The State Of Gaming Q2 2024

Gaming and drama seems to go hand in hand these days. We've got a war waging between influencers, developers, and gamers. The latest of which has been called "Gamer Gate 2". If someone isn't trying to cancel someone else over inserted ideas or the right to insert certain ideas it's not a normal day in the industry. I've thrown in my thoughts on occasion regarding this escalating conflict of interests, and have not shied away from saying what needs to be said. Calling out propaganda, and the using of fan favorite IP's as a means to push a message for what it is. As one should. 

That having been said Participating in this ongoing undoing of everything gaming can come at a cost, and I don't recommend blindly throwing opinions out on social media without knowing the risks, or knowing what you are talking about. There are some increasingly nefarious agents in the world of governmental control eyeing the current gaming battlefield, and they are keen on using it to further censor and silence dissent against their brand of politics through the gaming industry goings on. Resulting sometimes in threats of legal action, and invasive laws.

Beyond Government Interference ...

Not only do we have a three way fight for what's right according to each party, but there is also in-fighting amongst gamers. I've seen longtime friends divided over opinions of which games deserve praise, and which ones deserve to be called out for their less than gamer friendly approach. Often times ending friendships, and relationships on the spot. It's hard to watch, and sad to see. It comes with the territory of defending something you hold dear though.

Regarding the Standing of Chosen Sides ...

Unlike those out to cancel and silence dissenting opinions I try my hardest to keep my arguments level headed, and without all the spicy banter that would get me blacklisted through the twisting of words. I see the problems brewing, know what the problems are, but don't go out of my way to brute force my side of things down other peoples' throats, figuratively speaking. I will publicly say what needs to be said, and move on. I'm not one to beat a dead horse, because repeating things has obviously gotten no one anywhere in today's political landscape. 

You cannot bully your way into being perceived as being the moral victor, especially in an industry that dabbles in less than moral ideals. People on both sides are set in their ways, unwilling to budge an inch, and unwilling to compromise. They don't want to make peace or come to a mutual understanding. They simply want to cancel each other while the destruction of everything that made gaming good lies in the balance of the fight at hand.

In Closing ...

I will say this in conclusion. Unless gaming returns to it's roots of escapism we will lose our hobby to propagandists hellbent on turning the industry into a platform for whatever message suits their fancy. Be it justified, or morally bankrupt by design. There's a lot at stake, and a lot of studios willing to crash and burn over their stance on the matter. Even the gamers are willing to stand their ground and destroy these companies financially. 

In the end, should this continue, we'll all be without a form of entertainment we can escape with. The push and pull of it all will end gaming as we know it if we cannot find common grounds in the dispute. My suggestion, and it is my own, is to let games be free freely created as they once were and not subjected to mandatory DEI standards checklists. 

There was a time in the past where there was something for everyone including straight white males, but now the ideologues of today want a monopoly on what is included. They want all of the spotlight and attention on them, and no one else. Parading around like a peacock in heat for the world to see in some sort of in-your-face "Look At Me" performance that nobody cares for due to their inability to provide anything standout. Their champagne socialism betrays them, emboldens them, and makes them lose all inhibitions as they scream to the sky like some sort of mental patient escaped from an insane asylum when they don't get their way. Letting their junk and bad behavior be on full display where it ought not be, especially for any respectable human being. Respect is something earned, btw, not to be expected.

If we could all just have some of what we want, as different as it may be, everyone could be happy in their own little gaming niche. That's the way I see it. Get past the black & white of it all and focus on games that cater to different groups of different people. Stop demanding that people accept your brand of content by force feeding it to them through their favorite characters and franchises. No one has to like anyone else's preferences. That's the good thing about true diversity. Not this forced diversity which is purely inserts of superficial stand-ins whose only achievement is being a certain skin color or a certain sexual identity. All for the sake of hijacking something they are not a part of. 

No single group of people has to be in everyone's face in every game or film released for them to be recognized or respected. In fact it's better to be a part of something your people can relate to than to stick out like a sore thumb in a role you don't fit in elsewhere. Obvious insert is obvious. Your hateful agenda shows through when you do that kind of thing, especially when you are rejected for a subpar contribution and you take to tiktok to express your hate for white males or women thereafter. Do better, be better or we will destroy something that everyone could enjoy.