Extra Credits - leftie gaming channel that had two of its members accused of "misconduct" in only 2 months

[Y2K Baby]

Bob was already speeding up his videos before he joined The Escapist.

He stopped when he realized it didn't help him lose weight.

 

[DogEatDogFood]

https://www.reddit.com/r/ExtraCredits/comments/8pul28/james_portnow_accused_of_harassment_on_ex_ec/
Even Extra Credits's subreddit wants James fired. However, it will be hard since James is also the founder and writter of the site. What the fuck they gonna do know? Force James to leave or just ignoring the controversy like the company of angry critics did? Now they have to stick to the ideology they preach or they're gonna look like hypocrites with their audience of lefties. Male feminists never learn

 

[Racist Trash]

https://www.reddit.com/r/ExtraCredits/comments/8pul28/james_portnow_accused_of_harassment_on_ex_ec/
Even Extra Credits's subreddit wants James fired. However, it will be hard since James is also the founder and writter of the site. What the fuck they gonna do know? Force James to leave or just ignoring the controversy like the company of angry critics did? Now they have to stick to the ideology they preach or they're gonna look like hypocrites with their audience of lefties. Male feminists never learn

Still a bunch of people in there claiming Gamergate is the most evil thing on this planet, which is hilarious when it turns out all of their sources for that stance come from people who keep turning out to be horrible people and have consistently lied about other things.

Ah well I suppose they liked extra credits in the first place can't expect too much from them.

 

[Troglodyte.35]

Jesus he even looks like a creep. Cut your hair dude.

https://www.oneangrygamer.net/2018/...f-sexual-harassment-denies-allegations/60955/

One angry gamer article (careful ads are nsfw).

Seems very odd that the victim in this would block a reporter trying to get her side of the story. IDK what's going on there.

 

[Oh Shit I'm Sorry]

Dump some of the terrible videos I saved from the occasional /v/ thread (I'll use Mixtape.moe but if you want me to use something else instead let me know)

https://my.mixtape.moe/etbpgi.webm - Video about how marketing your game towards a specific gender is bad because there are rare outliers so every game should appeal to everyone. The zenith occurs when they use fucking Portal as an example of a first-person shooter which is like calling The Room a sports movie cuz they tossed a football around for 10 seconds in that one scene.

https://my.mixtape.moe/nmxouc.webm - Video stanning for Valve and Bethesda during the 'paid mods' controversy.

(Short summary:
-Modding is huge in the PC community
-Modders have the choice to release their products for free/ask for donations to their Patreons or whatever for those willing to pay/charge money for them at their leisure
-Valve and Bethesda (creators of Skyrim, the most popular game for modding) come up with the idea of forcing all Skyrim mods to cost money
-Valve and Bethesda would earn a majority cut of each mod sale while the actual modder earned a meager 25% meaning you were essentially just paying the two companies for other people's work.
-A lot of modders themselves were against the idea

Ultimately what happened was a lot of game journos (and EC) shilled for the idea but the user blowback was large enough to get Valve and Bethesda to backtrack on the idea (at least for now).)

https://my.mixtape.moe/bmfojw.webm - Western RPGS = good Japanese RPGS = bad. Continues the trend of the first video linked of intentionally classifying games in the wrong genre to support their shitty arguments.

 

[oddish]

Here is an archive of their statement
http://archive.is/ytJxQ

Right after Tweeting a link to their statement they then Tweeted that there were no accusations of sexual harrasment, even though there were.

http://archive.is/ZzamM

This is the tweets from another person alleging another of their staff harrassed them.

http://archive.is/v8RQr

Here is a video showing how their intellectual cowardice when it comes to them dealing with controversy after talking the talk.

https://youtu.be/22gmnAG8Xj0

Here is a piece about the time James made a crowdfunding campaign (can't find the actual thing) because he decided games needed a lobbyist in Washington and it needed to be him.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/new...its-Portnow-Launches-Games-For-Good-Rockethub
(Archive: http://archive.is/63Obs)

The indie fund they set up, all the money went to a group of James's students (while he kept going on about how it wasn't who they knew but they were just that good) and they ended up using it all up and producing fuck all.

Here's where he claims to be some big developer who worked on cod and Farmville despite being just a consultant.

https://news.digipen.edu/academics/the-many-roles-of-james-portnow/
(Archive http://archive.is/ouEWl)

Origional frontman Dan left in May this year. To concentrate on a seriese he already did, on another channel, totally separate from EC? Hmm.

http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1sqhrnq
(Archive http://archive.is/pX4mQ)

They made a pair of videos about faith and belief and equated belief in science to belief in a religion

https://youtu.be/dBVb2WECSLw
https://youtu.be/GRNhNHXbUmk

Then got pissed off and made a response video when their fans told them to clear off with that shit

https://youtu.be/h2Vx9qoLzFs

Thanks man. I'll work some of this into the OP.... One small correction tho - Tyler is not part of EC. He was a dev on some big name leftie studio (don't remember which one). There was some sort of misunderstanding because the chick accusing Portnow retweeted the chick
accusing Tyler and cited her as a reason she decided to come out with this. But Tyler is not the second sex pest from CE. He has nothing to do with them.

Now, this thread makes me feel euphoric, but the OP doesn't really explain who or what Extra Credits is. I think IRL photos of each member and their relation to the video production would be helpful, as well as putting a specific spotlight on how their dumb cartoons are just ripping from the aesthetic of Yahtzee.

I have no clue who works there anymore because the turnover is so frequent.

What was it with everyone on the Escapist trying to copy Yahtzee and being terrible at it? MovieBob's Big Picture videos were clearly inspired by him too.

I always assumed Moviebob’s Big Picture videos were due to an Editorial Mandate that “ nobody wants to actually see Moviebob! Ever. Get back in the basement Bob!”

speaking of, Moviebob did a crossover on their channel.

Bob was already speeding up his videos before he joined The Escapist.

True, but he was already a fanboy of Ben's before he joined (his book says so if I recall).

https://www.oneangrygamer.net/2018/...f-sexual-harassment-denies-allegations/60955/

One angry gamer article (careful ads are nsfw).

Seems very odd that the victim in this would block a reporter trying to get her side of the story. IDK what's going on there.

This article is interesting. 2 other people came out saying James was abusive to them... however, one of these is Holly Green, who HASN'T she accused of this? She's a lolcow in her own right.

 

[Coccxys]

Seems very odd that the victim in this would block a reporter trying to get her side of the story.

One angry gamer is a persona non grata to the leftists. I wouldn't be surprised if he was blockbotted prior to even contacting her.

 

[SiccDicc]

Honestly I'm glad to see these guys get a thread. They always had the most milquetoast opinions on gaming and regurgitating what everyone already knew. Often after others had already pointed it out on other platforms. A lot of the more popular users hated them because they offered nothing to the table, they just took up space that could have been given to someone actually entertaining. Of course those people wouldn't have signed the atrocious contract The Escapist offered, so that might be why we were stuck with them.

Seems very odd that the victim in this would block a reporter trying to get her side of the story. IDK what's going on there.

He backed GG way back when and she likely didn't. Still probably doesn't, funny enough, not that she could since it's dead.

Because Yahtzee is the only escapist guy who anybody respects, likes, or laughs at regularly. He's also the only one with a good opinion on a video game 1/4 of the time, but they can't copy that.

Which is sad because they actually had some good shows when I was on the forums, but that was before Extra Creditz and the like showed up. I actually quit around then because Susan Arendt and her cronies started policing the place like Stalin.

EDIT: Also, you don't have to pretend to like my videos. They're trash and I know they're trash.

One man's trash is another man's treasure. And you're our treasure.

EDIT: I actually remember everyone calling out the donations for the artist's broken arm getting suspended. Basically, their responses were along "So why not just wait for her to heal her arm?" "Why not get some guest artists from the forums to cover for her for exposure?" "Does money heal broken bones?"

 

[IAmNotAlpharius]

I liked some of their videos as background noise while working on something. Their history videos can be quite at times, which is actually not that uncommon. (Off the top of my head, their Middle East videos were optimistic as were their videos on the pirate queen).

There's a documentary on Netflix about women in history and it conveniently ignores that most of the examples they use are of women from non-agrarian societies. Basically, it's not uncommon for women to be in leadership positions in tribal, nomadic, and decentralized societies but they were acting as if it was. They also ignored how the Comanche were imperialists that fueled their empire by forcibly controlling trade, selling slaves, commiting extortion, murder, and theft. Also, rape was a thing. *Edit* The Comanche had more in common with the Dothraki than Disney's Pocahontas.

An even better example is an exceptionally hipster book on Genghis Khan called Genghis Khan and The Making of the Modern World. The author believes that Khan was a positive force, which can be argued to an extent, but he goes all the way out of left field. He suggested that a lot of the stories were exaggerated and the Mongols dindu nuffin. He also celebrated Genghis Khan being a cuck- in his defense his wife was only temporarily stolen and raped before he murdered the entire tribe that kidnapped her- which was a weird thing to celebrate. Genghis Khan also was really prolific and there's a good chance that at least a handful of Kiwis have his y chromosome. The author ignored this evidence which is blatantly obvious and suggests that Genghis was rapey and/or a Chad. He never brings up Khan's polygamy despite reminding us of how he was a great example to his wife's son. EC also white washed the Mongols but it wasn't as bad as the book. So, yeah, EC's optimism is not that uncommon or even the most blatant.

 

[Coccxys]

Which is sad because they actually had some good shows when I was on the forums, but that was before Extra Creditz and the like showed up. I actually quit around then because Susan Arendt and her cronies started policing the place like Stalin.

And now Yahtzee is the only paid staff member of that place. Pity really because it was a pretty decent community back in the day with some good videos.

 

[Duncan Hills Coffee]

Honestly I'm glad to see these guys get a thread. They always had the most milquetoast opinions on gaming and regurgitating what everyone already knew. Often after others had already pointed it out on other platforms. A lot of the more popular users hated them because they offered nothing to the table, they just took up space that could have been given to someone actually entertaining. Of course those people wouldn't have signed the atrocious contract The Escapist offered, so that might be why we were stuck with them.

I only ever watched one video from them, and it was their video on Spec Ops: The Line. I don't remember much of it, but I do remember it offered the most basic analysis and interpretation of the game, basically anybody who played it would have figured this stuff out themselves. But they were treating it as though it were earth-shattering information.

If you want a legitimately good analysis of the game, watch Raycevik's video on it.

 

[Coccxys]

Here is the video where they hold up Missile command as some pinnacle of narrative built into the mechanics. This is a good example of reading too much into things to try and seem intellectual.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQJA5YjvHDU

 

[oddish]

I remember back when EC was kicked off of The Escapist. So many people were butthurt over it and some even got banned or suspended for talking shit about the staff.

do you remember any more details? I was told that The Escapist claimed they violated some sort of agreement regarding a precentege they were supposed to recive of the money funded for their artist's arm surgery.

 

[Slap47]

Here is something ancient from their forum.

Because we're running out of internet.

Anyway, I don't know if it's because they're living in a hugbox sjw/hipster heaven along the west coast, but why do they always have shitty ideas and the dumbest opinions and go on spouting them like it's gospel. They're so out of touch with the outside world it's almost scary. Their internet is running out and those god awful history videos are prime exemples. Anyone with basic knowledge on the subject would tell them they're wrong, hell even a simple Google search can prove them wrong.

Pseudo-intellectualism is a fucking plague.

Pretty sure it all comes down to James. People just assume he's an expert and take his word for it.

Dan's personal channel is actually damn great. He's a game artist that talks about game art.

 

[oddish]

One man's trash is another man's treasure. And you're our treasure.

EDIT: I actually remember everyone calling out the donations for the artist's broken arm getting suspended. Basically, their responses were along "So why not just wait for her to heal her arm?" "Why not get some guest artists from the forums to cover for her for exposure?" "Does money heal broken bones?"

wait
wait
wait
WAIT

Broken arm?! Is that what they were fundraising for!? I though she had a some serious problem with her hand! It was just BROKEN!?

(also, I'm more ED's trash, but they don't care about this so I'm here)

 

[SiccDicc]

wait
wait
wait
WAIT

Broken arm?! Is that what they were fundraising for!? I though she had a some serious problem with her hand! It was just BROKEN!?

(also, I'm more ED's trash, but they don't care about this so I'm here)

That's what I remember. She broke her arm and they were gonna pay for someone to take her spot for a set amount of time or something, while still paying the original artist with Escapist money.

I think they decided to stick with the new artist afterwards as the original pursued different ventures, but that part of my memory is a bit fuzzier. I just remember a lot of this because it was a pretty big thing at the time, a lot of more popular users were upset with them asking for money since it made more sense for people from the artist forums be given exposure as they work for free as a community thing. No one would have to donate and some people get their work out there.

 

[oddish]

That's what I remember. She broke her arm and they were gonna pay for someone to take her spot for a set amount of time or something, while still paying the original artist with Escapist money.

I think they decided to stick with the new artist afterwards as the original pursued different ventures, but that part of my memory is a bit fuzzier. I just remember a lot of this because it was a pretty big thing at the time, a lot of more popular users were upset with them asking for money since it made more sense for people from the artist forums be given exposure as they work for free as a community thing. No one would have to donate and some people get their work out there.

Alright, I'll write this into the OP and fix it later if it turns out to be inaccurate.

 

[Viridian]

do you remember any more details? I was told that The Escapist claimed they violated some sort of agreement regarding a precentege they were supposed to recive of the money funded for their artist's arm surgery.

Alright, I'll write this into the OP and fix it later if it turns out to be inaccurate.

That's not entirely accurate. I remember watching this go down and here's what I remember of all the info that came out (with some links I found to back it up):

When all this went down in the summer of 2011, The Escapist was 8+ months behind in paying Extra Credits their agreed up contracted fees/wages. Apparently they were behind in paying a number of people on the site (including Jim Sterling, MovieBob, and Miracle of Sound), not just Extra Credits. There's some indication James was okay with delays on payment due to The Escapist being in dire financial straits at the time, but no indication that anyone at EC forfeited their right to be paid by The Escapist.

Allison, the artist for Extra Credits at the time, needed surgery for some chronic ailments in both her shoulders/arms (not just a broken arm). Apparently the surgery was going to cost upwards of $20,000. So the EC people decided to fundraise for the surgery. Allegedly The Escapist set up the crowdfunding page (on RocketHub, not Kickstarter), though I think there's some dispute on that. However, apparently they did donate some t-shirts and premium memberships (lol) to reward people for donating to certain tiers.

People ended up donating far, far beyond what was needed for the surgery, even including follow up physical therapy and money to live on during recovery. The EC people told people the goal had been achieved but people kept donating (because people are stupid when it comes to crowd funding, I guess). So the EC crew decided they wanted to use the extra money to set up an indie studio or something--it was pretty vague and from what I understand that never actually happened, James just dumped the money on some friends of his and nothing was produced. So that turned out super hinky in the end.

Anyways... then The Escapist chimed in and said they deserved a lion's share cut of the donations since they had allegedly set up the crowd-funding page and gave them T-shirts and premium Escapist memberships (lol) to incentivize donations. This despite the fact they still owed EC a bunch of money; they apparently wanted to consider the fundraiser as having paid off their debt to EC, and that the rest should be put back into the show so, again, The Escapist wouldn't have to pay them. This was also pretty hinky in my opinion, since the fact EC had a huge fundraiser shouldn't relieve The Escapist from their admitted failure to pay them for months on end. Their contract wasn't being followed. IANAL though.

So then there were a lot of accusations back and forth, EC demanding their IP back, and then moving on to PATV (which they later left) and YouTube. I never found any info about what happened to the dispute over payments and crowdfunded money between EC and The Escapist, so I assume there was some kind of private settlement or payoff since it never went to trial or arbitration or anything else that anyone reported on. The Escapist deleted a lot of their statements about the situation afterwards, and deleted a bunch of forum threads as well, so a lot of this info I'm having to backup with re-posts other people made.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extra_Credits#2011-2016:_Dispute_and_revival
https://discoverygc.com/forums/showthread.php?tid=64539 (contains quotes of now-deleted posts on The Escapist forums/Facebook)
https://www.facebook.com/notes/extra-credits/a-brief-response/204423762946634/ (James quoting The Escapist's statement regarding EC, interjecting his own responses in bold)
http://www.joystickdivision.com/2011/08/extra_credits_leaves_the_escap.php
http://elder-geek.com/2011/08/extra-credits-team-leaves-escapist-over-alleged-back-payment/
https://joltleft.com/extra-credits-leaves-escapist-the-full-story/

 

[iTridon't]

Even without the ideological undertones or rape accusations, the dude gave me red flags.

~Pro-tip: Anyone's video game content that comes off like this:

should NOT be trusted.~

 

[oddish]

Extra Credit host Daniel Floyd's sped up voice, which he uses in every one of his videos, is some of the most grating shit I've heard. I understand the reason behind it was to keep their videos under the max time limit but:
1) If exceeding Youtube's max length was an issue, he could have just cut some stuff out of his script instead of speeding the video thus raising his pitch so to an almost ear piercing degree.
2) Their YouTube channel is verified so that means they're able to extend the length of their videos so him still using this tactic to this day is unnecessary.



At this point, I don't see why The Escapist doesn't just rename itself "Ben Yahtzee's reviews", I think there's only about two other people on there.

Okay I looked into this and here's what's up.
The show started as a school project. Danial did it in the style of Yahtzee and sped up his voice to be in the 10 minute time limit for the class. Then they just kept it like that.