Anita Sarkeesian frequently makes headlines for her commentary on women's roles in video games and the death threats she receives in return.

On Wednesday, October 15, the author of blog Feminist Frequency was front page news again after she canceled her talk at Utah State University. This followed a letter sent anonymously to the University threatening a mass shooting spree at the public lecture.

The letter said that if the event went forward, it would be “the deadliest school shooting in American history” and that "...feminists have ruined my life and I will have my revenge, for my sake and the sake of all the others they've wronged," according to the Standard Examiner.

In fifteen minute YouTube videos like "Women as Background Decoration" and "Damsel in Distress Tropes vs Women," Sarkeesian argues that video games typically give female characters sexualized and reductive roles.  

Despite the University police, state police, and FBI declaring the event safe, Sarkeesian elected to cancel after learning that licensed holders would be allowed to bring guns to the event, per Utah state law.

Professionals in the gaming world at the University of Southern California, the number one gaming program in the nation, reacted to the depiction of the gaming community on Wednesday.

Marientina Gotsis is a game designer and professor at the University of Southern California, where she founded the Games for Health Initiative which entwines gaming with health issues.

"Yes, the portrayal of women in video games is not good. But why? And why do people get so angry talking about it?" said Gotsis. "We're seeing a very big reaction from people who are probably feel like outsiders," she said. "Even if the threat is real or perceived, they feel threatened." 

"People who react with extreme anger and violent threats to what they see as a threat to their culture and sense of identity, on this particular issue, signals deep emotional fragility and immaturity," Gotsis added in an email.

Tracy Fullerton, director of the Interactive Media and Games program at USC, said "The industry is filled with smart, creative, open people...The people who are sending death threats are not actually in the games industry; they're online hate groups attacking women developers and other indie developers who are supportive of women, LBGT, etc."

But, she added, in an overall media culture that is inherently disrespectful of women, the problem isn't about video games.  "It's about people and how we treat each other, which is becoming more and more clear with the way people who are trying to make changes are being treated."

"There's no empathy from both sides," said Marientina Gotsis, who emphasized it was a two-sided issue.  Gotsis sees the violent reaction to Sarkeesian as indicative of an even larger problem.  "It's much more problematic, and more harmful to have an entire generation of people...who are suffering. It bothers me personally."

The threat sent to USU isn't the first leveled at Anita Sarkeesian in recent months.  It follows an incident in August known in the gaming community as Gamergate that targeted several female game designers with violent language. Game designer Zoe Quinn earned accolades for her game "Depression Quest," which allows the player to to experience life as person suffering depression.  After her success, Quinn began recieving death threats via social media.

"Gamergate is a very big conversation," said Roger Altizer, game designer and Director of Utah State University's Game Design and Production program. "Gamergate folks believe people are trying to silence gamers and push a feminist agenda into the world of games."

"The problem I have with the conversation is that it defines gamers as too narrow a group of people. It identifies gamers as men, but the reality is that gamers are young and old, men and women; some play Call of Duty and some play Candy Crush."

"We’re talking about young adult men playing first-person shooter games," he said.  In reality, Altizer said, 45-47 percent of gamers are women.  And there are more women above the age of 18 playing video games than men under the age of 18.

Furthermore, Altizer said that Microsoft's $2.5 billion purchase of the game Minecraft makes it the most expensive game sale to date. "It's for children," he said, after allowing that people of all ages enjoy Minecraft. But, he said, "The biggest demographic is young adults."

While professionals identify Gamergate as a small and non-representative part of the gaming community at large, an undercurrent of fear still courses through the conversation.

"The threats to body and career are real," Altizer said. "Some people are afraid for their own safety, but many think there might not be an upside to talking about it."

A New York-based independent game designer who wished to remain anoynmous said, "For the record, I got to see all kinds of homophobia in games as well- the frequent bi-sexual characters all seem to be villains in Metal Gear Solid. A group of drag-queens were bosses in God Hand. I could easily imagine the kind of death-threats made against feminist game developers and critics being thrown at an outspoken queer developer or critic."

Sarkeesian writes on her site, "This series will include critical analysis of many beloved games and characters, but remember that it is both possible (and even necessary) to simultaneously enjoy media while also being critical of it’s more problematic or pernicious aspects."

"Of course we should start having these discussions in games," Altizer said. "It means that games is growing up. We’re starting to take games seriously."

Reach Web Producer Arielle Samuelson here.