Hello and welcome to GYGO! I’m Kael, and it has been a Week! I’ve been living on a tiny island in Japan for a bit now, and finally found the time to get some gaming in. Whenever I take the three-hour ferry to the mainland I’ve been checking in with my crops in Stardew Valley, at least until the seasickness sets in.
This week’s news is pretty heavy. Take care of yourself, as many of these stories deal with sexual, emotional, and workplace abuse.
Multiple People Come Forward With Accusations Of Abuse Against Prominent Game Devs
This week has been a difficult one for the games community. Multiple victims of abuse, assault, and exploitation have come forward about their experiences, shining a light on important issues that matter to us not just as fans of games, but as human beings.
We want to say firmly that we stand with victims, and that we believe the best position for us right now is to listen and uplift the voices of those affected. Because of how these events have transpired and the further harassment that those who have come forward with their stories have suffered, we will not be linking to each individual account. We believe that covering these issues is crucial in combating ongoing toxicity in the industry, and you can find reports of these incidents at outlets like Kotaku, Gamasutra, and Motherboard. These accounts, which are not the only ones to surface this week, are difficult and potentially triggering to read. We urge readers to take the utmost care in not exposing themselves to stories that could be traumatizing.
If you are in a similar situation and need legal aid, Time’s Up is helping to connect people with attorneys. RAINN provides a 24-hour, confidential hotline for victims of sexual assault. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact a crisis hotline. Don’t be afraid to disengage; a lot of us feel the need to constantly be informed, to stay up-to-date on everything, but there is immense value in taking time away from the news and caring for yourself. PAX’s poor internet connection was my saving grace this past weekend, and I’m immensely grateful for the number of people sharing words of kindness and moments of connection in an immensely difficult time. Don’t be afraid to seek that same experience for yourself.
— Melissa Brinks
Telltale Games is Back and Still Sketchy
LCG Entertainment, who purchased Telltale Games assets, is bringing the company back to life. The company hopes to revive some of Telltale’s famous IPs while also moving on to new ones. Some former Telltale employees will reportedly be offered freelance positions, with the possibility of full-time employment. This, of course, comes after more than 250 employees were unceremoniously fired, and their contractually guaranteed 60-day severance pay withheld. It is unknown whether new management will continue Telltale’s legacy of crunch.
In Other News…
- Emulator Lets You Translate Games On the Fly, with Some Reservations
- Final Fantasy XIV Presents a Hopeful and Sobering Vision of the End Times
- Cyberpunk 2077 Drops Binary Gender in Favor of Binary “Body Type”
- Nintendo Switch Lite Gets a Hands-On
- CD Projekt Moves to a Dual Franchise Model
- Volunteer Developers Accuse Chucklefish Making Starbound with Unpaid Labor
A genderless eldritch beast bound to mortal flesh. Interests include games, gardening, magical realism, and the complete restructuring of America’s political and economic systems. Frequently orders too much food at restaurants. Tweets @unnnez.
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