Nintendo doesn't often hire celebrities to be voice actors in its games - in fact, fully voiced dialogue simply isn't particularly common in the big N's titles. Kid Icarus: Uprising was a recent exception, along with the likes of Metroid: Other M, but we're normally just treated to occasional catch phrases and gibberish. Unless Monolith Soft is involved, naturally.
Code Name: S.T.E.A.M., the upcoming strategy title from Intelligent Systems, is rather different - it features a range of fully-voiced characters within its Steampunk aesthetic, but Nintendo's even invested in recruiting a high profile name for the cast. Nintendo of America has confirmed that Wil Wheaton - known for Star Trek: The Next Generation in his younger days and a range of projects including The Big Bang Theory nowadays - is playing the role of Abraham Lincoln.
For his part Wheaton shared his delight at it finally being announced on his blog.
And after waiting almost a year to be able to talk about it, Nintendo of America has announced that I play the voice of Abraham Lincoln in their insanely awesome 3DS title, Code Name STEAM.
I am extremely proud of this game, and I can't wait to play it. It's got a great balance of humor and strategy, and there may be some awesomely weird stuff in it, too.
Wheaton is a hugely popular figure (he has 2.8 million followers on Twitter), even though there are those that aren't his biggest fans and have reacted negatively; that's the nature of being such a visible personality. It's certainly a high-profile piece of casting by Nintendo that'll grab some attention for the 3DS title, due in North America on 13th March and Europe on 15th May.
Let us know what you think of this announcement in the comments.
Comments 134
The only reason this is cool is because of the recent passing of Spock! Otherwise Will 's a bit arrogant and I don't care for him.
I could do with more of nintendo's old practice of less talking and more game.
The constant talking in kid icarus was usually not very funny and mostly annoying.
@AugustusOxy To each his own I guess, I thought the chatter between characters was some of the best in gaming. Really made a big difference while playing the game to hear constant talking.
I'm not sure he is that well know outside of the Star Trek fanbase, but a celebrity nonetheless. Good show, Nintendo.
I know this guy from big bang theory, then saw him in star trek, hes preatty good! hes funny aswell ^^
In all seriousness, I like Wil Wheaton (from Stand By Me to Star Trek to Big Bang Theory). He's a good actor, and a really nice guy.
I LOVED his recent voice acting in the game Broken Age as Curtis the Lumberjack:
If Wheaton is here, does that mean Snerkels will be playable?
Stand By Me is his only role that springs to mind.
I hate celebrity stunt casting so this doesn't appeal to me. Every animated film with an "all star cast" is a lesser film for it IMO. I'd rather that proper voice actors with a shred of versatility in their vocal range be given parts like this.
I don't know who Hwil Hwheaton is but I think you guys should be nice to him because Hwil Hwheaton sounds like a nice guy.
@Spectra_Twilight I wouldn't either if not for the Big Bang Theory...man I love that show
There goes any last thread I had to buy this game
The people over on gamergate are having a riot over this
@minotaurgamer
Why? He does good voice acting. Go play Broken Age and try not to laugh!
@KingMike
I grew up with Star Trek:TNG and I'm a big fan of Wil's Table Top series on YouTube so this is pretty cool to see. I'll be honest, had I not heard about this I probably never would have been able to tell it was him. After though I can't unhear him in that trailer. I was already thinking about picking up the game after I get around to upgrading to the New 3DS, I'll probably grab it for sure now.
On a side note, apparently he's also providing the voice for the male player characters in the Firefly MMO that's in the works. Sounds like it's a pretty fun time for him right now with all the cool stuff he's working on.
@RantingThespian haha, I was wondering how long it would take for someone to post that.
Mr Wheaton is a Duck with an i...
Good VA, horrible person. Also, why is he lending his voice for a video game ? I though he hated everything about it, especially the target audience ?
Sorry guys, but i guess im with @minotaurgamer on this one.
It would take a 11/10 for me to get this game from anywhere but the used game shelf.
@Einherjar That's not the Wil Wheaton I know. The Wheaton I know plays video games. He's a big fan of adventure games (hence his enthusiastic involvement with Broken Age).
@RantingThespian I love Broken Age. The 3.3 million dollar promise that never came true from the man making fun of thousands of people on stage.
Sorry, but this exactly the duo (Wheaton and Schafer) im talking about.
Apparently fans that were going to buy this game are going to boycott it reason cause of Will Wheaton and Gamergate. Also alot of fans attack NintendoofAmerica Twitter account today.
I watch Star Trek: TNG almost every night with my kids around bedtime. It's my deserted island show, or whatever. Not even ashamed to admit that I think it might be the best Sci Fi show that will ever be made. And Stand by Me was a fave during my childhood. Still incredibly nostalgic. They don't make 'em like they used to...
Anyone familiar with these works will know that Wil Wheaton is far from a highlight but I'm all for his inclusion. It seems an inspired VA role by Nintendo standards, anyway.
Okay, apparently a lot of people don't like Wil Wheaton.
@Einherjar @minotaurgamer Don't be that guy, guys.
I've been hyped for this game since they showed/teased it, and the Fire Emblem amiibo support put me over the top. I've got it preordered through Gamestop to get one of those Majora's Mask pins. I've got no beef with Wheaton; I'll judge the game on its own merits.
@Pianomanfreak @ACK I would never, ever attack anyone over something so trivial as this, nor would i ever call to boycott this game.
Wheaton is a very good VA and probably makes the game even more enjoyable. And i really hope that it sells well.
To be fair, ive been VERY angry and upset today by all the stuff that happened, especially Schafers completely unnecessary stunt at the GDC.
And yes, i encountered Wheaton several times and saw his "bad side", thats where the comment above came from.
To be honest, id really like to support this game. Its a brilliant idea, a fresh IP and borrows heavily from the XCOM reboot, which is actually a really good thing. But i also really dont want to support Mr Wheaton.
But to be honest, i will get the game anyways, for the devs sake, for Nintendos sake.
But that wont change my opinion on Mr Wheaton. It just doesnt make sense to me, why a person who obviously loves video games would side with people (and chime in on their opinions) that deliberatly hate their target audience.
But enough of that. This stuff has no place on NL and im rather glad that NL is still a safe haven from all this drama. So please, lets keep it that way
Lets all just enjoy games and have fun.
And i dearly appologise for bringing this topic on here. It was just the wrong new at the worng day. Im sorry
I strongly dislike Will Wheaton (obnoxious SJW who's even against internet anonymity), but I'd never ditch a game because of one voice actor being a self-righteous jerk in his private life.
@Einherjar It's all good. Pretty sure everyone around here knows you're a good man. Anyway, I sincerely appreciate the honesty.
But it'd obviously be a bummer to dismiss an Intelligent Systems game over something so trivial. They do good work (and probably had little part in hiring the English VAs).
@ACK Well, thank you, and another thank you for not axing me for my little rant up there.
And yes, youre absolutely right. The game and its devs deserve every bit of support they can get. Im the one who has to put his fists in his pockets, clench his teath and support them anyways, personal bias or not.
And i would encourage anyone else to do the same.
Im as angry as the next guy, but you @ACK and @Anclation are right:
Give a flying duck about the person Wil Wheaton, but please, for Intelligent Systems and Nintendos sake, support the game.
My temper got the better of me on this one, i have to admit that.
@Anclation If only people can learn from this comment.
@DarthNocturnal
Yeah, you're pretty far off alright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipcWm4B3EU4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzwGIHUCtjU
Good to know they're investing in worthwhile talent for the voice acting. I liked what I heard so far...
And wow, what a thing to have on your resume- I voiced Abraham Lincoln in a strategy video game about killing aliens. Not too many will top that one!
I don't get it, what's with all the hate? Based on the comments of the tweet, I'd swear this guy killed someone
Abe Lincoln as Final Boss confirmed!
Four Score and Seven years ago our Fathers-SHUT UP LINCOLN!
Boycotting a game over a voice actor is plain stupid to me. The VA already got paid for the work, so how is boycotting supposed to accomplish anything?
Second, I really don't give a crap about what they do outside their work.
Wheaton is great, I still don't get the hate towards him, because he's not a self entitled jerk...
But then again most of what people hate about him isn't actually true, just like all the gamergate hate towards women in games because of obvious nonsense lies that people fall for because of confirmation bias.
@TingLz
Exactly. What a silly thing to boycott a game over.
This is very cool. Actually makes me want the game. I hated Crusher but his role in the big bang theory made me like him. Very cool move by Nintendo.
I am surprised no one has told Wesley to shut up....
Jeez... You aren't gonna support a seemingly good game from your favorite devs and publisher over one voice actor? That's stupid. Oh internet, wheat have you done?
I want this game to be popular so a character might appear in Smash 5.
I can't pretend I don't absolutely hate wil wheaton and hope he gets killed by wild boars but I liked the games demo so I'll pick it up still.
Nice. Now we just need Sheldon to be in the game.
I think this is a smart move on Nintendo's part, hiring a celebrity for voice acting will possibly attract a different crowd to the game, and may provide a miniscule boost in sales.
Japanese voice acting option plz.
Wow, I was surprised to see how many people complained about this in just the first few comments, but then I remembered that I'm old. And I grew up with Star Trek: TNG fan. Obviously being born in the 80's ruined me as a human being. But after I started typing this comment I went back and looked at the rest of the comments and noticed that there are just as many people that are just as confused about all the anti-Wheaton rhetoric as I am, so I guess I feel slightly better. As a side note, I have no idea what this Biggest Bang Theorem thing is, so I guess I really am old.
As others has said boycotting this game won't affect this guys pay, will just effect the hard working devs pay.
I hate when an VA cause such a stink. Its not like he's the player character and is given free reign to do what he likes. No he has line set by a writer and a performance dictated by a director
Never heard of the guy.
@kurtasbestos Big Bang Theory, is a comedy tv-show, i personally watch it alot from time to time! he is in that show quite often, its a preatty big tv show! Also i dont understand the hate with him either, something about gamergate, but to me i dont care that much what hes done, i think hes cool
I hate TNG, I hate Wesley even more. But I'll still buy the game.
Also, Big Bang Theory? eww.
I question how much of this hate is for Will Wheaton now, compared to the hatred of Wesley Crusher and Child actors in general in the 80's.
It astounds me what people will use as a reason to buy a game for, then complain they have nothing to play.
If you don't know what g*merg*te is, don't look. it will only lower your opinion of our species. This kind of hysterical over-reaction is their stock in trade. Wheaton made a brief, reasoned and fair comment against them a while ago and they're still foaming at the mouth. Going by how civilised the comments on Nintendo Life normally are, I suspect the Gamergate crowd do not crossover into Nintendo fandom much. Probably the type who think its for kids.
@MrGawain Pretty sure most of the hate is actually regarding Gamergate, at least that is what the responses to NoA's twitter post suggests.
@nintendomasterr I don't the issue here, surely the setup is just people choosing him because he's popular? I mean if you think about this situation from a music level then it doesn't seem particularly different then having 1 artist spot remaining for an alternative rock festival and choosing Foo Fighters over lets say Frank Turner because they're more well known than him.
@Grumblevolcano Nope, it's more than that. Wesley Crusher and The Big Bang Theory may have brought more bad press to this announcement than anything.
There's also the whole "nerd jesus" attitude.
Stand By Me and Star Trek made me a fan yay Wesley Crusher!
@97alexk
All it seems to be is he's had experience with the ugly side of Gamergate, by that I mean trolls and such, giving him a bad impression. With the sort of creepy stuff celebrities are used to dealing with he's afraid the two will mix, and the negativity is getting to him, so he wants no part of it.
All the hate is probably because people feel he's spreading misinformation about what Gamergate is. The moment people comment about feeling harrassed people on the pro-Gamergate side flip sh*t because of that.
But enough about that, this is pretty cool news. I wonder what made them pick Will Weaton.
Any complaints are happening once again as a result of a bunch of weak minded sheep jumping on some social media pop culture bandwagon imo.
Wil made some random comment that relates to Gamergate and now everyone that's even remotely attached to Gamergate has gotten all up in arms over it, which creates a ripple on the gaming news sites and in forums etc, so it follows that all the sheep that follow any kind of "trend" in the news media and on Facebook and Twitter etc will jump on the bandwagon and show some hate too.
Gamergate is ridiculous imo but not because of gamers complaining, showing some hate and being defensive etc...it's more how the media and a bunch of jumped up tools on personal crusades to "fix" the games industry have made it so much bigger of an issue than it actually is, which is then followed by the sheep from both camps starting hate wars over it. I get why gamers are angry and it p*sses me off sometimes too how easily it is for some person to turn something into a frikin media circus, probably really just to serve their own ends rather than trying to actually do any genuine good (Note: Not talking about Wil here but some of the people on personal crusades who have basically engineered and brought about this entire Gamergate crap), but sometimes it doesn't help when the sheep jump on the bandwagon for the opposite camp either.
I mean, be annoyed if you think he made a comment that was inaccurate and disrespectful towards something you are passionate about but lets not turn this into some major event and give the people cryting 'Gamergate' at every single opportunity even more ammo for God's sake.
Wil Wheaten is actually a pretty decent guy (I think we all know this deep down when we're not all angry at whatever current thing). He's a fellow gamer geek just like most of us and he did some voice acting in a new Nintendo game. That's pretty cool if you ask me. Yeah, he made some kind of comment relating to Gamergate, in defence of the crusaders rather than the gamers I presume (since I don't actually know what he specifically said), but I don't think we need to blow up the planet in a fit of rage over it; or boycott the game and punish these hard working developers (it's certainly not punishing Will Wheaton) because of it.
@Kirk I agree and to be honest if there's any real reason to boycott Codename STEAM, it should be the rarity of the Fire Emblem amiibo which is actually a serious issue.
@Grumblevolcano On that one I'd level the complaints squarely at Nintendo.
We lucky europeans have to wait 2 months to play it. Localization? I don't think so. Even when there's very few voice acting, like in Hyrule Warriors and Pikmin 3, we still get English-only dubbing.
You lazy Nintendo...
Anyone who boycotts this game due to Wheaton is beyond stupid. Games are meant to be fun. The second you turn it into something ridiculous like that GG nonsense is the moment you need to step back, and remind yourself why you're a gamer in the first place. It's video games, not politics.
Anyway, kudos to those smart enough to judge a game on its on merits, not some trivial BS such as this. I hope you enjoy it alot. You are the true gamers.
@Kirk
You the man! +1
@minotaurgamer
We all knew you weren't going to buy it anyway.
There is some real cognitive dissonance going on in /gamergate/ at this point.
On one hand, you have the real fans who'd support the "based" publishers like Nintendo, Atlus, or XSEED for not giving a damn about what the journalists say.
On the other, you have the ledditors.
Inviting Leddit was never a good idea except to raise numbers...
He was also in "The Guild". If you haven't seen that series, I highly recommend it!
I am also one of those dinosaurs who know him from Star Trek and not from Big Bang Theory.
And some people only need an excuse not to support a new Nintendo IP, and then keep begging for more new Nintendo IPs. This game is still Day 1 for me, even if I don't have a N3DS to take advantage of my Ike amiibo.
Alright the line "suck my fat one you cheap dime-store hood" MUST be spoken by Mr. President.
@MoonKnight7
I really don't get not wanting to buy this game for Wil Wheaton. It took me a while to warm up to him--and I recently watched him accidentally destroy the Earth in an episode of the Outer Limits, but seriously, who among us haven't wanted to destroy the Earth at some point? But he's actually a pretty cool guy and a fixture in, as it were, the "geek world."
@TheWPCTraveler
http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Gamergate
Given that GG has been supported by raving lunatics like Alex Jones of InfoWars, white supremacists, and evidently had child porn in it's ranks--not to mention that it was all based on lies and conspiracy theories right from the outset--the sooner that "movement" dies off, the better.
Diarrhea during the flu is a better movement than gamergate.
@Quorthon
RationalWiki. Ah, I still remember the days when I'd trust that site.
Mark my words, there are two groups of people in GamerGate. The SJWs, and the moderate SJWs. Two sides of the same coin. (/gamergate/ is farther left-leaning than even /leftypol/, a leftist politics board, for instance.)
I haven't followed the movement since the late Common Core leak, though.
Quick edit: I'd invite you to go to the actual boards on 8chan and see for yourself, really. I don't think /pol/, a perfect fit for the description you provided - minus the child porn - is supportive of the movement any longer, and vice versa.
@TheRedCap30 I want Splatoon and Codename Steam reps in Sma5h. //fingers crossed for Tom Sawyer
@TheWPCTraveler
Come on, man, that movement was complete and utter crap from the get-go. It claimed it was about journalistic integrity, then did absolutely nothing about journalistic integrity (aside from aligning with journalists with the least amount of integrity) and spent all of it's time attacking women. Again, white supremacists and InfoWars.
Honestly, if you don't trust reality and rationality, but would choose to align with something like InfoWars--a place that has never uttered a sane thought--I feel sad for you. One should never choose to believe nonsense instead of facts.
The very notion that Nazis, InfoWars, and child porn have become a part of gamergate should turn off any self-respecting human being. I can barely imagine a worse grouping of zealots.
That's sad. We should be better than this.
Outside of this post, I'm not going to talk anymore about the trash heap that became gamergate. It is petty, pathetic misogyny defined and coupled by the worst of humanity. That anyone could defend that movement is as surprising to me that anyone would defend the actions of Jim Jones or John Wayne Gacy or Osama bin Laden. Or that guy that was raping kids for the LDS church. The most vile, contemptible sort of human "creature" imaginable. Gamergate was a movement that had literally nothing good in it.
@PokeMarioR
I'd take 'em as DLC for Smash 4.
@PokeMarioR
I want Abe Lincoln.
@sillygostly Finally someone agrees with me.
Wil Wheaton is absolutely fine, Gamergate is the worst place on Earth. Like, it's even worse than Gamefaqs and 4chan, and that's saying something. Anyone who willingly goes there and ENJOYS it are terrible human beings and need some type of morality class.
@AugustusOxy OBJECTION!
@sillygostly i remember Martin Freeman was in this animated movie called Saving Santa. One of dem straight to dvd releases that nobody with half a brain buys.
Well... at least I'll get to shout "Shut up Wesley!" at my 3ds
I don't care as long as the voice fits the play.
@Einherjar - if it means anything, I'm with you 100%
@Quorthon - So if any 'lunatic' supports a movement then it's cause and everyone else is instantly evil? Better say goodbye to every movement ever! I hope you enjoyed eating up the narrative constructed by those whose best interest is to slander a movement that actually tries to hold them to some credibility.
It's a movement against the media, and so you read the media to get information about it, and assume what you hear is true? lol
@Geonjaha
Depends on the lunatics. If you want to side with ovary-fearing misogynists, neo-Nazis, and Alex Jones, that's entirely up to you.
Just don't expect any thinking person to have any respect for you or your cause at that point.
Personally, pretty much everything I side with is rational and skeptical--the thinking people who understand science and reality. Frankly, I like women, I don't like Nazis, and Alex Jones is one of the biggest idiots on the planet. Any one of those alone would cause me to raise an eyebrow--but all of them together? Life's too short for that much stupidity.
The craziest group I tend to talk to is Nintendo fans. And I can handle their occasional crazies. I used to be one, after all. And seriously, sometimes you guys are kinda funny.
That's one way to promote a new IP.
I've run through the demo several times and IMO Codename STEAM is one of the more promising new IPs to come out in awhile. Boycotting this game over something so insignificant is silly. Its not like it's a propaganda filled diatribe written by Wil Wheaton, he provides one character's voice. That's all.
I loved the demo and look forward to the game next weekend. I don't care who the voice actors are so long as they do a good job and, from what I've seen and heard in trailers and the demo, he did a good job.
Aside: I wonder if people who throw around the term "SJW" as a pejorative realize they sound like 1960s anti-civil rights racists.
@nilcam I've always considered SJW to mean person comfortable using bullying and intimidation to police others, like maybe try to make connections to racist groups and hoping it sticks,
Also seriously people Wil Wheaton is a very unpleasant person without whatever he said to do with GG, whatever the issue is just a small bit of his overall unpleasant attitude towards others.
@Quorthon
"Personally, pretty much everything I side with is rational and skeptical"
Hahahaha. Yup. That's why you judge movements by 3/30,000+ people, despite the movement not revolving around these people at all.
"If you want to side with ovary-fearing misogynists, neo-Nazis".
Awww, its cute when you pretend terrible people aren't against GamerGate too. But muh narrative! Guilt by association though, you carry on believing that.
Note: This is not a Gamergate thing, people were complaining about Wheaton long before GG ever heard about it.
There was a thread on the 3DS subreddit around an hour after the announcement that was mostly hate towards Wheaton for is work on TNG and TBBT as well as his personality and status.
@dariusq
It's like the people who boycotted Shadow Complex. I am very happy I was not one of them and don't care if someone thinks I'm a terrible person or somehow associating me with Card in any way. I really don't care.
@Quorthon
The thing about Gamergate, is unlike most other movements, its only really a cooperative effort. There is no actual leader so most of the organization comes from individual groups.
Gamergate has done a lot of good, such as getting advertising pulled from news sites and getting them to change their policies, but there's also those who jumped on the "anti-SJW" bandwagon. That's why you get guys like Alex Jones supporting it, Gamergate is fighting a common enemy. Does the saying "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" ring a bell?
Thank you though for illustrating my point about people having a bad impression of it. Unfortunately, you also took that extreme and ran with it, those people are as much a representative of Gamergate as Anita Sarkeesian is of feminism or Tim Schafer is of game developers.
Enjoyed the demo, therefore getting
Where did this all come from? Geez I didn't even read the article until I saw the Nintendolife tweet.
Freakin' gossip man
@Quorthon
I have no opinion of him either way. I don't see anything wrong with it, and I certainty don't understand the backlash of this news from some people. Even if some people don't like him; to not buy the game solely because of one actor is illogical to me.
Well said on gamergate btw. That whole thing is embarrassing to the gaming community as a whole. It was one of strangest, most vile things I've ever seen on the Internet.
He annoys me, but Lincoln's voice sounds pretty solid from what I've seen, so who cares? This game is still a definite purchase for me.
Eh, wasn't very interested in this game anyway.
@Quorthon Guilt by association, classy. I suppose you're one of those people who think all black people are thieves and all Mexicans are lazy, right?
@Zombie_Barioth GamerGate has not done anything good. It tried to ruin some gaming news sites that tried to explain the truth about GamerGate.
GG is purely about thinking no woman could make a good game and no woman could be qn unbiased journalist and all women in gaming are trying to ruin gaming and need to be raped, and using lies and bad assumptions as proof.
@Geonjaha Well, why associate with a horrific group of nasty people if you think they are wrong? That's not being an associate, that's being an accessory to their crimes.
I wouldn't boycott anything with Adam Baldwin despite his hate filled rants and lies starting GG in the first place.
The media will never be accountable for anything so long as people like you rely on them for all your information without facts. It's an embarrassment really.
@MadAdam81
That couldn't be any farther from the truth. First off, Adam Baldwin didn't start Gamergate, he saw all the commotion and called it that because of a thing from Firefly. He merely gave it a name, nothing more nothing less.
Second, Gamergate has nothing to do with any if that, there was no "truth" being spread, only false generalizations. That so-called truth is what spawned #notyourshield. Gamergate has nothing to do with women in the industry, except that some of the opposition just so happen to be women. Heck, a good chunck of them are MEN, so where is this 'anti-women' attitude you speak of? Most of Gamergate's targets don't fit that discription.
I'm not even touching that last part, you seriously have to drag rape into this? That's one HECK of a loaded accusation. Talk about "bad assumptions".
Why is Wheaton so much of a problem? Even if he is the world's biggest idiot, buying the game is not like forcing you to sleep with him, you only have to listen to a voice playing a role. If he gets the job done, well, that should be the only thing to care about.
I highly enjoyed the demo and no way am I missing out on a superb game and a new IP because of one voice actor or whatever opinion he has on some random movement, especially when said movement is doxing peolple for disagreeing with them, or worse, sending death and rape threats.
Said movement also involved death threats and posting personal information. I'm not sure I can call this ethical at all
@Zombie_Barioth (@Quorthon)
"Gamergate has done a lot of good, such as getting advertising pulled from news sites and getting them to change their policies, but there's also those who jumped on the "anti-SJW" bandwagon...Thank you though for illustrating my point about people having a bad impression of it. Unfortunately, you also took that extreme and ran with it..."
If any good did come from it, it is severely weighted by some downright dismal actions. It doesn't matter if you think that is a false accusation. GamerGate was one of the strangest things I've ever encountered on the Internet. If I were you, I would stay, far, far away from it. I really wish this thing would just die off, as it isn't doing anyone any favors.
Your reply will most likely be that I'm just a misinformed person. I'm informed enough, don't worry. Regardless of what you think the truth is, it's general perception is vile, embarrassing and just downright strange.
If any good did come from it, of which I question, it will always be outweighed by the horrendous. That cannot be changed, and it doesn't matter if you think that's unfair. It's tainted, and always will be.
@Lycidas
I know, the backlash is bizarre to me too. People do strange things sometimes.
I can't support his involvement at the moment. He has accused the GamerGate movement of being misogynistic when it was all about journalistic integrity.
Gamer culture is not toxic, it is the people attempting to corrupt it that are seeping their poison into our culture.
I guess this is going to be a used game for me.
To those saying Gamergate hasn't done any good, I remember them donating to many charities like Child's Play, which is according to me, an amazing way to pass on a message. Furthermore, it is unfortunate that the media and social justice warriors wrongly accused us of being misogynistic when we were rallying up against journalistic collusion. Gamers are tired of being bullied and abused by everyone. This isn't high school anymore. We are not social degenerates, we are normal, but passionate individuals who deserve just as much respect as anyone else. For once, we have the guts to stand up for something, I think that's a good thing.
Chiming in to voice my disgust for wil for not supporting gamers. Hopefully the game will have an option for a japanese language track
@Einherjar I'm all for free speech, so you'd have to do a lot more to get me to sharpen the axe!
Ultimately I just want to have fun playing (and occasionally talking) video games. I read the newspaper everyday and what not, and a lot of current events leave me seething (or even sobbing, to be truthful--raising kids has increased my sensitivity to child abuse immensely), but it's really hard for me to get too worked up over the social/political dynamics of my favored hobby...
Really I just wish more people appreciated simply relishing in the pure joy that gaming can provide. If that's the intent as a gamer, there's no real need for much else, which may simply dilute the desired goal of having fun. That's why both sides of GamerGate (first time I ever typed that phrase) are something of a problem, or hindrance.
I must say, I'm getting this game. My decision is not based on the voice actors, but rather the fact that I think I will enjoy this game, as I have already enjoyed the Demo.
Besides, Will Wheaton is unlikely to be able to express personal opinions though this game. He's just one of the voice actors.
I doubt this will really translate to very many lost sales. Gamergaters are a relatively small group of people, and only the more vociferous ones are actually going to boycott this game.
@Maxime
"Gamer culture is not toxic, it is the people attempting to corrupt it that are seeping their poison into our culture...Gamers are tired of being bullied and abused by everyone. This isn't high school anymore. We are not social degenerates, we are normal, but passionate individuals who deserve just as much respect as anyone else. For once, we have the guts to stand up for something, I think that's a good thing."
This really stood out to me. Not necessarily the words, but the tone. You make it sound like we are a people that needs to stand up to injustice, fight the power, right the wrongs. We either play games, or make them. That's not a dismissed culture. It's either a hobby or a profession.
What baffles me the most is the tone nearly compares us to people who actually have injustices. You know who I'm talking about, as I'm sure dozens come to mind. Gamers do not fit in such a category. People may still get bullied because of it, but how is that any different from any other hobby? It isn't. People have been going through this since the dawn of time. Fans of Rock and Roll got bullied by the news too back when Elvis was King. Bullies will always exist, it's just a fact of life.
We are individuals with the same hobby of entertainment, nothing more. Does that alone give us the right to take away headlines from people who actually have injustices? The whole thing is rather selfish if you ask me.
Sure charity is always a great thing, however no amount of money can right the many wrongs of GamerGate. The worst of it is quite embarrassing to the real cultures out there.
@TingLz - Places where people actually congregate to discuss GamerGate outright condemn doxing and death threats. You realise anyone can send a death threat and say they're doing it in the name of any movement right?
I could send a death threat to someone right now on twitter, tag it #Nintendolife, and there you go, a death threat in the name of Nintendolife. Except a movement has nothing official, so except for getting on with stuff and condemning the few people who do this, what else exactly are you expecting? People against Gamergate could doxx someone or send out death threats and claim to be doing it 'for gamergate'. Apparently its an easy way to fight a movement, because it seems to be working for onlookers.
@Geonjaha
Maybe you didn't read my comment above. It doesn't deserve to be called a movement. A bunch of people whining about social injustice in the name of video games? That makes me laugh. It's a hobby for most of us. It doesn't deserve the right to take away real headlines about real injustices. Wasted energy if you ask me.
@MoonKnight7 - No, it's not really a movement - it's a consumer revolt. I simply end up calling it that because everyone else seems to think of it as one. I support GamerGate because I want to play games and have some decent press to report about it. Having simple disclosures isn't difficult, and yet it's a problem with gaming journalism.
No, it's not a big problem in the grand scheme of things, but how does that matter? It affects people, and people are standing up to change something because they care about it. The fallacy that people should stop caring about something simply because there are more important issues out there is ridiculous. If you don't personally think its important enough to devote any time to, then that's your call, but telling people what is and isn't worth their time is stupid.
I know Wil was in a few shows, but who did he play in them?
@MoonKnight7
I don't care about people being misinformed, what I care about is willingness to listen to reason. Disagreeing with it is one thing, claiming it to be nothing but lies and conspiracy theories is another. It kills any hope of having an actual discussion.
That's the thing about Gamergate, a lot of it has been in response to other things. Evidence of people doing 'favors' for one another (no, not just Mrs.Quinn), a dozen articles all making gross generalizations about gamers (not just 'Gamergaters', gamers), you get the picture. Both sides have done their share of mud-slinging, but only one actually seems to condone and police it. Gamergate is also the only one that seems to catch any heat for it.
Yes, gaming is just a hobby for most people, but some are more passionate than others and take their hobbies very seriously. When people feel there's something negatively impacting their hobby, naturally that's an issue they feel needs to be addressed. That's just how it is, "waste of time" or not, they feel very strongly about it.
Awesome news. Stoked. Wheaton is the man.
@Geonjaha
"The fallacy that people should stop caring about something simply because there are more important issues out there is ridiculous. If you don't personally think its important enough to devote any time to, then that's your call, but telling people what is and isn't worth their time is stupid."
Clever way to end your comment by calling my opinion stupid. May I ask how that's going to help our dialogue?
You do realize we are talking about gaming right? It's a hobby, not a right to live. It doesn't have the same weight at all. What kind of social injustice could gamers possibly be feeling? It's delusional, bloated and misguided. I can think of a thousand other ways to solve real problems. GamerGate doesn't deserve the kind of press its trying to shove it's way into.
You should care less, because this so called "cause" is less to begin with. "Consumer revolt" you say? If they put the same amount of effort into what that actually means, then the Chinese government wouldn't have to install safety nets outside their factories to keep their workers from committing suicide because of poor working conditions; forcing them to live where they work, in a small room with 8 other strangers, because supply and demand is so high. You insult the very basis of what a "consumer revolt" should be. Believe what you want, say what you want, but don't get cranky when others don't take your words seriously.
Is that a stupid opinion as well? Maybe to you, and that's fine, but I live in the world of reality. You don't have to listen to me, what do I care? However there should be a common ground of what's important and what is not. GamerGate has selfishly warped itself into thinking it's an important issue even if you claim it to be minor in the general scheme of things. It still considers itself to be important, and that's its biggest crime. It, by far, was one of the strangest things I've seen the Internet create. Those who believe it is a real issue worth fighting for are simply delusional. They simply need a reality check to reevaluate what's actually worth sweat and tears.
Real issues deserve the real discussions. Hobbies do not deserve to shout just as loudly. Judging by your prior thoughts, I have to assume you and I have very, very different ideas of what stupid actually means.
@Zombie_Barioth
Please read above, as it mostly responds to your comment as well. Please excuse my sharp tongue however, as @Geonjaha demeaned our conversation with the word "stupid."
@MoonKnight7
So, your not even going to bother trying addressing any of my points? That's exactly the sort of attitude I'm talking about, if your going to take the "I'm right. your wrong, end of discussion" route then there isn't much left to say on the matter.
That's fine thought, we'll just have to agree to disagree. If Gamergate's biggest "crime" is being more important to people than you think it is, then I'd say that's a good thing.
Just one thing though, I don't think Gamergaters see it as important as you think they do. A lot of the time its other people making the topic about Gamergate, riling people up and causing a huge back n' forth. You can't expect it to end when people like Anita Sarkeesian go on the news talking about it. Its basically just the next controversy in gaming, like the one Jack Thompson spearheaded in the early 2000's. Only difference is this one has a name.
""It's all about the games" - that's why we won't buy an excellent game!"
Yeah, sure, what terrific logic... Same logic as complaining about gaming journalism on a site that's offering.... videogame journalism!
Sarkeesian is problematic, but not because of her person, but because the arguments she uses are more often than not invalid, ignoring conext and so on. But the resposne should be civil, reasonable and argumentative, anything exceeding this is telling a lot about those "caring" for "ethics", as well as confirming her views on "gamers".
@ACK Totally agreed, thats also why i started getting involved in this sorty thing: To get the fun back into games and throw out politics and social / gender studies.
@Zombie_Barioth This, and that Jack Thompson wasnt as influential in the scene itself. He was heard by the mainstream media and maybe the odd one out politician, Sark on the other hand is also heard by a handfull of devs and manufacturers (like Intel)
And youre absolutely right in that it is mostly "the others" who start such a discussion. You cant complain about "getting attention of GGers" and then rant against them in public TV shows.
These people want the confrontation to go on since it nets them a huge load of cash for doing nothing at all.
You cant even complain about her work, as she hasent done anything. Her video series never properly kicked off although she sacked in all the money, she cancelles speaches left and right although they are greenlighted by the police and shes already payed etc.
Its profitable. If these "journos" and their pals truely wanted it to stop, youd simply see a "this game was made by my pal / was donated by company XY" under their articles and the case would be closed for good.
Heck, just look at NL. This is the first time ive seen this topic come up here. Why ? Because NL has never done anything wrong. If GG is such a ferocious beast just out to destroy the scene, this topic would be all over the forums.
Or look at the Escapist. Problems there are sorted out and the site is actually doing better then ever. All it took was a "we screwed up, lets work together to make it better".
But enough of that, this farce has gone on for far too long. And honestly, i liked it better when the topic didnt matter at all on here.
@Zombie_Barioth Well, you can't pick and choose what is part of GG and what isn't. Those things I said have happened to women, including having their home adress and phone numbers published along with threats, GG will forever be associated with that, as well as the assumption that women can't get a good review for a game without sleeping with the journalist (something shown to be a lie started by a jealous ex) as well as the assumption that any female games journalist is going to lie and probably wants to ruin gaming (something that people believed based on reading a headline for an article - a headline probably written by a male editor, with the content of the story saying that being a "gamer" is not a very good term because most of the world is a gamer, in the same way people don't need to identify themselves as a 1-Direction hater, it's assumed).
While obviously some in GG wanted to make it about integrity in games jouralism, it was based on a lie and quickly became about stopping women from ruining gaming by swamping them with hate and abuse.
@MoonKnight7 - What? Please re-read what I said, because I never called your opinion stupid. I said that trying to tell people that something isn't worth their time was a stupid thing to do.
"If you don't personally think its important enough to devote any time to, then that's your call, but telling people what is and isn't worth their time is stupid."
By definition GamerGate is a consumer revolt. There being 'bigger' ones in the past doesn't make it something else. Just because a problem is relatively small doesn't mean it should be ignored - to me that seems like a silly way to look at life. You solve the problems you can, no matter how 'small' they seem to be. If you don't think corruption in the media is big enough to put effort into correcting, then fine, but this attitude of stopping people from trying just seems counter-intuitive. You focus on what you think is important, or at least fixable, and let everyone else do it too.
@MadAdam81
No, that's the entire point of Gamergate. It started because of corrupt practices and sh*tty behavior on the part of devs and journalists. It literally started not because of the alleged 'favors', but because forums threads on the subject were being deleted and videos were being DMCA'd.
There's also the fact that most of those Doxxings were proven to have been faked by the victim, the messages was traced back to their own IP address. Where are you even getting your information? There's no "stopping women from ruining gaming" of any kind, the only ones "ruining gaming" are the ones who keep making this about them, its not.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RVlCvBd21w
@Geonjaha
I can read. Telling someone that what their doing is stupid, is saying their opinion on the matter is stupid. Seems like common sense to me. What are you missing exactly?
It's insulting that you've taken "consumer revolt" under your wings. You don't deserve it and are inadvertently hollowing the term.
The point is you have all these people riled up, and for what? Journalistic integrity to protect the name of gamers? It's selfish, and is not a real problem. Don't hide behind the fact that you are trying to fix corruption in the media. GamerGate is trying to fix corruption in the media for itself, and itself alone. It doesn't care about anything else.
You really think a bunch of winey gamers can fix media corruption in order to clear the name of gaming? No one will take it seriously, because it doesn't deserve to be. You say "well that's our point! Our voices need to be heard!" You will never be able to outrun all the obscenities that are involved with GamerGate. It's a Game Over screen.
You wanna fight corruption in the media? Maybe try something with a little more than a bunch of twenty year olds using their obsessive hobby as a platform, and not getting their panties in a bunch because a woman says some legitimate points. It all went downhill from there, before it even started.
You may see me as just some jerk who won't listen to reason. I don't care what you do with your time, but this false sense of hope to change the media, under your current banner, is nothing more than a lukewarm fantasy. It's sad you just don't see it. GamerGate will be looked back upon as a horrendous act. You can blame the media all you want, but those early over zealous gamers put it in an early grave all by themselves.
@Zombie_Barioth
"So, your not even going to bother trying addressing any of my points? That's exactly the sort of attitude I'm talking about, if your going to take the "I'm right. your wrong, end of discussion" route then there isn't much left to say on the matter."
Well that's jumping to conclusions a bit isnt it? I dunno I've had a pretty lengthy discussion with your fellow GamerGater above. I just found both your points pretty interchangeable. So that doesn't count then? Well pardon me, and settle down. It wasn't out of laziness or this supreme sense of "I'm right and your wrong." To that point however, you have a pretty unbreakible opinion as well, so that's a classic, pot calling the kettle black.
I fail to see why it's important at all. You hide behind this self righteous attitude, like your doing the world a favor. Those who believe that they are really changing the world with this are delusional, and well beyond fantasy.
The media has been corrupt since, forever. You really believe a bunch of winey gamers are going to sway things in their favor? Gamers? The same people who get their panties in a knot cause Call of Duty and Mario doesn't change enough with each release? The same people who argue for days because a game got a 7 rating instead of a well deserved 8? The same people who walk away every E3 and say, what a waste of space, not one good game?!
It will never be taken seriously because gamers are so petty to begin with. You won't shake that perception no matter how hard you try. You keep claiming that your side has been mature. That's a tall order to fill. Bad things did happen, and you can't escape it. I watched it happen with my own eyes saying wtf is wrong with these people. Whatever you think you gained is already lost. It makes us all look like fools and plays into exactly what the general public thinks of us. A bunch of wining babies.
@MoonKnight7
The fact that you saw our points as interchangeable really says it all. You don't get it, that's fine, but then why do you care so much about what other people do with their time then?
You're the one who responded to us after all, remember? Actually, you started this whole thing, so all this talk about people being self-righteous, yet you're the one passing judgement and telling others what is or isn't a waste of time. I can't say I understand your motives, but no matter, its a fruitless argument either way.
Nobody really cares if anyone thinks its worthless, heck, this entire hobby is seen as "worthless" to a lot of people as it is. People are going to do what they feel is right wether the world agrees with 'em or not, that's really all there is to it.
@MoonKnight7 - I can read. Telling someone that what their doing is stupid, is saying their opinion on the matter is stupid. Seems like common sense to me. What are you missing exactly?
> Doesn't understand the difference between an opinion and an act. You can tell people you don't think what they're doing holds any value. Telling them to stop doing that based solely on what you believe is stupid.
"It's insulting that you've taken "consumer revolt" under your wings. You don't deserve it and are inadvertently hollowing the term."
Luckily in the real world definitions are based on logic, and not one persons opinion on what 'deserves' to have a definition.
"The point is you have all these people riled up, and for what? Journalistic integrity to protect the name of gamers? It's selfish, and is not a real problem. Don't hide behind the fact that you are trying to fix corruption in the media. GamerGate is trying to fix corruption in the media for itself, and itself alone. It doesn't care about anything else."
Lol, you contradict yourself so much here, it obviously got difficult for you to pick an argument. Journalistic integrity protects consumers who don't get ripped off, scammed, or mislead by the word of the media. You tell me not to hide behind a fact, and then claim people are doing it for selfish reasons. Sorry, but I think its time you learned what consumer revolts and movements are about. Yes, in the end fixing the problem benefits consumers, and as a consumer myself, it also helps me. Claiming that makes it all selfish is laughable. It's like claiming to only be against terrorism because you're being selfish and trying to protect yourself.
"You really think a bunch of winey gamers can fix media corruption in order to clear the name of gaming? No one will take it seriously, because it doesn't deserve to be. You say "well that's our point! Our voices need to be heard!" You will never be able to outrun all the obscenities that are involved with GamerGate. It's a Game Over screen."
Um...there have already been significant changes to many video gaming sites caused by GamerGate, so yeah, I KNOW we're making a difference. Somehow at least 30,000 people ARE taking it seriously, and your opinion on the matter is again, frankly quite irrelevant. Luckily we also don't stop when you or other people claim we cant keep making a difference because a couple of people threatened someone. We're still to this day changing things, so whine all you like about us not getting anywhere, it's just funny and ironic to watch.
"You wanna fight corruption in the media? Maybe try something with a little more than a bunch of twenty year olds using their obsessive hobby as a platform, and not getting their panties in a bunch because a woman says some legitimate points. It all went downhill from there, before it even started."
Uh-oh; fallacy alert. The many people that make up GamerGate aren't all 20 year olds, but sure, whatever supports your narrative. Facts are evil. Apparently everything went downhill once a woman played being a victim and news outlets used that to protect themselves from criticism while tricking naïve people such as yourself - I'll say it did. For them.
"You may see me as just some jerk who won't listen to reason. I don't care what you do with your time, but this false sense of hope to change the media, under your current banner, is nothing more than a lukewarm fantasy. It's sad you just don't see it."
Lol, I know you wont listen to reason, because you refuse to accept what's right in front of you just because it doesn't fit with a narrative that you've heard up until this point. I'll bring it even closer if you'd like.
http://wiki.gamergate.me/index.php?title=GamerGate_Achievements
Feel free to turn your nose and pretend it isn't there, but it's sad that you just choose not to see it.
@Zombie_Barioth - Exactly. People are spending their own free time to what they think is right and a problem they want to solve. MoonKnight7 claims that corruption is unfixable, that we're stupid for trying, that we're selfish for trying, and that we've made no difference, all at the same time. It's mind boggling really.
If you guys don't know Wil Wheaton from any of his acting roles, you should check out his show on YouTube called TableTop. It's all about board games played by celebrity guests and it's pretty awesome. I think most people here will appreciate that show since it's about more complicated and fun board games for adults, not things like Sorry and Monopoly.
@Geonjaha
Mmhm, for someone who claims to not care what people do with their time he sure spent a lot of his trying to convince us how futile and selfish it all is. If its "sad" that we don't see it, then its even sadder that he tries so hard to drag others down with him. Mind-boggling indeed.
@Wolfgabe nope, in fact there were people that were opposing that reacted that way over Adam Baldwin being in it. Hahahahaha!
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