Sanya Weathers takes a look at the cult of game developer celebrity and player perception of them. Is it fair for one guy to take all the credit or blame or a single game? In light of recent events, Sanya breaks it down.

In video games, particularly MMOs, the phenomenon is such a regular occurrence that we should expect to see it once a year like some kind of unholy groundhog day. In the past few years, we’ve seen it happen to Jeff Anderson, Brad McQuaid, Bill Roper, Richard Garriott, and Mark Jacobs, among others. All five of those guys were strongly associated with their studios. All five were hit professionally, for varying reasons with varying degrees of culpability, and then shredded by the chattering classes with a savagery normally exhibited by feral cats and Walmart shoppers going after flatscreen TVs.

But these are MMO people, and there’s no such thing as a final chapter in an MMO. Jeff and Bill are already back in action. Brad has launched a blog, en route to his comeback. Richard Garriott has several new hobbies. Mark is not the type to sit quietly and fade away.

So, what creates these dramas with their multiple acts?

The full column is here.

Nice writeup. I also can't help but think there's a bunch of hidden jabs at Mark Jacob.

I enjoyed the article Sanya.  We as players don't really see all that is going on behind the scenes of an MMO.  Ultimately heads will roll if the product doesn't live up to expectations and it seems like in today's mmo world you have about 3 to 6 months to deliver those expectations or you're in trouble.  Also, do you know Haden Blackman?  If so would you be kind enough to kick him hard in the twig and berries for me when you see him?  Thanks!

Always a excellent read! ++

Nice article. Familiar to those of us who have worked in the corporate world and some insight to the younger crowd that has never worked or those who have worked in the civilian private sector but just didn't pay attention.

Originally posted by Belsameth

Nice writeup. I also can't help but think there's a bunch of hidden jabs at Mark Jacob.

This went through ten drafts. If there were hidden jabs at anyone, I either deleted them or made them more obvious.

That's actually part of my motivation for writing this column - the anonymous dillweeds taking hidden jabs. My actual friends in the industry have their names on their posts, or spell out their job titles, past and present.

But that's another rant.

Nicely written humorous article. And I love the drunken ferret.

Originally posted by Senadina

Nicely written humorous article. And I love the drunken ferret.

Isn't that one of the sea otters from Sea World, except with beer instea of a Pepsi/Coke/sponsered beverage?

Originally posted by Sanya

Originally posted by Belsameth

Nice writeup. I also can't help but think there's a bunch of hidden jabs at Mark Jacob.

 

This went through ten drafts. If there were hidden jabs at anyone, I either deleted them or made them more obvious.

That's actually part of my motivation for writing this column - the anonymous dillweeds taking hidden jabs. My actual friends in the industy have their names on their posts, or spell out their job titles, past and present.

But that's another rant.

Wait. So, would we (and by "we" I mean forum goers, game players) fall into that "anoymous dillweed" category for the things we say about them? Cause I have done so on more than a few occaisions (stating that they've lost touch with the spark that created this genre, etc...an example can be found here that I wrote today.) If so, don't get me wrong, I'm not upset at being called a dillweed (been called much worse, lol!!), I just don't put my real name out there because of you never know when something you write will piss someone off enough that they come after you. Sure, I have 8 years Army behind me and my home is a miniature armory, but have you ever tried to clean blood out of a carpet?

That and I don't think most of my jabs are hidden, lol.

Nice article, and ultimately common knowledge to anyone who has held down a job in the real world.  Though I did find the following rather telling as to why the games are the same, year after year, release after release:

The same hundred people see each other at the same five conferences, year after year. I used to call E3 “summer camp,” and the Austin Game Conference my “high school reunion.” Everyone knows everyone else. Half of the group has a supersized personality, half of *those* people have supersized personality disorders, and many people are drinking heavily. For three days straight.

Sounds like your average high school clique.   And people wonder why most of the games are uninspiring carrot-chasing grind fests.

Good insight & an appreciated article :)

...Designs on napkins, bug issues on post-its...thats my dream one day *sniff*

Originally posted by Khalathwyr

Wait. So, would we (and by "we" I mean forum goers, game players) fall into that "anoymous dillweed" category for the things we say about them? Cause I have done so on more than a few occaisions (stating that they've lost touch with the spark that created this genre, etc...an example can be found here that I wrote today.) If so, don't get me wrong, I'm not upset at being called a dillweed (been called much worse, lol!!), I just don't put my real name out there because of you never know when something you write will piss someone off enough that they come after you. Sure, I have 8 years Army behind me and my home is a miniature armory, but have you ever tried to clean blood out of a carpet?

That and I don't think most of my jabs are hidden, lol.

No, and I'm not explaining myself well.

Right now, on several forums, there are people posting under newly created identities just to make cheap shots at someone they don't know, and they've made no effort to talk to anyone informed. That's a dillweed.

People who say "die in a fire" over a video game in any sense but an ironic one are dillweeds.

But I don't think an observation counts as dillweed behavior. And I clearly don't think using a forum handle is in and of itself dillweed behavior, although it is often a contributing factor.

I do think that if you are part of the game industry, you have a responsibility to identify yourself as such, either by affiliation or by your actual name. But plenty of people that I love and respect feel differently about this, and I don't claim to be walking the one true path or anything. For myself, I have made a point for the last eight years of using some variation of my real name everywhere that I post, and if I'm posting on behalf of a studio, then I use "NameOfProduct RealName" as my handle. Just so everyone knows where and for what I stand.

I didn't always feel that way, but I like to think I learned from my youthful idiocy.

Originally posted by Sanya

Originally posted by Khalathwyr

Wait. So, would we (and by "we" I mean forum goers, game players) fall into that "anoymous dillweed" category for the things we say about them? Cause I have done so on more than a few occaisions (stating that they've lost touch with the spark that created this genre, etc...an example can be found here that I wrote today.) If so, don't get me wrong, I'm not upset at being called a dillweed (been called much worse, lol!!), I just don't put my real name out there because of you never know when something you write will piss someone off enough that they come after you. Sure, I have 8 years Army behind me and my home is a miniature armory, but have you ever tried to clean blood out of a carpet?

That and I don't think most of my jabs are hidden, lol.

 

No, and I'm not explaining myself well.

Right now, on several forums, there are people posting under newly created identities just to make cheap shots at someone they don't know, and they've made no effort to talk to anyone informed. That's a dillweed.

People who say "die in a fire" over a video game in any sense but an ironic one are dillweeds.

But I don't think an observation counts as dillweed behavior. And I clearly don't think using a forum handle is in and of itself dillweed behavior, although it is often a contributing factor.

I do think that if you are part of the game industry, you have a responsibility to identify yourself as such, either by affiliation or by your actual name. But plenty of people that I love and respect feel differently about this, and I don't claim to be walking the one true path or anything. For myself, I have made a point for the last eight years of using some variation of my real name everywhere that I post, and if I'm posting on behalf of a studio, then I use "NameOfProduct RealName" as my handle. Just so everyone knows where and for what I stand.

I didn't always feel that way, but I like to think I learned from my youthful idiocy.

Well maybe I misread but I thought your initial comment was about people from the game industry.  Who make these jabs without ID'ing themselves.  As you said right after that "my friends in the industry have their names on their posts" or close to that.

Its easy as a "customer" to get caught in some things.  Yet I try to keep a small tidbit of logic even in my rants (if anyone ever thinks I said something bad about WAR they didn't see my NGE posts).  Some of this has to do with I don't like games that don't do well or are changed in ways that hurt them.  Mostly this is due to the fact that "failure" does not encourage investment or taking risk instread of "use what works".  So my passion comes from the fact I want the industry to survive and not be real life version of "clone wars".

I've never held a personal grudge against anyone that created an entertainment product.  If "Aradune" or "Lord British" as I still call them.. came out with a new product that I enjoyed.  Well I would play that product until I no longer enjoyed it.  Tho I was disturbed by some things that were done, you have to move on.  (RG had so many titles I loved with Origin System Inc.. well Tabula Rasa is just one thing that happened.  It doesn't erase everything else.)

When I read forums quite often .. well I'll just end this by saying.. I am quite often disturbed by some things I read on them.

This one was a nice read.

At least part of the problem steps from all these "big names" only actually have one successful MMO to their name.  I wouldn't pay special attention to a movie director for just one good movie.  Usually I need to see around three good movies by that director before I memorize their name and start watching movies purely on the recommendation that they were directing it.  Just one is a fluke or maybe the result of someone else's work.

Originally posted by Sanya

Originally posted by Khalathwyr

Wait. So, would we (and by "we" I mean forum goers, game players) fall into that "anoymous dillweed" category for the things we say about them? Cause I have done so on more than a few occaisions (stating that they've lost touch with the spark that created this genre, etc...an example can be found here that I wrote today.) If so, don't get me wrong, I'm not upset at being called a dillweed (been called much worse, lol!!), I just don't put my real name out there because of you never know when something you write will piss someone off enough that they come after you. Sure, I have 8 years Army behind me and my home is a miniature armory, but have you ever tried to clean blood out of a carpet?

That and I don't think most of my jabs are hidden, lol.

 

No, and I'm not explaining myself well.

Right now, on several forums, there are people posting under newly created identities just to make cheap shots at someone they don't know, and they've made no effort to talk to anyone informed. That's a dillweed.

People who say "die in a fire" over a video game in any sense but an ironic one are dillweeds.

But I don't think an observation counts as dillweed behavior. And I clearly don't think using a forum handle is in and of itself dillweed behavior, although it is often a contributing factor.

I do think that if you are part of the game industry, you have a responsibility to identify yourself as such, either by affiliation or by your actual name. But plenty of people that I love and respect feel differently about this, and I don't claim to be walking the one true path or anything. For myself, I have made a point for the last eight years of using some variation of my real name everywhere that I post, and if I'm posting on behalf of a studio, then I use "NameOfProduct RealName" as my handle. Just so everyone knows where and for what I stand.

I didn't always feel that way, but I like to think I learned from my youthful idiocy.

I somewhat agree with you in that it is our responsibility within the industry to let people know where our opinions stand. However, for those of us that work for smaller studios that may be working on projects for several larger studios at a time, it is difficult for us to explain our honest opinions, without catching hell for it. Namely because what you say online these days, can and will haunt you if you even mention a disagreement with the way a client handles things, or even a boss- and on rare occasion, a boss complaining about one of his employees (that employee will sue for defamation, I've seen it). That is the primary reason I personally use a handle while playing other's games, or posting on fine websites such as this, unless it is the official forum for a game that I am working on. I guess it is different though for community reps and leads, since theirs are inevetably more public areas. However, I am just a graphic artist/animator and don't have to deal with the interviews and such regularly (unless a reporter stops by and is watching me build a world, or a character). That said, I have tried to indicate that I am within the industry in some of my posts in the past, just so people know where I come from in my critique or praise of a game/ studio/ biggie-sized personality.

However, I will agree wholeheartedly with the article. It is a fine window into our world, for those on the outside.

Thanks for an entertaining and informative read Sanya, your honest is refreshing!  It is very evident that you are well schooled in "human nature" a difficult subject at best . :-)

What you comment in this article, methinks is private to these people, and sould not be commented publicy in a website.

but thats me.. 

Originally posted by Teiman

What you comment in this article, methinks is private to these people, and sould not be commented publicy in a website.

but thats me.. 

I can promise you this - there are no statements in that entire article that apply to one single individual. What I said applies, for better or for worse, to multiple people. And I'm told that the same is true across many industries, which vaguely depresses me.

People are broken. And people are magnificent, too. Usually the same people are both, if that makes sense.

Though I've been in the game industry 6 years or so, I have still spent a majority of my career outside of it.  Sanya, that article was a fantastically accurate microcosm of the MMO mini-verse.

Great job!

Rich "Tisirin" Weil

Community Director

Cartoon Network

Originally posted by Sanya

Originally posted by Teiman

What you comment in this article, methinks is private to these people, and sould not be commented publicy in a website.

but thats me.. 

 

I can promise you this - there are no statements in that entire article that apply to one single individual. What I said applies, for better or for worse, to multiple people. And I'm told that the same is true across many industries, which vaguely depresses me.

People are broken. And people are magnificent, too. Usually the same people are both, if that makes sense.

That will not save you, if these people is half the crazy you describe.  People can mistake any reference, as a personal reference, and get angry.  Ref:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118954/

Also, ##CODE ERROR##!..  you *hardly* know everyone in the industry. North America? maybe..  but I doubt you are friends with most Korean dev's, or the guys of Adventurine, or the guys of  Taikodom.   Hahaha.. :-)