MovieBob leaving The Escapist

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

Its funny that people these days seem to sum up gaming websites by video content first and actual news/journalism text content as more of an afterthought (unless its a column). Even the webcomics get more attention than the news/editorials.

Personally I'm not worried, I'm here, lurking still, reading content, watching (admittedly less) videos and seeing a change happen. Change can be better, change can be worse, but change can't be stopped. It happens everywhere, in everything and has to happen for things to grow.

Growth isn't always about gaining mass of a sort, sometimes its a metamorphosis of form and function.

Escapist will either live on, in a different format than before, maybe having less here and there and more in other places. Hopefully it will continue to grow and change. It all depends on who's behind the wheel, and how willing and passionate they are for what they're doing and what they bring to us, the consumer.

We may come here, interact here, and get some of our news here, but we have to respect the guys who bring it to us too and put our faith in their ability to deliver. Criticize them? Sure... just keep it classy.

Stay classy Escapist!

 

[faefrost]

That's an economic fallacy and ideological bullshit. There are no better newer people. If you mistreat group A group B will not line up to be your customers. It's a basic customer service and sales concept. "Don't accuse the customers as a group of rape". The only way to get better newer people is to treat the people you have with courtesy and respect and provide them with the service they are looking for. There is no winning strategy in tossing away your existing consumers in favor of some imagined holy grail better customer. Many businesses have tried. They generally fail horribly and quickly.

See the problem is the "internet asshole" schtick only works while you are getting paid on a per click basis. People will watch assholes. People will be outraged, but they will still watch. But the pool of people who will actively pay for assholes is far smaller and already stretched to capacity. Bob can survive on a site like the Escapist because he is part of a broader mixed offering. Different views, different opinions, an amalgamation that people find value in as a whole. But for Bob or Jim or any producer to provide value to an audience directly paying for them and only them, well the first thing they may find is the limiting factor on being an asshole.

Now you are tossing out the buzz words and there is literally no faster way for me to not care about what you have to say when those start being trotted out. Actually there are better and newer people. People find web personalities all the time and while I will admit that in this case "better" is very subjective there is such a thing. Like say someone who gets offended at any of those comments decides he doesn't want to follow Bob anymore however another person who has never heard of him stumbles across the article and goes "You know what those aren't exactly bad or wrong accusations. I like this guy's stuff." Now he has a new follower that is "better" in that its someone open to thinking about things beyond mere words on a page.

You are assuming though that that is all Bob and possibly Jim have when you make that statement and that is blatantly false. People just like to amplify the times they are "assholes" and usually when they are "assholes" to the consumers its because the consumers that they are talking about are indeed assholes. Everyone with a brain knows who they are talking about when they talk down to people in GG or whatever the movement of the week is. If you partake in that sort of harassment or general nastiness they are talking about you. If you don't they aren't talking about you.

And that's all well and good if you are talking about simple followers. YouTube subscribers and such. But Patreon is different. Patreon is not simply following someone who seems interesting and checking out his next posting. Patreon is actively ponying up payment for the content. And what people will pay for on the Internet is very different than what they will follow.. People only pay for stuff they find to be positive.

 

[Story]

Its funny that people these days seem to sum up gaming websites by video content first and actual news/journalism text content as more of an afterthought (unless its a column). Even the webcomics get more attention than the news/editorials.

That's a very true observation and one that I'm personally guilty of. However, to be fair, MovieBob and Jim did do a fair amount of writing for the site. At least MovieBob did do news journalism and Jim was review editor.

On the other hand sites like IGN have laidoff a few people because they wanted to focus more on video content. I personally think we are starting to see this more and more on websites in general not just game focused websites.

 

[Kameburger]

I'll say this one time. I respect the hell out of moviebob, I've been a fan since the early days of Game Overthinker and loved everything he did on this site. Here's the problem. The people who do the awful things are always the loudest voices in the room. It isn't glamorous to be the guy calling for moderation and civil discourse, because the crazy people are louder and usually more entertaining. But those of us on the side of progressive social issues need our voices heard as well. And it takes a lot of guts to be as vocal a mouthpiece as Bob was and still is.

I agree with 99% of everything Bob said here and on twitter. I think Swatting, Doxxing, and all the other -ing's that are used to harass and bully people you don't agree with are morally reprehensible and have no place in a civil society. When you take part in or encourage the type of behavior that the worst of #gamergate was associated with, you deserve to be called out. When you use an anonymous position of power to lash out at people like that just because you disagree with them (or, more often you are shocked that they had the nerve to be a woman in the games industry) then you deserve to be called subhuman.

Call me a Social Justice Warrior. Call me whatever you want, wrong is wrong and if the only way to defend this culture that we are a part of is to get a little dirty, then i'd rather get dirty on the side of RIGHT than Politically Correct any day.

I stand with Bob. I will follow him anywhere, because I respect the hell out of him, and I want him to continue fighting the good fight. Today is a sad day for The Escapist. And I, for one, won't be back any time soon.

-Brian "Magicpokey" Shoop

See here is the thing. I don't disagree with your right to have an opinion, and hell, I agree with you in a lot of cases, but here is the thing that Bob did that was an active disservice to those of you "on the side of progressive social issues" as you put it: Bob didn't condemned the actions Gamergate, he condemned the actions being employed against people he agreed with. He said as much, stating that "there are no such things as bad actions only bad targets" was a paraphrased tweet from him, where he actively supported the doxxing intimidation and harassment of others simply by association.

So in that vain are you supporting "the type of behavior that the worst of #gamergate was associated with?" And it's an honest question. Similarly as a social progressive, are you against torture? or are you for it when it servers your cause? Is that hyperbolic? Absolutely! But that's what Bob was. So you can be RIGHT all day and drop political correctness but there is a difference. Social Progressive issues are in their nature "politically correct." as it was them who invented this term. You're not being "brave" or "politically incorrect" by saying "no the other side can't possibly have any point what so ever their criminals and you're either against them or you're one of them."

And for the record I don't support firing Bob or anyone for their beliefs, etc. Bob literally created an atmosphere where people didn't even want to click on his articles as proved by the almost 500 posts in this thread saying almost exactly that.

So in conclusion, if being RIGHT means supporting the harassment of ANYONE I'm afraid I can't side with you here.

 

[Darks63]

Also reading the faq I noticed that when he askes people to keep coming to The Escapist to support the people who are still here he lists everyone but Yahtzee. Think I am reading too much into that or does he have a problem with him?

I said this exact same thing in an earlier post: every time he talks about "the excellent content-producers of The Escapist" he mentions everybody bar Yahtzee. I get the impression that Bob doesn't care much for him, even if his schtick is basically to copy Yahtzee's non-stop cadence with a Boston accent. It occurs to me it's because of Yahtzee's unusual silence regarding... well, everything Bob blabbers about on Twitter. Yahtzee keeps quiet and does his thing while just about everybody else - Bob chief among them - wastes time lambasting one another on social media. Maybe Bob considers Yahtzee's neutrality harmful to his cause, seeing as how Yahtzee holds the largest fanbase of them all yet doesn't rally them in any particular direction.

Were I in Bob's shoes I would envy Yahtzee. He gets all the fame and none of the hatred (at least his detractors seem to be more indifferent towards him rather than outright hateful, unlike Bob's). Also Yahtzee has kept his show relatively "pure" if you will. The guy is about videogames. Period. He doesn't muck about with politics or social media issues, he doesn't champion internet celebs or condemn public figures. Most importantly, he's not that invested in convincing you about anything. Whereas Bob wants to talk about everything to everybody all the time. He wants to sell you his favorite shows, and his favorite movies, and his favorite comics, and his favorite games, and his favorite people, and fuck anybody who doesn't agree with him.

Just throwing this theory out there, but maybe he feel Yahtzee doesn't need a plug since he is the face of the escapist. Not saying your wrong since Bob can be extremely petty as shown by his heel turn against Nolan for a perceive Marvel snub just giving an alternate explanation.

 

[KazeAizen]

And that's all well and good if you are talking about simple followers. YouTube subscribers and such. But Patreon is different. Patreon is not simply following someone who seems interesting and checking out his next posting. Patreon is actively ponying up payment for the content. And what people will pay for on the Internet is very different than what they will follow.. People only pay for stuff they find to be positive.

And I think its become clear he has quite a big audience with enough people willing to pay for the content.

 

[Archon]

We're getting lots of great pitches, some from old veterans

Would this be an opportune time to mention that 5 years later (...wow) I still have a number of your Check For Traps articles bookmarked?
Just saying.

Thanks so much! It's great that you found it useful. I have a dream of compiling them into a book at some point. It's some of the work I'm most proud of.

 

[shiajun]

I find it odd that now the things that keep me coming are the things that brought me to the Escapist in the first place. Well written, thoughtful, or interesting columns and articles. In this case: Critical Intel, Experienced Points and Extra Punctuation. Most of shows I followed have gone elsewhere or are dead: top 5 with Lisa Foiles, Extra Credits, the LRR crew (which have now only two shows here), and sometimes MovieBob's thing. All the random 24-hour news cycle noise seems to have degraded the site's content. Maybe it's time to cut back on my visiting time here. Most of the staff that I liked is also gone, so I'm not sure who I'm supposed to be rooting for now. I'm very conflicted.

 

[Sleepy Sol]

I find it odd that now the things that keep me coming are the things that brought me to the Escapist in the first place. Well written, thoughtful, or interesting columns and articles. In this case: Critical Intel, Experienced Points and Extra Punctuation. Most of shows I followed have gone elsewhere or are dead: top 5 with Lisa Foiles, Extra Credits, the LRR crew (which have now only two shows here), and sometimes MovieBob's thing. All the random 24-hour news cycle noise seems to have degraded the site's content. Maybe it's time to cut back on my visiting time here. Most of the staff that I liked is also gone, so I'm not sure who I'm supposed to be rooting for now. I'm very conflicted.

Not that I'd say everyone should be all happy and positive when the future looks unsure for many, but I'd just root for everybody. Support the content creators you love. If you care enough about this site and the content still available keep supporting it. If certain content creators leave or are let go and you love them, follow them and support them. It doesn't have to be one or the other either.

 

[CaitSeith]

I just watched his review of Fifty Shades of Grey he posted on his channel. I think the coffee I drank this morning was less bitter than his voice on the video...

 

[Con-Autist]

I feel guilty for never giving this site a better chance. If there was ever a chance to sign up I feel it is now. It is a new age for The Escapist. Let's see if it'll be a good one. Now I need to catch up on Critical Miss. I've seen pages on other sites and my curiosity has been ignited.

 

[MerlinCross]

And I think its become clear he has quite a big audience with enough people willing to pay for the content.

Last check(at time of writing) Bob is getting about 1000 dollars per month.

For reference purposes;

Extra Credits - 10,118 dollars
Jim "F'n" Sterling "Son" - 9,995 dollars
VAATIVIDYA, a youtuber that looks at the lore of the Dark Souls series - 5,374 dollars
Artist of a Webcomic I follow(poke me for the name if you want) - 912 dollars

Now granted this could just be because Bob made the move for the last few days so maybe his fans haven't started to support him as much yet because of the move. His income will probably increase and/or stabilize in the coming months.

 

[KazeAizen]

And I think its become clear he has quite a big audience with enough people willing to pay for the content.

Last check(at time of writing) Bob is getting about 1000 dollars per month.

For reference purposes;

Extra Credits - 10,118 dollars
Jim "F'n" Sterling "Son" - 9,995 dollars
VAATIVIDYA, a youtuber that looks at the lore of the Dark Souls series - 5,374 dollars
Artist of a Webcomic I follow(poke me for the name if you want) - 912 dollars

Now granted this could just be because Bob made the move for the last few days so maybe his fans haven't started to support him as much yet because of the move. His income will probably increase and/or stabilize in the coming months.

It will. The Extra Credits Pateron for their Extra History stuff was running for a few months before they reached their goal of $10,000 for weekly episodes.

Also unlike Jim, Bob is keeping his options open. He hasn't gone full independent and we don't know what his full plans for the future are where as Jim was pretty much up front with. "I'm leaving, this is where I am going to be forever, you know where to find me."

 

[Vault101]

And that's all well and good if you are talking about simple followers. YouTube subscribers and such. But Patreon is different. Patreon is not simply following someone who seems interesting and checking out his next posting. Patreon is actively ponying up payment for the content. And what people will pay for on the Internet is very different than what they will follow.. People only pay for stuff they find to be positive.

I'm a patron to some people who would (sadly) be considered nasty SJW femanazi's by some

people will pay for content that appeals to them, not all "gamers" or people on the internet have the GG mentality

snip

it still blows my mind a bit Jim could earn 10k a month...I always imagine these people scraping by on say 30k at best

obviously there's probably expenses and/or he wouldn't get all of it,(not to mention the pratron system is not exactly rock solid) but still

and I'm not complaining, I'm sure some people would get their panties in a twist over "silly internet people" making that amount, but if people want to pay for what you do then great! plus lets be honest in this business people rarely make what theyre worth

Plus Jim's done the rounds...why shouldn't he earn as much a s a seasoned professional?

 

[Evonisia]

I just watched his review of Fifty Shades of Grey he posted on his channel. I think the coffee I drank this morning was less bitter than his voice on the video...

I sincerely hope that all the swearing is just his bitter nature rather than some kind of "true Bob" unhinged by the censoring of The Escapist. I've seen "fuck" used less often in 2008 Zero Punctuation videos.

 

[Fox12]

And that's all well and good if you are talking about simple followers. YouTube subscribers and such. But Patreon is different. Patreon is not simply following someone who seems interesting and checking out his next posting. Patreon is actively ponying up payment for the content. And what people will pay for on the Internet is very different than what they will follow.. People only pay for stuff they find to be positive.

And I think its become clear he has quite a big audience with enough people willing to pay for the content.

And I think its become clear he has quite a big audience with enough people willing to pay for the content.

Last check(at time of writing) Bob is getting about 1000 dollars per month.

For reference purposes;

Extra Credits - 10,118 dollars
Jim "F'n" Sterling "Son" - 9,995 dollars
VAATIVIDYA, a youtuber that looks at the lore of the Dark Souls series - 5,374 dollars
Artist of a Webcomic I follow(poke me for the name if you want) - 912 dollars

Now granted this could just be because Bob made the move for the last few days so maybe his fans haven't started to support him as much yet because of the move. His income will probably increase and/or stabilize in the coming months.

I'm not sure why the debate is now over whether he will succeed on Patreon. Honestly, I think the question is irrelevant. He's got a fair following, and he'll probably be able to make a living off of it in the coming months. He won't be making F*** You money, or as much as Jim or Extra Credits, but he'll probably be able to live quite comfortably and produce his content. And that's fine. Personally, I hated him. But now he's off the Escapist, and I can basically continue to ignore him in peace. I hope he succeeds. I hope he's able to make a living doing something he enjoys. Wishing for his failure after leaving The Escapist is somewhat vindictive, I think. I'm glad he's gone, but as long as he doesn't poison any sites I care about (and I don't think he will) then I wish him well. I vocally dislike him, but the only reason I would hear his negative attitude is if I went looking for it, and I don't want to do that to myself. There are people who like his work, though, and I hope they are able to continue enjoying his work.

I still don't like him, but his I do pity him after his patreon video was released. I don't want bad, I just hope he'll find less toxic ways to express himself. I get the feeling that some of his aggression comes from mild depression. Not an excuse, but I hope that both his life and his attitude improve.

 

[Ken_J]

Anyone find it funny, in a tragic for of way. that a week after Bob changes his twitter avatar to

Spoiler: This

He get's fired.

 

[MerlinCross]

Snip

I just used Patreon as that actually lets me get numbers(like how much he earns and followers) more so than anything. If he does manage to keep a large following, a decent number could be waiting to see where he ends up at rather than giving him support up front. That's kinda what I meant to say with my post.

 

[Lono Shrugged]

It's really taking all my strength not to close Twitter right now, you guys. I always wanted to create things people loved. I never considered that would mean potentially hurting them if those things went away. I'm so sorry.

I don't really have anything else left to say. People who support him will support him. Others are happy to see him fade into obscurity. He is in the deep water of the indy & freelance market. either way, no more articles where he links to ten other articles that he wrote as context. It's an abject lesson in not getting too comfortable in a job no matter how cushy it was. He produced all this content for one site and relied too heavily on the "legitimacy" it gave him. He is no longer a "journalist and columnist." He is a youtube video maker and blogger. He has his audience but no scope or plan to expand. The road will be hard for him

On a personal I wish the guy well. I hope he wakes up and realises there is more to life than his malformed public profile.

 

[Fox12]

Snip

I just used Patreon as that actually lets me get numbers(like how much he earns and followers) more so than anything. If he does manage to keep a large following, a decent number could be waiting to see where he ends up at rather than giving him support up front. That's kinda what I meant to say with my post.

Yeah, I see what you mean. I've just seen a lot of people saying they hope he fails. I wanted him off The Escapist, but still, I don't want him to lose everything. Personally, Id rather him just learn a few lessons and become a well adjusted member of society. I won't be keeping track of him from this moment forward, but I hope he does well. And I hope he finds more beautiful things in life then uploading videos.