▁help ▁investigate ▁online ▁har ass ment ▁of ▁game ▁developers . ▁In ▁an ▁interview ▁on ▁Com edy ▁Central ' s ▁program ▁The ▁Col bert ▁Report , ▁Sar ke esian ▁said ▁she ▁bel ieves ▁women ▁are ▁target ed ▁because ▁they ▁are ▁" ch alleng ing ▁the ▁status ▁qu o ▁of ▁g aming ▁as ▁a ▁male - domin ated ▁space ". ▁ ▁In ▁late ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁shortly ▁after ▁the ▁initial ▁accus ations ▁against ▁Gray son ▁and ▁har ass ment ▁of ▁Qu inn , ▁several ▁g aming ▁sites ▁published ▁opinion ▁ess ays ▁on ▁the ▁controvers y ▁that ▁focused ▁on ▁the ▁growing ▁divers ity ▁of ▁g aming ▁and ▁the ▁main stream ing ▁of ▁the ▁medium , ▁some ▁of ▁which ▁included ▁criticism ▁of ▁sex ism ▁within ▁g amer ▁culture . ▁These ▁so - called ▁" g am ers ▁are ▁dead " ▁articles ▁were ▁seen ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁consp i racy ▁to ▁under cut ▁traditional ▁g amer ▁identity ▁and ▁were ▁used ▁by ▁participants ▁to ▁r ally ▁support ▁for ▁G amer gate . ▁S late ' s ▁David ▁A uer bach ▁and ▁The ▁S entin el ' s ▁David ▁El ks ▁critic ized ▁these ▁articles ▁for ▁al ien ating ▁their ▁publications ' ▁audience ▁by ▁attack ing ▁the ▁g amer ▁identity . ▁Writing ▁for ▁P aste , ▁L . ▁Rh odes ▁said ▁the ▁ant agon ism ▁in ▁the ▁G amer gate ▁controvers y ▁was ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁industry ▁seeking ▁to ▁w iden ▁its ▁customer ▁dem ographic ▁instead ▁of ▁foc using ▁on ▁core ▁gam ers ,