Monthly Archives: June 2020

Remember GamerGate? If we had just listened to this activist, we might've been able to prevent it, and a whole lot more too.

Remember GamerGate? If we had just listened to this activist, we might've been able to prevent it, and a whole lot more too.

Before #GamerGate, before Russian trolls stole the 2016 US election, there was #EndFathersDay. It was a Twitter campaign that was supposedly instigated by black feminists on Twitter, but as it turned out, it was actually the same trolls that would later go on to do so much worse.

Shafiqah Hudson was the first person to notice. In an interview with Slate, this actual black feminist started digging into the Twitter profiles of posts with the hashtag #EndFathersDay. It didn't take long for her to discover that they were all fake.

Each account had several red flags. First, they weren't associated with any other social media or online accounts--they had no presence. Second, they all used a form of black vernacular that just seemed so obviously sarcastic that it was hard to miss. It was like someone else was trying to sound African American but they couldn't keep themselves from throwing in at least a hint of contempt.

Unfortunately, the #EndFathersDay campaign worked. It managed to fool mainstream media and news organizations long enough to start making headlines, pinning the blame on such a ridiculous campaign on "black feminists" in order to generate a wave of hate towards them.

RELATED: It's Time To Address Ageism In The Gaming Industry

Another activist, INasah Crockett, noticed the same thing. She dug even further and found the source of the #EndFathersDay campaign: a 4Chan post that outlined the whole thing. Crockett and Hudson then joined forces with other black feminists to begin the #YourSlipIsShowing campaign that outed many of those accounts, but the damage had already been done.

Worse still, #EndFathersDay was a proof of concept. It proved that a public misinformation campaign could be started with relatively few resources (just a few hundred fake accounts) in order to create real-world mayhem.

That was back in June of 2014. A few months later, GamerGate would hit using the exact same tactics: fake accounts created an online whirlwind of outrage centered around games journalism, while the real 4Chan trolls went after female game developers like Zelda Williams and Zo Quinn.

Fast-forward to 2016, and Russia would use the same tactics in order to sway an entire election. And its been going on ever since.

Source: Slate

NEXT: Free RPG Day Is In July, Here's What You Can Get

Watch: Warzone Console Players Really Are At A Disadvantage

Actually a collective of 6 hamsters piloting a human-shaped robot, Sean hails from Toronto, Canada. Passionate about gaming from a young age, those hamsters would probably have taken over the world by now if they didn't vastly prefer playing and writing about video games instead.The hamsters are so far into their long-con that they've managed to acquire a bachelor's degree from the University of Waterloo and used that to convince the fine editors at TheGamer that they can write "gud werds," when in reality they just have a very sophisticated spellchecker program installed in the robot's central processing unit.

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This Activist Warned Us About GamerGate Before It Happened - TheGamer

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On Friday, Alexis Ohanian, one of Reddits co-founders, said that hes stepping down from the sites board because it is the right thing. He wants the company to appoint a Black board member in his place.

It is long overdue Ohanian said. Im doing this for me, for my family, and for my country. Im writing this as a father who needs to be able to answer his black daughter when she asks: What did you do?

He also committed to giving $1 million to Colin Kaepernicks Know Your Rights Camp as well as donating future gains in his Reddit stock to serve the black community, chiefly to curb racial hate.

Ohanians quest for absolution is vague. He doesnt specify the source of whatever guilt he is expiating here, nor any specific injustice that he contributed to that might explain what his departure is fixing. Were left to guess.

There at least a few things that have gone wrong in Ohanians time that he might be feeling bad about:

One of his biggest missteps was his failure to do anything as his platform became an incubator for some of the most toxic, extreme communities online. During Gamergate, Ohanian, et al.,more or less stood by as their platform became an organizing tool for vicious right-wing trolls who were aggressively harassing women in the gaming industry under the ridiculous guise of caring about ethics in gaming journalism.

Gamergate is often cited as a turning point in the internet culture wars, a moment when it became clear that the warped trolls werent just posting for the lulzthey were actually sexist and racist bigots who were eager to terrorize people. To this day, the almost-official GamerGate subreddit sits unbanned on Reddit, despite having been a hub for the movement.

Ohanian and Reddit were also slow to address other virulent communities of hate on the platform. The site and platform eventually did take action on some of the worst communities, banning subreddits like r/CringeAnarchy, which spread depressingly gross, incendiary content in the aftermath of the New Zealand Christchurch shooting.

He and the company also stood idly by as r/The_Donald, a subreddit featuring Trumps most toxic supporters online, grew into a massive community. Reddit eventually quarantined it, the platforms term for isolating problematic communities and making it harder to access them.

Ohanians move is especially bizarre in that he doesnt seem to have secured anything tangible from the Reddit board. There doesnt seem to be any guarantee that the company will do as he urges and hire a black candidate, nor is there any demand on his part that the Black hire be committed to any particular vision of racial justice. Black representation alone is not a guarantee of making meaningful strides to racial equity. At least he went out in the most Reddit way possiblewith a weird post that leaves you feeling faintly embarrassed for having read it.

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Reddit Executive Chairman Resigns From the Site's Board, Posts Cringe - Mother Jones

The heart of any good online-focused title is the comfort in knowing that the developers behind it, are dedicated, providing consistent updates and content patches that keep the game feeling fresh, exciting and fun to play. Dauntless in many ways, exemplifies this notion with its numerous updates that have helped push it forward.

Call of the Void is the latest content update for Dauntless, which promises to bring with it a host of both minor and substantial changes, including a new Umbral Escalation, which adds a dark elemental themed gauntlet for players to conquer. A trailer for the new update can be viewed down below.

Call of the Void takes place on a never-before-scene cluster of islands which seemingly have exposed the Behemoths to this strange umbral energy elemental, transforming and mutating them further into berserk, killing-machines that will test even the hardened of monster hunters. To make matters worse, Slayers will have to vanquish the Behemoth Thrax, a new worm-like alien serpent that awaits those skilled enough to make it to the end.

Thankfully, both veterans and new Dauntless players can look forward to the addition of a training grounds area, which gives Slayers access to dummy training dolls and their full arsenal of weapons and gear. In other words, the training grounds will be the perfect place to hone and try out different play styles, eliminating the worry of jumping in blind or trying a new weapon or play style, in live combat.

Call of the Void also, for the first time, introduces narrative and story elements into the experience which will set the stage for further content that will be released in July. Those who acquire the Relics & Ruins hunter pass can look forward to 50 levels of rewards; all centred around the void elemental update, including the coveted Umbral Knight armour set. The Call of the Void content update will hit Dauntless on all major platforms and PC on June 11, 2020.

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Commentary: As Creators, The Game Industry Shares A Part in Ending Racism - CGMagazine

Although the tide has shifted as technology has become more advanced, isometric RPGs haveleft their stamp on gaming. Popularized in the '90s on PC, this role-playing subgenre tendsto feature big casts of characters and is usually very story-driven; however, isometric RPGs can vary widely when it comes to their combat, ranging from turn-based systems to more action-oriented ones.

RELATED:10 Action RPGs To Play If You Like The Witcher 3

While modernexamples are few and far in between, with many being marketed as throwbacks to classics from yesteryear, the subgenre has produced some of the greatest role-playing games of all time. Here are the 10 best isometric RPGs.

Honorable mentions go to theShadowrungames andArcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura.Diablo IIwill not be included as hack and slash gamesare their own thing.

A highly-rated send-up to classic isometric RPGs likeBaldur's GateandPlanescape: Torment,Pillars of Eternityserves as a prime example that these types of games still have a place in gaming when handled by a capable developer. Obsidian crafted an engaging and complex combat system that rewards adapting one's playstyle depending on an enemy's weaknesses and strengths.

Like many of the subgenre's best creations,Pillars of Eternity's limits experience points to quest completion and exploration,freeing users to approach obstacles in whatever way they see fit.With eleven classes and a solid story,Pillars of Eternityis a great recent entry to the genre. The sequel is also very good.

Debuting in 2000 and spawning two trilogies followed by a reboot series that welcomed its most recent entry in 2018,Avernumis a passion project by Spiderweb Software's Jeff Vogel that has developed a cult following over the years.

RELATED:10 Indie Games On The Switch Animal Crossing Fans Will Love

While the third and fifth entries are the best intheir respective trilogies,Avernumweaves a continuous narrative that requires thefranchise to be taken as a whole.Avernum 1is very rough around the edges but does a decent job of setting up the main conflict between the Empire and those exiled to Avernum's subterranean locations.

JRPGs are not usually associated with isometric camera angles, but tactical RPGs are the exception. Released in the same year as Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy Tactics is arguably even better than the mainline entry.

Combining 3D with an isometric camera angle, Tactics' turn-based battle system takes place on a grid-style battleground where a unit's movement is dictated by their stats and class. The combat system requires constant planning from the player, as the enemy AI offers a reasonable challenge through the lengthy and fantastic campaign.

Ever since it was originally released in 1999, arguably no other title has come close to mimicking that sense of being part of a small rebellion waging an ever-expandingwar against an overwhelming enemy.Jagged Alliance 2places users in charge of a mercenary group tasked with liberating the nation of Arulco and restoring the royal family to their throne.

Along with taking over towns and mines to fund the resistance, the player is constantly seeking to expand their forces' numbers and arsenal.Jagged Alliance 2's ambition is impressive even in 2020, while the tactical turn-based combat is challenging but incredibly rewarding.

Leave it toObsidian Entertainment to follow upPillars of Eternitywith arguably an even better isometric RPG.Tyrannytakes place in a world where evil has won in the form of the overlord Kyros, andusers play as one of his subordinates tasked with bringing order to the world.

While the gameplay sticks very close toPillars of Eternity,Tyrannyplaces more importance on interactivity and choice, even going as far as to allow players to shape the campaign's backstory by determining how Kyros claimed the world of Terratus as his own.

Although a case can be made for the biggerFallout 2, 1997's original benefits from having a more focused storyline that, ultimately, leaves a longer-lasting impression. At its heart, Fallouttells a simple tale about one person's journey to protect their home; however, finding a replacement chip for Vault 13's water system in the Wasteland is anything but simple.

RELATED:Fallout: 10 Best DLCs, Ranked

Falloutis all about making decisions andlearning to livewith the consequences. Actions change the world and the story's progression, perhaps even locking players out of certain endings. With great all-around writing and one of the best character creator systems in gaming history,Falloutis rightfully regarded as a classic.

The most recent entry in theDivinityfranchise is not only the best in the series but also one of the greatest RPGs of any generation. When the veil separating Rivellon from the Void begins to fade, the Seven Gods elect a Godwoken to keep the latter's evil forces from breaking into the former.

Divinity: Original Sin II's tactical combat comes with a steep learning curve as taking full advantage of the party members' individual strengths is key to overcoming even the most basic of battles. Outside of encounters,Divinity: Original Sin II boasts consistently impeccable writing and areas that just demand to be explored.

Dungeons & Dragons' influence can be seen in nearly all isometric RPGs, so it is only natural that one of the subgenre's best releases happens to beset in the tabletop game's universe. While the classic hero's journey storyline might not hold all that many surprises, BioWare'sminute-to-minute writingis strong throughout the base game's four chapters and its three expansion packs.

RELATED:Top 10 BioWare RPGs You Need To Play

As good as the campaign was,Neverwinter Nights' multiplayer and Aurora toolset wereits greatest components. The latteressentiallyallowed players to craft their own adventures, a tool that greatly expanded the content associated with the game.

Another classic RPG set in theDungeons & Dragonsuniverse,Planescape: Tormenttells a refreshingly strange tale about an immortalbeing who sets out to find his memories as the slate is wiped clean whenever he is killed. The Nameless One isamong the best protagonists in the RPG genre, one who is never reduced to a surrogate for players to live out their hero fantasies.

Planescape: Tormentmostly pushes combat to the side to focus on its narrative and world-building, a decision that makes itmore accessiblefor a revisit in this day and age.

Two decades later andBaldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amnhas yet to lose its shine. Once again set in Dungeons & Dragons' Forgotten Realms,BioWare's RPG presents a detailed world rich with personality and tales to tell.

The main quest, which should roughly take around 75 hours to complete, builds on its predecessor by telling a more personal but still epic storyline. However, the side quests might be even better than the central story. The gameplay is strategic and versatile, allowing for different approaches to be used in combat and when trying to complete quests.Baldur's Gate IIis everything an isometric RPG should be and more.

NEXT:BioWare's 10 Best Games, Ranked

Next 10 Games To Play That Are Like Destiny 2

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10 Best Isometric RPGs, Ranked | TheGamer - TheGamer

Do outrage or not to outrage | Image credit: Reuters

Yet another day, yet another sexist creep on social media, begging for attention using misogyny or bigotry.

Trawling social media, for work or leisure, has become nothing short of walking blindfolded on a minefield. Every tweet skipped is oozing with sexism, every tag ignored loaded with communal hate. How is one to handle these people who take no time to make their hate viral (because let's face it, the internet is filled with humanity's lowest)?

Yesterday, it was "The Placard Guy", today it's "Elvish".

To put things in context, Elvish Yadav is yet another no-getter who has been spreading virulent ideas against feminism by "roasting" women performers whom he does not consider feminist enough.

The man has also been posting abusive "anti-liberal" content which basically boils down to bigotry and communal hate-posting. Within a day, he has called for "faasi" (hanging) for Jamia student Safoora Zargar who has been denied bail a third time despite being pregnant, to openly hurling abuses at women, Elvish Yadav seems to have got what he wanted - to trend on Twitter.

Then there came another one on Instagram. The man who calls himself 'Yogi Oabs' has this as his bio: "I teach women how to behave, and inspire men to be manly."

He basically takes misogynistic quotes from various places, designs them and posts them. Yes, that's how he teaches women how to 'to behave'. Among these quotes, some are his. Sample this- "The benefits of rejecting motherhood is the biggest lie feminists brainwashed an entire generation with" or "Feminine women like being possessed by a strong man."

Now while we may roll our eyes at these messages, turns out, soon after someone shared his profile on social media, overnight, he gained over a thousand followers.

So what to do when one encounters such a troll?

Even as social media platforms, as well as security experts, grapple with the best ways to maintain freedom of speech, privacy, user protection and security, nothing really helps when one encounters a vicious new troll impressing other low-lives with exaggerated displays of vitriolic behaviour.

Experts often suggest not to "feed the trolls". The idea was explored by author James Desborough in his book called "Inside Gamergate: A Social History of the Gamer Revolt" in which he described trolls as insatiable digital entities that survive on infamy and abuse. Debouroughs also goes on to say that not feeding such trolls may cause them to retire from their pursuits and find new targets.

It's a win-win for everyone. The writer's conscience is soothed, having doled out a stern piece of her or his mind in language more refined than the oil in her kitchen. The media house publishing the rant is happy because controversy brings traffic. The social media platform is happy for the ads it shoved at you and data it stole from you while you were debating with bots. And the trolls are happy for getting a free platform and exposure to millions of people with the legitimacy of a news feature. They'll probably be adding that rant to their CV as proof of their efficiency.

But where does that leave the general Twitter user whose job it is to outrage? Does a degenerate of this level deserve to be countered? Is any publicity good publicity?

The fact is that what one is dealing here with is not just one troll but a systemic trolling that is slowly gaining currency. And it is set to get worse.

As per analysis conducted by Pew Research Centre in 2017, experts believe that uncivil and harassing online behaviour will be on the rise in the coming years. Now is the time to look closely at the debate between protecting anonymity and holding abusive trolls accountable.

It is not the role of average users to weed out trolls and takedown abusers who are often backed by a powerful shadow community ready to unleash armies of bots that can drown out ant form of sensible discourse with whataboutery and rape threats. It is the responsibility of the platforms to ensure no form of abuse is tolerated toward any community or person.

But until that happens, maybe it makes sense to not provide haters with the platforms they crave by dignifying their stupidity with a response. But oops, looks like we just did that!

https://pubstack.nw18.com/pubsync/fallback/api/videos/recommended?source=n18english&channels=5d95e6c378c2f2492e2148a2&categories=5d95e6d7340a9e4981b2e109&query=Outrage,or,Ignore?,The,Moral,Dilemma,of,Dealing,with,Bigots,and,Misogynists,on,Social,Media,bigot,Elvish,&publish_min=2020-06-05T02:17:28.000Z&publish_max=2020-06-07T02:17:28.000Z&sort_by=date-relevance&order_by=0&limit=2

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Outrage or Ignore? The Moral Dilemma of Dealing with Bigots and Misogynists on Social Media - News18

The Pokmon anime has taken on the aesthetic of Betty Boop and Popeye in a new short that is inspired by the style of Max Fleischer cartoons.

ThePokmonanime has taken on the aesthetic of Betty Boop and Popeye in a new short that is inspired by the style of Max Fleischer cartoons.

ThePokmonanime was never known for the incredible quality of its animation during the early days of its run, but it didn't matter, as it's considered to be the show that brought anime to the mainstream outside of Japan. There was certainly a passionate cult following for anime in the days beforePokmon,but the adventures of Ash Ketchum helped to normalize the Japanese style with the public and led to other series finding an audience (likeDragon Ball Z); other shows that might never have been given a shot with international audiences were also brought over (likeYu-Gi-Oh!).

Related:The Pokmon Anime Will Return June 7 In Japan With New Episodes

Anime itself was heavily inspired by western cartoons, like the early works of Walt Disney, and thePokmonanime is looking back to the style of the past with its latest short. The officialPokmon Kids TV YouTube channel has released a short called "Poktoon - Zuruggu and Mimikyu", with Zuruggu referring to the Japanese name of Scraggy.

The cartoon shows the misadventures of a hungry Scraggy that makes its way onto a train and runs afoul of a Mimikyu. The two have a Tom & Jerry style adversarial relationship, with the short ending with Mimikyu pursuing Scraggy into the sunset.

ThePokmon Company has been experimenting with different kinds of animation over the past few years, most of which has made its way onto YouTube. We have seen snippets of events that have never been shown before inPokmon Generations such as Blue's battle against the Elite Four whileTwilight Wingshas given fans the true Galar experience that has so far been lacking in thePokmonanime. If the speculation about Ash Ketchum's journey being over is correct, then these kinds of amusing shorts that don't follow the formula of the anime could be a major part of the future of the franchise.

Next:Will Ashs Primeape Reappear Before The Pokmon Anime Ends?

Source:Pokmon Kids TV/YouTube

Call Of Duty: Warzone Players Are Hitting Disgusting Snipes

Scott has been writing for The Gamer since it launched in 2017 and also regularly contributes to Screen Rant. He has previously written gaming articles for websites like Cracked, Dorkly, Topless Robot, and TopTenz. He has been gaming since the days of the ZX Spectrum, when it used to take 40 minutes to load a game from a tape cassette player to a black and white TV set. Scott thinks Chrono Trigger is the best video game of all time, followed closely by Final Fantasy Tactics and Baldur's Gate 2. He pretends that sorcerer is his favorite Dungeons & Dragons class in public but he secretly loves bards.

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There Is Now An Official Pokmon Max Fleischer-Style Cartoon - TheGamer