[Image - 816020] | Zoë Quinn

Female Indie Dev's Perspective on Game Journalism Scene

$From: gabriellaknight.wordpress.com, retrieved 2014-09-22 06-37 UTC (GMT+0 Redtext is explanatory notes where pictures are too small. Go read the site yourselt.) Female Indie Dev's Perspective on the Culture of Intimidation in the Indie Game Dev- Why I'm Posting This For somaone making claims whase truth s somewhat dependennt on my identity, you're läkely wondering why 1 am keeping that ideity hidden, You ll ofen hear folks complaining aboue the harassment of game devs. And while they're carrect Actual threats (arect grimpied) make up atiny fraction are, with th酵in mind. consider the respoie from 2oe Quinn's friends and supporters to peopie who spoke up about their persona, lived experiences trom interacting with Zoe Chloe is a person whose boyfriend previously lett her for Zoe. Zoe initially denied this but when called out, others threatened Chloe: Your professional life. I think you're to see why that must be so." This tweet was deleted after other Zoe-cronies pilled on with threats. Wolf subsequently cringed and appeased. remarked that Wolfs behaviour resembled theirs after they'd been r---- but before they had One watching anon t you're ever pursuing game development you really don't want to be a d--- to Zoe. further, And this and other actions have been enough to create a chding effect amongs who wouid speak out Video taken down by Zoe using Account of violent transphobic assault [glassing'1 by Zoe-3 years ago, "My friend was told that as someone who would go back home at some point, important... Zoe can and would make s--- horrible for everyone To me, the way Zoe's supporters are trying to suppress (and subely threaten) those who speak out against her is far mare territying than any haressment Tve MShing 【 was r---- than the sort of creepy reaction those people received. And that sort of culbure of inbimidation is wihy Im remaining anany ous, and aso why I'm strengly considering leaving the inde game dev scene. rm a female indie dr. Ive dane art on about half 늚 daaen games, ane af which was moderately suocessful. I've had varying degrees of interaction with the ournalists and develapers Involved in the latest controversy du jour as well as but are far more insidious than Zoe quinn sleeping wish peogle fer publcty. 1 was declare my biases ahead of time). This is as much personal detal as I am wiling to share. t wish T had the kind af courage to speak openly about this as few I simply dont. To get people to boycott this bullsht pure and imple. That means bath devs and joumalsts (and the companies that hire them). I have no interest in sily ideas Ike "solidarity and "signal boosting the goal is to say here's what's wrong, so that good people dont buy pamens from/read artcles by peaple they dont t aso want to show that the actians of thepeople are directly harmtul to momen in the indusitry. One of my favorite series growing up mas Gabrie ign. ane Jensen was (and is) a big inspiration in my lfe, and what made me wank to igh qualiky ones a that) made k obvious to doesn't keep women fram succeed ng in this industry, Unfartunately the death o at a young age that mas por while) the this article is in That's alLT1 try to keep brief. Let's Cut Despre (or rather because of) al of the poeificating by let-leening sodial justice to break into the inde gaming indusbry is to ass0diate wth the sort of hipster Iberal types that are getting al the publicity for their oppressian. And worse yet amazing 3d modeler trying to break into the industry She was turned down cickers that no one cared about. Meanwhile zse Quinn s able to get hired by Loveshacksolely because of who she krows (and sleeps with), But this isnt nepotism in this industry. Another example is when the IGF alowed Fez to re- one need only look at the unprofessional interactions between journalists and professional barriers between these people dont exist.It's aready apparent from their Interactions that they farm a very strong clque To be part of this soene whie holding the reigious and paitical views that i do is very d molt. I generally keep it close to my chest because the few times I've sai even simple things Ske "I can't make it to the thing on Sunday because 1'm going to chuech" had led to all sorts of dersion and mockery by other people in the industry 1 shudder to imagine the blowback from ther diqun·rt told them about how 1 vobed yes on Prop 8. Just look at the way Doug TenNapel's Kickstarber was lambasted by people in the industry (led by Ben Kuchera) because he dared to political apinion his Kickstarter goal, which was to most of the others Ive seen, This is just one exa pe of how only these who those who just bry to keep quiet and uniwolved are often caled out for not doing standards of this cique, when it shoud be about meeting the standards of rbeing a poor alyTo gamers But when it's impossible to get any gublicity or wark wehout meeting the And Gaming Let's be completely hanest: most women dom't play Quake IT Most of these few who actually like first shooters, grand sims, and all those other genres that make up "oore" gaming dent care if they can play as a female protagomist, or if the giris are wearing skimpy outfits, or if you have to rescue the princess. They Ike the exact same things as men whe lke these gemes, and they just mant goad games, nathing mare nothing less. And from the real issue: big developers and publishers are making s----- games for you dstract from that to rant about what is ineraly imaginary misegyy youtre hurting women like me who just want good games. There'sぁreason the only new with soild esecucion to speak about how the social justice topie du jour just solid gameplay and enough ef a story to string it together. Not that I'm opposed to games te ing story, but for the wast majority of genres stories aren't all that important, and women, if they play games at al,两Candy Crush and Farmvise and Soltare and whstever ese is popular on phones. Dy conflsting us wth them you're Beyond that, I have a problem with the entire agenda that these people are There has long been a oultural double standard that expected women to be double standard is obwious that rejection, one would have haped that men would rise to the highes, single encouraged to be as promiscuous as the double standard expected men to be from men, we now have sexual relations wichout conscience, fatherless famlies and growing poverty Equel-appertunity promiscuity simply robs women of their In the wake af this Zoe scandial 3 saw that women being able to sleep their way to influence was atualy a good thing That kind of the kind of sexual harassment earier work. We shouldn't be encouraging around, we should be holding men and wamen equaly up to standards of delity The entire premise of equa ty (as pushed by the dique that runs the industry, at equal to an orange? Men and women have nundamentad differencesくbiological, psychological, and spiu). Tirying to make them the same is not equalty. Me destroys their strengths and amoifies their weaknesses. Women have a lot of unique things they can ofer to the game industry, but trying to treat them men will only destray these rve sad abo 4E【that I think needs to be said, though could rant on for hours journalism and the gaming nastry are supposed to serve you, not the other·say around. Take beck your power by relusing to suppart any group or individual tat cant mairtain Don't g0 to Kotalku and Palygon and IGN for your reviews anymare, Support the old guard did them drop them before they can get etrenched. And dent who prove they have the chaps And even though i dont quite agree with ther goais or ideolagy, consider lending a elping hand to The Fine Young Captaists might be the last you heer from me. Thank you for istening to my rant PS. A special thanks to my friend JC who helped me verfy some information for this artide and provided several ofthe images at the top,[owe you 큐 GEP gun.$