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[Sydle]

Threads like this make me feel disgusted at the people who are on this site.

Mort fucked up. He forced someone to talk about his private life when Mort painted him as an incompetent. He should be and I'm glad he got banned for that.

What's disgusting here is the numerous people searching for a way to get all leakers banned because of their childish mentally and outright stupidity. You make me sick.

Someone posts some info that turns out false. "RAWR GIT HIM BANNZ". Forgetting that things do get changed during development. Forgetting that many things that person leaked were true. Oh noes. He was wrong this time. Get him banned. He made fun of my imaginary friend.

Whoa, take a couple deep breaths.

I've pretty much read the entire thread and I can't recall a single post, much less numerous members calling for all leakers to get banned. Most sentiment seems to favor discouraging gossip and rumors that involve individuals.

Given all that's happened over the past few months with various insiders there's a healthy amount of skepticism building, but I don't see the lynch mobs.

 

[The Flash]

I have a strange feeling that this could become Monday's Jimquisition!

Jimquisition famousmortimer edition confirmed

 

[Smellycat]

Man, what a thread. I am sorry about your son Col. Hopefully things will get better, as for other people who spread rumors and here-say,

 

[mocoworm]

Truly insane thread.

I had a run in with Mortimer / Thuway over the false claims that the XONE party system and OS would be 'completely broken' at launch and other such bullshit. They never apologised or admitted they were wrong even when it was obvious when everyone was using it that it worked.

Crazy GAF times but saying this about Col when his kid is sick and he has to stay home to look after him was a step too far. I am up for contributing if the community wants to help out financially or in any other way.

 

[IncandescentPrecept]

Whoa, take a couple deep breaths.

I've pretty much read the entire thread and I can't recall a single post, much less numerous members calling for all leakers to get banned. Most of the discussion has been about discouraging gossip and rumors that involve individuals.

You must have missed a few posts because some people have been calling for "insider" posts to be stopped.

 

[Massive Duck. C.M.]

Integrity>internet points

Not to mention ol' boy is untouchable now

 

[Kazuma Kiryu]

Yeah. I'm more saddened by the loss of what was possible. As in a top first party dev's fruits of labor after 4 years in the making.

It's probably for the best. Sometimes we get to see these projects, like 8 days, but I think it makes things a lot worse in the end.

 

[Dr. Kitty Muffins]

what do you mean wtf?

Do you not see the lynch mob forming to go after the leakers?

Statham got banned for saying we still had thuway left.

When CBOAT got banned you had people pratically waving their dicks that the big bad leaker was banned.

It's insane.

I'm not about to go after leakers or go about worshiping them. This forum has always been about learning and if they can add to that, power to them. But they are no better than any of us and we posters need to hold them to the same standards as everyone else - no more, no less. So long as we treat rumors as rumors and not the gospel, we should be fine as a community. Even the leakers should have that mentality when posting.

 

[Com_Raven]

Thanks, this threat was good for some great laughts- especially all the people who went "why would he leave Naughty Dog to join the company behind the currently biggest game in the world, which is being bankrolled by the biggest gaming company in the world (Tencent)? Lulz, I never even heard of Riot".

Yes, Uncharted is awesome (I bought my PS3 and Vita solely because of that franchise), and yes, MOBAs are not for everyone, but the degree to which some people here seem to be in denial as soon as ND is involved really is something else. Truth is: Riot (much like ND, or Blizzard) sounds excellent on your CV.

 

[RaikuHebi]

No info. in OP. Why was Mort banned?

 

[Sydle]

You must have missed a few posts because some people have been calling for "insider" posts to be stopped.

I've seen a few posts saying a certain type of insider leak needs to be controlled, but I don't remember anyone saying those insiders needed to be banned. It's more about wanting to change the communities' behavior, not just exile every insider.

Mort is a special case.

 

[AuthenticM]

When CBOAT got banned

When did that happen ?

 

[Massive Duck. C.M.]

No info. in OP. Why was Mort banned?

see thread title

 

[Bedameister]

No info. in OP. Why was Mort banned?

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=106121033&postcount=1393

When did that happen ?

After his infos on Titanfall were wrong so about Titanfall release

 

[digoutyoursoul]

It's probably for the best. Sometimes we get to see these projects, like 8 days, but I think it makes things a lot worse in the end.

I was gutted that was cancelled, it was like a revised Lethal Weapon

 

[Card Boy]

see thread title

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=106121033&postcount=1393

no he got banned because of this.

Evilore took that to mean fuck you Gaf and banned him.

 

[Gartooth]

The fact that Col had to come out and offer his own personal circumstances behind his departure in order to stop his reputation from being dragged through the mud (and this was even after a colleague took the initiative and tried to handle it) is a failing of us as a community. I think we all get caught up in the hype and conspiracies to such an extent that we are too willing to lend an ear to anyone willing to speak with enough history like Mort, leading to these kinds of situations. I'm glad though that the moderation team jumped in and took care of things swiftly before it all went to hell. (...well it kind of did anyway but you get the point)

I'm going to have to look at my own behavior next time something like this happens, because I know I'm one of those people with knee-jerk "What the hell is happening!?" reactions and it is in that kind of state that I am willing to listen to whatever BS people like to spout. Between this latest event and the IGN article about Hennig's departure we've seen some dark days in the gaming community, and if I'm to be honest it really makes me feel like shit in this circumstance that some developers behind my favorite games may be going through hell right now, and it is behavior like my own and many others that is part of the problem.

 

[dragonbane]

When did that happen ?

Already unbanned. Because of TF 720p.

 

[Massive Duck. C.M.]

no he got banned because of this.

Evilore took that to mean fuck you Gaf and banned him.

More likely that he got banned for shitting on a man's rep and forcing him to come out and divulge personal info. That twitterspout was just a last squeak before the inevitable

 

[Son of Cervantes]

Wow, I've been reading the last few pages (mostly to find out what happened to famousmortimer), and I just cringed when I saw his twitter comment, and was saddened by Col's personal situation.

I never interacted with mortimer, but I contributed to his anti-DRM Twitter campaign. That said, I agree with the actions taken by the moderation staff. Spreading baseless rumors like that could genuinely hurt someone's livelihood, and it's horrifying that Col had to actually make his first comment on GAF just to speak out against untruths and talk about his personal life, which is none of our business.

The fact that GAF is independent of the games industry is a double-edged sword, I guess. It means that people who get info can tell us about it without fear of being blacklisted (since they're not in the industry in the strictest sense, they can't be blacklisted), but it also means falsehoods can get spread really easily. If Col hadn't come into this thread, no one would be the wiser regarding this whole sad situation.

 

[RaikuHebi]

Well that was a crazy read.

 

[PanicFreak]

I'm glad FamousMort is permabanned for three reasons: 1. He has an agenda beyond letting people know rumors; 2. He is extremely unprofessional; and 3. He doesn't know much about business and therefore his rumors are passed on without much thought about if they make sense.

This thread, and Col's post, really highlight the above well. What has really gotten under my skin in the past though is that he reports numbers without a single thought. There is zero chance that Sony sunk 90 or even 75 million into a project that never saw the light of day. I did a quick calculation earlier in this thread and it would take 125 people working at $150K per year for four years to rack up 100 million in costs. I daresay that the Director on the project would not be the last person fired if SSM had spent that much. He also posted on his blog that EA was begging for Sony's forgiveness because they didn't release Titanfall on the PS4.

EA begging for forgiveness? Give me a break, no one begs for forgiveness in a professional setting, especially for doing something like supporting a competitor with an exclusive title. It's not like Sony will turn down EA titles, so what would EA have to gain by begging?

With a little thought, some of his most inflammatory statements can be picked apart for the hogwash they are, but he gained so much clout for the #PS4noDRM thing that people bought them without giving them a moment's thought. I think the community here on GAF will be better for his absence.

 

[Kinyou]

After reading several posts from this thread and the one about his kickstarter, I do believe that at least a large percentage of Gaf dislikes the guy, or at the very least, believes him to be overrated.

I still listen to his Doddcast. Even while in the middle of moving he was still trying to record it. Even with limited budget he bought an XB1 to help him review. I see him as the opposite of Col. Not in a bad way, but as a regular Joe that puts gaming enthusiasm above his own life; while Col has chosen to place personal life over game dev.

I'm not sure if choice is really the right word here. I mean his son has a potentionaly life threatening condition for crying out loud

 

[Vire]

Thanks, this threat was good for some great laughts- especially all the people who went "why would he leave Naughty Dog to join the company behind the currently biggest game in the world, which is being bankrolled by the biggest gaming company in the world (Tencent)? Lulz, I never even heard of Riot".

Yes, Uncharted is awesome (I bought my PS3 and Vita solely because of that franchise), and yes, MOBAs are not for everyone, but the degree to which some people here seem to be in denial as soon as ND is involved really is something else. Truth is: Riot (much like ND, or Blizzard) sounds excellent on your CV.

Naughty Dog is probably the most prestigious studio in the industry right now. From critical reception to being recognized by their peers (DICE and GDC Awards). Riot is no slouch, and I'm sure they can offer a bigger salary, but they aren't swooping up Game of the Year awards year after year.

Money isn't everything.

 

[Nome]

Wow, I've been reading the last few pages (mostly to find out what happened to famousmortimer), and I just cringed when I saw his twitter comment, and was saddened by Col's personal situation.

I never interacted with mortimer, but I contributed to his anti-DRM Twitter campaign. That said, I agree with the actions taken by the moderation staff. Spreading baseless rumors like that could genuinely hurt someone's livelihood, and it's horrifying that Col had to actually make his first comment on GAF just to speak out against untruths and talk about his personal life, which is none of our business.

The fact that GAF is independent of the games industry is a double-edged sword, I guess. It means that people who get info can tell us about it without fear of being blacklisted (since they're not in the industry in the strictest sense, they can't be blacklisted), but it also means falsehoods can get spread really easily. If Col hadn't come into this thread, no one would be the wiser regarding this whole sad situation.

Now think of how much speculation here is unfounded (let's be honest, most of the speculation here is negative), but didn't invite a response. As some of the other devs in here have echoed, it's kind of disgusting to read at times. I try to stick to OT threads but once in a while something like this happens and I can't keep myself away.

 

[Brakke]

while Col has chosen to place personal life over game dev.

If you think game dev anything is more respectable than spending time with your sick kid then I just don't know.

 

[nomis]

no he got banned because of this.

Evilore took that to mean fuck you Gaf and banned him.

That's not what mortimer's ban message or EviLore's corresponding post said, but okay.

 

[Son of Cervantes]

Yeah, mortimer was very blatantly pro-Sony, though after MS's initial DRM stance, I couldn't much blame him. He definitely seemed to have an agenda, though that could have been because his sources were mostly at Sony (but after this debacle, I'm sure a lot of us are wondering if he even really has sources).

This whole situation just leaves me saddened for the fact that Col had to come in here just to clear the air.

 

[Kacho]

So what does this mean for any future rumors/leaks Mort writes about on his blog or even his website (assuming that becomes a thing). Can threads still be created for discussion based on his information? I'm genuinely curious.

 

[dragonbane]

Naughty Dog is probably the most prestigious studio in the industry right now. From critical reception to being recognized by their peers (DICE and GDC Awards). Riot is no slouch, and I'm sure they can offer a bigger salary, but they aren't swooping up Game of the Year awards year after year.

Money isn't everything.

From a gamers perspective certainly. From a developer perspective I'm not too sure. Besides money there are probably more prestigious places to work at, at least when it comes to work place conditions and amount of freedom (of course that's not for everyone either). Naughty Dog has a pretty exhausting crunch time.

 

[Son of Cervantes]

Now think of how much speculation here is unfounded (let's be honest, most of the speculation here is negative), but didn't invite a response. As some of the other devs in here have echoed, it's kind of disgusting to read at times. I try to stick to OT threads but once in a while something like this happens and I can't keep myself away.

Yeah, stuff like "this game is 720p" is one thing, but when people start speculating about dev's work situations, I think that's crossing a line. This whole schtick about Neil Drucknann forcing people out, for example, has no basis in fact as far as I know, and all it does is harm the reputations of the folks involved.

 

[rrs]

No info. in OP. Why was Mort banned?

He was banned due to going too far with speculation and having to make said developer have to come here to clean up libel. Even the best of the rumor havers info needs to get verified which didn't happen in the nightmare of a post that occurred.

Can we leave speculation to products, not people?

 

[WordsintheWater]

The problem with insiders is when they speculate and post stuff as fact, if they used discretion while posting info then it would make everything easier.

 

[Dr. Kitty Muffins]

The fact that Col had to come out and offer his own personal circumstances behind his departure in order to stop his reputation from being dragged through the mud (and this was even after a colleague took the initiative and tried to handle it) is a failing of us as a community. I think we all get caught up in the hype and conspiracies to such an extent that we are too willing to lend an ear to anyone willing to speak with enough history like Mort, leading to these kinds of situations. I'm glad though that the moderation team jumped in and took care of things swiftly before it all went to hell. (...well it kind of did anyway but you get the point)

I'm going to have to look at my own behavior next time something like this happens, because I know I'm one of those people with knee-jerk "What the hell is happening!?" reactions and it is in that kind of state that I am willing to listen to whatever BS people like to spout. Between this latest event and the IGN article about Hennig's departure we've seen some dark days in the gaming community, and if I'm to be honest it really makes me feel like shit in this circumstance that some developers behind my favorite games may be going through hell right now, and it is behavior like my own and many others that is part of the problem.

Yes, we really need to keep things in perspective from now on. The more posts like this, the better I feel about us as a community. As individuals, we have to ask ourselves every time something like this pops up: Am I being fair to all involved? Is what I am saying proportionate to what is going on? Do I have the right to talk about X as a definitive fact or is it a speculative "fact" that needs to be discussed as such?

 

[Com_Raven]

Naughty Dog is probably the most prestigious studio in the industry right now. From critical reception to being recognized by their peers (DICE and GDC Awards). Riot is no slouch, and I'm sure they can offer a bigger salary, but they aren't swooping up Game of the Year awards year after year.

Money isn't everything.

Well, it is kinda hard to get a GotY if you haven't released a new game that year And don't get me wrong, I think ND are a brilliant dev, and the sole reason I bought 2 PS systems (give them a raise, Sony). I was merely amused by the fact that a lot of GAFers seemed to be so stuck in Sony/ ND/ Console land that they never even heard of the biggest game in the world, or felt the need to portray Riot has a tiny company no one cared about. Remember that the number of people playing Lol every month might be twice as much as the lifetime sales of Uncharted.

On a side note, while I said the thread gave me a good laugh, the way Col was forced to reveal his kid's sickness to defend his career and ex-colleagues is sad, and I wish him and his family all the best in these difficult times!

 

[freenudemacusers]

people saying they are stressed out or upset about this (this being the famousmortimers terrible gossip and ban) are joking, right?

 

[Jedi2016]

Geez. I don't play games for a couple days and this shit blows up. What the actual fuck.

Frankly, I'm sure all this is blown way out of proportion and nobody will remember when the games start rolling in.

 

[nomis]

So what does this mean for any future rumors/leaks Mort writes about on his blog or even his website (assuming that becomes a thing). Can threads still be created for discussion based on his information? I'm genuinely curious.

via Cyan:

Serious question: How are his Twitter/blog posts going to be handled? I guarantee that folks will still create threads based on the info he puts out.

I would anticipate a Modbot lock with a link to this tweet.

But don't quote me on that.

I'm totally not quoting him on that though... I'm just quoting that he said don't quote him on that. I'm guessing it will be decided at a later date or just on a case by case basis.

 

[Steverulez]

Truly insane thread.

I had a run in with Mortimer / Thuway over the false claims that the XONE party system and OS would be 'completely broken' at launch and other such bullshit. They never apologised or admitted they were wrong even when it was obvious when everyone was using it that it worked.

Yup, at the time it was easy to ride with bad news about MS and get away with it. But regardless of whether stuff is the same as or better/worse than Xbox 360, it certainly wasnt broken.

Spoiler

Personally I hate the party "fix" they released in March, but that might just be me

 

[Vire]

From a gamers perspective certainly. From a developer perspective I'm not too sure. Besides money there are probably more prestigious places to work at, at least when it comes to work place conditions and amount of freedom (of course that's not for everyone either). Naughty Dog has a pretty exhausting crunch time.

This is true, I remember hearing from Evan Wells that the crunch for Uncharted 3 was particularly rough and mismanaged and I'm sure there isn't much creative freedom for Uncharted PS4.

That being said, no other developer aside from Valve has managed to snag two GOTY award from GDC and Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (both voted by peers and colleagues in the industry). So I don't think the studio is just prestigious from a gamers perspective. Valve is nothing short of world class as well though.

I think Riot is a good fit for Justin since he seemed more involved and excited about the multiplayer portion of the Uncharted series based on the developer diaries.

 

[Kacho]

via Cyan:



I'm totally not quoting him on that though... I'm just quoting that he said don't quote him on that. I'm guessing it will be decided at a later date or just on a case by case basis.

That would make sense. Than you, sir.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

The fact that Col had to come out and offer his own personal circumstances behind his departure in order to stop his reputation from being dragged through the mud (and this was even after a colleague took the initiative and tried to handle it) is a failing of us as a community. I think we all get caught up in the hype and conspiracies to such an extent that we are too willing to lend an ear to anyone willing to speak with enough history like Mort, leading to these kinds of situations. I'm glad though that the moderation team jumped in and took care of things swiftly before it all went to hell. (...well it kind of did anyway but you get the point)

I'm going to have to look at my own behavior next time something like this happens, because I know I'm one of those people with knee-jerk "What the hell is happening!?" reactions and it is in that kind of state that I am willing to listen to whatever BS people like to spout. Between this latest event and the IGN article about Hennig's departure we've seen some dark days in the gaming community, and if I'm to be honest it really makes me feel like shit in this circumstance that some developers behind my favorite games may be going through hell right now, and it is behavior like my own and many others that is part of the problem.

Yeah it does feel kind of dirty. To us devs are just faceless drones and we flippantly decide are lazy or incompetent or greedy or whatever else and now this guy comes and slaps us in the face with reality that he's a real guy with a real family and real issues and more importantly a real reputation to worry about and not because he might get his fake screen name banned from a video game message board , but because it could effect his ability to earn a living. I commend Dodd for not hiding behind a screen name this whole time but at the same time the fact that he used his real name should have come with a greater scrutiny. I've said it before that we always ask for better gaming journalism but i question if that's what we really want, myself included. When a guys competency and ability to earn a livelihood are put into question like Col's was and all we do is use it as fuel for the fire and nobody asks if the information was vetted or how many sources verified it or shit, if Dodd even reached out to Col for his side before going public with this info (like TMZ level stuff) it makes me really fucking uneasy and embarrassed.

 

[Zephyrus]

Whoa, take a couple deep breaths.

I've pretty much read the entire thread and I can't recall a single post, much less numerous members calling for all leakers to get banned. Most sentiment seems to favor discouraging gossip and rumors that involve individuals.

Given all that's happened over the past few months with various insiders there's a healthy amount of skepticism building, but I don't see the lynch mobs.

well I did. Granted I didn't read the entire thread just the last 10 pages and I did see some users expressing that theyy were glad mort was banned for leaking wrong things.
Not that he slandered someone and it turned out false. That he leaked wrong things time and time again. To which point I saw someone mention CBOAT and then some users start mentioning thuway and verendus.

 

[erpg]

I'm glad famousmortimer is gone. He admitted that he needed a break a long time ago, but kept his self-destructive path going because (I'm assuming) the attention and joy of being 'famous' was too enticing.

Hope he takes some time off from the social media entirely. He needs time alone to think.

 

[Artorias]

Wow, what a mess. I'm happy to see a dishonest and irresponsible leaker get the boot.

That response about not knowing anything was going on is not believable in any way. I could believe that he avoided Gaf after making a fool of himself, but pretending he had no idea people were still discussing it is just too transparent. You fabricated a story because it didn't fit your narrative, guy. At least own up to that without trying to blame others for turning it into a story or feigning ignorance.

 

[ProudCanuck]

I'm glad famousmortimer is gone. He admitted that he needed a break a long time ago, but kept his self-destructive path going because (I'm assuming) the attention and joy of being 'famous' was too enticing.

Hope he takes some time off from the social media entirely. He needs time alone to think.

was rumors even his forte before drmgate?

 

[Lactose_Intolerant]

I'm glad famousmortimer is gone. He admitted that he needed a break a long time ago, but kept his self-destructive path going because (I'm assuming) the attention and joy of being 'famous' was too enticing.

Hope he takes some time off from the social media entirely. He needs time alone to think.

that post, lol. And people were giving him money for a website.

I knew it somewhat went to his head when he said he didn't care about the business side of his website in the thread about giving him donations to run the website.

 

[ArtHands]

Late to the party, but well it certainly put some questions to famousmortimer's "insider" status that many people is so firmly believing it.

Good luck to Col_Rodgers.

 

[digoutyoursoul]

I'm glad famousmortimer is gone. He admitted that he needed a break a long time ago, but kept his self-destructive path going because (I'm assuming) the attention and joy of being 'famous' was too enticing.

Hope he takes some time off from the social media entirely. He needs time alone to think.

Never seen that post before. Come across as a bit obnoxious there to say the least.

Why do people do this shit , it's a hobby, something that should be enjoyed. The politics and taking preferences too far is jarring .

 

[Darksol]

I hope other people like Mr. Show as much as I do.