There is a continuing controversy surrounding the video games industry that is refusing to die down.
Gamergate, as it has come to be known, initially examined the relationship between those who report on video games and those who create them.
Indie game developer Zoe Quinn was falsely accused of sleeping with a games journalist Nathan Grayson to receive better coverage for her work.
As the claims were made by Quinn’s ex-boyfriend and the game in question was never reviewed by Grayson’s company the allegations have been dismissed as untrue.
Before this accusation was refuted however not only was more attention placed on Zoe Quinn than on Nathan Grayson, some of it was aggressive and violent.
While this is just one part of a larger complex story, it brought discussions that the gaming community has had about sexism and misogyny into the mainstream media.
Women in the industry and female gamers have long been critical of how they are treated and how women in games are portayed.
Apart from Zoe Quinn, Anita Sarkeesian has been another victim of harassment and bullying due to her Kickstarter funded web series Trope vs Women in Videogames.
Not only did Ms Sarkeesian receive backlash for her criticism of how women in video games are potrayed, she was even forced out of her home.
Online gaming is also proving a potentially hostile environment for female gamers.
Gaming, Social Media and Tech Journalist Rae Johnston has ceased playing online with people she calls “randoms” due to the treatment she receives.
“I’m invariably treated with either hostility, contempt or subjected to constant rape threats,” Ms Johnston says.
“Especially if I’m winning.”
Geek Bomb founder Maude Garrett has been reluctant to even venture beyond playing with friends online.
“I don’t open my mic and I don’t play in open lobbies,” Ms Garrett says.
“I’ve had mainly positive experiences when I’ve branched out with this, but not enough to make me want to continue it.”
Due to the events such as gamergate becoming so prominent, outlets such as Forbes, Time as well as Australia’s ABC have begun to report on issues they’ve rarely examined before.
Celebrities such as film director Joss Whedon and game developers such as Double Fine Studio’s Tim Schafer also voiced their support particularly for Sarkeesian.
[tweet https://twitter.com/TimOfLegend/status/504095132220526592 hide_media=’true’]https://twitter.com/josswhedon/status/504508687722250240
While there have been some extreme examples of misogynistic behaviour, there are those who disagree that it is a wide spread problem.
Feminist and author Christina Hoff Sommers is one such critic of this idea.
Dr Sommers , who posts Youtube videos under the name ‘Factual Feminist’ is critical of those who argue aggressive behaviour towards Ms Sarkeesian and Ms Quinn is part of the broader gaming culture.
Other Youtubers have been critical of some of the views that Ms Sarkeesian and others have put forward such as the creator of the Unfairreviews channel.
Sexism in the gaming world is a debate that has raged on since Ms Pacman was identified as female by adding makeup, high heels and a bow.
It is likely to keep raging long after the gamergate controversy has been long forgotten.
The Hardcore Truth 