There are a lot of weird assumptions about Zoe Quinn in the #GamerGate movement. Allegedly it was her involvement with a journalist that started the whole thing off but, well, that's been proven as patently untrue. The characterisation provided of her by her ex-boyfriend has been less-than-charitable but, well, they are broken up. People tend not to think too highly of partners after a bad break up. The strangest assumption amongst all of this, however, is that Quinn was trading sexual favours so that her games would get better reviews. Zoe Quinn, indie developer, who makes games like Depression Quest a simulator of what it's like to suffer serious mental health issues. Not all over IGN, is it? Not only is the whole ethics thing totally nonsensical when it comes to Quinn, it also doesn't hold up when you consider the coverage her (excellent) games get. They're fairly small, acclaimed in some quarters, but not the sort of mainstream hits that are plastered all over the web. It also seems that #GamerGate has severely underestimated the developer's willingness to fight back - some of that misogyny showing through again - as she has done, systematically building up all that evidence to forward onto the police and, apparently, the FBI. Is there really any doubt over how badass she is? She has a microchip in her hand that lets her stream Deus Ex to any laptop and a magnet in her finger. She's a literal cyborg. Don't mess with her.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
