The rhetoric of consumption is the star motif in GamerGates celebration of Intels ad-pull. They treat games journalism as just another product they buy, which must be pleasing, built according to spec, and exists solely for their comfort and pleasure. If it does not, they feel they have been cheated and violated. Im a paying customer, they seem to say, how dare you treat me like this!
Some gamers criticised Alexander and others for seeming to diminish the importance of video games by saying they're not worth getting so upset about. They see this as a high insult to their pasttime, but these tweets illustrate why perspective matters. No matter how much you love your hobby, if you don't keep things in proportion you start seeing everything as a "war." Vietnam, to be precise. ("SJW" stands for "social justice warrior" and is the chief bete noire of GamerGaters).
Some gamers criticised Alexander and others for seeming to diminish the importance of video games by saying theyre not worth getting so upset about. They see this as a high insult to their pasttime, but these tweets illustrate why perspective matters. No matter how much you love your hobby, if you dont keep things in proportion you start seeing everything as a war. Vietnam, to be precise. (SJW stands for social justice warrior and is the chief bete noire of GamerGaters).
Yet this is an absolutely terrible way to treat journalism or criticism of any kind. The whole point of it is to inform and sometimes provoke; journalism is not a jukebox that plays what you want to hear for only a few cents.