The masculinity of the video game world is nothing new. The issue, however, didn’t receive widespread attention until 2016 with what became known as GamerGate. Anonymous male online gamers harassed a female programmer and female journalist, threatening sexual assault and even death for what they saw as, essentially, an invasion of their territory. It shocked a lot of people, but was nothing new to many women and minorities who are part of the online gaming community.  

Gaming Masculinity is a relatively academic take on gaming culture and how the designation of “gamer” is an embattled term. With women, racial minorities and LGBTQ gaining broader access and representation online, traditional testosterone-driven male gamers feel threatened. With trolling, memes and an accepted culture of insults and rape humor, these gamers attempt to preserve the masculine nature of gaming.

The book is very well researched and provides a lot of background for how online gaming culture developed as it did. Especially for those who are not part of the community, it can be difficult to fathom how the sexist, often repulsive interactions are even acceptable. The accounts can be pretty disheartening to read, especially when it comes to women and minorities taking part in behavior aimed against them.

It’s an enlightening take on a highly contentious, controversial aspect of the geek world that’s definitely worth reading if you’re a gamer. But seeing how the culture developed and all the steps that have been taken with little improvement makes it difficult to see much good in the end. The conclusion falls short of suggesting any definitive way of making lasting improvements, but it does provide a lot to think about.