She was forced to leave her home when hackers posted her address and encouraged GamerGate members to rape her. But Quinn has been the victim of a series of death threats, rape threats and misogynistic comments. Those who attack her claim they are interested in defending the integrity of video game journalism. She was subsequently attacked in a series of forums including Twitter, 4 Chan and Reddit where it was claimed that her actions would lead to her getting press attention for the game she was developing, called Depression Quest. Details about her alleged relationships with men in the gaming industry were made public. GamerGate started when game developer Zoe Quinn was attacked in a blog post by her ex-boyfriend and falsely accused of trading sex with other men for favourable press and career boosts. The problem of sexism in video games is part of a wider problem of misogyny in society, and in the same way misogyny is being confronted in parliament or at universities, it is also being confronted in gaming. Women now represent nearly half of those who play video games, and the traditional gamer identity is being challenged.
Known as “GamerGate”, it is a battle over power and sexism in video games. A fierce debate over women’s participation in video game culture has erupted online.
