Brianna Wu / John Flynt - Original Thread

[Ruin]

So I guess in addition to a wave of "new gamers" who are really really into QTEs, there are also many gamers who get their kicks out of typing.

I was already pretty confused when she mentioned that there's a huge market for QTEs but typing? I'm convinced Brianna has never met anyone who plays videogames now.

 

[Hodor]

No Mavis Beacon alt skin = no sale for me

Give it like a week, there'll probably be a mod of that.

 

[Cubanodun]

I was already pretty confused when she mentioned that there's a huge market for QTEs but typing? I'm convinced Brianna has never met anyone who plays videogames now.

and is shit... and is in steam,there is also 99 Spirits and Scribblenauts

 

[millais]

Wow, you really can't make this shit up. This regression to early '90s educational software gameplay is glorious. I hope at the end of each level they show you a stat summary of your WPM so you can track your progress in mastering the fundamentals of keyboarding, and when you beat the game they let you print out a certificate with your name on it.

 

[XYZpdq]

This makes me want to play Typing of the Dead again. Does the PC version support two players like the DC version?

 

[Peace and Harmony]

Wow, you really can't make this shit up. This regression to early '90s educational software gameplay is glorious. I hope at the end of each level they show you a stat summary of your WPM so you can track your progress in mastering the fundamentals of keyboarding, and when you beat the game they let you print out a certificate with your name on it.

Sadly ironic is that now it looks as though John is helping to prepare female gamergrrlz for their inevitable future careers as secretaries and typists.

 

[Jaimas]

So, we're doing some research, and it turns out that Giant Spacekat, as a company, does not exist.

We're looking into this, but it looks like Wu's development studio is entirely off the grid.

 

[Cubanodun]

So, we're doing some research, and it turns out that Giant Spacekat, as a company, does not exist.

We're looking into this, but it looks like Wu's development studio is entirely off the grid.

But but there is a website!!!! Must be legit gaiiiiss!!

 

[XH 502]

and is shit

Typing of the Dead is amazing. You shut your whore mouth!

So, we're doing some research, and it turns out that Giant Spacekat, as a company, does not exist.

We're looking into this, but it looks like Wu's development studio is entirely off the grid.

Do you mean they aren't registered or flat out do not exist in a legal standpoint?

 

[Jaimas]

Typing of the Dead is amazing. You shut your whore mouth!



Do you mean they aren't registered or flat out do not exist in a legal standpoint?

The latter. No Employer Identification Number (EIN), and everything is being done under-the-table. I'll let Yellow Yam Scam cover the rest.

 

[XH 502]

The latter. No Employer Identification Number (EIN), and everything is being done under-the-table. I'll let Yellow Yam Scam cover the rest.

Isn't that all kinds of illegal?

Oh wait, it totally is.

 

[XYZpdq]

The latter. No Employer Identification Number (EIN), and everything is being done under-the-table. I'll let Yellow Yam Scam cover the rest.

 

[Cubanodun]

Typing of the Dead is amazing. You shut your whore mouth!

come on m8 i played the original with a freaking light gun, typing is boring as shit

The latter. No Employer Identification Number (EIN), and everything is being done under-the-table. I'll let Yellow Yam Scam cover the rest.

im not surprised considering that her website name is the one from her game

by the way i was sperging a little on steam and i remember that johnny boy has a steam account, besides the fact that he dont play anything i found something interesting, you guys remember that he said that he doesnt have ANY game at all with a POC as a main character? well about that...

Spoiler: Hipocrisy

he actually has one but never played it

 

[Dork Of Ages]

The latter. No Employer Identification Number (EIN), and everything is being done under-the-table. I'll let Yellow Yam Scam cover the rest.

Oh my god. My business managment mind is just going ''does not compute''. This shit better not be true. Can you guys give me info about what is an EIN (I'm not American) and how Brianna is fucked if she doesn't have it? Her employees deserve better than working in such a shit illegal company.

 

[Cynical]

So, we're doing some research, and it turns out that Giant Spacekat, as a company, does not exist.

We're looking into this, but it looks like Wu's development studio is entirely off the grid.

Well, if Wu is the scam artist we know and lol at, he probably did that to avoid paying corporate taxes. Either that, or is merely hoping the indie developer excuse will allow him to skip out on paying those taxes since GSX doesn't officially exist legally.

If so, the problem with that is that Wu would still have to file taxes on any money earned, and I hope he's not stupid enough to try bullshitting the IRS.....actually, scratch that, I hope he is stupid enough to try screwing over the taxman.

 

[Sweet and Savoury]

Well, I dunno if Wu would get into a lot of trouble from the IRS unless he has other incomes we haven't heard about.

After all 3K a month is only 40K a year at most and we all know that Rev 60 didn't make crap as far as sales went. A Kick-starter for 12K only pushes his income up to 55K'ish which is only a minor income tax at year end end if he was stupid and put everything as personal income but with Frank being a pseudo lawyer he probably got some good advice on how to weasel out of any tax at their low income bracket.

With luck he'd wind up with a fine at most.

But........

If Wu never registered the name Giant Space Kat productions; well I sure see an opportunity for some fun there if you get my drift; wink, wink. Nudge, nudge.

 

[Jaimas]

Oh my god. My business managment mind is just going ''does not compute''. This shit better not be true. Can you guys give me info about what is an EIN (I'm not American) and how Brianna is fucked if she doesn't have it? Her employees deserve better than working in such a shit illegal company.

Employer Identification Numbers are used for taxation purposes. In the USA, they're used for when employees file their Federal and State tax returns, as well as for what taxes are determined to be owed to the federal government by the agency itself, as well as what rebates and credits the business is entitled to (there's a lot of these). If a business lacks one, it's not entitled to tax benefits, and, if it brings in enough income to be worthy of note, it can face penalties including fines. It's not a massive deal, business goes on that isn't properly legally backed up all the fucking time, but it can definitely explain why Wu's reputation with her employers is shit - she worked them off-the-books, which means they weren't entitled to benefits when they fucked off from Chateau de Wu and likely had no real job security.

No wonder Wu gets along so well with the Gawker supporters; they treat their employees the same.

@Yellow Yam Scam elaborates:

However, a pretty obvious theory is that, like I think you mentioned in the tread, she probably doesn't have someone working full time to handle death threats. In fact, I suspect that no one is working full-time on the game and any money getting paid is being done so under the table. If anyone is, indeed, working full-time, Brianna would need to have an EIN or she's breaking federal law.

Most businesses have no problem revealing their EIN in my experience, but she's not legally obligated to do so or anything, so the fact that there doesn't seem to be any record of it anywhere isn't necessarily damning. But it's very curious that she appears to have gone to quite some lengths to obfuscate the actual company's name and that she lists Giant Spacekat as a sole proprietorship when it clearly isn't (Because it doesn't actually exist apart from being a name.)

Wu does have something of a company on file - Revolution 60's copyright is held by one Chessboard, LLC. The company itself is listed as being in Delaware, not Massachusetts where Wu's home is, suggesting Wu may be trying to take advantage of a tax loophole or an interstate commercial clause.

All of which brings me to this:

If Wu never registered the name Giant Space Kat productions; well I sure see an opportunity for some fun there if you get my drift; wink, wink. Nudge, nudge.

....Someone, please look into this.

Giant SpaceKat Productions. A Branch of the Kiwi Farms.

Wu will be fucking apoplectic.

 

[Francis York Morgan]

So, we're doing some research, and it turns out that Giant Spacekat, as a company, does not exist.

We're looking into this, but it looks like Wu's development studio is entirely off the grid.

And yet she continuously flaunts the name about. This is a new level of stupidity.

 

[AnOminous]

So, we're doing some research, and it turns out that Giant Spacekat, as a company, does not exist.

We're looking into this, but it looks like Wu's development studio is entirely off the grid.

Are we sure it doesn't exist at all? A while ago, I checked Massachusetts, but I haven't checked the rest of the states where it could be. I also just did a general search for corporations in Massachusetts with Brianna Wu or Frank Wu or John Flynt as a principal, with similar lack of results.

However, this doesn't rule out there being a corporate entity somewhere. It just isn't registered in Massachusetts.

Personally, I think it's likely it's a completely fictional entity, basically an alias or alter ego of Brianna Wu. Other than the fact that Wu would be personally liable for any liabilities or debts incurred under the name, I'm not aware if it's actually illegal to do this. If it is, it's probably for lacking some sort of business license and could fairly easily be rectified, and it's not tempting enough to really ween about it much.

ETA: Of course. . .this is assuming she actually paid payroll taxes and all that sort of thing for supposed employees. Pretty big if and it becomes a lot more interesting if she didn't.

As for the Delaware entity, it is very common to incorporate in Delaware because of a number of favorable legal conditions there (including that it isn't very easy to get at their corporate records).

Also ETA: apparently Giant Spacekat doesn't exist, but is an alias of Gadanin Productions/Chessboard Holdings.

 

[Dork Of Ages]

Employer Identification Numbers are used for taxation purposes. In the USA, they're used for when employees file their Federal and State tax returns, as well as for what taxes are determined to be owed to the federal government by the agency itself, as well as what rebates and credits the business is entitled to (there's a lot of these). If a business lacks one, it's not entitled to tax benefits, and, if it brings in enough income to be worthy of note, it can face penalties including fines. It's not a massive deal, business goes on that isn't properly legally backed up all the fucking time, but it can definitely explain why Wu's reputation with her employers is shit - she worked them off-the-books, which means they weren't entitled to benefits when they fucked off from Chateau de Wu and likely had no real job security.

No wonder Wu gets along so well with the Gawker supporters; they treat their employees the same.

@Yellow Yam Scam elaborates:



All of which brings me to this:



....Someone, please look into this. Wu will be fucking apoplectic.

Thanks for the information. I kinda expected it's not exactly a oh-shit-you-are-busted-30-years-in-jail thing, but it's really damning and revealing over how she cares about, you know, doing business properly. I really, really fucking hope it's not true though. She went to college as a business student, for christ's sake, there is no way that they wouldn't at least mention how to get the right approval for making a company when it comes to taxes and shit. BriBri is a dumb, incompetent idiot, but trying to fool the IRS if (or rather, when) they come knocking is almost suicidal, and I am pretty sure Wu knows that.