First off I think that you have a talent for writing as this was a well put together opinion piece and makes you think. However I have some issues with some of the articles main points. The main problem I would say is that you call video games inherently sexist and then for evidence use online games alone. The fact that videogames can be sexist is a valid argument however the argument that videogames are inherently sexist is overreaching in my opinion. To say all videogames are inherently sexist is like saying sports are inherently sexist because there are men's leagues. While a lot of online video games may have offensive skins or language in them would that not be a reflection of the player base and not videogames in general. There are many videogames that have not catered to the male audience alone but the ones that have did so as that was their primary consumer demographic till recent. I also think that your missing out on a lot of videogames that would be for all audiences by looking only at online games as the single player genre is a much more suitable genre if you want less offensive games while there is multiplayer fps games like Splatoon that are heavily moderated the main demographic for online games is males as such they cater towards males. Secondly have you not thought that maybe you are playing in to the troll by reacting and writing about it. The troll only has power when you give them it. I am not saying that it was appropriate to put a swastika in the builder base and there should also be moderation to an extent as such symbols are very hurtful and ruin games for people as you have shown. Although I am saying that the vast majority of players don't share anti-Semitic views and the troll may only be trying to be edgy. I also think you may be reaching by calling the swastika that was made a symbol of misogynistic views. I get that those that use swastikas may often share views with sexists but I don't think that the troll was trying to be misogynistic. It also is unlikely that the troll knew that you are Jewish and was just trying to be "funny" in the edgiest way possible. By saying that videogames as a whole are the issue takes away the fact that it is the culture around the main consumer of these online videogames lonely males that don't care who it effects as long as they get a reaction this is not to attack males as a whole either. I just think you could do a lot more by trying to get at the culture around videogames as the videogame industry is not going to be effected by an article but a culture might. I know this is 5 years later but I would love to hear your response. I also hope that your future encounters in videogames are not as bad as this one. : )
First off I think that you have a talent for writing as this was a well put together opinion piece and makes you think. However I have some issues with some of the articles main points. The main problem I would say is that you call video games inherently sexist and then for evidence use online games alone. The fact that videogames can be sexist is a valid argument however the argument that videogames are inherently sexist is overreaching in my opinion. To say all videogames are inherently sexist is like saying sports are inherently sexist because there are men's leagues. While a lot of online video games may have offensive skins or language in them would that not be a reflection of the player base and not videogames in general. There are many videogames that have not catered to the male audience alone but the ones that have did so as that was their primary consumer demographic till recent. I also think that your missing out on a lot of videogames that would be for all audiences by looking only at online games as the single player genre is a much more suitable genre if you want less offensive games while there is multiplayer fps games like Splatoon that are heavily moderated the main demographic for online games is males as such they cater towards males. Secondly have you not thought that maybe you are playing in to the troll by reacting and writing about it. The troll only has power when you give them it. I am not saying that it was appropriate to put a swastika in the builder base and there should also be moderation to an extent as such symbols are very hurtful and ruin games for people as you have shown. Although I am saying that the vast majority of players don't share anti-Semitic views and the troll may only be trying to be edgy. I also think you may be reaching by calling the swastika that was made a symbol of misogynistic views. I get that those that use swastikas may often share views with sexists but I don't think that the troll was trying to be misogynistic. It also is unlikely that the troll knew that you are Jewish and was just trying to be "funny" in the edgiest way possible. By saying that videogames as a whole are the issue takes away the fact that it is the culture around the main consumer of these online videogames lonely males that don't care who it effects as long as they get a reaction this is not to attack males as a whole either. I just think you could do a lot more by trying to get at the culture around videogames as the videogame industry is not going to be effected by an article but a culture might. I know this is 5 years later but I would love to hear your response. I also hope that your future encounters in videogames are not as bad as this one. : )