For what it's worth, here's my take on the gamergate fiasco, which has unleashed some of the most rabid behavior among a (hopefully) small group of overly entitled game players. The situation has escalated rapidly into a dismal display of ignorance and misogny, and, like the Tea Party, it has become a closed-minded movement that no longer seeks the truth (if it ever did) but through the actions of its members, seeks only the destruction of others who disagree with them or represent some ghastly perversion of their gaming culture by daring to do something different.
The controversy has gone from bad to worse and has sadly become national news. It started with an accusation against one (female) developer by her ex that turned out to be entirely false. It escalated quickly from an "ethics in journalism" trope to a full-on misogynistic free-for-all against women in the game industry, complete with rape and death threats and even the threat of mass killings if one of them spoke at a public event. These are my thoughts as a 30+ year game journalist and a 40+ year gamer.
a) Game journalists will always have close connections with game publishers and developers. It's a part of the job.
b) In my experience in game journalism, most of us were able to accept our friendships, connections, and even perks from the game industry without losing our integrity or ability to report and review without bias on the games and companies we covered.
c) However, that doesn't mean that favoritism doesn't exist, and it, too, is sometimes a part of the story. Journalists aren't perfect, and they are often young and not formally trained. They are passionate and fallible like everybody. Barring a true scandal (unlike the false accusations that engendered the entire mess), we must judge for ourselves if a reviewer or article is fair, and if it is not, just don't subscribe to that publication. If it's bad, say so, and if others agree, then the publication will most likely make adjustments. If they don't, leave.
d) BUT.... video games (like all games) come in different flavors, if you will. They have for a long time. Some people hated puzzle games. Many people loved them. Same with every genre ever invented. They all had their fans and detractors.
e) AND.... that's just fine. Each type of game is built by designers and developers with a vision, and an audience. The fact that certain genres happen to have larger audiences than others means nothing. Every game that is well designed, regardless of content, style or type of interaction, is a good game for someone.
f) People who want to define games narrowly as being just one type of genre or game play are missing the point of games altogether. They apparently don't understand the history of games, how they evolved, and why they are still evolving.
g) Experimentation is critical to the future of games. Different voices and visions are critical. Not just young voices and visions, but those of older designers, women, people of every race and sexual identity.
h) Like it or not, there are some brilliant women in game development, and I'm really glad they are here because they expand our range and open up new opportunities for us to enjoy, to learn, and to be challenged. There are ways to include female characters that are positive role models and kick-ass parts of a game. The same goes true with every possible human identity.
i) Those who have raised issues are entitled to different opinions, although they should check their facts before making accusations. Most importantly, they are NOT entitled to issue threats of violence against others UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES! Most people agree that this is wrong, but apparently there is a contingent of self-entitled, cowardly bullies who never learned right from wrong or how to present a point of view without threats.
j) And those who show such astounding disrespect for women (in games and presumably in their lives) and exhibit such visceral hatred have issues beyond the scope of this controversy, and those who threaten violence belong in jail.
k) I played my first video game in 1967. I've been playing video games for more than 40 years now. I'm a gamer, and I enjoy all kinds of games, especially the games from the new voices and visionaries in the Indie movement. They are my hope for the future of games, and I hope reasonable people will give support to innovation, risk taking, and games of all kinds.
l) Finally, we are just getting started in the exploration of electronic gaming. We haven't discovered everything there is to discover, or created the greatest games we will ever create. But what makes a great game is not measured primarily by the realism of the graphics or the violence that is depicted. It's not measured solely by the twitch factor that's required to succeed, nor by the ability to compete specifically against other human players. To me, it's measured by the strength and integrity of its design - regardless of genre - and often by its originality or even by its ability to make us feel or think or learn.