Okay, so. I need to write an essay for my Comp II course. Problem is, I have to do a survey or something similar for this one, which I dislike. But still, I need to do it. Help me out by answering a few questions?

Topic: Gender in Gaming. I'm focusing on the Gamer Gate and Anita Sarkeesian/FemFreq controversy that happened a while back, and the problems that female players/designers/fans face in the industry. But just because I'm focusing on the gaming side of it, doesn't mean I'm ignoring the rest of it. Comics, Anime, Movies, anything like that.

QUESTIONS!

1. If you are a woman, have you ever experienced misogyny in the gaming subculture? If you are a man, have you ever seen misogynistic behavior happen?

2. Have these incidents been frequent or infrequent? Where have they occured?

3. What are your thoughts on the gamergate and Anita Sarkeesian controversies? What do you think could be done better to handle these sort of things?

4. What are your thoughts on the threats sent to game designers in general?

Please, give me a hand here xD. Also, I'm sorry if this is in the wrong place, please move this topic if it is.

20 year old female here~ Sounds interesting. I hope it's not too long. D: -I mostly play single player games, occasionally delving into Co-Op -Semi-casual gamer, enjoys challenges in FPS games. -XBox gamer, not much PC experience.

1. I did play some online co-op games (Left 4 Dead 2, Mass Effect 3), but never with a mic, so I've never personally been harassed for being female. Still, being called a girl gamer by guys that I talk to about games is kind of irritating, though mostly a smaller point compared to what I've heard of other people going through (the whole 'go back to the kitchen' act). shrugs I'm just a gamer, doesn't have to be "girl gamer". I also should not have to prove my skill simply because I'm female.

But I am fortunate to have not been subject to the more blatantly hateful insults that others have. Granted, it's a reason I mostly stick to single player games.

2. Not very frequently at all. Half occurred online, other half in real life. But while irritating, they weren't harassing. Only harassed once online in a L4D2 game, but I simply left their session.

To be honest, I'm mostly angry to hear about it happen to other people. One channel I watch is called Achievement Hunter on Youtube, and a while ago, they had one of their more behind the scenes members have more appearances. She is female, not that great at FPS but is great in construction for their Minecraft Let's Plays.

People were furious. Some were because she simply wasn't funny, but there was a disturbing about of sexism in the comments, that she's "only there because her husband is in Achievement Hunter" or "she's an irritating bitch get her out" and every colorful insult you could imagine towards her. I'm positive she wouldn't get half the amount of flack if she was male. (The rest of Achievement Hunter is male)

3. I tried to stay away from it, because it seems poisonous. I can only hope to stay away from communities that are rank with block-headed, threatening, misogynistic children. I would love to say I think that disgustingly angry and vocal part of the gamer community that got involved in things such as threatening certain types of gamers is a minority, but I still think there's a sizable chunk of those kinds of people. Granted, I don't believe they are a majority, but it's still disgusting. Best thing I can do is just avoid it.

4. It depends. There are crap game designers that lie to their buyers with false advertisements or attempt to censor people for putting out negative reviews (especially if they're deserved). Those kind of people deserve to be shut down. I do not agree that game designers should be threatened if they "don't make real games", such as more "touchy feely" or text-based or surreal games (granted if they do not do the two scummy actions I previously mentioned).

1. If you are a woman, have you ever experienced misogyny in the gaming subculture? If you are a man, have you ever seen misogynistic behavior happen?

I'm female, and usually the experience I get when bringing up my interests in games is I seem to find that a lot of males question if I'm just posing as a gamer. I don't enjoy FPS and so whenever this is brought up, I'm often dismissed as being a fake gamer. I love my 3DS and that's also been used to call me out as a fake gamer as well. Sometimes I feel I have to validate myself more to be taken more serious in discussions about games.

I've had men tell me I can't like games because how I dress. Which I guess is hyper feminine, lots of dresses and very heavy makeup. I find a lot of guys are surprised when they approach me and my friends (mostly female) talking about games? They've noted that they always assumed women just gossip or talk about makeup in groups.

2. Have these incidents been frequent or infrequent? Where have they occured?

They can be frequent amongst certain groups. I have one friend, whose husband's friends are all constantly doing the things above any time I see them at a party. They all identify as hardcore gamers and nerds, and I've noticed they're very sceptical of female gamers. They're either dismissed as posers or put on pedestals.

3. What are your thoughts on the gamergate and Anita Sarkeesian controversies? What do you think could be done better to handle these sort of things?

I haven't down extensive research into it, so I don't want to pretend like I know everything, but obviously not ok with it and disgusting with the general community. I really think that more people instead of saying "not all gamers are sending threats! Only a small percentage!" Should waste less time trying to defend /not all gamers/ and more time calling out the people sending these threats.

4. What are your thoughts on the threats sent to game designers in general?

I think threats aren't ok no matter what. I really don't think there's much more to say than that on this one? Regardless of gender, threats aren't ok.

1. If you are a woman, have you ever experienced misogyny in the gaming subculture? If you are a man, have you ever seen misogynistic behavior happen?

I'm a 22 year old male and yes, I have seen a bit of it. I don't usually play online because of how bad the community I've seen acts. I'm a PC gamer, and consider myself one of those "hardcore gamers." Those men who do this, are poisoning the community, and making guys who game seem like horrible human beings. I think that the behavior should just have the person banned altogether from online play. Simple as that!

2. Have these incidents been frequent or infrequent? Where have they occured?

It depends on the types of people whom I am gaming with. Ideally we'd have a community that games, that embraces men, women, and anything in between. So, too frequent for my tastes.

3. What are your thoughts on the gamergate and Anita Sarkeesian controversies? What do you think could be done better to handle these sort of things?

I think that those men who did this, should be jailed for what they have done to her. The gaming community should know better. Hell humanity should know better. It's sad to see that people's worldviews are so small, and I'm saddened by it.

4. What are your thoughts on the threats sent to game designers in general?

It's just not okay. People should be able to live without fear. It's really that simple.

Hope this perspective helps,

1. If you are a woman, have you ever experienced misogyny in the gaming subculture?

I am a 23 year old woman. I have, but not to the extreme that so many of my friends have. I've been fairly lucky. I cosplay, and i'm involved in quite a bit of "nerd" culture. Luckily the worst I've really gotten was "you know a lot about -insert movie/comic/game/show/whatever here- for a girl!" or "how would know, youre a girl!" and things of that nature.

2. Have these incidents been frequent or infrequent? Where have they occured?

Less frequent as I've grown up. it was a lot more frequent as a kid. it occurred not only at school, but online as well.

3. What are your thoughts on the gamergate and Anita Sarkeesian controversies? What do you think could be done better to handle these sort of things?

I honestly don't know much about what happened, but what I do know pains me. Its hard to think that there are actually people who can and do get that emotional over something like women in gaming.

as for what can be done to handle the situations, i'm really not sure other than people doing their best to teach that women should be just as big a parting of gaming culture as men.

4. What are your thoughts on the threats sent to game designers in general?

the fact that these women received rape threats and had their personal information put out for all to see is truly disturbing. the fact that women succeeding in the gaming industry angers people that badly is terrifying, and I believe for someone to be that affected by it, they must have some deep rooted emotional problems.

1. If you are a woman, have you ever experienced misogyny in the gaming subculture? If you are a man, have you ever seen misogynistic behavior happen?

I'm a 23 year old woman. I've been playing games almost as long as I've been walking. I mostly play single player games. I'm not into FPS or any first person view game, mainly due to how motion sick I get when I play them.

Growing up, I didn't experience anything, despite me playing games with boys. As a teen, I shut myself from the outside world. Now, I'm told that my boyfriend is lucky to have a girl that likes to play games.

So no, I've been lucky and not to have to deal with misogynistic behavior. But, I've seen too many instances of it on the internet.

2. Have these incidents been frequent or infrequent? Where have they occured?

Anywhere there is a female gamer online, guys comment saying they want "tits or GTFO", "make me a sandwich", "you're a poser", amongst many other things.

3. What are your thoughts on the gamergate and Anita Sarkeesian controversies? What do you think could be done better to handle these sort of things?

Death threats are terrible, no matter who it is. I feel like guys feel threatened that Anita is challenging the status quo and don't want their "dominance" overtaken.

Boys should be raised to respect woman. Unfortunately, once the mindset of having to be the "dominant" one is planted, it almost never goes away.

4. What are your thoughts on the threats sent to game designers in general?

Terrible. No one deserves to be scared to do what they love. Anyone who sends threats should get psychological help immediately.