Escapist Podcast: 027: Ocean Marketing & Roleplay in MMOs

[Pleasedpig]

Conspicuous lack of discussion about the escapist's redesign

 

[Endocrom]

00:00 - Starting off with a Mel Brooks reference, always good.

39:20 - Marble McDonalds? now that's not something you're going to see on No Reservations.

1:05:00 - I usually don't do lols and emoticons either. Mostly because it's not the early 90's and we have computers that can handle an actual sentence.

Also, no Simpsons ref? YOU'VE LOST YOUR TOUCH! SERIOUS BUSINESS!

 

[Bostur]

"Paul" deserves to have both his professional and personal life drug through the mud. If it was just bad CS, I'd say this has gone too far. But, it wasn't just that, it was bad CS, then him picking a fight with a big website, then him giving a phony "I'm sorry I bit off way more than I could chew" apology, and now he's bragging about how much press he's bringing in and trying to extort money. Not only is the guy a bully, he's a criminal and pure sleaze.

See? This is where I think things have got out of hand. The mob seems to want to rewrite the Old Testament notion of justice to read "A life for an eye, a life for a tooth."

On what grounds does this guy deserve to have his personal life drug through the mud? There's just no proportionality there. He's lost his reputation, his client, and possibly his entire business over this, but it still doesn't seem to be enough for the torch and pitchfork crowd, who won't stop until this guy's entire life and family is ruined. As douchey as this guy seems to be, I don't want any part that. I mean, that's our whole objection to this guy's behavior in the first place, right? That he acting out of proportion. To claim that we have the right to expand our attention and efforts beyond his professional misconduct is misguided and arrogant.

I understand the impulse, of course, but we're better than that and claiming "he started it" isn't an acceptable justification for engaging in the very type of thing we're condemning him for. There's no moral high ground for any of us if all we're proving is that we can out-bully a bully.

This is where I don't get Escapist's stance. The mob mentality can only take hold because big sites like Kotaku and Escapist keep feeding the fire. As was said in the podcast it was your biggest story of the week.

Escapist didn't escalate the story as much as certain other sites, but I think by re-posting the story uncritically you add extra momentum to the snowball. You could have chosen not to bring it, or you could have waited until the dust settled and added your own angle to the story. In the end I feel you acted as willing tools for people with a personal agenda.

 

[bdcjacko]

No Simpsons quotes? Fake podcat.

 

[ben---neb]

Great podcast...but at the same time Susan has a wonderful restraining influence...

If you need a question then: do game reviews affect which games you buy (either positively or negatively)? Was there a game that you were going to buy until a bad review then didn't or a game you weren't going to buy until a good review? (espically pre-Escapist)

 

[mental_looney]

Ah you are so right about the chat logs, I work in cs and the ERP is horrible sometimes especially when the player has reported something unrelated to that or they continue to ERP as you talk to them very very wrong.

Oh and we are supposed to use emoticons at work to appear more upbeat/friendly and helpful and I hate them most of the time and don't think it's appropriate for work but no it's all day long.

Great podcast as always. Question what do you think is the most promising original title, not sequel that's scheduled for release in 2012?