MAGFest criticised for public ‘jab’ at games website Kotaku
Gaming event MAGFest has received criticism for using public signage appearing to mock the games website Kotaku, after the publication reported on incidences of Covid at last year’s show.
MAGFest, which is currently ongoing, features panels and events centred around gaming and music culture. This year’s event, which began yesterday, has drawn attention on social media after an attendee noticed a reference to the games site.
Posted to Twitter by an attendee, the sign lists the directions of various attractions at MAGFest, before ending with a listing for “Kotaku’s Journalistic Integrity” next to a 404 not found icon.
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The post rapidly gained traction on Twitter, with some senior members of the games industry and media condemning it, particularly its perceived reference to the Gamergate movement.
Kotaku was also at the center of the Gamergate harassment campaign in 2014. The movement fostered harassment of women and minorities in the games industry, with specific focussed paid to Kotaku due to a false allegation that a staff member favourably reviewed a game due to a relationship with the developer.
The movement, which largely emerged from 4chan and Reddit, would go on to have a large part in sparking the alt-right movement.
It’s also been noted by some that Kotaku reported last year on MAGFest allegedly serving as a spreader event for the Omicron variant of Covid19. It’s been suggested that coverage of this incident is what could have led to the seeming retaliation from MAGFest.
Frank Cifaldi, co-director of the Video Game History foundation, referred to the signage as a ‘dogwhistle’, which is the use of suggestive language to garner
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