🎭 Dramacow Gamergate / Depression Quest Shitstorm

[Francis York Morgan]

I spoke to a couple of my (fairly well-known) industry developer contacts about her, and they responded with something along the lines "Oh, jesus christ, not HER..."

Here's what I don't get. How is it that toxic people like her manage to hold on to positions when its clear that no one wants anything to do with them? Is it tokenism? Nepotism? Some sort of -ism that I'm not thinking of? I just don't see what makes a lot of these people so irreplaceable especially when many of them technically aren't qualified for their current positions. I'd like to think that there are dozens of women wanting to break in who would be less of a pain to work with than Ms. Alexander and her ilk.

 

[c-no]

I spoke to a couple of my (fairly well-known) industry developer contacts about her, and they responded with something along the lines "Oh, jesus christ, not HER..."

Did they have anything else to say about her?

 

[Judge Holden]

Yeah, I keep hearing about how people never see her without a drink in her hand when at gatherings.

frankly the fact she hasnt been flayed alive by SJWs for her utterly blatant anti black racism just shows how fcking self serving and insincere the SJWs/anti gaymurrgayt folks are. So long as someone sings support of their current Jihad they will be utterly immune to critique and criticism.

 

[snakesvsplanes]

Did they have anything else to say about her?

Honestly? Nothing. The people I associate with tend to be far above the likes of pandering to THAT kind of "journalist", so they haven't given her the time of day-- in other words, they have no signficant personal experience with her, and just tend to stay the fuck away.

 

[Judge Holden]

Here's what I don't get. How is it that toxic people like her manage to hold on to positions when its clear that no one wants anything to do with them? Is it tokenism? Nepotism? Some sort of -ism that I'm not thinking of? I just don't see what makes a lot of these people so irreplaceable especially when many of them technically aren't qualified for their current positions. I'd like to think that there are dozens of women wanting to break in who would be less of a pain to work with than Ms. Alexander and her ilk.

probabaly because shes a ruthless, self serving leech who uses the "MUH-SOGGYKNEE" card to demand (and recieve from dickless editors) her shit be published.

 

[snakesvsplanes]

Here's what I don't get. How is it that toxic people like her manage to hold on to positions when its clear that no one wants anything to do with them? Is it tokenism? Nepotism? Some sort of -ism that I'm not thinking of? I just don't see what makes a lot of these people so irreplaceable especially when many of them technically aren't qualified for their current positions. I'd like to think that there are dozens of women wanting to break in who would be less of a pain to work with than Ms. Alexander and her ilk.

Put it this way-- she has one of these "BIG" personalities, like someone from a crappy reality TV show. She's very "in your face", while being fueled by alcohol, but tries to play it off as a sort of wild party animal powerful GO-GRRL sort of attitude.

 

[Pinhead]

So I googled this nutbar, and from her own twitter: "silly kids. i AM game journalism."

It's followed by a bunch of sycophants until the very last comment, which says "if you're setting the bar I guess gaming journalism is a limbo contest"

 

[Batman VS Tony Danza]

Here's what I don't get. How is it that toxic people like her manage to hold on to positions when its clear that no one wants anything to do with them? Is it tokenism? Nepotism? Some sort of -ism that I'm not thinking of? I just don't see what makes a lot of these people so irreplaceable especially when many of them technically aren't qualified for their current positions. I'd like to think that there are dozens of women wanting to break in who would be less of a pain to work with than Ms. Alexander and her ilk.

Many gaming/whatevers blogs and websites really only care about traffic. If she's consistently pulling in traffic with clickbait articles then she serves a purpose for them. This has probably allowed her to convince herself she's more important than she actually is. So now she believes she's a professional journalist who is respected by many when in fact she just knows how to get clicks by pissing off one side and pandering to the other.

 

[Andrew Noel Schaefer]

Speaking of which, I actually met Leigh Alexander in person just last month. I had no idea who she was at the time, but she was drunk and obscenely smug about her own position as a game journalist. I asked her which sites she'd worked for, and between sips of liquor, she responded with, "Which sites HAVEN'T I worked for!?"

I still have her business card somewhere...

Legobutts, right?

As I was saying, how come theese people up there are so immature? It scares me a bit to think that in our society that such people take up roles without any idea how they should compose themselves. I mean, butts, haha rite? So irrrronic!1 #irony

Its also a wonder how it took all of this to unwrap the scummyness of the people working for others up there. But once you see it? Well... This happens, I guess.

Edit: Legobutts is not Leigh. Thanks, Batman VS Tony Danza! My point still stands though.

 

[Batman VS Tony Danza]

Legobutts, right?

As I was saying, how come theese people up there are so immature? It scares me a bit to think that in our society that such people take up roles without any idea how they should compose themselves. I mean, butts, haha rite? So irrrronic!1 #irony

Its also a wonder how it took all of this to unwrap the scummyness of the people working for others up there. But once you see it? Well... This happens, I guess.

Legobutts is Maya Kramer who works for Silverstring Media and does PR for a bunch of indie game devs (including Zoe Quinn at one time)

 

[Mechanism Eight]

Legobutts, right?

As I was saying, how come theese people up there are so immature? It scares me a bit to think that in our society that such people take up roles without any idea how they should compose themselves. I mean, butts, haha rite? So irrrronic!1 #irony

Its also a wonder how it took all of this to unwrap the scummyness of the people working for others up there. But once you see it? Well... This happens, I guess.

The world as a whole is becoming more immature and childish, it's just more visible in this case because these people are as subtle as entire brick walls with their shit-tier behavior. Worse still is that this mindset that they have seems to be outright supported at times, now that I think about it. Just look at the shit on television nowadays, and tell me that you'll end up with an entire generation of fuckwits when combined with children having easily malleable minds, and their parents being just as bad, if not worse. We already have people essentially acting like schoolyard bullies and successfully getting what they want, and it'll only get worse and worse if people don't do something.

 

[OBAMATRON]

@Glaive Is it wrong to, as gamers, be self-interested? I think we just want politics, clickbait journalism, and extremist social agendas out of our hobby/industry.
Gamers don't get upset about non gaming related scandals because they doesn't involve that facet of our lives. Also, aren't we pretty well justified in striking back at SJWs that are infiltrating and trying to subvert (however ineffectively) our culture?

 

[A Random]

Okay, here's a topic I'm curious about, guys. In your own words and opinion, what do you think reviews need to be about, when it comes to games?

 

[snakesvsplanes]

Okay, here's a topic I'm curious about, guys. In your own words and opinion, what do you think reviews need to be about, when it comes to games?

Uh... The games.

 

[Mauvman Shuffleboard]

Okay, here's a topic I'm curious about, guys. In your own words and opinion, what do you think reviews need to be about, when it comes to games?

Reviews should tell you what about a game blows chunks and why those things blow chunks.

Does the character handle like a slab of meat? The review should tell me.
Is the collision detection inconsistent and shitty? The review should tell me.
Are the audio/visuals all fucked up? The review should tell me.
Is this game clearly just an inferior version of another game that I could get for the same or a lower price? The review should tell me.
Is the multiplayer functional? The review should tell me (if applicable).
If Dracula were playing this game, would he kill himself? The review should tell me.

If important mechanics of the game are done poorly the game probably sucks. If a game sucks I don't want to spend money on it. If a game's actually good I would have heard about it from other people and I wouldn't need a review.

Stuff like the story or whatever come secondary, if I was in it for the story I'd watch a movie. Unless the story is unbearably shitty it's probably good enough. I just want to know if a game might be fun. If the review goes on about anything unrelated to that, it's wasting my time.

 

[Francis York Morgan]

Okay, here's a topic I'm curious about, guys. In your own words and opinion, what do you think reviews need to be about, when it comes to games?

I think reviews should just cover the technical aspects of a game. Does the game work as it was designed to, how does it feel compared to others in its genre, are there any bugs or glitches, how replayable it is, etc. Stuff like that. In addition to all of that, I do think that you need to have the reviews done by people who, you know, actually play and enjoy the genre of game they are reviewing. As a fighting game fan, I can't tell you how frustrating it is to see reviews of a fighting game just talking about how pretty a game is or its "cool factor" without mentioning the technical aspects that matter to me (button layout, lag, framerate, etc.).

I hope that makes sense.

 

[snakesvsplanes]

Stuff like the story or whatever come secondary, if I was in it for the story I'd watch a movie. Unless the story is unbearably shitty it's probably good enough. I just want to know if a game might be fun. If the review goes on about anything unrelated to that, it's wasting my time.

Sorry, but I absolutely disagree with this. The narrative of a game is JUST as important as something like how well the controls are implemented. Allowing games to get away with shitty writing (or even simply mediocre writing) is ridiculous, and it's exactly WHY games are looked down upon as potential vehicles for sophisticated storytelling (Grim Fandango, anyone?).

 

[Jaimas]

In other news, this incredibly damning audio convo regarding the mods on Reddit just became public.

Okay, here's a topic I'm curious about, guys. In your own words and opinion, what do you think reviews need to be about, when it comes to games?

The actual game itself and its content, and not a gigantic fucking political article each and every dicking time you post. When I read a review, I want a fucking review about the game itself and what the game's about. That means all merits - story, graphics, controls, and so on.

I don't want a fucking clickbait article claiming fucking Grand Theft Auto is misogynist because the primary three protagonists happen to not be female.

I want reviews of games to actually discuss the merits of the games themselves. I want reviews like that one article on PSX Extreme explaining how amazing Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain's plot was, and how it painted an intricate world and had some fun gameplay to boot. That was a good review from someone who actually knew what the fuck they're talking about, and was something to be embraced.

We need less assholes who are going to tell me how I should feel about how sexist fucking Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is.

If I want to discuss a political aspect of a game - and there's plenty we could discuss, if those trying to force the issues would be willing to address them like adults (spoiler warning: They aren't), I'll fucking discuss it in its own seperate area - not a fucking game review. About the only time the politics of a game should ever come into question is if it's something like Ride to Hell: Retribution, and even then that game was so shit that it was going down in a fiery cataclysm, misogyny or no.

Disclose any conflicts of interest. Demand policies like those the Escapist implemented.

@@Glaive Is it wrong to, as gamers, be self-interested? I think we just want politics, clickbait journalism, and extremist social agendas out of our hobby/industry. Gamers don't get upset about non gaming related scandals because they doesn't involve that facet of our lives. Also, aren't we pretty well justified in striking back at SJWs that are infiltrating and trying to subvert (however ineffectively) our culture?

Like Jim Sterling said when he shot down Ben Kuchera, who tried to make the argument that gamers should "stop looking through the lens of consumers at deals" like the one Squeenix made to ensure Rise of the Tomb Raider's (temporary) exclusivity - to which Jim responded: "To the game-buying public, that's the only perspective that should ever fucking matter."

It doesn't matter where the subversion comes from - be it so-called SJW, so-called MRA, or some corporatist fuckhole like Ben "I Hate My Audience and Deserve to Have My Career Stripped From Me" Kuchera. Motherfucker, this is our hobby. We're the customers, we have money, and so we get to say how we get our reviews. The plurality says your agenda-driven bullshit sucks, and so it will be done away with.

That's why fucking TotalBiscuit is currently the top-rated reviewer on Steam right now.

 

[Francis York Morgan]

Sorry, but I absolutely disagree with this. The narrative of a game is JUST as important as something like how well the controls are implemented. Allowing games to get away with shitty writing (or even simply mediocre writing) is ridiculous, and it's exactly WHY games are looked down upon as potential vehicles for sophisticated storytelling (Grim Fandango, anyone?).

I agree with this to a degree. Some genres are hurt more by shitty writing than others. Back to the fighting game example, most fighting game stories are garbage or nonexistent but I'm not playing a fighting game for the narrative. I'm playing it for the mechanical aspects most of the time. I think Persona 4 Arena is the only fighting game I've played for the narrative.

 

[snakesvsplanes]

I agree with this to a degree. Some genres are hurt more by shitty writing than others. Back to the fighting game example, most fighting game stories are garbage or nonexistent but I'm not playing a fighting game for the narrative. I'm playing it for the mechanical aspects most of the time. I think Persona 4 Arena is the only fighting game I've played for the narrative.

Okay, I mean, sure, when it comes to a genre such as fighting games, I can agree. But, for example, moving into the broader topic of RPGs and action-adventures, even first-person shooters? These games are FRAMED around their plots, and often include shit-tons of dialogue and cut-scenes. Why should we allow these to be substandard, when they could be used to tell a fascinating story AS WELL as offering brilliant gaming? Why not aim high, and try to go for a game which pushes for the very best in ALL respects, artistic AND technical?

I'm sorry if I'm getting a bit riled up, but as a game designer, I am extremely fastidious, to the point where if ANY one aspect of my game isn't working, I will rework it until I can be proud of it, whether it be the mechanics, the music, the writing, or the level design. I think designers should demand the very best they can in all areas of their product. THAT is what makes for good games.