Or I suppose the alternative title could be: Fired video games writer continues to blame everyone except herself.
I was going to post this in the article suggestions for SOTT, but that would involve an article of post-modern victim mentality that requires heavy doses of dry SOTT commentary, and I don't wish that upon anyone. Except maybe Atreides. ;)
So anyway, I follow news on storytelling in a bunch of different industries, and this story caught my attention pretty quickly. What began as bad online behavior in a discussion about video game narrative has now gripped the industry. But it's how this incident is being talked about that is the most interesting, and it suggests an industry that has been recently and rapidly influenced by post-modern types. Most especially video game journalists who have become increasingly detached from their general readership. Or former readership, I suppose.
And so, I came across this story: a video games writer, Jessica Price, recently spoke about narrative design on a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything). She then took it to Twitter and shared her thoughts there. As you all probably know, Twitter is a public platform. You don't go there to post a private diary entry.
It was during this time that a well-known member of the community and fan of her work responded to her tweets in a polite and respectful manner:
Price's response:
Following this, she shared his tweet with her audience and this caption:
Followed by a strange rant:
The fan's response:
Long story short: this blew up and everyone in the industry was soon talking about it. The next day, Price was fired, along with a male colleague who engaged in the same behavior to support her.
The CEO of ArenaNet, Mike O Brien, posted on their forum:
In any sane, non-hysterized world, this would be the end of it.
It wasn't.
The following day, almost every games journalism website came out in furious support of Price. Many even interviewed her at length. However, not a single website supported the developer for firing Price. There was no contrary perspective.
If you can stomach it, here's an article by Polygon, owned by far left-wing Gawker, which was quick to position Price as the victim and cast this as a gender issue. Which is crucial to their argument, since male writers are regularly fired for the very same behavior.
_polygon.com/2018/7/9/17549492/arenanet-jessica-price-guild-wars-2-writer-fired
Probably the most disturbing thing about that article is how the writer has clearly learned nothing from this, harbors no regrets, and is encouraged by an entire industry to continue to deflect responsibility and attack people over perceived slights. Not to mention this isn't the first company to fire her under less than amicable terms.
There is one reasonable portion in that article and it's a statement from the CEO. Honestly, it's almost a breath of fresh air.
While the industry's journalists criticized this, and even some game developers (e.g. "wow so the people in charge at@ArenaNet are cowardly pieces of sh*t who sell out their workers at the drop of a hat huh"), it seemed the actual community was in overwhelming support. A post on Reddit concerning the writer's departure was upvoted by 90% of voters.
I find it interesting when elements of an industry are at odds with their audience, and this alone is probably a sign that something is deeply wrong. And hey, if 90% of your audience don't agree with you, that might suggest you have a problem, and that problem is you. Marvel learned this lesson the hard way with their recent release and subsequent closure of feminist and marginalized characters in comic books. I doubt the characters themselves were even a problem, but I'd bet money on the fact they were used as mouthpieces for patronizing lectures and doctrines that rapidly alienated their readers.
You could look at Rotten Tomatoes reviews on TV and movies and find the same issue. The website separate critics from the general audience. For example, The Last Jedi received 91% by critics and 46% by audience. I find that fascinating. But of course it's the audience's fault for not liking it, right?
It's not easy to find something written about some sort of post-modern takeover of video games, probably because no one is really talking about it except those who defend it. But I did find something from Milo's typically sharp tongue:
_breitbart.com/big-hollywood/2014/09/09/an-open-letter-to-the-video-gaming-community-from-a-self-confessed-right-wing-bastard/
While the New York Times warns us that YouTube is becoming the new talk radio for the "New Far Right" -- which I suppose is code for anyone who doesn't agree with post-modern ideology -- video game journalism (which is quite simply reporting on games being released and reviewing them) has made a remarkable shift to citizen journalism on YouTube, where the audience can get what they want from people they trust. And where ideological types struggle to control the narrative.
So that's the story so far, although I won't be surprised if it gets more unhinged. Who knows, maybe the writer will attempt to sue the developer for unfair dismissal, or The Guardian will write about marginalized voices and sexism in gaming.
I was going to post this in the article suggestions for SOTT, but that would involve an article of post-modern victim mentality that requires heavy doses of dry SOTT commentary, and I don't wish that upon anyone. Except maybe Atreides. ;)
So anyway, I follow news on storytelling in a bunch of different industries, and this story caught my attention pretty quickly. What began as bad online behavior in a discussion about video game narrative has now gripped the industry. But it's how this incident is being talked about that is the most interesting, and it suggests an industry that has been recently and rapidly influenced by post-modern types. Most especially video game journalists who have become increasingly detached from their general readership. Or former readership, I suppose.
And so, I came across this story: a video games writer, Jessica Price, recently spoke about narrative design on a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything). She then took it to Twitter and shared her thoughts there. As you all probably know, Twitter is a public platform. You don't go there to post a private diary entry.
It was during this time that a well-known member of the community and fan of her work responded to her tweets in a polite and respectful manner:
Really interesting thread to read! However, allow me to disagree *slightly*. I dont believe the issue lies in the MMORPG genre itself (as your wording seemingly suggest). I believe the issue lies in the contraints of the Living Story's narrative design...
[...]
then perhaps players would be more invested in the roleplaying aspect of that particular MMORPG. Nonetheless, I appreciate the insightful thread! (End)
Price's response:
thanks for trying to tell me what we do internally, my dude 9_9
Following this, she shared his tweet with her audience and this caption:
Today in being a female game dev: "Allow me--a person who does not work with you--explain to you how you do your job."
Followed by a strange rant:
like, the next rando asshat who attempts to explain the concept of branching dialogue to me--as if, you know, having worked in game narrative for a f**king DECADE, I have never heard of it--is getting instablocked. PSA.
Since we've got a lot of hurt manfeels today, lemme make something clear: this is my feed. I'm not on the clock here. I'm not your emotional courtesan just because I'm a dev. Don't expect me to pretend to like you here.
The attempts of fans to exert ownership over our personal lives and times are something I am hardcore about stopping. You don't own me, and I don't owe you.
The fan's response:
So much for an open discussion I guess. I meant no disrespect AT ALL. Never did. Never will. Neither did I imply I knew better. Nor has this ANYTHING to do with gender. Never did. Never will. I will retract my comment, cause obviously I'm in the wrong forum for this kind of talk.
Long story short: this blew up and everyone in the industry was soon talking about it. The next day, Price was fired, along with a male colleague who engaged in the same behavior to support her.
The CEO of ArenaNet, Mike O Brien, posted on their forum:
Recently two of our employees failed to uphold our standards of communicating with players. Their attacks on the community were unacceptable. As a result, they're no longer with the company.
I want to be clear that the statements they made do not reflect the views of ArenaNet at all. As a company we always strive to have a collaborative relationship with the Guild Wars community. We value your input. We make this game for you.
In any sane, non-hysterized world, this would be the end of it.
It wasn't.
The following day, almost every games journalism website came out in furious support of Price. Many even interviewed her at length. However, not a single website supported the developer for firing Price. There was no contrary perspective.
If you can stomach it, here's an article by Polygon, owned by far left-wing Gawker, which was quick to position Price as the victim and cast this as a gender issue. Which is crucial to their argument, since male writers are regularly fired for the very same behavior.
_polygon.com/2018/7/9/17549492/arenanet-jessica-price-guild-wars-2-writer-fired
Probably the most disturbing thing about that article is how the writer has clearly learned nothing from this, harbors no regrets, and is encouraged by an entire industry to continue to deflect responsibility and attack people over perceived slights. Not to mention this isn't the first company to fire her under less than amicable terms.
There is one reasonable portion in that article and it's a statement from the CEO. Honestly, it's almost a breath of fresh air.
While the industry's journalists criticized this, and even some game developers (e.g. "wow so the people in charge at
I find it interesting when elements of an industry are at odds with their audience, and this alone is probably a sign that something is deeply wrong. And hey, if 90% of your audience don't agree with you, that might suggest you have a problem, and that problem is you. Marvel learned this lesson the hard way with their recent release and subsequent closure of feminist and marginalized characters in comic books. I doubt the characters themselves were even a problem, but I'd bet money on the fact they were used as mouthpieces for patronizing lectures and doctrines that rapidly alienated their readers.
You could look at Rotten Tomatoes reviews on TV and movies and find the same issue. The website separate critics from the general audience. For example, The Last Jedi received 91% by critics and 46% by audience. I find that fascinating. But of course it's the audience's fault for not liking it, right?
It's not easy to find something written about some sort of post-modern takeover of video games, probably because no one is really talking about it except those who defend it. But I did find something from Milo's typically sharp tongue:
If I were a video games journalist, I’d be terrified right now, because I’d know that, for all my shrill protestations, sneering and arrogance, my industry had just entered a death spiral entirely of its own making.
To give just one example of the hatred between gamers and the journalists who are supposed to serve them, Chris Grant, editor-in-chief of gaming news site Polygon, is blocking his own readers on Twitter by the thousand, together with journalists and academics whose opinions he doesn’t like. It’s unprecedented in an industry that ought to stick up for readers instead of sucking up to lobbyists and the powers that be.
It’s also a remarkable display of political intolerance, not to mention a serious strategic error. Grant, and others like him, have given up any pretense of wanting to engage in dialogue with alternative opinions and instead hunkered down with a small but noisy minority readership of single-issue campaigners, feminist blowhards and perpetually angry “social justice warriors” to the exclusion of the backbone of his readership.
_breitbart.com/big-hollywood/2014/09/09/an-open-letter-to-the-video-gaming-community-from-a-self-confessed-right-wing-bastard/
While the New York Times warns us that YouTube is becoming the new talk radio for the "New Far Right" -- which I suppose is code for anyone who doesn't agree with post-modern ideology -- video game journalism (which is quite simply reporting on games being released and reviewing them) has made a remarkable shift to citizen journalism on YouTube, where the audience can get what they want from people they trust. And where ideological types struggle to control the narrative.
So that's the story so far, although I won't be surprised if it gets more unhinged. Who knows, maybe the writer will attempt to sue the developer for unfair dismissal, or The Guardian will write about marginalized voices and sexism in gaming.