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

[LordFisheh]

I kind of agree, but then I also think that the 'gaming community' is a illusion. I have no community with casual-hating internet trolls, we just share a hobby. I refuse to feel shame for something I had no part in - so I replace it with burning hate .

 

[ResonanceSD]

I think the main problem is that people who have bought an interactive experience rather than, movie tickets, are pretty annoyed (and easily annoyed) when the option to skip all interactivity is provided. Yes, the option. Their argument is essentially, "we didn't pay $99 for a movie". Which is why a lot of people hated DA2. It's four hours of ridiculous cutscenes punctuated by terrible fights. If all people wanted was a story, they'd buy a book, watch tv, or go to the movies. They wouldn't buy a game.

If Hepler wanted to write purely story-driven things, perhaps a career in film/tv/novels might be more her speed.

 

[Imbechile]

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.

You're keeping yourself in denial if you think that the "mob" has no credibility.
I'm just saying that you should have learned by now that most people act like morons on the internet, and that you should ignore them, and instead, focus on those that have valid complains.You just need to sift through the usual trolling to find legitimate criticism.

It saddens me that people have started insulting her personally instead of her work. Those that did have valid complains are now getting shoved in the "mob" by other people, dodging yet again issues that both Bioware's games and the company have.

PS: Dissmising constructive hate as just trolling attempts is a very bad thing. That hate stems from the love for the genre, and it's made when someone strides too far from the right path.

 

[Still Life]

Again, from Destructoid:

http://www.destructoid.com/bioware-issues-statement-in-support-of-jennifer-hepler-222338.phtml

Yesterday, I was given the sadly-not-rare opportunity to call out a bunch of assholes on the Internet, chiefly the stooges who organized a hate campaign against BioWare writer Jennifer Hepler. A large group of people got it into their heads that this woman was singlehandedly destroying an entire videogame studio, and harassed her non-stop. Today, BioWare has made an official statement.

"Jennifer is a valued, talented employee who has been with BioWare for many years and we hope will be with us for many more," reads the statement. "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."

In addition, BioWare has donated $1,000 to Bullying Canada in Jennifer's name.

The hysteria with which Jennifer was attacked reminds me of the Salem witch trials, or any other historical situation where ignorant pedants blamed their personal grievances on a single person. The whole, "Jennifer forced homosexuality into Mass Effect" complaint particularly exposed the level of misinformed and histrionic bigotry among the hatedom.

In any case, it's good to see BioWare calling out the bullshit and setting a few things straight -- unlike Mass Effect, which will never be straight again and you'll have to think about penises touching each other OH MAH GAWD!

Good to see Mr. Sterling calling it out for what it is, as usual.

 

[LilithSlave]

A meme which, ironically, comes across as condescending.

Does it? How, exactly?

 

[ResonanceSD]

A meme which, ironically, comes across as condescending.

Does it? How, exactly?

Because no one takes the meme seriously outside of people using ponies as avatars.

 

[esperandote]

I can see where they are coming from:

1. You have the option to skip gameplay and read the story, it's called read a fucking book.
2. If you don't like gaming then leave the industry and leave a job spot for someone that likes what the industry does.
3. Saying removing gameplay to leave narrative is like saying you're a song writer and you think songs should remove the music, it stops being a game/song.
3. Not all gamer lacks girlfriends, not all gamers are men, not all gamers want jobs in the gaming industry.
4. She was suprised that the internet trolled her hard after insulting a big hateful group of people, Jennifer I present to you a new concept, the internet, you're welcome.

The hysteria with which Jennifer was attacked reminds me of the Salem witch trials, or any other historical situation where ignorant pedants blamed their personal grievances on a single person. The whole, "Jennifer forced homosexuality into Mass Effect" complaint particularly exposed the level of misinformed and histrionic bigotry among the hatedom.

Good thing I only commented on her quotes.

 

[Jdb]

It's a mistake assuming there's a universal game community. It's possibly a mistake assuming there's any kind of community. I've never heard of the book or movie community.

 

[Still Life]

You're keeping yourself in denial if you think that the "mob" has no credibility.

No.

A glorified 'witch hunt' is not a legitimate protest.

 

[ResonanceSD]

It's a mistake assuming there's a universal game community. It's possibly a mistake assuming there's any kind of community. I've never heard of the book or movie community.

Oh come on, there's a clearly identifiable subset of people who play games and are interested in industry news (read: user of this website) for example. Which is much more clearly delineated than movie-goers or book-readers.

 

[LilithSlave]

Because no one takes the meme seriously outside of people using ponies as avatars.

That's probably another sign of the problem with the internet. Also, whether people live up to the idea or not, at least the idea itself is good. The internet could be a lot friendlier.

I for one, don't like a lot about the meme. But mostly just the fact that it's used by a certain subset of ponyfans, as if it's a part of the show, when in fact, it's not. A good portion of the time, the characters do not practice much "love and tolerance". And again, "love and tolerance", is not once mentioned in the show.

I can't knock it as a value that would do well to spread throughout the internet, though. And it's certainly antithetical to the culture of 4chan's /b/ board. I can't fault something like that too much.

 

[ResonanceSD]

I can't knock it as a value that would do well to spread throughout the internet, though. And it's certainly antithetical to the culture of 4chan's /b/ board. I can't fault something like that too much.

Yeah, people being less willing to EXPLODE WITH HELLFIRE AND RAGE when someone disagrees with them would be condusive to better dialogue. I'm not sure why the "it's something that you wouldn't find on /b/" is the benchmark for decency though. If someone's not willing to be a dick on the internet without being instructed to by a holier-than-thou avatar, then there's probably not much sincerity to them in the first place.

 

[Aerosteam]

She's the writer of Dragon Age and The Old Republic? I've played Origins and the writing was okay, nothing bad. I've never played Dragon Age II or The Old Republic so I have nothing against the writing there.

This kind of behavior is what organisations like FOX see in all gamers. It's certain people ruining it for everyone else. If all gamers were to act properly FOX would not have as much news on games being a bad influence.

a quick lession

1. Bioware are going down the drain
2. EA are the anti-chirst and Bioware are their little helper
3. ME2 was a steaming pile of CRAP
4. DA2 THE WORST FUCKING ABOMINATION KNOWN TO MAN
5. ME3 is going to be the worst game in the existant of videogames
6. Bioware SUCK and have murded your gramdmother and pissed on her grave
7. that screen shot of a possible new Bioware game is from a COD style FPS with a horrile story and wrting with HORRBIEL charachters that will be worse than DA2 and ME3 combined..(no dont argue with me I KNOW this I can tell from the colour they used)

Oh God, the ignorance levels are so high on this one.

You know what, though? Having a vagina and an industry job is a pretty sweet two-punch. I'm pretty jealous myself.

To be honest, I want those things as well.

 

[ImSkeletor]

I do think its a bad thing that she doesn't like to play games. If you don't like to watch movies you don't write them. If you don't like to read books you don't write books. And if you don't like to play games you don't write games. Medium does matter.

 

[Kahunaburger]

Well, I don't think there's any question that DA2 was a bad game, but that hardly justifies the backlash at Hepler. Especially since she wrote the dwarf bits in DA:O! That doesn't count for anything, internet?

 

[FallenMessiah88]

Ashamed? Why? I didn't do anything. Why should I, or anyone else, be ashamed for something I didn't do? Because it reflects badly on gamers as a whole? No, it doesn't.

The people who acted that way probably only represents one percent of all gamers in the world. Unless you actually share their views and by that I mean in a "LOL SO TRUE!!! DIE U WORTHLESS ****!!!" kind of way, I don't see why I or other decent gamers have to be stigmatised as misogynists and self entitled brats.

So no, I am not ashamed of gamers as a whole.

Also, while I agree that the abuse she's been getting is unwarranted and comepletely overblown, her response was still very unprofessional.

At best, it is a legitimate (however risky) attempt at trolling the haters and at worst it is a completely mockery of anyone who actually has any legitimate criticism against her work.

 

[LilithSlave]

Yeah, people being less willing to EXPLODE WITH HELLFIRE AND RAGE when someone disagrees with them would be condusive to better dialogue.

I'm not sure we're quite on the same page. You might have a bit of a point there. But sometimes outrage is a justified emotion. And sometimes "opinions" are disgusting and people have a right to be disgusted by them.

I was more thinking of something along the lines of "the sadism, cruelty, malice, and desire to exploit and harm others for personal pleasure is far too common on the internet".

"It's just an opinion and you shouldn't be bothered by it in even the slightest otherwise you're buttmad autist and need to kill yourself" is a common defense for statements like "the Jews are sick greedy fucks and I'd like to spill every single one of their intestines and rape them."

And I wouldn't fault anyone for "exploding with hellfire and rage" at such a statement. Instead, what the internet could use a little bit more of is just plain friendliness and the golden rule.

"Treat others as you would appreciate being treated", one of the most common, well established, and good moral ideas, is almost entirely missing on the internet.

 

[WanderingFool]

-snip

I do not care if her response was not 'professional'. There are simply no excuses for the bullshit flung at Hepler. It's little wonder (however ill-advised) she retorted to the mob of self-entitled dipshits and trolls.

What in god's name causes people to regress into a pack of morons?

Wow... are you seriously asking this? I know im probably far to late to the party to point this out, but fuck it, I have this saved for just occasions, and I havent used it forever:

But basically yeah...

Though she didnt do herself any favors by actually responding to it, thats like putting out a fire with gasoline and lighter fluid...

 

[Still Life]

Whether you liked the (insert victims of Islamic terror) or not (I've not been a fan of most of those infidels, period), this level of treatment towards those unbelievers is never warranted, and it should make the Middle East utterly ashamed of itself. This is the kind of behavior that justifies the FOX News stereotype of the desert dwelling, violent towelhead.

Do yourself a favor and stay on topic.