▁established ▁g aming ▁press , ▁which ▁was ▁tradition ally ▁dependent ▁on ▁the ▁games ▁industry ▁itself . ▁ ▁The ▁media - stud ies ▁scholar ▁Adri enne ▁Mass an ari ▁writes ▁that ▁G amer gate ▁is ▁a ▁direct ▁response ▁to ▁such ▁changes ▁in ▁video - game ▁content ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁changes ▁in ▁the ▁dem ograph ics ▁of ▁players . ▁Sur ve ys ▁by ▁the ▁Entertainment ▁Software ▁Association ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁and ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁showed ▁that ▁video - game ▁players ▁were ▁between ▁ 4 4 % ▁and ▁ 4 8 % ▁female , ▁with ▁an ▁average ▁age ▁of ▁thirty - five . ▁This ▁bro ader ▁audience ▁began ▁to ▁question ▁some ▁assumptions ▁and ▁trop es ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁common ▁in ▁games . ▁Sh ira ▁Ch ess ▁and ▁Adri enne ▁Shaw ▁write ▁that ▁concern ▁over ▁these ▁changes ▁is ▁integral ▁to ▁G amer gate , ▁especially ▁a ▁fear ▁that ▁sexual ized ▁games ▁aim ed ▁primarily ▁at ▁young ▁men ▁might ▁eventually ▁be ▁replaced ▁by ▁less ▁sexual ized ▁games ▁market ed ▁to ▁bro ader ▁aud ien ces . ▁G amer g aters ▁often ▁dismiss ▁such ▁games ▁and ▁their ▁more ▁diverse , ▁cas ual ▁group ▁of ▁players ▁as ▁being ▁not ▁" real " ▁games ▁or ▁gam ers . ▁A ly ss a ▁Ros enberg ▁of ▁The ▁Washington ▁Post ▁said ▁that ▁some ▁of ▁G amer g aters ' ▁concerns ▁were ▁root ed ▁in ▁a ▁view ▁of ▁video ▁games ▁as ▁" app li ances " ▁rather ▁than ▁art , ▁that ▁should ▁be ▁review ed ▁based ▁on ▁feature ▁check