Whatever Happened to Extra Credits?

[[Esoteric Reference]]

So I've been on the Escapist for more than a year, I remember when Extra Credits was just getting really good. But then it seemed that right after the money drive for Allison concluded, things started getting... weird I guess. It was about this time that ignored the escapist for a month or so (for unrelated reasons involving my overall workload) When I came back they were gone and I never bothered to get a good explanation.

Tellingly, they don't appear as much in general Escapist conversation as they used to.

I guess I'm just wondering what happened, is there bad blood? Did they just fall off the map? did they move? and if so what have they been up to for the last many months.

I know this all happened a while ago but still, its been bugging me recently.

 

[Neverhoodian]

There was a falling out between EC and The Escapist over a fundraiser for Allison (she underwent hand surgery). For more details, check out this thread:

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.305970-Extra-Credits-leaves-the-Escapist-NEW-Extra-Credits-Presents-The-MMORTS

EC has since moved to Penny Arcade. All of their episodes are available here:
http://penny-arcade.com/patv/show/extra-credits

 

[Dendio]

The worst thing about all of this is that right after the escapist community donates ALOT of money to their cause, they just up and leave us.

Though they had their reasons, it still doesnt make it right in my book. Escapist Mag wanted to talk things over, and they should have done just that. Now they left the community that donated so much to their cause.

 

[[Esoteric Reference]]

I was afraid of that

So what's everyone's opinion of the Extra Credits crew? I really liked them but I saw this coming. As soon as they made that much money I had a feeling things would go south.

What I want to know is what everyone else thinks? does anyone still go check their stuff out?

Personally, I never bothered to look them up as a matter of principal, I liked what they were doing, but it seemed like their egos got the better of them in the end. It's understandable, but sad for a group of people who claimed to be in it for the community.

But what does the Escapist think?

 

[Popeman]

They moved to youtube after a disagreement with the escapist. They still do shows I think. Honestly I wasn't much of a fan, way too preachy and they sounded very pretentious in their analysis. Their missile command thing was just lame, I mean come on, moral decision in missile command

That is kind of my thought of them. I didn't know about the Missile command thing but I am inclined to agree.

 

[Andy Shandy]

Moved to YouTube then to Penny Arcade after a disagreement with The Escapist over Rockethub money to pay for Allison's surgery. Must admit I've lost quite a bit of interest in it now since it's not here, where everything else I watch is. Not sure anyone knows the complete going-on behind it but oh well.

 

[uzo]

Meh ... if I wanted squeaky voices being opinionated and somewhat pretentious, I'd either breathe some helium and talk to myself ... or listen to Foamy the Squirrel.

EDIT: They're not that bad ... but I must say I've not particularly missed `em. Good luck to em though.

 

[Ninonybox_v1legacy]

I still watch them weekly, I think they where in the right.

 

[Ilikemilkshake]

They moved to youtube after a disagreement with the escapist. They still do shows I think. Honestly I wasn't much of a fan, way too preachy and they sounded very pretentious in their analysis. Their missile command thing was just lame, I mean come on, moral decision in missile command

That is kind of my thought of them. I didn't know about the Missile command thing but I am inclined to agree.

Don't get me wrong, missle command is a pretty fun game, you protect 6 cities from a variety of missiles, a real classic. But extra credits were saying the moral choice in sacrificing cities in order for other cities to survive and how that affects the player, not only is this a load of bollocks, but I'm sure no one is going to feel bad about a few pixels getting blown up, the game is 30 years old!

Sure most people arent going to look that deeply into Missile Command. But the point the episode was making was that games can deliver moral choices through gameplay without the need to put a good/evil bar in. Missile Command did a fantastic job of being both a good game while delivering a narrative that fit the mechanics.

Also what does the fact that the game is 30 years old have to do with anything? People still discuss books/plays/films that are decades-hundreds of years old, why cant we do that with games?

 

[spartan231490]

]So I've been on the Escapist for more than a year, I remember when Extra Credits was just getting really good. But then it seemed that right after the money drive for Allison concluded, things started getting... weird I guess. It was about this time that ignored the escapist for a month or so (for unrelated reasons involving my overall workload) When I came back they were gone and I never bothered to get a good explanation.

Tellingly, they don't appear as much in general Escapist conversation as they used to.

I guess I'm just wondering what happened, is there bad blood? Did they just fall off the map? did they move? and if so what have they been up to for the last many months.

I know this all happened a while ago but still, its been bugging me recently.

There was a huge battle between EC and Escapist because the escapist was on hard times and hadn't been able to pay them for a long time(months and months) and EC didn't particularly mind, but then the escapist made a stink because EC put the extra money from Allison's fundraiser into their indie publishing company. Escapist demanded, in fact, that EC pay them. Then they threw rocks at each other for a while and fought over the IP to extra credits and eventually EC left the escapist. They still use their youtube channel(it's how I follow them) but their videos are up on pennyarcade. They've had some really good eps in the last little while.

 

[carlj]

Way, way, too preachy. Like cartoon John Romero on estrogen therapy. The nitrous oxide narrator voice, sped up, reminded me of the Chipmunks, but delivering a PC sermon every episode. From behind a pulpit, even.

The cartoon format, weird sped up voice effect, and uber polite and politically correct moralizing, along with the obviously derivative title clearly set that "show" up as counterpoint to Zero Punctuation.

Drawing the cartoonist chick with the arm sling and then, an episode later, start busking for surgery money, 'cause she doesn't have insurance? Lame. Unprofessional. Childish, and not in the "aw cute, how precious," sense, but in the "I'm an adult and can't take care of myself," sense.

Should get a better job. Go sell your time doing shit you don't really love to get the stuff you need. Just like everyone else. Draw the next Lucky Charms ad for General Mills, or Joe Camel for Phillip Morris, like the other artists who can feed and take care of themselves.

I imagine the producers saw it as asking for a tip after serving a (preachy) meal, and I guess the publishers of Escapist, saw it as begging, using their site as a platform and thus, part of their compensation - so offset their own payments accordingly.

Then, after the Allison thing, that YouTube video, with Romero-boy whining and sobbing like a broken hearted girl because he played too much WoW in college. On camera. Key-rist! Like Chris Crocker, but as a brunette. I genuinely hope this is just a persona and not a real personality, because, Key-rist!

I think they're over at Penny Arcade now. Doesn't really seem to be a fit over there, either. Maybe some sort of community service penance and contrition for the DickWolf episode last year.

 

[Kanatatsu]

I despised EC and am glad they are gone.

I found the money drive offensive, their behaviour afterward childish, and the episodes they put out to be utterly pretentious, overwrought garbage.

They represented pretty much everything I hate in gamers and the gaming community.

 

[Dutchy115]

Hold up, you guys realise the reason they left was because the Escapist was claiming that they had the rights to the money donated for Allison's surgery, the guys from EC aren't as satanic as you're making them out to be, the Escapist tried to screw them over, so they left, simple as that. As for my thoughts on EC in general, I haven't watched it for a few months, but every episode I did see was very unique in its provision of alternative perspective, much like Zero Punctuation except they had a broader spectrum of analysis (games, music, books, tv, movies, art etc.) and devoid of all of the swearing and over-exagerated hatred Yahtzee's known for (let's face it, that's what we love about him).

 

[Vivi22]

Drawing the cartoonist chick with the arm sling and then, an episode later, start busking for surgery money, 'cause she doesn't have insurance? Lame. Unprofessional. Childish, and not in the "aw cute, how precious," sense, but in the "I'm an adult and can't take care of myself," sense.

It's unprofessional for them to ask for help when her surgery was going to cost in the range of 20-30,000 dollars and she didn't have medical coverage? Get over yourself. Her very career was in jeopardy because of it, and asking for some help and support from the community is hardly unprofessional, especially since they hadn't been paid anything by the Escapist at the time. What were they supposed to do? Especially considering James had already sold some of his own property to try and get money to help her out. I don't think anyone expected people to donate as much as they did.

Should get a better job. Go sell your time doing shit you don't really love to get the stuff you need. Just like everyone else.

Do me a favour, next time you need some extra money, just go out and try and find "something better". See if how long it takes. Or even better, try and find something on the side that will pay you $20,000 when you already work full time and do the art for a web show on the side.

People who say things like "oh you need money, go find a better job" are completely and utterly out of touch with anything resembling reality. It wasn't like she could just wait to save the money when her very ability to draw (ie: earn a living) was in jeopardy without the surgery.

Long story short, did you just sign up to troll? Did one of the Extra Credits crew kick your puppy when you were a kid?

As to the actual topic, yeah, I still follow Extra Credits. I really only come to the Escapist for some of the news articles and Zero Punctuation, and Extra Credits was the biggest draw for me when it was here so when it left I was happy to keep up with it somewhere else. I don't really care for most of the other shows on the Escapist to be honest, and I don't even follow Zero Punctuation that closely anymore. When Extra Credits left, so did much of my interest in anything except the forums here.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

Hold up, you guys realise the reason they left was because the Escapist was claiming that they had the rights to the money donated for Allison's surgery, the guys from EC aren't as satanic as you're making them out to be, the Escapist tried to screw them over, so they left, simple as that. As for my thoughts on EC in general, I haven't watched it for a few months, but every episode I did see was very unique in its provision of alternative perspective, much like Zero Punctuation except they had a broader spectrum of analysis (games, music, books, tv, movies, art etc.) and devoid of all of the swearing and over-exagerated hatred Yahtzee's known for (let's face it, that's what we love about him).

Yeh, the money was for a surgery...not to fund a start-up development company. The debate over what to do with the excess was a legitimate debate to have. Both sides were entering a moral grey-area, nothing simple about it.

snip

I agree with much of this.

Especially in regards to that youtube video...so embarrassing. He talked about how much personal growth he has achieved, but he still strikes me as a thin-skinned adolescent...with pretentious facial hair.

 

[itaywex]

For me every wednesday is the holy "ZP and EC" day.
Extra credits is a great show, im quite sad they left the Escapist because this it seems to me that a serious show like EC fits perfectly with gaming website like The Escapist.