have now, but more needs to be explored by developers.

As long as it doesn't come to no more hookers or strippers in games and no longer being allowed to shoot the black guy I would agree. I realize that might sound offensive, but I'm for more creative freedom. As long as this enhances storylines I like it, but if it becomes yet more ridiculous censorship I'm fully against it. And tbh the few videos I've seen do cry out "we shouldn't allow this in games" rather than "developers should broaden their perspective".

In my opinion, it shouldn't be so much about censorship as it is about just broadening horizons. I get that some people like to be able to pick up hookers, kill people and do what they please. Let's face it, it's not reality. But there seems to be a disconnect between certain aspects, a severe lack of creativity, and a constant stream of familiar and played out content we keep seeing quite a bit of. Sure, the video game industry realizes that familiarity is going to bring in the bucks, but it's a perfect time to dip their toes into something else, something that hasn't been explored much yet. In order to do that, they have to be willing to branch out. They have to be willing to take in different point of views, suggestions, experiences, etc.

 

[Shole]

Just a different perspective, honestly.  There would be absolutely nothing wrong with encouraging and actually bringing more women into the picture, but not just women, more people of color, age, and all walks of life.  It's not just women who need to be brought in, but people who can diversify the industry and normalize what is reality because we are a diverse group of people living on this planet.  At least then we wouldn't be seeing so many video games released where the majority of the protagonists are white males in their 30s. Now, that obviously isn't always the case, but it's something we've come to expect to an extent.  It's just what's normal and that needs to change.  Stories need to change.  Characters need to change.  Their motives, beliefs, values, life experiences need to change.  That's not to say we can't have what we have now, but more needs to be explored by developers.

As long as it doesn't come to no more hookers or strippers in games and no longer being allowed to shoot the black guy I would agree. I realize that might sound offensive, but I'm for more creative freedom. As long as this enhances storylines I like it, but if it becomes yet more ridiculous censorship I'm fully against it. And tbh the few videos I've seen do cry out "we shouldn't allow this in games" rather than "developers should broaden their perspective".

In my opinion, it shouldn't be so much about censorship as it is about just broadening horizons.  I get that some people like to be able to pick up hookers, kill people and do what they please.  Let's face it, it's not reality.  But there seems to be a disconnect between certain aspects, a severe lack of creativity, and a constant stream of familiar and played out content we keep seeing quite a bit of.  Sure, the video game industry realizes that familiarity is going to bring in the bucks, but it's a perfect time to dip their toes into something else, something that hasn't been explored much yet.  In order to do that, they have to be willing to branch out.  They have to be willing to take in different point of views, suggestions, experiences, etc.

It's not just they. Many people enjoy buying similar games and that will keep developers making those games to survive.

Getting back on your point about Anita, she is in fact racist, by the definition of the word. But you can't apply that to her because she is using it only against white people. Which is totally not racist xD

The hate against her doesn't come from the fact that she states her opinion, but from the fact that she takes money and tries to force her opinion onto others. Proof of that is that she couldn't name 3 games when she was asked by Stephen Collbert and the fact that she constantly talks about how games should be improved instead of actually improving the games.
You can't argue that it is better to raise awareness about something than create the cure for it.

Also there is a huge price for internet fame, everyone should know that but she acts like she is the only one getting death threats, even worse she claims its because of her gender. Gender doesn't have anything to do with it, you get threads no matter what you do (I got one because I posted anti religious articles and because I posted a video of me gaming xD). The internet is filled with all kinds of people good and bad, therefor you need to be careful what you do.

I think this guy explained it the best : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvSXgBmu2Pc