“Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.”
These are the words that most of us have come to know very well, carrying them around since we were children. An age-old lesson handed down generation after generation that we have learned in one way or another, probably at our most personal level even, how haunting they would later turn out to be.
Over the weekend, “Fez” creator and indie-game icon Phil Fish took part in a heated, public spat with GameTrailers host Marcus “Annoyed Gamer” Beer via Twitter, responding not-in-kind to Beer’s accusations lobbied at Fish. Fish, outspoken about the gaming industry and Microsoft’s indie development policies in particular, refused Beer’s request to comment on the technology giant’s recent 180-turn on its own policies, allowing indies to now self-publish and offering much more support to the indie development scene than in the past.
“I wasn’t snubbing journalist [sic]. I was waiting for the actual news to come out,” Fish tweeted via his official Twitter account. It has since been locked for public viewing, but screenshots have been saved and uploaded to various sites online documenting the feud.
On the GameTrailers show, “Invisible Walls,” Beer called the indie developer a list of insulting, derogatory names, ending with a demand to the industry press to ignore Fish and his games.
Fish responded with the following post to his company’s, Polytron Corporation, site:
Over the weekend, “Fez” creator and indie-game icon Phil Fish took part in a heated, public spat with GameTrailers host Marcus “Annoyed Gamer” Beer via Twitter, responding not-in-kind to Beer’s accusations lobbied at Fish. Fish, outspoken about the gaming industry and Microsoft’s indie development policies in particular, refused Beer’s request to comment on the technology giant’s recent 180-turn on its own policies, allowing indies to now self-publish and offering much more support to the indie development scene than in the past.
“I wasn’t snubbing journalist [sic]. I was waiting for the actual news to come out,” Fish tweeted via his official Twitter account. It has since been locked for public viewing, but screenshots have been saved and uploaded to various sites online documenting the feud.
On the GameTrailers show, “Invisible Walls,” Beer called the indie developer a list of insulting, derogatory names, ending with a demand to the industry press to ignore Fish and his games.
Fish responded with the following post to his company’s, Polytron Corporation, site:
The indie icon would later go on to tweet that the cancellation of the recently announced sequel was not the result of any one incident (his public spat with Beer, in particular), but rather to “get out of games…because I choose not to put up with this abuse anymore.”
If we stop for a moment, what you have read and seen thus far may seem to be your typical dispute on the internet, comparable to a schoolyard fight between two boys, with one taking his toys away after he decided he had enough.
But the one telling thing in particular during the entire tirade was this tweet by Fish:
If we stop for a moment, what you have read and seen thus far may seem to be your typical dispute on the internet, comparable to a schoolyard fight between two boys, with one taking his toys away after he decided he had enough.
But the one telling thing in particular during the entire tirade was this tweet by Fish:
This is vulnerability. Vulnerability from a man who, for too long faced the constant vitriol of an industry that has grown from being one of refreshing creativity and wonder, to a an industry seemingly focused on hate and the worst of the human condition. I captured the actual comments of a typical Fez YouTube video below, to further illustrate my observation:
Fish is not without error, however, as he has been known to be incredibly outspoken, oftentimes rude, and on more than one occasion, put his foot in his mouth. Just look at the time when he said this, or did this, or even take a look at these winning moments working with Microsoft, and you can pretty much understand the passionate feelings revolving around the indie developer.
But Fish is passionate too, both for the industry he loves and for the game he spent over 5 years fighting to finish and get out to consumers. In fact, “Indie Game: The Movie” follows the likes of Fish, Jonathan Blow (creator of indie game and Metacritic-darling “Braid”), and several others in their arduous journey through strict corporate policies, grueling deadlines, bitter relationships, personal demons, and more to finish the games they seemed destined to create and release to the masses. Available to watch on Netflix, it is a documentary I high recommend, not only to obtain a better understanding of the video game industry, but to realize the scrutiny that can be placed on people’s labors of love.
But Fish is passionate too, both for the industry he loves and for the game he spent over 5 years fighting to finish and get out to consumers. In fact, “Indie Game: The Movie” follows the likes of Fish, Jonathan Blow (creator of indie game and Metacritic-darling “Braid”), and several others in their arduous journey through strict corporate policies, grueling deadlines, bitter relationships, personal demons, and more to finish the games they seemed destined to create and release to the masses. Available to watch on Netflix, it is a documentary I high recommend, not only to obtain a better understanding of the video game industry, but to realize the scrutiny that can be placed on people’s labors of love.
"If you don't see a vulnerability in somebody, you're probably not relating with them on a very personal level." --Jonathan Blow, "Indie Game: The Movie"
The internet has made it easy for everyone from all walks of life to communicate in ways that were never possible before. How sad is it then, to watch as people use this power for harm rather than good, hiding behind computer screens, avatars, and usernames to throw stones and spew hate in an anonymous fashion.
The next time you are caught in a heated argument, or are incensed by another person’s point of view simply because it differs from your own, or even find yourself at a crossroads of attacking someone’s character to the possible benefit of your own, remember the power words can have. Words have meaning, they contain feeling, and can be used as a highly concentrated weapon that can cause an unshakeable hurt to the part of individuals no sticks or stones could hope to damage: the soul.
The next time you are caught in a heated argument, or are incensed by another person’s point of view simply because it differs from your own, or even find yourself at a crossroads of attacking someone’s character to the possible benefit of your own, remember the power words can have. Words have meaning, they contain feeling, and can be used as a highly concentrated weapon that can cause an unshakeable hurt to the part of individuals no sticks or stones could hope to damage: the soul.
"You want to be liked, to be appreciated, you want people to approve of your work...I care about what other people think. I wish I didn't, but I do.
-- Phil Fish, "Indie Game: The Movie"
A sequel to one of the most critically-acclaimed games of 2012 is now cancelled. In its wake lay a myriad of comments and criticisms that will continue to fuel the fires of an industry doused with pessimism and hatred. Phil Fish entered the industry with a love for his craft and a vision; he now exits the industry defeated and without passion.
“You win,” he finally stated. But for the future of the industry and for anyone that has ever felt the pangs of hurt that words can bring, I really hope he’s wrong about that.
“You win,” he finally stated. But for the future of the industry and for anyone that has ever felt the pangs of hurt that words can bring, I really hope he’s wrong about that.
RSS Feed