Jimquisition: I'm Going To Murder Your Children

[Gene O]

Mr. Sterling, you've got yourself a deal!

 

[agmabnox]

No Jim, she's not creative.
She is not daring.
She IS terrible.

Her only non game project (Which was a project done by her and her husband) was one of the worst graphics novels ever made. The fact that she was allowed to be a writer for a company that big for so long is precisely the argument anyone would ever need for why games are not successful as an artistic medium.
She has no right to write a book on game narratives, because she doesn't even GET the narrative power of the medium, she's basically openly stated such.

No, that does not make her deserving of any mistreatment. Anyone who resorts to threatening children because a product was bad (Unless that product happened to be cancer drugs for your own children) is an absolutely terrible person. But let's not paint her as some sort of misunderstood genius here.

 

[Aardvaarkman]

She has no right to write a book on game narratives, because she doesn't even GET the narrative power of the medium, she's basically openly stated such.

Yeah, because the Constitution states that only certain people should be allowed to write books under certain conditions.

Have you ever read a book? Have you been to a bookstore? Are you aware of how many terrible, unbelievably bad books have been published since the invention of the printing press?

 

[agmabnox]

She has no right to write a book on game narratives, because she doesn't even GET the narrative power of the medium, she's basically openly stated such.

Yeah, because the Constitution states that only certain people should be allowed to write books under certain conditions.

Have you ever read a book? Have you been to a bookstore? Are you aware of how many terrible, unbelievably bad books have been published since the invention of the printing press?

I would think that you'd understand that I was using it in the same vein as I would if I said "X person does not have the right to lecture on this subject because they are themselves unqualified".
But no.

Obviously she has all legal right to say whatever she wants.

 

[Vhite]

Rather noble of you Jim to sacrifice entire episode for one or few people responsible for this but I guess mentally deficient need any extra attention they can get.

 

[Rebel_Raven]

Geez, I see so many people attacking the victims -still-, even when the point of this video is to stop it.
Moreover, there's people in this thread completely ignoring the fact that people are threatening -children- and loved ones who are bystanders in all of this.
People seriously are defending the practice of threatening lives here.

I can understand being angry, but it's not like they, personally, mishandled your property, and created a situation where you had to replace things. It's not even like they personally attacked you, even verbally.
Heck, at times these people are only guilty of retalliating. If a person can't, or isn't expected to retalliate, and they get attacked, then what, exactly does that make the attacker? And people get MAD at them for retalliating?

It's not like they didn't care about what services they rendered, and it's not like everyone mad at these people actually spent money on these services.

More fuel for my misanthropy. Huzzah.

 

[Vegosiux]

Because it still shouldn't be tolerated. If you're being an asshole to everyone, you should still be punished for being an asshole. How do you expect the problem users to learn or finally be cast out if no one points them out? Admins run entirely on reports, we can't see the posts unless someone stands up and points them out.

Funny thing, and completely unrelated mind; over here you can only be persecuted for theft if the person you stole from reports you - even if there are witnesses, the person who was actually harmed needs to give the green light.

Uh, this is more or less just trivia.

Because, honestly, people who make death threats over the internet and get raging boners over making such threats are really, really, really not nice people at all.

 

[wulf3n]

You're literally quoting, word for word, the problem that arises with the bystander effect. There's a reason why the report button exists on everyone's screen dude, and that's because we trust the community to use it when they see something like that.

We're not talking about a crime here where the "victim" has no means of dealing with the situation, and must rely on bystanders. It's not so much the Bystander Effect as it is the Deal with it yourself Effect.

 

[Dante dynamite]

The thing is that a lot of the folks at the escapist aren't the type of people who do this you are basically preaching to the choir. Even if one of those people are watching this episode it isn't going to do anything outside the escapist a lot of gamers on other sites (not all mind you just a lot) don't give a shit especially those who do act terrible for example /v/. Hell this is one of the few sites that actually even discuss Anita's videos or the issue of sexism in games (sort of) seriously in a lot of other places people don't care especially those who are more casually gaming and come to game sites for reviews and announcements.

You can get angry at them, you can decry them you can associate everyone with them and try to makes everyone take responsibility for these actions or you could tell them to behave themselves. But you won't stop it. I'm not saying its okay that these threats are happening but anonymity of any sort will enable people to be horrible because they do not have to confront anyone directly and most suggestions rather won't work, won't be implemented or some are just plain crazy.

Side note: when has a game or game maker been punished with vitriol from the gaming community for being creative. It usually happens when someone tries to do something new with an existing series because people feel the cahne is ruining what they like. again not justifying just saying.

 

[Fifty-One]

You do realise you're also threatening people, which makes you as bad as them.

I'm always amazed that people who condemn violence seem to believe that that it's acceptable when they're inflicting this violence.

Based on the quote I see no threat of violence made here. Just a wish that the people who threatened her children are held accountable by law in some form or fashion. I would agree as well.

 

[Sheo_Dagana]

I wasn't really shocked to hear about these death threats, considering that Casey Hudson also received death threats for his involvement in Mass Effect 3. Is it incredibly sad that I'm not shocked? Hell, I've seen Jim threatened with violence on his own Twitter feed as well as Adam Sessler just because he gave God of War: Ascension a 3/5.

It says a lot about gamers at large when people read about this sort of thing. Yes, people who threaten those working in the industry with violence are a very small part of the community and do not represent gamers as a whole, but they can still make the majority look bad. Pick any number of issues out there today and you can see that to be true.

If your life is so bad that you continue to let a game that came out years ago or it's review score affect your daily life, then I'd say that you have more problems than the people you're going after - that includes the people that have negative things to say about Jennifer Heppler or anyone else that may have dared to disagree with them. Dragon Age 2 already happened. Mass Effect's ending is a thing. Someone gave the Last of Us less than a 9. DmC exists and is available for purchase. It's over. Move on.

 

[Vault Citizen]

What the fuck is wrong with some people. Sending threats like that to her... I hope they got legal trouble on their ass. Scare the little shits.

You do realise you're also threatening people, which makes you as bad as them.

I'm always amazed that people who condemn violence seem to believe that that it's acceptable when they're inflicting this violence.

Actually that person is just hopin that bad things happen to them, it would only be a theat if they claimed that they would inflict bad things on the person they were talking about or claim to have others inflict bad things upon them.

 

[neppakyo]

She's not a very good writer, and DA2 was all around a horrible piece of shit. But idiots threatening her is just stupid. No need for that at all.

It's best to not buy anything she's written or ignore her, no need for nonsense like this.

 

[Insideout Ink Demon]

I'm Going To Murder Your Children

If your first response to a game creator doing something you dislike is to get personal with them and threaten their families, you waive any righteousness you might have had. Seems like a no-brainer ... yet so few of us seem to have brains.

Watch Video

Jim, did you ever hear about MP Stella Creasy, who was threatened to rape on Twitter because she campaigned to have novelist Jane Austen put on the £10 note. these f#cks need some perspective in their lives

 

[NinjazInside]

This world is just essentially fighting a rot that it will never be rid of at least in most of our lifetimes, i was thinking about this after the video. Humans generally want to group together and form a pseudo group identity, whether that be in family units or Nation scale it's all the same, anyone that harms/threatens one in the group, affects the whole group and is thus punished by the group and rightly so especially if they are from that group. Life is terrible in a sense that no matter how hard we try there will always be people that love to walk all over other peoples lives, hell im trying to help someone who has been emotionally trodden into the ground for 2 years now. There are a lot of manipulative and spiteful people out there who can not either express an opinion in an acceptable manner, or form an actually sound opinion that it must be backed up with threats to give it 'Validity'. I fear for the day that we meet a species that is not our own, what kind of bloody image will we present then, as well as our past.

 

[maddawg IAJI]

You're literally quoting, word for word, the problem that arises with the bystander effect. There's a reason why the report button exists on everyone's screen dude, and that's because we trust the community to use it when they see something like that.

We're not talking about a crime here where the "victim" has no means of dealing with the situation, and must rely on bystanders. It's not so much the Bystander Effect as it is the Deal with it yourself Effect.

Diffusion and/or deflection of responsibility in a public setting. That is the exact definition of the Bystander Effect. The victim doesn't have to be completely helpless for the bystander to have to step in and this response only serves the message I stated earlier about gamers being horrendously apathetic to one another.

 

[tardcore]

Yeah, I noticed you don't condone violence, and that's good. It means you have a sense of morality. But your morality is wasted if you choose to allow those who don't have any morals to run rampant. I'm sorry, but its true. Because we are apathetic. When someone tells us that they slept with our mother or calls us a fag, do you think the majority of the gaming community mutes and reports? Of course not. Insult throwing is considered to be a stereotype among gamers. We don't like it, but we passively sit by and let it continue, even when we're the targets.

As I've stated before, this part of "we" doesn't do that. And its not your right to prejudge and presume that anyone does. The fact that you are doing so does not make you any better morally than someone who uses a blanket bias or prejudice to demonize an entire demographic of people. Not a single person posting here has said that someone has the right to threaten the lives of others or those of their children or that its a good and positive thing. If they had you might have an argument. As they haven't you are using your own angry prejudices to create in your own mind a group of nonexistent criminals.

Because you should be concerned, you shouldn't be arguing how I'm being too harsh on a community that is so fragmented and lacks empathy for one another. I'm telling you to turn on people who don't do anything, I'm asking you to judge and turn on people who are being ignored because people don't anything. Encouraging civic duty is kinda part of my job, both in reality and on the web.

Really I shouldn't be arguing, so I have no free will in this matter? That's how dictatorships start, mate. You are demanding I do only what you tell me and turn on people who don't think like you do and attack them with ridicule and derision. Well if that isn't a text book definition of bullying I just don't know what the fuck is. Looks like my earlier accusation of you wanting to create a mindless internet lynch mob was spot on.

Because as sad as it is, you don't make progress pointing out the positive stuff. You need recognize the problems of the gaming community, and one of them happens to be an aggressive player base.

Wow. Really? Only through negativity can you get anything done? Well then fuck Gandhi, Fuck Martin Luther King. Guess I'll just go burn the books about them and start reading Mein Kampf. Thanks for justifying that people uses such ultimate negetivities as death threats, because apparently according to you, there is no such thing as positive reinforcement. So no one should bother trying to criticize constructively, or even civilly for that matter.

Good. I'm human. I'm not perfect and I hold differing opinions from others. I'm not a paragon and you should not see me that way. I will set an example on how a person should act with others on this site, but I'm not going to sit by and not let my opinion be heard.

Well that's interesting because back up the post that's exactly what you told me I wasn't allowed to fucking do.

I agree, I may have been a tad overemotional on this topic. You'll have to excuse me on that, since bullying has been and always will be a serious problem in my view. But regardless, sometimes you need to go with your gut. If something in the community has made me so angry that it overrode logic, it must be a serious issue. Either that, or I'm a Sith.

Quite likely the same justification the warped individuals who thought it was ok to threaten to kill someone's kids tell themselves.

Sorry but I don't feel that just focusing on the negatives without enforcing them with positives gets you anywhere. It just breeds anger angst hatred and contempt. All this weeks video and these subsequent posts have served to do is to alienate and demonize people with which you share common ground. The shared belief that its wrong to threaten to kill someone or their children. If this is what can be expected from the future of The Escapist then count me out. As apparently it isn't the website of keen open-minded intellectuals I thought it was.

 

[wulf3n]

Diffusion and/or deflection of responsibility in a public setting.

What responsibility?

The victim doesn't have to be completely helpless for the bystander to have to step in and this response only serves the message I stated earlier about gamers being horrendously apathetic to one another.

I can only speak for myself, but I don't want people getting offended or flagging posts on my behalf. If I being the offended party haven't flagged the post, then I have a reason for doing so. Flagging a post for me only serves to undermine my decision.

I don't see it as apathy, more stay out of my business and I'll stay out of yours. I don't flag post on behalf of others because I don't wont people flagging posts on behalf of me.

 

[The_Great_Galendo]

This is a little bit off-topic, but does anyone know the name of that platform game where you rotate the screen that Jim shows in the video? I don't play many platformers, but that one seems interesting enough to be worth checking out.

 

[LetalisK]

This is a little bit off-topic, but does anyone know the name of that platform game where you rotate the screen that Jim shows in the video? I don't play many platformers, but that one seems interesting enough to be worth checking out.

Fez

Because it still shouldn't be tolerated. If you're being an asshole to everyone, you should still be punished for being an asshole. How do you expect the problem users to learn or finally be cast out if no one points them out? Admins run entirely on reports, we can't see the posts unless someone stands up and points them out.

Funny thing, and completely unrelated mind; over here you can only be persecuted for theft if the person you stole from reports you - even if there are witnesses, the person who was actually harmed needs to give the green light.

Uh, this is more or less just trivia.

Because, honestly, people who make death threats over the internet and get raging boners over making such threats are really, really, really not nice people at all.

Out of curiosity, is that true of other crimes like assault? For example, if someone were to punch you?