The article is worth a read given how ridiculous the premise is. For those that don't want to read it, the author argues that depicting fishing and animal goods speaks to how players are desensitized to animal violence and help mask violence against animals involved in the production of animal goods. Here's an insightful paragraph from the article:
As a thought experiment, imagine Animal Crossing involves a game where you hook not fish with worm bait, plucking them from their waters, but instead you're required to catch cats--with hooks and all--by coercing them into a trap like fish. Could you imagine such a game earning a spotlight in next year's Wholesome Direct? I think the obvious answer is no. But games with fishing mechanics are one of the most prevalent types showcased every time the brand takes the virtual stage. They both feel pain, so why does harm to fish still pass as wholesome?
It's chock full of insights like that and, yet again, I highly recommend reading the whole thing if that brand of I Can't Believe It's Not Satire appeals to you. Some commentary from Reddit's premier Gaming (with a capital G) community, /r/Games:
I went into it with a lot of skepticism, probably because I am a huge capital G G*mer with at least some of the issues associated with such a demographic. However I found the article to be incredibly well thought out and thought provoking, and actually defends some depictions of violence against animals that were met with condemnation, such as the bizarre cockfighting in far cry 6.
The author does not use their platform to deride games, or those who play them, instead just asking us all to think critically. I find the idea that we should pay attention to how terms like “wholesome” and “non-violent” are applied to games to be certainly worthy of thought.
But yeah, the comment section is filled with losers who are unable to think critically. I’m pretty sure if you added up the iq of everyone in that comment section, you’d get one reasonably intelligent person, but that’s about it.
> the comment section is filled with losers who are unable to think critically
Not only that, it's also filled with a disgusting lack of reading comprehension. Pretty much nobody is arguing the actual point of the article, whether you agree or not. Instead it's a whole strawmen orgy up in there.
Good to see /u/Destroyer_2_2 - a literal who - agrees with this article. I'm sure someone who delibrately identifies as a Gamer has a very high IQ as well.
Most people will avoid thinking about such things because it would make their life’s exceedingly uncomfortable to realize just how much suffering and death they inflict in other sentient beings
Fishing in games = inflicting suffering on sentient beings. I'm glad they got the point of the article.
I don’t usually agree with Gamespot on anything, but I agree with them on this.
I get tired of games that are so casual about violence, especially against animals. I’ve stopped playing a couple because of it. It just gets old and it takes me out of enjoying what I like about the game. In AC Origins I almost stopped playing until I realized I could get upgrade materials from shops once I unlocked the skill for it.
It’s not a big deal for most people and I get it, but as someone who’s had to hunt and slaughter things before, I’d rather not have those things come to my mind when playing a game.
Actually a decent take. This person has actual experience with killing animals and, even then, they acknowledge that other people may feel differently about the subject. It's sitting at -9 votes at the time of writing.
Time to go back to the article and find some of the low-IQ takes I was promised in the comments:
Look, I'm a woke gay liberal, but you need to stop. Articles like this read like a parody. You alienate your base every time you post stuff like this. Just focus on posting game news.
And semi-related but if this website ever does go under, PLEASE save your database of games. This is the best place to find every release for past consoles and I worry about losing that one day.
There is a -5% chance this is not a LARP.
UH OH. Bull crap "cancel culture" has infected Gamespot. Take 200 cc's of Shut The Heck Up and call me in the morning. ;)
Next, this fool is gonna sue the video game industry for all the NPC's who died in video games. LOL. Go back to your privileged annoying life, male Karen...(Ken.)
Darn, this guy really owned the libs there.
I just went fishing with my two year-old son and my nephew the other day. First we went digging for worms, then we caught a few fish which are too bony to eat, so my son threw back in the water. Later we caught some perches, which we grilled and ate together. I thought it was quite a wholesome experience.
Grillpilled af 
You know someone lives a very comfortable, privileged life when they complain about the abuse of digital fish.
True dat.
I agree with this article completely, and I'm glad to see it addressed. After all, every form of extractive exploitation begins with objectifying animals. Schopenhauer wrote "the world is not an inferior product, and animals are not a fabrication for our use." I'd say the stream of crypto-sadist responses to this article points to a palpable hit.
Also, for you who joke about killing cats, go **** yourself.
"Crypto-sadist responses" 
Also Schopenhauer, literally who? Sixth day of creation:
Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
Anyway, here's the guy joking about killing cats:
yes, a game where you bait and trap stray feral cats that are terrorizing your neighborhood and you send them off to be euthanized. you have a great idea there
Honestly doesn't sound like a bad concept. Replaced "euthanized" with "groomed and tamed" and you could have a pretty fun game on your hands.
To close it out:
I wish I had my time back from reading this.
Not me though, this is a frickin' funny article. Cheap clickbait about a complicated issue with no straightforward answers is a prime recipe for drama. 
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How did this demographic go from g*mergate neckbeards threatening women and doing school shootings to articles about how fishing in children’s games makes them equivalent to Doom
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I mean, that first demographic still exists. The state of gaming on the internet reflects the balance of sociopolitical factions on the internet as a whole. It's all tied together.
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