Penny Arcade's social responsibility

secretkeeper12

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Most gamers have heard of the webcomic-turned-franchise Penny Arcade. Published by Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins, the duo have generated a substantial audience with their work. With this influence, Mike and Jerry have the potential to change the world.

But they don't do it.

Not say say that they've done nothing. Child's Play is a charity they have founded, but with a mission goal of buying patients video games they support a more sinister purpose-namely, the civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Conflict minerals-gold, cobalt, tin and wolfram mined by groups whose labor is forced by militant groups-are found in all our devices. The computer Jerry types on, the tablet Mike draws on, and the countless products the gaming community buy are all the result of this exploitive practice.

As celebrities in the gaming community, Jerry and Mike have a responsibility to respect human rights in their actions. This means addressing the very real scourge of conflict minerals and pressuring companies such as Nintendo to adopt due diligence guidelines. I could find no mention of these in Penny Arcade's archives.

Do you think Jerry and Mike have a duty to support ethical consumer practices? Leave your thoughts below.

(For context, watch this video)
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF-sJgcoY20[/youtube]
 

TakerFoxx

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Um, is this thread serious? Because between Poe's Law and PsychicTaco's shenanigans, I can never tell.
 

tippy2k2

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I'm going to have to echo everyone with the "not sure if serious..." sentiment but I'll go ahead and answer like you were being serious just in case.

No. No they do not.

The same argument I give for celebrities, sports stars, and billionaire tech moguls; it would be really really really really nice of them to share their wealth and help people less fortunate than them but there is no one who should be "required" to do anything like that. It's their money and their time; they can do whatever the hell they want with it (you know...within the bounds of the law obviously).
 

MrPeanut

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At this point, it would do very little to absolutely nothing to Congo even if all these "conflict resources" were not bought.

Actually helping DRC? That boat sailed a very long time ago.

Just throwing that out there despite a strong itch this is satirical.
 

Lilani

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May 27, 2009
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secretkeeper12 said:
...but with a mission goal of buying patients video games they support a more sinister purpose-namely, thr civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Fuck the what? Can I get some context here? I'm pretty sure Penny Arcade is a web site that specializes in creative content related to video games and conventions. What sort of Penny Arcade are you talking about?
 

Queen Michael

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Jun 9, 2009
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Nah. I wouldn't say that's their responsibility any more than it's anybody else's.
 

Thaluikhain

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I was leaning towards yes, in a vague general way, but funding the DRC? Um...ok...
 

freaper

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I completely agree, that's why I've been using home-grown, 100% organic sticks, rocks and mud for my PC components and videogames. My internet is delivered to me by the harmonious tweeting of the red breasted nuthatch.

Captcha: "my beating heart"

...is what powers my machines. [sup][sub][sub][sup]I'm dead inside[/sup][/sub][/sub][/sup]
 

sageoftruth

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freaper said:
I completely agree, that's why I've been using home-grown, 100% organic sticks, rocks and mud for my PC components and videogames. My internet is delivered to me by the harmonious tweeting of the red breasted nuthatch.

Captcha: "my beating heart"

...is what powers my machines. [sup][sub][sub][sup]I'm dead inside[/sup][/sub][/sub][/sup]
You win this thread, my friend. Nice comment.
 

FalloutJack

Bah weep grah nah neep ninny bom
Nov 20, 2008
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Yeah, that's like saying Dr. McNinja has a responsibility to punch out Vladimir Putin.

...I mean, that'd be cool and all, but he's not required to.
 

Dragonbums

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If this is the argument your going to make there are literally much bigger fish to fry in that regards than fucking Penny Arcade. Seriously, Intel and Apple have an astronomically bigger problem with this than a two-man website.
 

Zombie_Fish

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Gundam GP01 said:
Lilani said:
secretkeeper12 said:
...but with a mission goal of buying patients video games they support a more sinister purpose-namely, thr civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Fuck the what? Can I get some context here? I'm pretty sure Penny Arcade is a web site that specializes in creative content related to video games and conventions. What sort of Penny Arcade are you talking about?
I think he's talking about gaming tech uses parts and materials mined in the Congo, and those parts are sold to manufacturers in order to fund wars and shit.

Dunno if that's true or not, but that's what I got out of it, and quite frankly it wouldn't surprise me.
There's an interesting piece here [http://gamasutra.com/blogs/BarbaraJones/20130418/190804/The_Playstation_War_Conflict_Minerals_and_Video_Game_Manufacturing.php] if you want more information about it.

OT: Penny Arcade has a social responsibility in this regard in the same way that anyone who purchases electronic devices has one. And all of them have less of a responsibility than the manufacturers who purchase those minerals in the first place.
 

Rabbitboy

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It's their website and they can do with it what they want. And if you think they have that responsibility why don't you send them an email about it?
 

Thaluikhain

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Dragonbums said:
If this is the argument your going to make there are literally much bigger fish to fry in that regards than fucking Penny Arcade. Seriously, Intel and Apple have an astronomically bigger problem with this than a two-man website.
While that is true, it doesn't absolve Penny Arcade. There's always something worse.

Of course, Penny Arcade does seem like a rather odd choice to complain about, rather than the industry in general, say.