The videogame scene has evolved from the hobby of boys in bedrooms to a popular pastime for anyone with a smartphone. Many of the old guard resent this mainstreaming of games culture – and they’ve been anything but welcoming. These trolls have created a climate of fear by abusing and harassing women, minorities and anyone who has dared to speak out against misogyny and other problems in the boys’ club industry.
Game Changers puts these conflicts under the microscope, in Australia and overseas. The book features exclusive interviews with many key figures working to make the videogame world a safe space, including Anita Sarkeesian and Zoë Quinn, two of the women at the centre of the Gamergate abuse. In 2015, they were asked by the United Nations to lead a panel discussion on the ‘rising tide of online violence against women and girls’. Authors Dan Golding and Leena van Deventer use their extensive experience in the videogame industry, both as players and professionals, to examine how games culture is growing, diversifying and changing for the better.
