Another year has come and gone, and with it came its fair share of controversies surrounding video games and gamer culture. While maybe not quite as explosive as 2014, 2015 certainly had its own ups and downs, and even some just plain shocking developments that took the industry by storm. This was a year in which the industry attempted to recover from the Gamergate debacle, only to have it brought back into the forefront, kicking and screaming, again and again. Highly anticipated games were hampered by yet more technical hurdles and shady business practices, while others were taken away or outright censored. And one company ended up betraying the very fans that brought them success. Yes, it was another volatile year for video games as the industry continued to change and adapt, for better or worse. Now with 2016 just over the horizon, its time to reflect on the most contentious moments that have defined this past year. These are the 10 biggest video game controversies of 2015.
10. Law & Order Addresses Gamergate
Its always painful when the mainstream media attempts to address an issue it knows nothing about. This was made abundantly clear earlier this year when Law & Order: SVU aired an episode based on sexism in video games, the creation of which sprung forth from the chaos of 2014's #gamergate movement. The end result was the most ridiculous and over the top hour of television in recent years. The episode, titled Intimidation Game, involves a female game developer getting kidnapped, tortured, and sexually assaulted by gamers in masks because they dont want girls in their games. Ice-T, the only gamer in the cast, acts as a guide into gamer culture, which leads to clunky explanations of gamer slang and painfully shoehorned in references to Kotaku and Civilization V. It would be funny if it didnt paint an entire subculture as being mentally unstable. Instead of addressing the issue with any nuance, it portrays women as helpless and weak, and gamers as cartoonish caricatures; unhinged sexual lunatics who cant tell the difference between reality and video games. It feels like early 90s propaganda, which only makes you wonder how this embarrassing piece of garbage actually made it on television in the year 2015. The episode was rightfully panned by both sides of the issue, and is a perfect example of what happens when the entertainment industry makes no effort to be responsible when representing real world matters.
