It was a watershed moment for the alt-right's propaganda machine. It's defined fascist recruiting tactics ever since and it absolutely played a role in Trump's election. Gamergate was a dramatic shift of the status quo, as ridiculous as it was, to diminish it's role in shaping the last few years is just ignorant

Gamergate got co-opted by Milo. Steve Bannon took him in and used the tools learned from gamergate to weaponize disaffected white males. This led directly to the rise of trump. It wasn't the only thing that got trumplethinskin elected, but it was part and it was intentional.

Companies pay millions per year to put just their name on stadiums, etc. Advertising works, even if you believe it doesn't.