Ashamed to be part of the gaming community some days (like today).

[Soviet Heavy]

You know, I'd feel some sympathy for her if she didn't decide to start sniping back at them. She set herself up for further insults when she brought her own retorts out about her vagina. Honestly, is that a professional way to respond to criticism?

Fucks sakes, Justin Bieber handles his hatedom better. You want to know how? HE IGNORES IT.

 

[Weaver]

I just don't like retconning character traits (Anders was a womanizer in Awakening) for the sake of "equality". Just make a new character.

He was a lot whinier in DA:2. Never really got why. However, he didn't suddenly "turn gay" because he isn't gay in DA:2. He's gender-blind.

If you want to be upset about Anders being a whiny jerk in DA:2 then fine, that's a legitimate character change that goes unexplained. I liked Anders in Awakenings, and I didn't like him in DA:2, and for me (playing FemHawke) his sexual preferences were identical.

So what I'm saying is, Anders isn't a bad gay character in DA:2, because he isn't gay. He's just a bad character, period.

I didn't claim he was gay, I claimed he was bisexual in DA2.
Anyways, way too much of his personality changed (largely for the worse) for no real reason.

 

[Axolotl]

way i see it ,she acted like douchbag which in turned attracted the interwebz horde. alls fair.

So "the way you see it" is in the reverse order of what the narrative says actually happened? Brilliant.

What narrative? Most of the insults came after she made the comment about her vagina.

 

[GonzoGamer]

You'll get this in any entertainment that has obsessed fans.
What really annoys me is that the d-bags who are attacking her probably have no priorities and are probably the same morons who make excuses for companies who include online pass, season pass, and other money grubbing schemes.
Butchering the game should be a more punishable offense than not being a good writer. Most of the people who write for games don't know the first thing about writing for games and for the time being that seems okay since so many gamers seem to want overly dramatic and pretentious prime time drama quality writing that most any writer can scribble together in a couple of hours. So why should the creators put their resources into the writing when they don't have to?
Personally, I don't give a crap about the story of a game (I hardly pay attention to it really), I just want the gameplay to be fun.

 

[TomLikesGuitar]

Let's face it, the Mass Effect series is semi-"obsessed with shoehorning homosexual relationships down gamer's throats." They sure bring it up EVERY SINGLE CHANCE THAT THEY CAN.

If she is responsible for that, then she kind of needs some negative feedback. It sucks that it had to be so abrasive, but hopefully she will learn that taking an amazing story and hammering a bunch of ridiculous activist bs into it kind of ruins immersion. The relationships have become a freaking focal point of the game, and any gamer knows that is ridiculous.

It clearly shows that she doesn't like video games, and to say that you don't have to like video games to write a video game narrative is like saying that a book author who doesn't like movies can write a script. There are differences, and it's pretty obvious she can't recognize them.

Mass Effect 2 was way more shoddy with its' writing than ME 1. It was over the top and over-emotional. Mass Effect 1 was more interested in the science fiction side of things. I want to hope that Mass Effect 3 isn't just a relationship simulator with a shooter side-game but... well, we'll have to wait and see.

 

[Still Life]

The title above this topic is nonsensical.

I'm sorry, but it's events like this which give certain politicians and family groups an extra bullet-point or two to use in their campaigns. Not to mention that it is simply disgusting behavior and I for one won't let it go unsaid.

Do the people who engage in this sort of behavior accurately represent the rest of us who enjoy gaming as a hobby? No.

Do those few asshats give the rest of us who engage with said hobby and the community(s) which have grown around it a bad reputation? Yes, it certainly does.

 

[Elamdri]

GM shouldn't have trash talked customers.

Screw that, Flynn should get a medal for that post. I applaud him for standing up for a co-worker. The customer is NOT always right, and Bioware doesn't need that guy's business.

 

[Atlas13]

GM shouldn't have trash talked customers.

Screw that, Flynn should get a medal for that post. I applaud him for standing up for a co-worker. The customer is NOT always right, and Bioware doesn't need that guy's business.

But... when a lot of people come out and attack an employee for being shit at their job, you kinda have to take a look at your employee and realize... they're shit at their job. This has been going on for years, Hamburger is just a bad writer (have you SEEN her book?), and she doesn't belong in her field of work.

(damnit I don't give two shits about space janitors stop making me click on the ad for it escapist)

 

[skywolfblue]

In this case, I think she deserved a far bit of what she got. From what I've seen scanning over this thread and the characters that she's written:

- She's not really a good writer, at all
- She's very egotistical, and has issues taking criticism with a level head

After her "vagina in the games industry" I don't have any sympathy for her. That's basically "Bring it on" in internet speak. If you pick a fight with the internet, don't be shocked by the amount of trolls that pile up on your doorstep.

I agree with internet gangster-ism being a bad thing. Those people should be making criticisms about her writing and ego instead of making comments about her weight and being misogynistic. I'm +100% behind criticizing people for doing bad work or being a jerk, and -100% behind throwing stupid internet insults.

 

[Still Life]

But... when a lot of people come out and attack an employee for being shit at their job, you kinda have to take a look at your employee and realize.

No. Mobs looking for a lynching have no credibility.

Have a legitimate grievance with someone's work? Draft a formal letter and send it to their respective employer.

 

[Atlas13]

But... when a lot of people come out and attack an employee for being shit at their job, you kinda have to take a look at your employee and realize.

No. Mobs looking for a lynching have no credibility.

Have a legitimate grievance with someone's work? Draft a formal letter and send it to their respective employer.

I'd say it's fair that a mob has no credibility, but only if you say it's fair that an employee has no credibility when she hates the medium she works with, and goes on twitter saying "They're just jealous I work in video games and have a vagina, while they can't get either."

 

[Still Life]

she hates the medium she works with

I certainly agree that she was an idiot for fanning the flames, but where has she specifically stated that 'she hates the medium'. You're going to need to cite that one.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

As I said on another thread about this, it's G.I.F.T. at it's finest.

Seeing posts like this amuses me every time. Come on, people. It's the internet with all that it entails. It's as if Beiber had gotten a facebook account or some other currently hated person had gone public. You think they wouldn't get this sort of treatment?

Whenever she made that twitter account, she should have known the response. All you have to do to know of the whole internet rage thing is google her damn name or look up an interview she's in on youtube. Yes, fine, that shouldn't have happened...etc. But if you expect civility and manners on the internet, you should start browsing through it some more.

Just because it's common doesn't make it any less disgraceful, in fact that only makes it more so.

 

[Dogstile]

BEST.....COMEBACK......EVER!!!!

Really? A "professional" writer and that's seriously the best she could come up with? I'm quite frankly more disgusted that she didn't come up with anything better. What she came out with was quite frankly, lazy and uninspired.

 

[Agow95]

I don't feel ashamed because I don't really feel that "Gamers" are really a community, I feel no relation with these awful people, why should I feel ashamed?

 

[ElPatron]

She negatively stereotyped her target market via social media. People get fired for that mindless shit every day.

There is always an exception to the rule. Self defense usually gets a "pass".

NOPE.

She acted unprofessionally by sinking to their level. No matter how serious the attacks were.

If I showed up on some country's parliament and called the president a "****" do you think it would be acceptable having him/her calling me the same thing? He would get torn by the public opinion and his political opposition.

Ashamed?

I've never been more proud.

If someone raises a complaint and you're only response is "I have a vagina, so that makes me right", you deserve all of the hate and scorn the internet can throw at you.

This. And being the woman that said that every gamer is both male and virgin makes me wonder why did she bragged about having a job in the industry.

 

[LilithSlave]

This isn't so much a "gamer" thing, as an 'internet' thing. Remember the GIFT?

Though admittedly she has done some things most gamers are offended by.

But the internet magnifies all hate. It's a wonder people actually use the internet as a means to escape real life contact.

This is also the reason My Little Pony fans have garnered so much attention for the "Love and Tolerance" meme.

The relationships have become a freaking focal point of the game, and any gamer knows that is ridiculous.

Woah. Back up. Nnnnnnnoooooooope.

 

[Suicidejim]

Internet hate is a peculiar beast. If Bioware games now suck, don't buy Bioware games anymore, and let that be the end of it. I've played games all my life, and I've never disliked a game or its writing so much as to inspire actual hate and attacks on those who wrote it. Even the worst ones were, at worst, a disappointment.

Besides, skipping combat is a perfectly reasonable option. I have actually found the story and dialogue sections of Bioware games to be far more fun than the combat sections, as a rule. And when you have a game that lets you play through multiple times with different results, the lengthy combat sections can get tedious by the 3rd or 4th time. It just strikes me as the reverse equivalent of skipping cutscenes.

 

[Axolotl]

Bioware have made their response. [http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/260/index/9381043/1]

Hi Everyone

Below, please see a message from BioWare co-founder Dr. Ray Muzyka in regards to the recent attacks on Jennfer Hepler.

Jennifer is a valued, talented employee who has been with BioWare for many years and we hope will be with us for many more. It is awful that a few people have decided to make her a target for hate and threats, going so far as fabricating forum posts and attributing them to her, and singling her out for projects to which she has not contributed (i.e., Jennifer is not even a part of the Mass Effect writing team). All of us at BioWare support and will continue to support Jennifer fully, and are happy to see so many people out there are also supporting her during this difficult time.

- Dr. Ray Muzyka. Co-Founder of BioWare; General Manager, BioWare Label; Senior Vice President, Electronic Arts

Called it:

And now more repectable sites are cleaning up by blaming the whole thing on trolls and misogyny and we can all move on with nothing having been learned and everyone feeling the worse for it.

Additionally we will be making a donation of $1000 in Jennifer's name to Bullying Canada. Please feel free to also donate to this worthy cause in support.

Okay I was wrong maybe some good has come out of this.