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[Tiktaalik]

Someone called in a bomb threat at this year's GDC Awards and threatened to set off a bomb unless the Ambassador Award being given to Anita Sarkeesian was revoked.

An anonymous e-mailer threatened to blow up a bomb at the Game Developers Choice Awards this past March unless the hosts rescinded an award recognizing feminist critic Anita Sarkeesian, the organizers of the event have confirmed to Kotaku.

"We can confirm that approximately 25 of GDC's organizers received an anonymous email early in the morning of Wednesday, March 19th, 2014 during GDC 2014," the organizers said in a statement.

"The email stated the following: 'A bomb will be detonated at the Game Developer's Choice award ceremony tonight unless Anita Sarkeesian's Ambassador Award is revoked. We estimate the bomb will kill at least a dozen people and injure dozens more. It would be in your best interest to accept our simple request. This is not a joke. You have been warned.'"

The threat merited the attention of the San Francisco Police Department's Explosive Ordinance Disposal Division, which sent officers and bomb-sniffing dogs to the Moscone Center, where GDC is held.

...

http://kotaku.com/bomb-threat-targeted-anita-sarkeesian-gaming-awards-la-1636032301

I was present at the awards so that's a bit unsettling.

 

[Haunted]

A bomb will be detonated at the Game Developer's Choice award ceremony tonight unless Anita Sarkeesian's Ambassador Award is revoked. We estimate the bomb will kill at least a dozen people and injure dozens more. It would be in your best interest to accept our simple request. This is not a joke. You have been warned. #gamergate

fixed.

 

[tripskylark]

This has gotten out of hand. :\

 

[El Topo]

What the fuck is wrong with these people?

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

Christ what a fucking embarrassment to the gaming community.

 

[Glass Rebel]

It is truly a dark age we're living in.

fixed.

ah jeez, fuck me for laughing at this

 

[Nairume]

And somebody will still try and say "Well, I don't agree with her and she shouldn't have to suffer this, but please look at this infographic and youtube video of a large man with a fedora, My Little Cthulhu shirt, and a Guy Fawkes mask to explain why she deserves it"

 

[Alchemy]

None of this makes any sense, what the hell is wrong with people?

 

[rexor0717]

I don't remember hearing anything about this while I was there. :/
I guess they didn't want to cause a panic.

 

[Holographix]

Christ what a fucking embarrassment to the gaming community.

I think it's a reach to assume that whoever made the threats is part of said community.

 

[commedieu]

Bomb threats..videogames.

what the fuck people?

 

[Coffee Dog]

Fucking lunatics. Makes me embarrassed to be a male associated with this industry.

 

[ANDS]

And somebody will still try and say "Well, I don't agree with her and she shouldn't have to suffer this, but please look at this infographic and youtube video of a large man with a fedora, My Little Cthulhu shirt, and a Guy Fawkes mask to explain why she deserves it"

Someone will equivocate killing people in an attempt to score a point against AS?

 

[Orayn]

I think it's a reach to assume that whoever made the threats is part of said community.

It's a non-trivial possibility. The main groups that seem most upset by her recent work have been people with anti-feminist leanings, people who incorrectly believe that she's somehow trying to destroy their favorite video games, and a reasonably large overlap between the two.

 

[Kater]

These people are simply terrorists and I hope they get treated as such. They are dangerous to basically everyone if they are that quick to plan to destroy lifes because a woman criticised the portrayal of women in media.

 

[Crayolan]

This is so fucked up, what is wrong with people?

 

[akidnamededdy]

Ahahah what the fuck is even happening anymore? Just...dang, man.

Fucking lunatics. Makes me embarrassed to be a male associated with this industry.

It shouldn't. Nobody's going to assume these assholes represent every man who's ever touched a controller. Crazy assholes are just crazy assholes.

 

[Hackworth]

So when the anti-Gamergate journos were saying "nerdboy Gamers are a bunch of obsessive lunatics", it's this kind of shit they were talking about, right?

Fuck this hobby. Srsly.

 

[jeffers]

Guess we're at a point where anonymity and the internet enable the far outreaches of the bellcurve to be present and you'll always get people who will do this. But I also like internet anonymity for everyone else.

Sucky situation.

edit: and to everyone associating this with 'gaming', its just a medium for the crazy really.

Spoiler

also a huge concentrated mass of youngish folk, which again if you think about statistically...

edit2: also with a highly focused tabloid-y press.
edit3: also I view it as a much larger society issue than anything that can be solved within gaming, though obviously games are educational tools.

 

[jon bones]

Fucking embarassing.

Proving every point she's ever made right.

Stupid ass #gamergate man children

 

[Dabanton]

Wow. WTF

These people are crazed.

 

[Grisby]

Dispicable. :/

 

[GhostTrick]

When I read this, I'm wondering:
"When did videogames became more than games made for fun ?"

 

[commedieu]

It's a non-trivial possibility. The main groups that seem most upset by her recent work have been people with anti-feminist leanings, people who incorrectly believe that she's somehow trying to destroy their favorite video games, and a reasonably large overlap between the two.

Is this in any way related to that like No-MAAM group on redit? The men that think women are out to get them/belittle them, etc..? This is ridiculous. Considering the hobby, death threats? A bomb thats going to kill about 12 people? I mean.. the whole thing is just frustration directed at this woman for god knows what?

I don't send bomb threats to Kaz because he has yet to fix gran turismo's fucking sound ever.

What makes people think they can treat people(this woman) like this? And get high fives from their bros? They are acting like terrorist.

 

[LiK]

Sad,

 

[Marcel]

It's about transparency.

Spoiler

/s

 

[Eidan]

Fucking scumbags. The things this woman has had to go through because she is making a series critiquing fucking VIDEO GAMES.

 

[sfz]

Well, don't recall anything about a bomb going off at the event.

Open question: Why does an empty threat from a single anonymous person from the Internet make you "feel sick to be associated with the 'community'?"

I'm glad the threat was taken seriously, whoever made it was clearly in the wrong, but his actions are in no way indicative of ANY community.

 

[mrhej]

What the hell? What harm has she done that makes people do this? Jesus Christ.

 

[silvermember]

Bomb Threat huh? Are people this angry and stupid? All they manage to do was get the alphabet soup on their asses.

 

[Sephzilla]

Why is this suddenly news 6 months later?

 

[Orayn]

What makes people think they can treat people(this woman) like this? And get high fives from their bros? They are acting like terrorist.

They're just spiteful, impulsive adolescents (and immature adults) with an excess of fervor and a deficit of empathy and common sense.

Why is this suddenly news 6 months later?

Because information was uncovered when Goobergate accused her of lying about recent threats and contacted SFPD.

 

[AppleMIX]

This is just becoming public information now?

Anyways, who ever did it was a complete shitbag and a intellectual coward.

Well, don't recall anything about a bomb going off at the event.

Open question: Why does an empty threat from a single anonymous person from the Internet make you "feel sick to be associated with the 'community'?"

I'm glad the threat was taken seriously, whoever made it was clearly in the wrong, but his actions are in no way indicative of ANY community.

Probably to avoid guilt by association. Which happens far to often when it comes to gamers.

 

[Spinluck]

Stay strong, Anita.

I will never understand the toxic mindset that exist in some parts of this community.

From Sonic fan fiction to this. Gaming has truly fallen pretty far.

 

[NateDrake]

Why is this suddenly news 6 months later?

Because anti-Anita folk accused her of falsifying her reports of contacting authorities in August after a member of the San Fran Police Dept. said they never had a record or report of her calling/filing a report about being threatened.

 

[Corpekata]

I think it's a reach to assume that whoever made the threats is part of said community.

Uh. A critic of gaming at a gaming convention, a threat wanting her gaming related award rescinded. And it's a stretch to assume they're a gamer?

 

[GillianSeed79]

This is pre-Gamergate hash tag too. If people were making bomb threats in March, I can't imagine what it was like after gamergate. Anyone who would threaten to bomb an awards show because an award was being given to an outspoken woman is on the same level as say someone from the Taliban to me.

 

[sfz]

Fucking embarassing.

Proving every point she's ever made right.

Stupid ass #gamergate man children

"Game characters should represent women well."

-receives threats-

"Told you so!"

???????

 

[L Thammy]

I get the feeling that the perpetrator is a teenager who spends too much time in the wrong places.
Being a parent must be horrifying nowadays.

 

[Sephzilla]

Because anti-Anita folk accused her of falsifying her reports of contacting authorities in August after a member of the San Fran Police Dept. said they never had a record or report of her calling/filing a report about being threatened.

I'm just going to abort mission on this thread because what I almost typed in will definitely not conform to what the masses actually want to hear.

 

[Marcel]

Why is this suddenly news 6 months later?

The real question is, "Why does this happen to a person who offers legitimate critiques of a form of media?"

EDIT: I'm just going to abort mission on this thread because what I almost typed in will definitely not conform to what the masses actually want to hear.

Yeah I'm sure what you were going to say was so edgy and cool that the GAF hivemind couldn't handle it. Get over yourself.

 

[bbdude]

Well, don't recall anything about a bomb going off at the event.

Open question: Why does an empty threat from a single anonymous person from the Internet make you "feel sick to be associated with the 'community'?"

I'm glad the threat was taken seriously, whoever made it was clearly in the wrong, but his actions are in no way indicative of ANY community.

Right? The people doing this shit are crazed sociopaths, not your average gaming community member

 

[MisterArrogant]

I don't know how much more pathetic these people can get after calling in a bomb threat for a youtube critic of video games.

 

[akidnamededdy]

This is pre-Gamergate hash tag too. If people were making bomb threats in March, I can't imagine what it was like after gamergate. Anyone who would threaten to bomb an awards show because an award was being given to an outspoken woman is on the same level as say someone from the Taliban to me.

Oh shit PLOT TWIST it's the Taliban all along!

 

[L Thammy]

I'm just going to abort mission on this thread because what I almost typed in will definitely not conform to what the masses actually want to hear.

Really curious now. Did it contain the word "sheeple"?

 

[libregkd]

Why is this suddenly news 6 months later?

As already mentioned by others here, people have accused Anita about making a false report about fleeing her home in late August, while investigating this claim, this information came to light.

Really curious now.

As am I.

 

[Sephzilla]

Yeah I'm sure what you were going to say was so edgy and cool that the GAF hivemind couldn't handle it. Get over yourself.

Wow. Way to be a dick

 

[Tiktaalik]

Well, don't recall anything about a bomb going off at the event.

Open question: Why does an empty threat from a single anonymous person from the Internet make you "feel sick to be associated with the 'community'?"

I'm glad the threat was taken seriously, whoever made it was clearly in the wrong, but his actions are in no way indicative of ANY community.

The association is there. You don't see bomb threats when a woman receives an award for novelists, but you do for games.

Outsiders have to wonder, what the fuck is wrong with games? What's wrong with the games industry? What's wrong with gamers?

 

[Air Zombie Meat]

Ethical bomb threat no doubt.

 

[udivision]

"Game characters should represent women well."

-receives threats-

"Told you so!"

???????

It proves the more general point that "The gaming industry has issues with women"