It should be noted that YouTube personality Smash JT is managed by Ron Coleman and the Dhillon Law Firm. Notably, the lead attorney of this firm is under consideration for the position of Assistant Attorney General of the United States. Similarly, Park Place, WDW Pro, and Valliant Renegade are also clients of Mr. Coleman’s legal representation.
In recent times, the world of video games has transformed into a battleground for cultural and political viewpoints, with an increasingly noticeable rift emerging between those expressing socially conscious opinions (often referred to as “woke”) and regular gamers who find themselves inundated with frequent political messages. The gaming community’s reaction to two recent occurrences—the fundraising campaign for the documentary Gaming While Black, produced by former Kotaku editor Alyssa Mercante, and the contentious legal battle between Mercante and YouTuber SmashJT—provides a clear picture of the growing divide in what is now called the gaming culture war.
And now, a quick look at production-in-progress for our film, Gaming While Black!
Production continues smoothly! Many more urban tales, viewpoints, and voices yet to resonate.
— Jamal Page (@jmalpge) January 3, 2025
The documentary titled “Gaming While Black,” which features Alyssa Mercante and delves into racial matters within the gaming industry, hasn’t been successful in garnering support through its crowd-funding initiative.
Its official description reads:
Although the tentative title for the documentary is GWB (Gaming While Black), its essence aims to express the experience of being Black or African American in the gaming world, which frequently feels akin to belonging to a contrasting community.
In the movie’s trailer, Mercante is shown delivering the well-known phrase, “If you don’t like it, don’t buy it,” which some people in her circle frequently use to discourage support for games with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) themes. This argument is often met with criticism being labeled as a conservative backlash or bigotry, contributing to the failure of games such as Concord or Dragon Age: The Veilguard.
As a film enthusiast, I’ve got to say that the fundraising effort for this documentary has only managed to scrape together $370 out of its $5,000 target on GoFundMe so far. The critique I’ve been hearing is that this docudrama seems to be pushing a narrative that paints gamers as inherently racist and divisive, which has left many moderate gamers feeling worn down by being constantly stereotyped and preached at by the industry’s elite voices.
Alyssa backed documentary can only reach $370.
She must be very upset that @SmashJT has raised over $60,000 defending against her BS lawsuit.
She can’t move the meter, at all, and this is why she rages all the time.
— Grummz (@Grummz) January 5, 2025
Including Mercante, who’s already been divisive, has made the documentary’s problems even more complex. Her reputation suffered greatly due to her contentious lawsuit against SmashJT, a well-known gaming YouTuber. In this legal action, she accused him of stochastic actions, defamation, bias-motivated violence or harassment, intentional emotional harm, and disruptive interference.
In the publicly available court records, Merchant revealed the home address of SmashJT, yet concealed their own, sparking criticisms for hypocrisy and the practice known as doxxing.
Perhaps most telling is how the gaming community responded to these events.
As a passionate cinephile, I can’t help but contrast the arduous journey of the creators of “Gaming While Black” in securing even a shred of financial backing, with the meteoric success experienced by SmashJT during his legal defense fundraising campaign. Remarkably, within a single day, he managed to amass over $20,000. Since then, the total has soared past $60,000.
This clear difference highlights the mounting discontent among many video game enthusiasts towards individuals seen as polarizing, who leverage identity politics for their platforms and simultaneously estrange the larger gaming community.
Your daily reminder not to give anyone who hates you your money.
The movement known as Gamergate encompasses much more than just Sweet Baby Inc and Alyssa Mercante. Instead, it symbolizes a broader societal consciousness that those shaping entertainment, education, and media have an underlying disdain for half of our nation. This needs to stop now.
— Tebow (@MinEffortLive) January 6, 2025
A pattern that goes beyond just a single ex-editor of Kotaku is continually observed. Individuals such as Matt Hansen, an art director from Obsidian, and Cian Maher, a lore designer from CDPR, have sparked controversy by publicly criticizing political figures and the broader gaming community.
Supporters of SmashJT’s endeavors reflect a changing perspective within the gaming community, as many players are growing disenchanted with messages that emphasize moral posturing over engaging content or narratives. Tired of being labeled negatively for it, they are eager for a fresh approach.
Rather than valuing creators for mere game creation, they appreciate those who prioritize crafting immersive experiences and cultivating a sense of community among gamers.
The lack of connection with Gaming While Black underlines a significant problem that pervades the AAA gaming industry as a whole. When initiatives are based on criticisms and inflammatory language, they frequently push away the very audience they intend to appeal to. On the other hand, SmashJT’s achievement in gathering support underscores the strength of sincerity and common values within the gaming community.
His situation served as a call-to-action for gamers who felt unfairly stereotyped as bigots or misogynists, merely because they expressed disagreement with certain gaming industry developments that they found objectionable.
Projects similar to “Gaming While Black” might persist in receiving support from specific communities that identify with their philosophy, but they may struggle to connect with a broader gaming community that perceives such initiatives as insincere and pandering. Conversely, content creators such as Smash JT, who interact directly with their audience and value diverse viewpoints, are likely to maintain their success.
Essentially, the gaming world finds itself at a critical juncture, facing a widening rift between those who prefer games to remain devoid of politics and those who wish to utilize them as tools for social critique. The reaction to Mercante’s lawsuit and the contrasting challenges faced by Gaming While Black indicate that gamers are delivering a strong, coherent message. They prioritize unity, authenticity, and mutual respect over division and didactic ideological discussions.
Whether the industry will listen remains to be seen.
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2025-01-07 21:56