Gamearena Forums Go Unchecked

What is going on at Gamearena? First of all they decide to change the look of the site. This is all quite nice. They are trying to chase that X-Games type feel, which is their prerogative. I don't mind the look of the new site at all. Of course, a lot of the front page is taken up with purchasing games through their online distribution system.

Then you have the forums. The Gamearena forums used to be an interesting place to visit and spend some time at a while ago. However, for some reason the rabble appear to have moved in and are dominating the discussion landscape.

One problem with this occurred a week or so ago when one of their new content journalists, Rianna, submitted an editorial piece on the new Ricky Ponting Cricket. Given, that Rianna, is not a gamer to start with then anyone with a brain cell should understand that it will take her some time to fit in to the gaming community and be able to produce content which is relevant. However, the comments left on the discussion area of Rianna's piece were disgusting and out of control. Too many of Gamearena's forum members were allowed to post responses which were of a sexual nature. It took 30 posts before the forum topic was locked and eventually they edited one post which was of a nature considered too graphic for some of the rabble there. 30 posts was too many. It should have been stopped immediately. Unfortunately, the inner boys club at Gamearena were too slow to react. Now, you can't find that discussion on the site at all whereas it shouldn't have happened in the first place. Ultimately, Gamearena is her workplace. This type of discussion wouldn't happen at any modern day workplace without some self respecting person saying that enough is enough.

What kind of introduction to the gaming community is this for Rianna? Unfortunately, those at Gamearena have managed to maintain one of the worst social stereotypes associated with gaming, which is that gaming is for males and not females. Whereas over 40 per cent of the gaming market is female. Why then do they let their forums go unchecked? Why are those few forum users with a high post count able to dominate the forums? The people involved in making these degrading and sexually explicit comments should be permanently banned whether they be Bigpond customers or not. Unfortunately, the repercussions for behaving in this way are hardly what you would call serious and most abusive and obnoxious is dealt with a slap on the wrist. Unfortunately, anti-social behavior is encouraged in the worst form of pack mentality.

It seems that forums are just an excuse for people to remain faceless and bring everything down to the lowest possible moral denominator. Gamearena must have a pretty casual forum rules as they have had 2 forum topics in the general forum over the past week which vilifies Jews.

How about a public apology for Rianna and a statement that it will not happen again? It is the least you could do (or, would this make a legal opportunity for Gamearena to be liable for a legal challenge?) You need to come down on these forum trolls a lot harder than you have been and tidy up your forums because they are promoting the worst image of Australian gaming and not the best.

Maybe the Xtreme image is what Gamearena is encouraging. Xtreme social views might be what they consider to be the norm.