Digital Homicide

[Meelis13]

Ok, i have finally stopped laughing enough to make this topic.

 

In case you never heard of this developer its because their games are... well below the par. They are shovelware devs basically.

Recently, however, they sued Jim Sterling for negatively reviewing their game. Few days ago, however, they also decided to sue 100 or so steam users for pretty much same thing. Apparently they sued using steam names (not id-s, names) and they didnt even bother listing them all.

On top of that, Steam had enough & removed their games from steam altogether. That sparked DH now trying to sue Steam.

Oh and if you think they sue those for just rather small ammount of money? nah, mate, Sterling got sued for 15 million USD & steam users with 18 million.

 

This is so ridicolous.. I can see only 2 options- either 1) they have lost their marbles & seriously believe what they claim or 2) they have lost smaller ammount of marbles & believe they have chance of winning (though knowing desicions USA courts have done before, maybe they really do believe that)

What do you think?

[Selfsurprise]

I've loved the entire Stirling VS. DH saga ever since I heard that painfully one-sided interview with Robert Romine, and his excruciating attempts at backing Jim into a non-existent controversy, or trying to sound him out with infantile circular arguments that weren't much more nuanced than "I know you are but what am I? ad infinitum" strategy that most of us grew out of by the time puberty arrived. Have you got any sources for this information Meelis? I imagine Stirling will upload something about it soon enough but in the meantime I'd like to read up any articles pertaining to this latest installment in the Romine Brothers moonlit berry-picking lunacy.

[Meelis13]

well, there is PCgamer article: http://www.pcgamer.com/valve-removes-digital-homicides-games-from-steam/ (it has links to documents & such)

also, heres video from the know (it was done hours before DH was removed from Steam):

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[Fric]

Whaaat? This game company is still alive? Jesus...

[Selfsurprise]

Thanks for the video Meelis! That Arizona lawsuit form filled with JOHN/JANE DOE's was magnificent..

 

I guess to Digital Homicides credit they are whipping up more attention than their hideous sub-Newgrounds fare deserves off it's own merit. Part of me suspects that this is some distressingly inept attempt at garnering a reputation as provocateurs of a gaming culture prone to intermittent and often aimless anger. They likely see themselves as the enfants terribles of indie gaming, their work provoking baseless hostility from the unwashed plebiscite masses because we are incapable of perceiving their sublimely ordained greatness. I'm sure they removed their entire catalogue of games from Steam because they were finally resigned to the crushing inevitability that we Janus-faced abhumans aren't yet ready for the transcendental gaming experience the Romine Bros have daringly set the course of humanity towards.

It's definitely not because they are a pair of humourless self-aggrandizing bollocks merchants.

[Forgot_My_Account]

I don't think it has anything to do with their egos, they're just trying to make money by bombarding the Steam store with shovelware that takes 5 minutes to make - they don't create models or textures, their maps are barebones and broken, and their games' mechanics are unoriginal and sub-par (and also completely broken).

They make their money out of the very few that purchase their shovelware games, and since it costs them almost nothing to make these games they have enough profit margin to keep going. Since their profits per game are low, reviewers like Jim Sterling who warn warn people can cause them to lose a large percentage of their profits, as their target audience is comprised of people who can't recognize shovelware.

 

So, why are they suing now? I'm guessing because of Valve's return policy. More of the same people who couldn't recognize shovelware now doesn't need to, and they're in quite a peril. So they sue everyone and their mothers in order to make some profit - especially the reviewers if the reviews came after only playing 2 hours - a semi demo that they can argue isn't enough to judge a whole game on, although in their case totally is.

[Templar Knight]

I've loved the entire Stirling VS. DH saga ever since I heard that painfully one-sided interview with Robert Romine, and his excruciating attempts at backing Jim into a non-existent controversy, or trying to sound him out with infantile circular arguments that weren't much more nuanced than "I know you are but what am I? ad infinitum" strategy that most of us grew out of by the time puberty arrived. Have you got any sources for this information Meelis? I imagine Stirling will upload something about it soon enough but in the meantime I'd like to read up any articles pertaining to this latest installment in the Romine Brothers moonlit berry-picking lunacy.

 

This.

 

Holy fuck was that "interview" crazy. I'm not a fan of everything Jim says, but he couldn't have been more on the money with these guys than if they'd put fresh bankrolls in front of him. Their behaviour and expectations are simply strange in how they're coupled and I repeatedly had to keep pausing the soundcloud because I was kept facepalming at some of the shit Robert said.

 

But yeah, I browse KIA on reddit and they've been keeping track of it and a handful of the outlets that have talked about the issue so far or others people are trying to branch off of it, it seems like they're actually crazy enough to try this.

 

All the more amazing to me, since I would have thought that (assuming on my part) they'd lost their suit with Jim would have made them just stop. I mean, this was the crew that thought they had "hard evidence" of Jim inciting harassment against them and their company with a clip of a blatantly satirical and overexaggeratedly performed intro to one of his episodes, that has openly harassed users themselves, has censored most critiques and comments in the past, has abused Youtube's systems, and has behaved incredibly childish and petty towards the very concept of a reviewer, so maybe I shouldn't be surprised.

 

I mean, lets face it, there is no way in hell they're ever going to make a significant profit on Steam again without complete and total rebranding (maybe not even that, since trying that before didn't save them) and actually putting some legitimate effort into making games that aren't blatant rip-offs of other more successful ones and aren't total shovelware in terms of quality. They're not going to do that though, instead they're fine to burn into the memories of Steam and all of its users who care to listen a damn good reason not to be anywhere near their content again!

 

I don't think they have any hope against Valve's legion of corporate lawyers, and although I think some users may be intimidated, there no way in hell they're going to just hand over likely everything they have to these crooks who cannot help but be abysmal losers.

[Selfsurprise]

This.

 

Holy fuck was that "interview" crazy. I'm not a fan of everything Jim says, but he couldn't have been more on the money with these guys than if they'd put fresh bankrolls in front of him. Their behaviour and expectations are simply strange in how they're coupled and I repeatedly had to keep pausing the soundcloud because I was kept facepalming at some of the shit Robert said.

 

But yeah, I browse KIA on reddit and they've been keeping track of it and a handful of the outlets that have talked about the issue so far or others people are trying to branch off of it, it seems like they're actually crazy enough to try this.

 

All the more amazing to me, since I would have thought that (assuming on my part) they'd lost their suit with Jim would have made them just stop. I mean, this was the crew that thought they had "hard evidence" of Jim inciting harassment against them and their company with a clip of a blatantly satirical and overexaggeratedly performed intro to one of his episodes, that has openly harassed users themselves, has censored most critiques and comments in the past, has abused Youtube's systems, and has behaved incredibly childish and petty towards the very concept of a reviewer, so maybe I shouldn't be surprised.

 

I mean, lets face it, there is no way in hell they're ever going to make a significant profit on Steam again without complete and total rebranding (maybe not even that, since trying that before didn't save them) and actually putting some legitimate effort into making games that aren't blatant rip-offs of other more successful ones and aren't total shovelware in terms of quality. They're not going to do that though, instead they're fine to burn into the memories of Steam and all of its users who care to listen a damn good reason not to be anywhere near their content again!

 

I don't think they have any hope against Valve's legion of corporate lawyers, and although I think some users may be intimidated, there no way in hell they're going to just hand over likely everything they have to these crooks who cannot help but be abysmal losers.

I've only started watching Stirling's stuff fairly recently. I was always put off by some of the rhetoric of his character that made me assume he yet another "angry gamer" and I assumed that, like most Youtubers, he was probably a lazy misogynist and closet homophobe too. But then I watched his footage of that bull fighting game Toro and found his particular brand of weary foul-mouthed exasperation different from what I was expecting. Soon after I watched a few of his Jimquisition videos and thought that he was extremely amusing (I'm a sucker for bilious world-weary humour in the vein of (Blackadder, Franky Boyle's and Rajesh Ranganathan, Freeman's Mind, etc) and for the most part pretty right on about much of appalling practices within gaming industry and culture. What sealed it for was his amazing commentary on the whole MGSV Quiet controversy.

"I breathe through my skin, I breathe through my skin, vote for Donald Trump, I breathe through my skin..."

 

I can understand why some of the userbase on Steam might feel intimidated by yet more of DH's deeply sad and desperate grasp for a shot at internet infamy, especially those who were part of the JOHN/JANE DOE list. Hopefully those concerned individuals will take a moment to look how defamation laws work in their respective countries and Arizona alike and discover they have nothing to worry about. I'm just genuinely surprised nobody has referred to this as Rominegate yet.

Edited September 21, 2016 by Guest (see edit history)

[Heliocentrical]

I assumed that like Youtubers he was probably a lazy misogynist and closet homophobe too.

Sorry Selfsurprise but this really rubbed me the wrong way. Firstly you should never associate a character with how a person is IRL as characters are often exaggerated and serve no basis for reality by any stretch of the imagination. Secondly where did you get the idea that he was lazy misogynist and closet homophobe? Having watched Jim Sterling's content for a long time now I happen to know he's actually quite liberal.

[Selfsurprise]

I assumed that like Youtubers he was probably a lazy misogynist and closet homophobe too.

Sorry Selfsurprise but this really rubbed me the wrong way. Firstly you should never associate a character with how a person is IRL as characters are often exaggerated and serve no basis for reality by any stretch of the imagination. Secondly where did you get the idea that he was lazy misogynist and closet homophobe? Having watched Jim Sterling's content for a long time now I happen to know he's actually quite liberal.

I know, although re-reading my post I can see several typos and omissions I will see to. I'm fully aware of his liberal leanings and that's one of the pleasant surprises I discovered upon actually watching his videos. I was merely put off because gaming and Youtube culture is usually so utterly abysmal.

[rairii]

people still pay mind to that giant troll company?

or perhaps they don't, and this is just a huge cry for attention

[Heliocentrical]

I was merely put off because gaming and Youtube culture is usually so utterly abysmal.

While I can't speak for gaming and Youtube culture as a whole I have found some rather noteworthy channels. In fact if it wasn't for them I wouldn't be where I am today. They've made a massive impact on my work and me as an individual. I would highly recommend checking out these channels and see what peaks your interest.

 

Noah Caldwell Gervais: https://www.youtube.com/user/broadcaststsatic

Noah Gervais is one of my favorite gaming analyzers. His videos are so in depth that they often span a couple of hours. Noah Gervais analyzes an entire franchise's worth of video games per video. While I do enjoy Noah's videos I also recognize that they can be a bit difficult to get into due to their density. But I still highly recommend his channel nontheless and really appreciate the insights he has to offer.

 

Games as Literature: https://www.youtube.com/user/gamesasliterature

This is one of the more recent channels that I've found but I haven't delved into much. As the channel's name suggests this guy looks at the narrative of video games as though it were literature. I suspect you might really enjoy this channel considering how fond you are of books.

 

Errant Signal: https://www.youtube.com/user/Campster

Campster delves deeply into the themes that games explore and talks a great deal about mechanics. He's another one of my personal favorites.

 

Game Maker's Toolkit: https://www.youtube.com/user/McBacon1337

Mark Brown talks a great deal about how games are designed and the thought processes behind the design. Overall an excellent channel.

 

MrBtongue: https://www.youtube.com/user/MrBtongue

MrBtongue doesn't make videos that often but when he does they're amazing. A lot of his videos explore gaming from a literary context.

[Selfsurprise]

Crikey Helio! Way to dropkick me into a more enlightened state! :3

 

They all sound like exactly the kind of channels that I can make time for, thank you for bringing them to my attention. I'm particularly intrigued by the one called Games as Literature. As a big fan of the horribly labelled and often dismissed "walking simulator" genre I often feel as though reviewers slightly miss the point in regards to the real value of these games as a means of delivering narrative. Certainly not all titles of this type are inherently good at it, but bringing the subject back to Stirling I found myself disagreeing with much of his criticism levelled towards Everybody's Gone To The Rapture. The slow pace and sense of arriving after the titular events for me functioned as a kind of interactive self-propelling alternative to a science fiction short story told from an admittedly unusual post-situational perspective.

My low expectations and prejudices towards gaming/Youtube culture can be overridden by any worthwhile channels I stumble upon or are kindly informed of. Off the top of my head I'm afraid I can only recommend one Youtuber to you in payment for the five offerings you've given. Are you aware of a channeler by the name of RagnarRox? He creates very detailed and analytical videos about games and films with speculative and philosophical underpinnings. By far his best videos are found within his Monsters of the Week series, in which he not only discusses various exceptional game enemies and the influences/symbolism of their conception, but makes comparative commentary regarding their influences outside of gaming and ponders on exactly what it is that makes them so disturbing. Also anybody who writes "if you got a problem with anything, just be nice, you'd be surprised how far this gets you in life" in their about me page gets a thumbs up in my book.

 

CjjxBIHefbk

(^ I knew I couldn't literally be the only person who liked SOMA! )

[Heliocentrical]

Glad you liked them, I actually have a few more if you don't mind. I'll PM them over to you as to not go off topic.

 

OT: I really don't think anything good will come from talking more about Digital Homicide. The best people can do is to just ignore them and they will fade out of existence on the internet.

[Alyxx Thorne]

I've started calling them Digital Suicide at this point.

[Selfsurprise]

I've started calling them Digital Suicide at this point.

The Digital Genocide of '16... :3

 

A part of me will miss the Romine's and their hilarious hijinks. Maybe Steam Greenlight is like Dragonball Z. Once you defeat one universe destroying supervillain another more powerful takes their place.

[Meelis13]

Digital suicide -er, Digital Homicide is no more!

_WG--77oIn0

 

Apparently they've ran out of money. wow, what a shock i must say

[Templar Knight]

Digital suicide -er, Digital Homicide is no more!

_WG--77oIn0

 

Apparently they've ran out of money. wow, what a shock i must say

 

HAHAHAHAHA

 

Wow, I guess that swarm of lawsuits against a hundred some-odd Steam users and Valve itself was their last hurrah.

 

How they hell they expected to fight so many cases if a bunch of them actually fought them on it (which Valve certainly would) and NOT run out of money while being an Indie studio was beyond me.

[Psychotic Ninja]

_WG--77oIn0

 

The Know, so unfunny they make Reviewtechusa look like a goldmine of humor (among other things like editing skills)

[rairii]

_WG--77oIn0

 

The Know, so unfunny they make Reviewtechusa look like a goldmine of humor (among other things like editing skills)

I was unaware the goal of journalism/news outlets was to be funny

I was also unaware that humor factor had an effect on the merit of what they say