Author Topic: Star Citizen Media Musings  (Read 592027 times)

dsmart

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Re: Star Citizen Media Articles
« Reply #30 on: March 27, 2017, 08:40:25 AM »
This was the first in a series of sweeps intended to reassert control over the Star Citizen narrative and minimize the ability for new potential backers to realize what a scam it is.

I'll give you three guesses as to who initiated this, and why.

As I wrote (1, 2) earlier, it's worth pursuing for posterity alone. So I am going to be do a blog about it.

As I wrote last week, CIG has succeeded in using BACKER FUNDS to outspend and subsequently force The Escapist owner Defy Media to pull an Society of Professional Journalists award winning article, critical of the Star Citizen project. Even as most of what was researched and written about the article - two years ago - already came to pass.

Both the article and Chris Roberts defamatory response (against the site, the writer, and of course myself), have been taken down; apparently by mutual agreement in which both sides just decided to stop spending attorney fees on "bullshit".

Apparently since The Escapist is not a "going concern" for Defy, unlike their other more profitable enterprises (they raised $70m in Series B funding back in Sept 2016), they seem to have opted to stop spending money on legal bills for the site.

I continue to dig into this; but now that I have more info, I am in the process of writing an investigative blog about it for posterity.

This sets a horrid precedent. Imagine if any other game publisher had pulled a stunt like this against a news site.

  • Defy Media stood (1, 2) by the 2015 story, which btw, later won an SPJ award for the writer
  • The Escapist scaled down a year later because the site, like most, is losing money
  • I have it on good authority that they have been going back and forth with legal bullshit since 2015. Just like I was with Ortwin back in 2015
  • Legal bills cost money
  • A parent company for a site that's not making money, isn't going to continue spending money on inconsequential bullshit that's not going to MAKE them money
  • CIG is mostly funded by backer money that we know of. Aside from unknown loans and investors
  • CIG is in a legal song and dance with Defy Media, who has to respond via attorneys
  • Attorneys cost money. CIG has disposable income via backers. Defy does not have money to blow on The Escapist. They raised $70m in Sept 2016 to further their operations (they have other profitable properties)
  • It appears both sides decided to withdraw, rather than continue spending money on inconsequential bullshit.
  • The End

If Defy Media was willing to continue spending money to fight a story they PUBLICLY stood behind, it stands to reason that it would be in court by now. Not a mutual removal of the stories - 2 years later. Especially considering that the onus was on CIG to disprove the allegations cited in the article; while defending the defamatory statements made in CIG's diatribe. CIG would have completely LOST such a case; and especially since I would have been dragged into it
« Last Edit: March 27, 2017, 11:32:21 AM by dsmart »
Star Citizen isn't a game. It's a TV show about a bunch of characters making a game. It's basically "This is Spinal Tap" - except people think the band is real.

Motto

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Re: Star Citizen Media Articles
« Reply #31 on: March 27, 2017, 02:29:35 PM »
When SC crashes, the article will be back online in no-time.

dsmart

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Re: Star Citizen Media Articles
« Reply #32 on: March 27, 2017, 03:46:27 PM »
When SC crashes, the article will be back online in no-time.

LOL! Well, there are still archives.  :c00lbert:
Star Citizen isn't a game. It's a TV show about a bunch of characters making a game. It's basically "This is Spinal Tap" - except people think the band is real.

dsmart

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Re: Star Citizen Media Articles
« Reply #33 on: March 29, 2017, 03:50:10 PM »
Heat Street happens to be only outlet so far to report on a publisher strong-arming an outlet to pull an unfavorable story.

Huge Crowdfunded Project ‘Star Citizen’ Gets Negative Articles Scrubbed From Web
« Last Edit: March 29, 2017, 03:56:22 PM by dsmart »
Star Citizen isn't a game. It's a TV show about a bunch of characters making a game. It's basically "This is Spinal Tap" - except people think the band is real.

dsmart

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Re: Star Citizen Media Articles
« Reply #34 on: March 30, 2017, 08:35:07 AM »
CONTROVERSIAL STAR CITIZEN ARTICLES REMOVED FROM THE ESCAPIST

This made me holler with laughter.

Quote
One of the backers who notified One Angry Gamer about the removal of the pieces explained that they were informed by CIG/RSI staff that the crowd-funds that were gathered for the game would not be used in any legal battles, either to protect the brand integrity of Star Citizen or to limit damaging material aimed at the project.

The backers of the game apparently expressed that they would “not tolerate” backer funds being used for CIG/RSI to fight legal battles on behalf of protecting Star Citizen.

They have NO financial accountability for HOW the money is spent. no worries though, it's not spent on legal bills. CIG said so. This is why they are getting fleeced. CIG has $0 income outside of Star Citizen. Even Ortwin gets PAID for his time. sheesh
« Last Edit: March 30, 2017, 08:39:51 AM by dsmart »
Star Citizen isn't a game. It's a TV show about a bunch of characters making a game. It's basically "This is Spinal Tap" - except people think the band is real.

dsmart

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Re: Star Citizen Media Articles
« Reply #35 on: March 31, 2017, 08:34:24 AM »
2yrs today, before my 1st 07/15 blog that started a revolution, Chris Baker wrote this article for Wired

Fans Have Dropped $77M on This Guy’s Buggy, Half-Built Game
Star Citizen isn't a game. It's a TV show about a bunch of characters making a game. It's basically "This is Spinal Tap" - except people think the band is real.

dsmart

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Star Citizen isn't a game. It's a TV show about a bunch of characters making a game. It's basically "This is Spinal Tap" - except people think the band is real.

dsmart

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Star Citizen isn't a game. It's a TV show about a bunch of characters making a game. It's basically "This is Spinal Tap" - except people think the band is real.

nightfire

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Re: Star Citizen Media Articles
« Reply #38 on: April 29, 2017, 02:34:07 PM »
Chris Roberts pleads for more money – Is Star Citizen now a money pit?

Again, good entertainment in the comment section:



If true, that would be on the same level as "Luke, I am your father"!  :D

dsmart

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Re: Star Citizen Media Articles
« Reply #39 on: April 29, 2017, 02:37:12 PM »
Those guys never fail to deliver  :laugh:
Star Citizen isn't a game. It's a TV show about a bunch of characters making a game. It's basically "This is Spinal Tap" - except people think the band is real.

dsmart

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Re: Star Citizen Media Articles
« Reply #40 on: May 01, 2017, 07:57:37 AM »
Star Citizen isn't a game. It's a TV show about a bunch of characters making a game. It's basically "This is Spinal Tap" - except people think the band is real.

dsmart

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Re: Star Citizen Media Articles
« Reply #41 on: May 04, 2017, 07:54:33 AM »
Well, so much for the backers claim that things are taking long because "Chris Roberts is a perfectionist who wants everything done properly"

Chris Roberts: No pressure to make Star Citizen ‘absolutely perfect’

Quote
“That’s one of the things I find very attractive about [the project]: I don’t feel the pressure to have this one release be absolutely perfect,” Roberts said. “I feel like it’s an ongoing relationship with the people, the community … . And as things get better, we can improve it. We can improve the stories and add more content. It’s an ongoing process."
Star Citizen isn't a game. It's a TV show about a bunch of characters making a game. It's basically "This is Spinal Tap" - except people think the band is real.

dsmart

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Re: Star Citizen Media Articles
« Reply #42 on: May 10, 2017, 07:06:35 PM »
NYT: Video Game Raised $148 Million From Fans. Now It’s Raising Issues

Apparently a series of articles coming; like the Kotaku-UK ones.

OldSchoolCmdr wrote a masterful post about the citizens reaction to this article.
« Last Edit: May 11, 2017, 01:00:51 PM by dsmart »
Star Citizen isn't a game. It's a TV show about a bunch of characters making a game. It's basically "This is Spinal Tap" - except people think the band is real.

Phraccy

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Re: Star Citizen Media Articles
« Reply #43 on: May 11, 2017, 12:08:41 AM »
NYT: Video Game Raised $148 Million From Fans. Now It’s Raising Issues

Apparently a series of articles coming; like the Kotaku-UK ones.

OldSchoolCmdr wrote a masterful post about the citizens reaction to this article.

Just a heads up, links are not working, at least for me.

I read the NYT article and tbh, its more like a lukewarm enumeration of past events without really going into the concerns this game has brought up so far, which is sad. Interesting read nonethless, thanks for bringing this to attention.
Hopefully the coming articles will be a bit more scrutinizing.

OldSchoolCmdr's post though, is once again spot on. That guy is absolutely awesome and relentless! Plus he has such a good way with words it's just a pleasure to read his posts.
« Last Edit: May 11, 2017, 12:18:28 AM by Phraccy »

Ghostmaker

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Re: Star Citizen Media Articles
« Reply #44 on: May 11, 2017, 08:11:17 AM »
Some gems I've taken away from the NYT article:

Referencing Mighty No. 9. Ouch. That's not something you want associated with your burgeoning game, no matter how awesome it might be.

They don't say a lot about CR's film and television career. What else has he done besides the godawful Wing Commander movie? I mean, if he was directing ads, that's okay too -- that's how Michael Bay got started, after all. But they didn't exactly offer a lot of detail.

Quote from: NYT article
Mr. Roberts was inspired earlier this decade by the success of Minecraft, the hugely popular sandbox game from the Swedish game designer Markus Persson. Mr. Persson first released an alpha version of Minecraft in 2009 for a small sum, then used the proceeds to make adjustments and upgrades.

I see I have something else to blame Notch for  :haw: (I've often humorously blamed Notch for the rise of indie games, and how Steam seems clogged with substandard indie-spawned crap).


 

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