Hat-tip to Dridengx from the BioWare Social Network for this link. More insults from the sleaziest outlet in gaming media, Destructoid. Suffice to say, not only do the usual suspects, Max Schoville, Tara Long and Jim Sterling, not have a clue of what they’re talking about, but it’s pretty clear they’re intent on smearing the ‘Retake Mass Effect’ movement. Max goes so far as to refer to these upset Mass Effect fans as criminals.
@juanfdo82465 It’s not that fans want their opinion to be heard, it’s that they’re petitioning a company to change their game because they don’t like it. It shows an embarrassing degree of entitlement, and starting a fundraiser in the name of this cause is just disgusting. That’s somewhere between holding Bioware for ransom and blackmailing them.
We don’t really take anything too seriously, because this is a show about video games, which are supposed to be fun.
- Max
Obviously Max is unaware that no crimes, especially not kidnapping or blackmail, are being committed by these upset Mass Effect fans. It’s how capitalism works, but clearly he can’t understand that. What’s funny is how predictable this response is. As I stated in my last post, because they can’t defend their irrational position on this issue, those in the gaming media like Max can do nothing else but insult those unhappy with Mass Effect 3′s current endings.
A word of warning, Max and Tara’s response to the continued outrage from Mass Effect fans is extremely immature. If you’re finding this video hard to stomach because of thi childish nonsense and just want to watch the relevant part, the insults start at the 10 minute mark. Once again, Jersey Shore worthy.
So now they’re mocking the unhappy Mass Effect fans by attacking them for donating to the Child’s Play children’s charity? I… I really don’t know what to say to such a display of classlessness. As for Tara’s comment of Mass Effect fans becoming violent, at this point, I’m wondering if Jersey Shore might be too classy for Destructoid. Maybe EastEnders is more appropriate for them.
It isn’t just these two who are displaying complete and utter classlessness at Destructoid, Jim Sterling also came out swinging with not one, but two offensive articles. In “BioWare director not sorry for Mass Effect 3′s endings,” Sterling once again compares upset Mass Effect fans with Kathy Bates’ character from Misery, but also twists BioWare’s Casey Hudson’s words from his interview with Digital Trends to further insult these gamers. Yes, Sterling did purposely mislead his readers. If you don’t believe me, give the Digital Trends article a read. Hudson makes reference to wanting an ending that wouldn’t be “forgettable,” but at no point does he say anything remotely like what Sterling said he said. A cheap insult at the cost of credibility? It would seen that this kind of immoral behaviour is common for Sterling. I mean, when you go around calling women names like “cunts” and “feminazi sluts,” it’s clear personal behavioural standards don’t exist.
In Sterling’s second article, “Raging Mass Effect 3 fans do something for charity,” he, like his fellow Destructoid co-workers, attacks unhappy Mass Effect fans forbeing charitable. Sterling puts on his tinfoil hat and starts delving into the movement’s reasons for wanting to raise money for Child’s Play.
The arrogantly named “Retake Mass Effect” group has decided to offset the public bitching by raising some money for Child’s Play, which fans are now cynically using to deflect criticism. I know this because Destructoid’s tips line was spammed by emails from Mass Effect fans demanding we write about it for that very purpose.
I would say I expected better from Sterling, but that would suggest he had moral standards, and it’s pretty obvious at this point he doesn’t. It’s also obvious that he is the one being arrogant, not those he insults. Sterling acts like being charitable is beneath him, and that there are more constructive thing to do, like insulting those who raise money for charity. Judging by his behaviour, along with that of Max and Tara, Destructoid is clearly the pinacle of classlessness in gaming media.
In any event, with the ‘Retake Mass Effect’ movement gaining momentum, those like the Destructoid’s Max Schoville, Tara Long and Jim Sterling can do nothing else but become more bitter and whiney. They’re on the wrong side of this issue, and they know it, but instead of being mature about it, they’ve become even more immature and irrational. This is a win for the ‘Retake Mass Effect’ movement. Destructoid’s goons can and will continue to insult them, but they’ve clearly won this battle against this sleazy gaming news outlet.
HOLD THE LINE!
Once again, for those who haven’t already liked ‘Demand a better ending to Mass Effect 3′ on Facebook, if you feel as myself and thousands of other Mass Effect fans do about Mass Effect 3′s endings, do it. Also, I recommend supporters of the ‘Retake Mass Effect’ movement go to ‘Retake Mass Effect’ and make a donation to Child’s Play. It’s for a very good cause.
I put up two posts yesterday, one discussing the backlash to the Mass Effect 3′s endings and another with Jeremy Jahns discussing the endings themselves. After sleeping on it, I decided that I should write a post solely dedicated to rebutting this utterly nonsensical idea that “games are art” and thus the ending should be decided by the artist, not by the gamers. If this is the only argument those like IGN’s Colin Moriarty have, then those unhappy with Mass Effect 3′s ending should have a well thought out response to it. Well, at least more thought out than the other side’s argument anyways.
As I said before, this is idea that Mass Effect fans should simply accept Mass Effect 3′s ending is entirely irrational. Regardless of symmatics like whether or not games are indeed art and the game’s developers are artists, this all comes down to one irrifutable fact, Mass Effect 3 is a product that consumers are not happy with. BioWare, as the maker of this product, is left to decide whether or not to give its loyal consumers what they were promised. Considering that the vast majority of those who are unhappy with Mass Effect 3′s endings are willing to pay for downloadable content (DLC) which will give them a more satisfying conclusion to this science fiction epic, this is a no-brainer. In fact, if BioWare created an expansion which gave gamers, not only better endings, but an additional 6-8 hours of new game content, along with additional armour, weapons, and multiplayer maps, I would imagine that most Mass Effect fans would be willing to pay handsomely for it, especially considering how much they’ve already spent on DLC for the previous two games. So what’s wrong with this? According to those like Moriarty, a lot.
The problem the “intelligentsia” within the gaming community have with Mass Effect fans who are upset about Mass Effect 3′s ending is that they are upset. Just think about that for a moment. To those like Moriarty, because they bought the product, regardless of whether or not they’re happy with it, these fans should simply accept the ending because that’s how BioWare decided to end the game. Excuse me? Why aren’t Mass Effect fans allowed to demand better endings? Apparently it’s just because. Because what? They won’t or can’t say. It is at this point that this irrational argument breaks down. Some might try to defend their position by saying that games are art, while others will say nonsensical things like “well gamers shouldn’t feel that they are entitled to whatever they want.” Both of these responses, whether it is this ridiculous “games are art” argument, or this nonsense about how consumers aren’t entitled to the product they want and are willing to pay for (the anti-capitalist approach?), highlight just how irrational their position is.
Let’s begin with this “games are art” argument. I’m not going to get into the nitty-gritty of what is a controversial topic within the gaming community. My opinion on this subject is that there are games which, in my opinion, fit the definition of art mainly because the game’s creators have purposely made it out to be such. There are also games that are artistic, but aren’t themselves art. Then there are games that can’t be considered art because there was no serious effort made by the game’s creators for it to be artistic. Stunning backgrounds and character designs can be viewed as artistic, but I have a problem accepting them as that if they do nothing more than there basic function. This is why the “games are art” argument is hard to take seriously when people try to say Gears of War and Mortal Kombat are art. Even those of the “movies are art” mindset, like Roger Ebert, couldn’t accept films like Jackass: The Movie and Crank as art. Artistic? Maybe, but not art.
Regardless of how one looks at video games, let’s accept their premise for the sake of argument that games are indeed art, and because of this, the game’s creators are artists. By accepting this premise, we also must accept the realities of the relationship between the consumer, who is the artist’s patron, and the artists themselves. This is where their fictious belief of artistic freedom is met with harsh reality and the “games are art” argument falls apart. As partons, the one’s who commissioned the art through our support of the previous two masterpieces, if we are not satisfied with the final product, we are well within our rights as patrons to demand a better final product. This is the fact those like Moriarty keep forgetting. Throughout history it wasn’t the artist, but the patrons who decide artistic trends. This is especially true during the Renaissance. If not for the patronage of wealthy nobles like the Medici family, the world would never have known of artists Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli, and Michaelangelo. Even with the freedom they were given to be artistic, they were still forced to create art that the patrons wanted. That is a historical fact.
What’s also interesting about this argument is that it completely ignores the very nature of Mass Effect and why so many are angry with its endings. The game isn’t just the product of BioWare, but of the gamers themselves. In this respect, the gamer is both artist and patron, while BioWare merely facilitates this experience by providing the setting and materials for gamers to create their own unique masterpiece. How did so many in the gaming meda’s “intelligentsia” ignore this point? How can BioWare’s desires, even if we accept that they are the real artists, trump the desires of a patron who is as artistically committed to the final product? It’s even more mindboggling is that there are those like Kotaku’s Luke Plunkett who will accept this point and argue for it, than completely dismiss it for no apparent reason. One has to wonder whether these members of the gaming media have even played any of the Mass Effect games.
As for the “gamers shouldn’t be entitled” argument, where to begin? Having worked briefly in the gaming media, writing game reviews for GamingExcellence, I can tell you from experience that it isn’t the gamers that are entitled. In fact, I can safely say that it’s those within the gaming media who act entitled. Sure there are exceptions, but the untold truth is that most of these people have this perverse belief that they are as important to the gaming industry as game developers. It’s pretty pathetic since it takes very little talent to do their job. Do you need to have a basic knowledge of video games and the gaming industry? Yes, but that kind of knowledge isn’t hard to acquire, especially after the years of playing video games and following the video game industry most of us already have. To put it bluntly, no member of the gaming industry, be they Destructoid’s Jim Sterling or IGN’s Jessica Chobot, is somehow “better” than the average gamer because of the position they hold in the gaming media. In fact, many, if not most probably lack the basic social skills required for any other form of employment. Remember that before giving their opinion undeserved credibility.
So what about this idea of gamer “entitlement”? Is there any merit to it? No, not at all. Total Biscuit explains why starting at the 10:45 mark (hat-tip suusuuu, an upset Mass Effect fan posting at BioWare Social Network).
To expand on what Total Biscuit said, it is not just the right of gamers right, but their duty to complain. They paid for Mass Effect 3 because they were promised a fulfilling conclusion to Commander Shepard’s story which reflects the choices we made throughout the series, something they didn’t get. Those criticizing these gamers aren’t even debating this point. In fact, one of those criticizing those upset with Mass Effect 3′s endings is/was himself angry with the game’s endings (it’s hard to tell with the speed at which Luke Plunkett apparently changed his position). Regardless of how irrational they sound for criticizing those who are upset with the current endings, their position is made even more irrational since many, if not most upset Mass Effect fans are willing to pay for new endings. Are these members of the gaming media’s “intelligentsia” now going to demand that BioWare turn down this opportunity? That makes no sense either. Demanding accountability from game developers, especially when they don’t deliver on their promises, isn’t something that should be criticized. This is the very nature of capitalism, and, to paraphase Total Biscuit, it does the gaming industry a disservice if this apparent betrayal of Mass Effect fans is allowed to go unchallenged.
The final point in both arguments that I want to quickly touch on is this idea that any change to the ending is “unprescedented.” How so? They don’t explain this either. Aside from Bethesda Game Studio’sFallout 3′s expansion, Broken Steel, as I stated in the previous post, Sir Author Conan Doyle brought back Sherlock Holmes because of public outcry. If such changes could be made to what is arguably the most influencial detective novel series of all time, why couldn’t such changes be made to Mass Effect? Are those arguing this point trying to put video games on a pedestal above classical literature? If that is the case, it further demonstrates the arrogance of this entitled “intelligentsia” within gaming media.
In any event, there you have it. If the “intelligentsia” within the gaming media wants to debate any point I’ve discussed here, they’re welcome to try. If they, however, wish to continue to degrade Mass Effect fans upset with Mass Effect 3′s endings without a coherent argument as to why, then it goes to prove what myself and others have been saying all along. People are entitled to their own opinion, and, as consumers, are entitled to complain if the product they feel they didn’t get what they paid for. Calling a flawed product “art” doesn’t change any of that. To think it does is irrational.
HOLD THE LINE!
For those who haven’t already liked ‘Demand a better ending to Mass Effect 3′ on Facebook, if you feel as myself and thousands of other Mass Effect fans do about Mass Effect 3′s endings, go and do it. I would also recommend those who do go to ‘Retake Mass Effect’ and make a donation to Child’s Play. It’s for a very good cause.
This post concerns the recent backlash to the endings of Mass Effect 3. If you’re either looking for a political post or don’t want to the endings spoiled, I would suggest you stop reading.
I started playing BioWare’sMass Effect in 2008. My best friend and I were walking around Place D’Orleans and we wandered into GameStop. I was looking for a new game, but I didn’t see anything interesting. It was then my best friend starts flipping out. On the shelf in front of us was a new copy of Mass Effect for $9.99. He told me that he was angry because he had paid full price for the collector’s edition when it came out, and that I should take advantage of this summer sale GameStop was having and pick it up. I took a look, it seemed fascinating, and before I could even think about putting it down, he started demanding I pick it up. It didn’t cost much, and I got more joy out of that game than I have from most full-priced titles I’ve picked up. From then I was hooked on Mass Effect. I picked up the collector’s edition for Mass Effect 2, as well as BioWare’s other big titles, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age: Awakenings and Dragon Age 2.
Suffice to say, I was really looking forward to Mass Effect 3. I had just started a new character in Mass Effect 1 to carry through Mass Effect 2 so I could be ready to play the new game right after it came out. Maybe I shouldn’t have been reading the forums, maybe I shouldn’t have been watching the YouTube videos, but I did and what I saw made me delete all my Mass Effect saves. To tell the truth, it’s been four days since I played any video game, and I don’t know if I’ll ever pick up my controller and play any of the Mass Effect games again. I’ve even been thinking about returning my unopened Mass Effect 3 collector’s edition. I can’t even imagine picking up the next Dragon Age title after this apparent betrayal by BioWare.
For those who think I’m overreacting, and that the ending can’t possibly be as bad as I’m saying it is, watch it yourself. YouTube has all the ending videos, including the hidden ending players are given if they beat the game twice. As Forbes’ Paul Tassi, paraphrasing one player’s opinion, wrote, “it as if Star Wars was wrapped up with the final moments of 2001: A Space Odyssey.” This is my biggest complaint about these endings. Simply put, it doesn’t make sense in context of the established canon, nor is it the ending fans like myself were promised by BioWare employees like Michael Gamble, Casey Hudson and Mac Walters. There’s also the issue that for a series that is so dedicated to giving players choices which shape their game, it’s unforgivable that at the end of the final game that players don’t have any choice and are forced to choose between endings that are almost identical.
I’m not the only person angry and confused about what’s going on. There are thousands upon thousands of Mass Effect fans who find themselves in this very position. Aside from the various memes that fans are coming up with, there are mainstream gaming publications like Escapist Magazine which posted this ‘Critical Miss’ cartoon about the response to Mass Effect 3′s endings.
I also found this ‘Mass Deffect’ YouTube video from Kanal von ACAVYOS which had myself and others in stitches.
Joking aside, this backlash from Mass Effect fans over Mass Effect 3′s ending is causing not just BioWare, but Electronic Arts (EA) some serious problems. Right now, there is a Facebook Community Page, ‘Demand a Better Ending to Mass Effect 3′, a Twitter account, @RetakeME3, and a website organized by the greater community of Mass Effect fans, ‘Retake Mass Effect’ which is also raising funds for children’s charity Child’s Play. There’s also a rallying call, which comes right from the series itself, more specifically Captain Kirrahe of the salarian military, “HOLD THE LINE!”
I would imagine that this isn’t the response BioWare was hoping for from an ending which, as Casey Hudson said in a recent interview Digital Trends, keeps the game from being “forgettable.” Forgettable? No, but I doubt they would want Mass Effect 3 to be remembered for the wrong reasons.
The problem is that this negative reaction is having a noticeable effect on the game’s rating and sales. As of now, Mass Effect 3 has a 3.5/10 rating on Metacritic, and despite being released a week ago, the game is being sold on Amazon.com for as low as $46 American and as low as $40 Canadian on Amazon.ca. After all the money EA has put into funding, promoting, producing and distributing this game, I would imagine this whole ordeal is very troubling.
What’s even worse is that BioWare’s staff is either being tight-lipped about this overly negative reaction to the series’ conclusion, or sending out extremely cryptic responses to fan complaints. Some staff members have even insulted those unhappy with the game’s ending. For example, Manveer Heir, a senior designer at BioWare Montreal, retweeted comments made by Penny Arcade’s Ben Kuchera, mocking Mass Effect fans who wanted a happier ending to Commander Shepard’s story.
It isn’t just BioWare staff that are insulting upset fans. As the gaming media begins to take notice of this fiasco, there is a considerable amount of outrage directed at those upset with the current endings to Mass Effect 3. In what I can only describe as a knee-jerk reaction by the “intelligentsia” of the gaming community, the response has been swift as particularly vicious. Kotaku’s Owen Good was one of the first to attack, claiming those who had set up and signed various online petitions asking for new endings were part of “[a] community that spews nonstop hatred of a game it bought at full price and plays religiously.” The main problem with Good’s assertion is that, if he bothered to read the response coming from Mass Effect fans, he would have known that not only are they not playing Mass Effect 3 anymore, but that they aren’t even playing the other two titles in the series. The endings are just too much for some of us to bear. He also rants about how “games are art” and that this is BioWare’s story to tell, an ignorant and irrelevant point echoed by Luke Plunkett (which goes to show that Luke might be bipolar as he was ranting about how much he hated Mass Effect 3′s endings lacking any real choice a daily earlier) and Kotaku Australia’s Mark Serrels, but I will deal with that in a later.
Next is Destructoid’s Jim Sterling compared upset Mass Effect fans to Kathy Bates’ character from Misery, the film adaptation of a Stephen King novel of the same. If those upset with the ending are supposed to be civil, why shouldn’t those attacking them be as well? It should be noted that Sterling isn’t a stranger to offensive remarks or grossly inappropriate behaviour. According to Anna Anthropy at The Border House, Sterling called her girlfriend, among other things, a “cunt,” “sweetcheeks”, “an attention-seeking,” a “little bitch,” “an embarrassment to her gender” and a “feminazi slut” during a heated Twitter exchange last year. I honestly don’t know why Destructoid would want to employ a liability like him. Controversy generates attention which generates hits and revenue, I understand that, but he’s clearly one ‘Jimquisition’ rant away from a costly lawsuit.
It doesn’t surprise me, however, that this kind of language is coming from someone at Destructoid. Just listen to the language Max Scoville and Tara Long use to describe upset Mass Effect fans (if you’re short on time, skip ahead to the 12:30 mark when the insults begin).
“Incompetent, whiny, twats”? If Tara ever loses her job at Destructoid, there’s always an opening for someone of her “class” on Jersey Shore. Max is no better, and aside from being equally offensive, the comparisons he makes clearly shows he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. I mean, it’s not like Sir Author Conan Doyle, after killing of Sherlock Holmes in “The Final Problem,” gave into public pressure and brought the character back to life right? Oh wait.
IGN’s Colin Moriarty also weighed in and, instead of presenting a balanced, let alone coherent argument for his position, he attacked upset Mass Effect fans for acting like they are “entitled” to a better ending. His argument quickly devolves into a rant about Mass Effect being BioWare’s creation and that fans should simply accept the endings because that’s the game’s creators decided to end it. This, as with much of the other response to the criticism of Mass Effect 3′s ending goes back to this idea that “games are art” and thus the ending should be simply accepted because that’s what the “artist,” the game’s creators, wanted. This argument is pure and utter nonsense.
Not all gaming media coverage of the response to Mass Effect 3′s endings is negative, however. Forbes’ Erik Kain has been fairly supportive of those upset with Mass Effect 3′s endings. His recent article “Mass Effect 3 And The Pernicious Myth Of Gamer ‘Entitlement’” is definitely worth a read as it is a direct response to Colin Moriarty’s incoherent rant. Ross Lincoln at Game Front wrote a very in-depth article which exams the major complaints fans have with the game’s endings. It’s an article everyone interested in this topic should read, especially those who do want better endings as it lays out in full detail why the current endings aren’t acceptable. Chris Matyskiel of Robot Geek wrote a good piece about the importance of, what is now being described as a movement. With more and more people finishing Mass Effect 3, and with more and more people learning about this apparent betrayal by BioWare of its loyal fans, I expect this movement to become much bigger.
In any event, BioWare should be happy at this reaction to their game’s ending. Of course the negative publicity, and the loss in sales isn’t something they should celebrate, but I would imagine it’s hard for them not to look at what is happening and realize that it’s because they created such a compelling story which thousands upon thousands of gamers are invested in that there is this kind of reaction to this an apparent betrayal on their part. If it was just another game, gamers could simply ignore the incoherent and depressing endings and move onto something else. That isn’t the case, however, and BioWare should be proud of that at least.
It is because that so many have played and replayed the last two games countless times over the last five years that it means enough to them that they are willing to “HOLD THE LINE!” and demand better endings for this game.
With the release of Red Dead Redemption, the controversy about the game’s production has heated up. Gamasutra’s published a letter from the spouses of Rockstar Games San Deigo employees earlier this year, stating, among other things, that “the extent of degradation employees have suffered extends to their quality of life and their family members”. After sorting through this letter, I find that many of the claims made by Rockstar employee spouses are vague, exaggerated, and downright inflammatory. Considering that all types of work, be it full-time or part-time, are less than enjoyable, I have a hard time taking it seriously, especially with these absurd claims that the treatment the employees have received has effected their quality of life and driven many to contemplate suicide.
In my employment experience, I have been subjected to unsafe working conditions, harassment and intimidation from both co-workers and management, even being wrongfully terminated, and all of this before leaving Canada to teach in Nantong, China. Even with the Rockstar paying $2.75 million in an out of court settlement following previous complaints, considering that the case was about unpaid overtime (even I have been denied overtime pay), I have yet to find any reason to feel sympathetic to employees of one of the biggest developers in gaming today. If these employees truly felt abused, why not leave the company? They wouldn’t be hard pressed to find new employment when their resume includes work on the top selling titles of the last few years.
Red Dead Redemption came out last week and while I know I’m going to buy it, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t somewhat hesitant to do so.
It seems the controversy is now mostly forgotten, but in January, the spouses of a number of Rockstar San Diego developers penned an open letter decrying the working conditions in the studio. Reminiscent of the then unnamed Erin Hoffman’s EA Spouse letter, it details conditions that grossly overreach the usual game development crunch time. And of course, the response from Rockstar HQ and Take 2 was typical mealy-mouthed PR bullshit. While I’m sure plenty of other games I have enjoyed were made under similar conditions to Red Dead Redemption and simply didn’t receive public outcry, a pall is still cast over RDR that it won’t ever be able to fully shake, at least for me.
Hearing the alleged conditions in Rockstar San Diego were also unfortunately familiar; by several accounts, Bully was created at Rockstar Vancouver under very similar conditions. And even though I quite enjoyed Bully, I couldn’t help but feel a little … uncomfortable about it. It was that same twinge of discomfort you get seeing “Made in Bangladesh” on the tag of your shirt. I don’t mean to pick on Rockstar, I’m sure this is a problem at many studios, but you know, they did pay out almost $3 million after a lawsuit was filed by employees about a year ago.
While I’m being facetious about the idea of “fair trade” certification for games, even if such a thing could exist, I’m not sure something like it would actually be desirable. The purpose of fair trade is to avoid purchasing goods produced in unfair conditions. But if I had slaved away on a game, seeing it sell poorly because consumers disagreed with the conditions it was made in would only be adding insult to injury.
And of course, I don’t think it’s very risky to say most of the potential audience really doesn’t care. Most are simply unaware of such circumstances at all and of the small percentage that are, many seem to have the perverse and naive attitude that being a game developer is some invaluable gift. Once this legendary position has been obtained, all expectations of fair and decent working conditions evaporate.
A couple choice comments from the Shacknews post about this: “Come to NY and see who cries for you.” “Oh please. These guys have the best jobs in the world and they love doing it. Have a problem with it? DON’T MARRY THEM.” “This sucks, but god damn those screens look good.”
Unfortunately, this attitude exists even in some new entrants to the industry. Willing to do virtually anything to “break in,” their enthusiasm results in a seemingly unending supply for the digital salt mines. Eventually circumstances like the above burn them out and they leave for good, resulting in less than one third of developers making it to ten years in the industry.
And I have no idea what to do about it. It seems buying Red Dead Redemption is better than not doing so in protestation, but good sales likely aren’t going to inspire change at Rockstar San Diego. More likely, a good swath of people will leave, replacements will be brought in and things will get as bad again the next time a project is well behind schedule. I do not think the solution is a union, as I’m very skeptical of a union ever being a good idea for knowledge workers. The great, bloated beasts SAG and the WGA have become certainly give me little hope.
The only thing I can do, personally, is refuse to ever work at a studio that operates under such conditions and strongly council others to do the same. If great, experienced developers will only operate at studios with respectful, fair working conditions, and they make this known, that might incentivize certain changes. The passion people have to making games is also a great weakness, because it can be exploited. Game developers will tolerate conditions I can’t imagine someone making accounting software ever would. We cannot allow our passion to be taken advantage of.
I really hope Red Dead Redemption is a big success, both in terms of quality and sales. It’s better condolence than the alternative. It sure sounds like its creators were asked to give far too much and there’s a part of me that will feel a little guilty enjoying the game because of it. I long for the day when developers’ passion will be respected rather than exploited, but honestly, I don’t know how soon that day will come. Not soon enough, I think.
Let me start by saying that I am not a supporter of “fair trade”. Not only does it distort pricing, creating excess supply, but with the drop in demand due to the higher prices, it does more to hurt those it claims to help in the long run. It is the product of guilt-ridden “elites” who aren’t satisfied with paying competitive prices for what they consider “ill-gotten” goods, and because of it, consumers and supplies suffer. Turning to Nels’ article, suggesting that consumers boycott game companies that “exploit” their workers leads to only one outcome; the increase in game prices and the decrease in game development. It would be akin to unionizing the gaming labour force, something Nels says he is skeptical of, leading to same short comings that we see in the auto industry with automakers like General Motors that are being forced to produce inferior quality vehicles at prices higher than their competition. I am further dumbfound by Nels’ remarks considering that Rockstar Games San Deigo employees not only produced a noticeably inferior product on the Playstation 3, but a game that is heavily glitched on both systems. This kind of laziness shouldn’t be rewarded, nor should these employees be treated like victims if they can’t produce quality games after more than five years of development.
Let’s not pretend this is some sort of non-biased account of what has happened at Rockstar Games San Diego. Nels alerts his readers to his anti-corporate/anti-Rockstar Games bias with statements like “the response from Rockstar HQ and Take 2 was typical mealy-mouthed PR bullshit” and “many seem to have the perverse and naive attitude that being a game developer is some invaluable gift”. His second statement is particularly dumbfounding because being a game developer is to many, including myself, an invaluable gift. The gaming industry is very competitive, and many people are forced to seek work in other game markets, if they are even lucky enough to get that since the positions in North America are hard to come by. This statement is akin to a professional athlete complaining about his/her troubles, unaware of the millions of individuals who would give anything to have their life. Nels can complain about how he wants studios to operate with “respectful, fair working conditions”, but the truth is that the gaming market has become very competitive and the feelings of a few workers will be sacrificed if not doing so will cost companies like Rockstar Games money, which in turn costs jobs. The truth of this point is that Nels refuses to acknowledge that game developing is a business and that, for the most part, should be run like a business. As hard as that may be to accept, this is the reality of the matter since “happiness and pleasant thoughts” won’t pay bills.
Let’s stop pretending this is about working conditions. Rockstar Games San Diego is a far cry from Foxconn in Shenzhen, China where people are committing suicide due to what apparently is poor working conditions. Notice how he doesn’t write about the fact that Foxconn, who makes parts for Apple, Dell and HP computers, might ACTUALLY be treating their employees in the way he and others depict Rockstar Games San Diego’s treatment of its staff. Why doesn’t he want “fair trade” iPads and iPhones? Honestly, Nels doesn’t really care at all about this nonsense. He hates how game development has become more business oriented and has targeted Rockstar Games because of this ongoing fiasco. He can pretend that the treatment of the staff at the San Diego office will affect his decision, but if he really did care, he would purchase Red Dead Redemption to ensure that the team that worked on it would get their bonuses. The better the game sells, the more likely that not only will the developer want to keep them, but also more likely that they will be rewarded for their hard work. Returning back to the article, Nels completely ignores the point made by Garnett Lee in ShackNews article that this increase in pressure on the staff may be due to the fact that many developers are being forced to close in these fiscally hard times, instead focusing on comments made by readers that these complaints are nonsense. While employees at Rockstar Games San Diego complain about working conditions, many people, both insides and outside the gaming industry, find themselves out of work and see that these whiners are lucky to have a job to complain about, let alone a steady paycheck.
In the end, that is all this is, a group of employed individuals complaining that they are being mistreated. Seeing how it took them more than five years to release a glitch-ridden title, as many have noted, they should be grateful they still having a job. Nels can pretend to be this victim rights advocate, but you know as well as I do that if he actually cared, he wouldn’t hesitate to pick up this title. What we have here is a gameplay programmer making a political statement about the video game industry. It doesn’t matter what the facts are, he simply wants recognition for a ill-conceived and biased opinion about this ongoing fiasco at Rockstar Games San Diego. Considering that these are fiscally difficult times, I have no use for his ill-informed “elitist” rhetoric. Many of us are unemployed, and we don’t have money to be wasted on political statements.
If Nels Anderson wants to play political games, he better expect myself and others to call him on his nonsense. Unless people are ACTUALLY being mistreated, unless people are ACTUALLY committing suicide, you and the rest of the whiners better SIT DOWN, SHUT UP, AND BE THANKFUL THAT YOU STILL HAVE A JOB, let alone one in the video game industry. Downright pathetic…
