Comment on From 4chan to the White House: James Ball explains how failing to take games seriously has fed the populist right

grrgyle@slrpnk.net ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

• Midnitte@beehaw.org ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  Tbf, there’s also been a large online culture against those exact things in games - we live in a post GamerGate society, and there’s a frighteningly large online presence of “antiwoke” people ready to brigade any game they perceive as “woke”.

  I mean, all you have to do is watch any new game’s discord, voice chat, or even Steam “curators” - there’s even a dang spreadsheet

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  • CmdrShepard42@lemm.ee ⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    I’d argue that this is a symptom, not the cause.

    The real issue is that these guys are what most people would call “losers” who sit at home, isolated, playing video games and browsing the internet all day. The right noticed this and targeted them specifically with a bunch of propaganda telling them that it’s not their fault they’re losers, it’s the fault of the left, women, and immigrants.

    I used to game with two guys who fall into this category, and over time, their language got more harsh and militant until I couldn’t take it anymore. They always had someone to blame like “SJWs” for their own personal decision to sit at home all day rather than work on their shortcomings. They expected attractive women to want then even though they’d do absolutely nothing to make themselves attractive to others. They’d have wild opinions on far-flung groups that they never actually interacted with personally since they’d cut themselves off from the real world. I saw Steve Bannon’s tactics playing out in real time in their words.

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