EXTRA CREDITS demands that E3 not becovered by video game websites, should Escapist follow?

[Helmholtz Watson]

So I just got done watching this weeks Extra Credits episode and it was on SOPA/PIPA and the support that it has for the ESA [http://www.theesa.com](Entertainment Software Association).

The video can be found here: http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/stand-together-the-gaming-community-vs-sopa-and-pipa​

The video goes on to state that since the ESA will not remove support from SOPA, so video game websites, such as the Escapist or Kotaku, are being asked to not attend or cover E3. Viewers are also asked to email Video Game developers to remove their attendance from E3 this year. The reason behind focusing on E3 is that the ESA obtains most of its revenue from the E3 event and by not covering or attending at E3, this might convince the ESA to remove their support for SOPA/PIPA. What do you guys think, should the Escapist follow with such request? Do you guys think the Escapist "history" with Extra Credits might pose as a reason for them to not consider the request of the Extra Credits video?

NOTE: To any Escapist forum moderators, if anything I have mentioned is out of line, please pm/let me know some way that you want me to change or remove my post. I'm not looking for trouble.

 

[Bernzz]

There'll be world peace before video game journalists refuse to cover E3 and before developers decide to not go. It's too big, generates too much money, is generally too interesting an opportunity to pass up. The few people that decide not to go won't change the ESA's opinion at all, because the ESA won't notice the difference.

I saw the video too, and I applaud them for their efforts and their message, but I don't believe it will work at all.

As for the Escapist following that request, I doubt it, but not because of their history with Extra Credits. More so that they'd cover E3, just because it's E3.

 

[Helmholtz Watson]

There'll be world peace before video game journalists refuse to cover E3 and before developers decide to not go. It's too big, generates too much money, is generally too interesting an opportunity to pass up. The few people that decide not to go won't change the ESA's opinion at all, because the ESA won't notice the difference.

I saw the video too, and I applaud them for their efforts and their message, but I don't believe it will work at all.

As for the Escapist following that request, I doubt it, but not because of their history with Extra Credits. More so that they'd cover E3, just because it's E3.

Then what would be your suggestion as to how to get the ESA to remove their support from SOPA/PIPA?

 

[Bernzz]

Ka-snip

Then what would be your suggestion as to how to get the ESA to remove their support from SOPA/PIPA?

I myself don't have one. I'm simply pointing out that while I agree with their message and admire them for voicing their opinion, it just won't happen. I'm not saying they shouldn't try, I'm just saying that I can't see it happen.

 

[Terminate421]

No way in hell will this work.

Too much money goes out the window. Besides, the law would have been passed had it happened.

 

[Helmholtz Watson]

Well that's a step further than the few changes we saw for the blackout today. I'm not sure they'd really do so great with that. People will still want to see stuff about E3 anyway and if they don't get it here they'll get it elsewhere. Honestly I don't really care for trying to make the event invisible essentially, I still want to know about it regardless of who is running it.

perhaps there could be a place for developers to go other than E3? Something so that people could still see the products, but it would not benefit the ESA?

 

[Kopikatsu]

The Escapist can't afford not to. They couldn't participate in the blackout today because Wednesday is their big ad revenue day. Which also means that if any other sites/magazines/papers DO listen to Extra Credits, that means that the Escapist might see more traffic.

Covering E3 is a win-win situation.

 

[RicoGrey]

Welp, I can take a similar protest, I won't be visiting any sites that DO cover E3 until the ESA removes their support of SOPA/PIPA.

 

[Supertegwyn]

No, this won't work and I am glad it won't. E3 is too big, and Extra Credits is too preachy for anyone to care.

 

[maddawg IAJI]

No, this won't work and I am glad it won't. E3 is too big, and Extra Credits is too preachy for anyone to care.

What this guy said.

If you're in the business of electronic journalism, skipping E3 would be the STUPIDEST thing you could possibly do and I doubt that the boys at Penny Arcade will skip it either. Extra Credits has always been hilariously preachy in everything they say and while I'm all for fighting Sopa and its supporters, a full boycott of the largest and usually the most groundbreaking event of the year for what your magazine covers is akin to shooting yourself in the foot. If you wanna stop SOPA, you write to your congressman. You applaud what Wikipedia, Google, the Escapist and thousands of other sites have done today because this one single blackout day has done more to increase the opposition of SOPA and the PIPA acts then anything Extra Credits could ever do.

 

[Pebkio]

Of course the Escapist shouldn't cover E3. And then maybe they can gain advertisers from stuck-up, snooty, corporations who care more about integrity than money. Of course we shouldn't support E3 as it's run by the ESA... but we also don't rely on gaming news generated from E3 to pay for our food.

Welp, I can take a similar protest, I won't be visiting any sites that DO cover E3 until the ESA removes their support of SOPA/PIPA.

Including this one? Maybe I'll see you off posting at www.gamingnewsthatifgnoresgamingevents.com/goingoutofbusiness.php

 

[Forbearance]

No, this won't work and I am glad it won't. E3 is too big, and Extra Credits is too preachy for anyone to care.

/signed

I think it's a matter of Jounalistic Integrity > money.

But really, does anything good actually come out of that giant hype machine anyway?

 

[DigitalSushi]

So Extra Credits is asking people whose business it is to write about the games industry not go to the biggest industry convention where they can write about said games industry?

Hell no, why don't they try asking me to "not be French", I assure you that they will not get far.

 

[tthor]

Extra Credits thread? Wuh oh...

No, this won't work and I am glad it won't. E3 is too big, and Extra Credits is too preachy for anyone to care.

the video was not just extra credits, but instead 4 different groups in the video, including Extra Credits, Loading Ready Run, the CEO of the company making Firefall, and a videogame reviewer or something from screwattack.com.

 

[tthor]

lol it always continues being entertaining how people here love to jump to hating things. what are we, pretentious hipsters now?

 

[Ekit]

No, this won't work and I am glad it won't. E3 is too big, and Extra Credits is too preachy for anyone to care.

THIS!

If you want to stop SOPA you should contact your representative or however the American democratic system works.

 

[Elivercury]

I believe the escapist should.

Regardless of whether the blackout day yesterday has dramatically decreased support for SOPA/PIPA or not, the issue at hand here, is that the ESA is basically ignoring the wishes of those that they represent. This isn't on, and the idea behind an E3 boycott is to hit them where it hurts, in the same way as boycotting games does - in the wallet.

Of course, in the same way that the gaming community at large aren't disciplined enough to boycott a game which they are having to pay for, I can't really see gaming journalists passing on one of their major meal tickets just to make a stand for something as insubstantial as "integrity".