"Ethics and Journalistic Integrity"

[Apple Cider]

Hi! Someone here who has gotten repeated death threats - the cops never told me to not talk about it publicly other than not actually contacting my stalker, though that was after the restraining order went live. However, talking about it publicly can sometimes lead to escalation from a stalker/harasser, but then again not talking about it will do that too, it really depends.

 

Ken Levine is a giant asshole.

 

What people often neglect to mention is that when you publicize a harasser's name, it lets other people know, who may not have known that they were up to that shit, know what they are doing. 

[Bjorn]

If a one or more harassers are also targeting multiple people (particularly if those people are spread across the country), the only way to know that is for people to talk about it. The culture of silence is one of the things that helps keeps victims isolated from one another and unable to collectively work together. Levine dealt with harassment as one of hundreds of people, who worked together in the same building, with the support of a large corporation behind them. That's a fuckton different than the situation many of the gg targets have been in, and it's one of the things that irritates me about his trying to talk about this. From what he's said, he doesn't seem to be able to imagine himself in someone else's shoes very well.

 

When Levine counsels to stay silent, he is simultaneously counseling people to stay isolated and alone.  And I don't think he realizes that.

[Merus]

actual answer: Ken Levine was the creative lead on Bioshock and Bioshock Infinite, as well as the studio head of Irrational Games.

 

He is a man with some influence, and as some of the creative choices in Bioshock Infinite proved, not a man given to understanding the realities other people have to face.

[BadHat]

Before Gamergate had a name...

 

(Full story in link)

 

Just gonna repost this in case anyone needs some levity, because man that is depressing. (Also depressing: KiA are spinning "I nearly committed suicide" as "I'm a precious snowflake who can't handle criticism," because they're terrible.)

 

[Dewar]

Leigh Alexander on the Law & Order: SVU episode 'Intimidation Game'

 

I dig the layout and themes on the Hopes and Fears website. Is Leigh a regular writer for them?

[tabacco]

I'm mildly pleased to have annoyed Brad Wardell on twitter this morning. He thought it'd be amusing to tag my employer in his reply, I guess hoping I'd get in trouble? Fortunately I work for a cool company.

[Henroid]

I'm mildly pleased to have annoyed Brad Wardell on twitter this morning. He thought it'd be amusing to tag my employer in his reply, I guess hoping I'd get in trouble? Fortunately I work for a cool company.

Is there any higher expression of being a baby that can't take what he dishes out?

[Bjorn]

I'm mildly pleased to have annoyed Brad Wardell on twitter this morning. He thought it'd be amusing to tag my employer in his reply, I guess hoping I'd get in trouble? Fortunately I work for a cool company.

 

Wow, at least he's fast and efficient at proving his douchelordness. I mean, nothing you could say could demonstrate his behavior better than that.

[tabacco]

So perplexing. What does he think I want him to click on?

 

[sclpls]

I see the words and yet they do not form ideas.

[itsamoose]

In regards to the Law and Order episode, has anyone spoken with people who have seen the episode but aren't as involved/not involved in the larger games culture?  So far from what I've gathered is that people who pay attention to this kind of thing are upset about the representation of games (as leigh points out) in the episode, but from those I know who aren't directly involved in the game space seem to view the episode positively.  My mom even asked if I could take her to PAX East this year so she could see what it is like for herself.  All in all I get the frustration with the representation of the larger games world in it, but really the point of Law and Order isn't to examine culture but the application of the law itself.  Most notably, where it fails to protect those it was designed to.

[Henroid]

I see the words and yet they do not form ideas.

I love the accusation of hate, implying it is blind, and then the bro-fisting over "Haha San Francisco m i rite."

[sclpls]

In regards to the Law and Order episode, has anyone spoken with people who have seen the episode but aren't as involved/not involved in the larger games culture?  So far from what I've gathered is that people who pay attention to this kind of thing are upset about the representation of games (as leigh points out) in the episode, but from those I know who aren't directly involved in the game space seem to view the episode positively.  My mom even asked if I could take her to PAX East this year so she could see what it is like for herself.  All in all I get the frustration with the representation of the larger games world in it, but really the point of Law and Order isn't to examine culture but the application of the law itself.  Most notably, where it fails to protect those it was designed to.

 

Also isn't like L&O just kind of schlocky TV to begin with? I've never seen it, but I know its the sort of thing friends of mine in grad school would watch where after engaging in like super mentally stressful stuff all day they just wanted to watch something super dumb so they could switch off.

[Gormongous]

I love the accusation of hate, implying it is blind, and then the bro-fisting over "Haha San Francisco m i rite."

 

Yeah, that's the irritating thing. Wardell just poops out a "tu quoque" and then keeps shitting on someone he doesn't even know, as if silencing all his critics will make what they say about him wrong.

[Henroid]

Yeah, that's the irritating thing. Wardell just poops out a "tu quoque" and then keeps shitting on someone he doesn't even know, as if silencing all his critics will make what they say about him wrong.

I was just now having a look at Twitter, and Brad Wardell supporters actually call it "a harassment campaign" when people name drop Wardell while criticizing him. Keep in mind this doesn't involve using his Twitter handle.

 

Remember how we all had that realization that part of the Goobergate campaign was destroying the English language? "Harassment" is something they seem to be working on too. Criticism isn't the same as getting in someone's face (or email inbox) repeatedly.

[elvaq]

Dang I was all excited about Offworld Trading Company before hearing about this. A real shame cause I don't know if I'll ever get to play it now :/ Would love to see what Soren's response to this is, if he even cares.

[itsamoose]

Also isn't like L&O just kind of schlocky TV to begin with? I've never seen it, but I know its the sort of thing friends of mine in grad school would watch where after engaging in like super mentally stressful stuff all day they just wanted to watch something super dumb so they could switch off.

 

My room mate got me into the show for more or less the same reason, so yeah that's pretty much it.  They have their moments, usually due to Sam Waterston's character in the original, but it's not exactly high brow entertainment.  SVU in particular relies on a lot of ripped from the headlines style episodes, and they stumble more often than they succeed.

[Deadpan]

I mean, it wasn't even his name in this case though, the guy honestly seems to have time to keep tabs on that and games he's involved in for the purpose of yelling at people. Funny how quickly these characters turn to trying to tell on people for made up injustices. Really makes it obvious how they never evolved beyond playground bully levels of social skills.

[sclpls]

Dang I was all excited about Offworld Trading Company before hearing about this. A real shame cause I don't know if I'll ever get to play it now :/ Would love to see what Soren's response to this is, if he even cares.

 

I don't want to speak for Soren, but I see him in a position of limited choices. It's not like there are an abundance of strategy game developers to work for in the U.S.  I recall on the Game Design Round Table podcast he specifically mentioned that he didn't want to go down the Kickstarter route that Jon Shafer did for reasons that I think are perfectly reasonable. He could go back to Firaxis probably, but that would mean he could only make the game he wanted to make if Firaxis had the resources to dedicate to it, and it got the thumbs up from 2K which sounds like a pretty dicey proposition. Meanwhile he has this deal with Stardock where he seems to have access to the capital needed to develop the game, and creative control of the project. The downside is that Brad Wardell is a miserable public figure.

 

If I'm being honest if I was in Soren's position I would probably make the same choice. I don't even think it would be a difficult choice really.

[osmosisch]

Dang I was all excited about Offworld Trading Company before hearing about this. A real shame cause I don't know if I'll ever get to play it now :/ Would love to see what Soren's response to this is, if he even cares.

As far as I can tell he's very, very carefully not saying anything.

 

Probably the best strategy for him, though disappointing not to have some sort of statement.

[Henroid]

I mean, it wasn't even his name in this case though, the guy honestly seems to have time to keep tabs on that and games he's involved in for the purpose of yelling at people. Funny how quickly these characters turn to trying to tell on people for made up injustices. Really makes it obvious how they never evolved beyond playground bully levels of social skills.

You could say they peaked in high school.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCPKLcM_O2Q

[rohlfinator]

I mean, it wasn't even his name in this case though, the guy honestly seems to have time to keep tabs on that and games he's involved in for the purpose of yelling at people. Funny how quickly these characters turn to trying to tell on people for made up injustices. Really makes it obvious how they never evolved beyond playground bully levels of social skills.

 

It's funny how a group who professes to hate "professional victims" is totally okay with a guy who constantly goes out of his way to seek out mild criticism so he can use it to rile up his supporters. I'm barely active on Twitter and this is the third or fourth time I've seen Wardell drop into a conversation unprompted like this.

[BusbyBerkeley]

Isn't wardell involved directly in Mohawk games at some level?

Its such a shame because that game looks really cool, but yeah, not buying anything associated with that trashbag.

[Twig]

Yes I believe he's a co-founder, or maybe a co-owner. He has a direct stake in the company.

 

I am amused/saddened that this discussion is happening on the same forums where Soren posts his own podcast, which is actually quite good. And yes the game does look good. ):

[tabacco]

Isn't wardell involved directly in Mohawk games at some level?

Its such a shame because that game looks really cool, but yeah, not buying anything associated with that trashbag.

 

He's co-founder and president: http://mohawkgames.com/about/