Plague of game dev harassment erodes industry, spurs support groups

[Vic George 2K3]

Link to the article:

http://www.polygon.com/2013/8/15/4622252/plague-of-game-dev-harassment-erodes-industry-spurs-support-groups

 

My thoughts on the subject:

I think that it goes both ways. It's okay for gamers to be angry at game developers for products that don't live up to their expectations, but that doesn't give them the right to harass and even send death threats to game developers to force them to make changes or fixes for even the littlest of things, and they shouldn't act like the whole industry revolves around them.

 

On the other hand, game developers need to be open to listening to constructive critcism of where their efforts fail, and not dismiss them all as nagging complaints from fannish crybabies who whine at even the littlest of things gone wrong. After all, even if they're trying to reach the biggest audience possible, there's still the hardcores who are paying their bills and keeping them from sinking.

 

It's either an open and reasonable dialogue between both gamers and game developers or else it's just a one-way conversation that will make neither side happy.

[JamesD]

Death threats over changes to a game are inexcusable. A virtual gun in a virtual world doesn't do as much damage after a patch so you threaten the developers? Get out of your parent's basement and spend some time in the real world for crying out loud.

 

I'm not completely behind developers though. Horribly buggy games from developers are also inexcusable and having a game crash after hours or days of play is bound to create some hostility. Anyone remember a PC game called Lords of Magic? Buggiest game I've ever played. I seem to remember the developer fixing the game (mostly) but only some of the fixes were downloadable at the time and the patches I tried created as many problems as they solved. The developer eventually released a special edition in stores with more fixes that weren't available for download. So, I'm supposed to buy the game all over again to get a fully working version?

Yeah, not cool.

[cimerians]

The guy who created FEZ has quit making games because of crazy fans\media:

 

http://www.stuff.co....-quits-industry

 

In my opinion sadly a lot of the true fans don't speak up as much as the crazy ones do. So usually when I observe Bioware or other forums I almost always see fanatics posting way more often.

 

So as a developer it can be maddening.

Edited August 18, 2013 by cimerians

[toptenmaterial]

I would advise developers to create games to express their own visions, and to ignore these idiots. Crowds are always ignorant and most gifted artists are posthumously recognized. Don't give up your craft because a 13 year old calls you a jerk on the internet.

 

Edited for language

Edited August 18, 2013 by toptenmaterial

[JamesD]

I think the people that are happy with a game are going to be playing it while the person that is unhappy will be the one making noise.

That kinda biases the feedback developers get.

[Tickled_Pink]

The best way to ignore these idiots is not to give them a platform to begin with. Lately the trolls seem to have moved from Facebook to Twitter. So the answer is, don't use Twitter.

 

I have a twitter account for my business and dev work but I haven't posted anything for a while or bothered to get more followers. I just don't know what the point of Twitter actually is. I don't even know why or when to use hashtags. For someone so techie minded, I'm totally clueless about Twitter.

 

Maybe that's a good thing.

[Starscream]

entitled whiny angry gamers. yay

[goldenegg]

The guy who created FEZ has quit making games because of crazy fans\media:

 

I'll admit that there are many who go too far, but Phil Fish is a jackass who alienated his fanbase and got the response he deserved. What did he honestly expect to happen after openly ripping on gamers?

 

 

[cimerians]

I'll admit that there are many who go too far, but Phil Fish is a jackass who alienated his fanbase and got the response he deserved. What did he honestly expect to happen after openly ripping on gamers?

 

He might be and exception but I really can't blame some of them for getting fed up. I've read some crazy stuff on twitter...official forums etc.

 

I don't know. If I was a dev I wouldn't be that accessible but thats just me. I wouldn't want to deal with it. Its like "play my game fine, if you don't like it that's fine too...I dont care".

 

Again that's just me.

[Vic George 2K3]

If some of those game developers are acting like jerks to the general public, maybe it is best for them to get out of the business before something terrible happens that in their case could end up being their just desserts, like one of the stalkers decides to put them in the ground and even accomplishes it.

Edited August 20, 2013 by Vic George 2K3

[Karyyk]

People in general these days just seem to have this general feeling of entitlement. If something doesn't meet their expectations, they expect to be catered to to the point of being bent-over-backward. While I agree that developers should take heed to what their customers want, it's still their game, their baby, and I'd hate to see something truly creative get watered-down to something less, simply because of customer backlash (people whining about something being "too hard" for instance...games today basically hand you victory if you're not good enough, and being "difficult to master" is seen as a negative).

 

The whole death threat thing really, really, REALLY needs to stop. Have people really grown so petty as to threaten another human being over something as easily replaceable as a game (yes)? I mean, I don't know about you, but an 'entertainment choice,' when you get right down to it, really doesn't matter very much. If one is unavailable, I'll pick another. The sad thing is, you see this kind of thing all over the place, with sports, comics (I know the guy who took Spiderman in some pretty radical, and frankly, weird/nonsensical directions received quite a few), movies, you name it. I know people get pretty fanatical about things they're enthusiastic about (we're on a Jaguar board after all), but to me, there seems to be a pretty big disconnect between that and something I'd harm another human being over (much less their children). Then again, we live in a world where human beings seem to shoot each other over sports from time to time. I guess games, sadly, aren't far behind. I think a lot of it is baseless, people talking out-of-their-ass, empowered by the veil of anonymity, but you really can't take that chance.

 

All that being said, Phil Fish is a jerk, to the extent that a human being probably can't be without having some mental problems (that or it's a publicity stunt, take your pick). I'm not saying he deserves to be physically harmed by any means (well, beyond some justifiable fisticuffs), but he brings a lot of the verbal abuse upon himself, usually be being about as crass and verbally abusive as a person can be. With some of the stuff he says, I could understand it if someone snapped and took a swing at him.

[+Gemintronic]

Oh gawd. I feel zero sympathy for the industry nowadays. They've lost touch with me decades ago. When customers start shouting that's a much bigger issue than their wounded feelings rising up.

[iswitt]

While I admit that there are probably a good number of idiot developers out there who refuse to listen to criticism of any kind, I also don't think think they are obligated to listen to anything anyone says. Sure, if there is a bug in a game I like I want them to fix it, but I would never resort to the immaturity and extremism of death threats or even harsh language. I think if you're going to get the developers to do anything (if their workload even allows it), then you have to be courteous yet firm in your position. When I am unhappy with service I receive at a restaurant, I don't raise hell about it. I simply send the message via a small or nonexistent tip and perhaps a brief discussion with a manager. Anger and threats don't really go very far and create a hostile, infertile landscape for communication and creation.

 

Remember back in the old days when you'd get a broken game and there was nothing you could really do about it? Now we have all kinds of ways to voice our opinions and get developers to listen; we just need to be smart about how we do it.

Edited August 20, 2013 by iswitt

[Reaperman]

It's all part of being a very public figure at the top of projects that touch millions of people. Somebody's going to cross the line, and everybody's line is different. Welcome to the world of actors, directors, musicians, etc. Especially the people who use social media to put themselves directly at the fingertips of their customers and assume that all of them will like their latest work and be perfectly civil about it.

 

I recall me saying numerous times something along the lines of a better way to say "I'm sorry" for the ps3/psn/geohot mess would be if the heads of the Playstation brand killed themselves. I mean, every Japanese stereotype says that's what's supposed to happen, right? Taking opinions like that are all 'part of the job' that they get their 7-8 digit incomes for. If they want a stress-free life, I'll pay them minimum wage to wax my car a few hours a week.

[+Gemintronic]

There's nothing smart about the customer antagonist view that game development houses and game developers have nowadays. It's not directly about Phil Fish. It's not about the raging troll on support forums. It's about the culture of specifically distancing yourself from what gamers are telling you.

[goldenegg]

I recall me saying numerous times something along the lines of a better way to say "I'm sorry" for the ps3/psn/geohot mess would be if the heads of the Playstation brand killed themselves. I mean, every Japanese stereotype says that's what's supposed to happen, right? Taking opinions like that are all 'part of the job' that they get their 7-8 digit incomes for.

 

NO! It doesn't matter how much money someone makes, it's absolutely NEVER okay to tell someone to kill themselves. What is wrong with you?

[+Gemintronic]

NO! It doesn't matter how much money someone makes, it's absolutely NEVER okay to tell someone to kill themselves. What is wrong with you?

 

I'm more inclined to think Reaperman knows the cultural context he is speaking about. Stepping down or taking a "sideways" move in the corporate ladder is akin to career death in Japan.

[goldenegg]

I'm more inclined to think Reaperman knows the cultural context he is speaking about. Stepping down or taking a "sideways" move in the corporate ladder is akin to career death in Japan.

 

Having lived in Tokyo, I'm very familiar with the cultural context. The stereotype Reaperman referred to is due to the high suicide rate in Japan, many of which are done as some see it as more honourable than living with failure. It is not something the public asks someone to do (or even expects of them). People in Japan would simply call for the person responsible to step down. They do not use any words related to 'kill'.

Edited August 20, 2013 by goldenegg