BioWare writer quits after death threats to family

[Collector]

The senior writer on Dragon Age II has decided to leave developer BioWare after ‘graphic threats’ were made to kill her children.

http://metro.co.uk/2013/08/16/bioware-w ... y-3925970/

[Tawmis]

The senior writer on Dragon Age II has decided to leave developer BioWare after ‘graphic threats’ were made to kill her children.

http://metro.co.uk/2013/08/16/bioware-w ... y-3925970/

You beat me to it. Was going to post it here since DPX had mentioned that very thing. Which, ironically, I had responded as to that's why I never frequent the Bioware forums anymore. I don't think I have ever, in my life, seen more people who cry, bitch and moan to the EXTREME, like they're entitled to talk down to the writers, developers, etc.

It's ridiculous. I fear the future of this world. Spoiled Effing Brats. The internet, the web, MMO's have made a generation of children who know nothing of social skills... and these games become their life. I wish I could find each one of them and beat some sense into them. (See, I don't want to make any death threats towards these twerps that do this; I just want to beat some sense into them).

[AndreaDraco]

I normally wouldn't approve, but in this case... go ahead, Tawm: it's high time someone beats some sense into these idiots.

[Tawmis]

I normally wouldn't approve, but in this case... go ahead, Tawm: it's high time someone beats some sense into these idiots.

That will be my defense, "Andrea said I could!"

[MacTeq]

Jennifer Helper has contacted us to make it clear that she did not leave BioWare as a direct result of the harassment she received at the hands of gamers.

‘BioWare was tremendously supportive of me during that time, and I have experienced nothing like it since, due to the excellent policing of the BioWare Forums and new policies on the BioWare Social Network,’ she told us in an email.

‘I am moving on from BioWare now to pursue other opportunities that let me return to be closer to family in the United States after a wonderful eight years in Canada. I have no intentions to leave the game industry — I love the work that I have done and the reactions from the vast majority of fans and look forward to continuing that work in other venues.’

She's off to write a book, she didn't quit last week because of something that happened with DA2 two years ago.
Not that this makes it okay to threaten her family of course, but the chronology makes more sense to me now.

[Rudy]

I normally wouldn't approve, but in this case... go ahead, Tawm: it's high time someone beats some sense into these idiots.

I'll bring the chainsaw. You bring the beer.

[Datadog]

Maybe the next Bioware game should punish renegade activity. Like if you save some poor children from wolves - but then make the children be your slaves - then all the shopkeepers in the game should raise their prices exponentially and all the enemies will get initiative because you failed to be a decent human being.

I'd love to get into game design, but it's people like them who deter me. I'm still shocked at how reviewers will look at some gorgeous graphics on newer games and pan them because they look too last-gen by their standards. Even on my own game, I received a few scathing e-mails over the lack of voices and HD quality, and this was for a free game. We're entitled to entitlement, but unless our names are credited as "executive producers", we have no business terrorizing employees, let alone threatening children. I remember one guy at "Man of Steel" screaming for Zack Snyder's blood when the credits started rolling. Fan-bases are becoming increasingly hostile. They're losing their grip on reality and I'm afraid that actual "Fan-Terrorism" is not too far around the corner.

[Maxor127]

The senior writer on Dragon Age II has decided to leave developer BioWare after ‘graphic threats’ were made to kill her children.

http://metro.co.uk/2013/08/16/bioware-w ... y-3925970/

You beat me to it. Was going to post it here since DPX had mentioned that very thing. Which, ironically, I had responded as to that's why I never frequent the Bioware forums anymore. I don't think I have ever, in my life, seen more people who cry, bitch and moan to the EXTREME, like they're entitled to talk down to the writers, developers, etc.

Reminds me of when I regularly played Mass Effect 3 multiplayer and every other forum thread was about some character, class, or weapon being overpowered and to nerf this or that, keeping in mind that ME3 multiplayer was a throwaway CO-OP mode whose main purpose was to grind for gear. I couldn't believe how much bitching people were doing about perceived advantages for a feature that had no competitive aspect to it besides the absolutely meaningless scores at the end of each match.

[DeadPoolX]

I couldn't believe how much bitching people were doing about perceived advantages for a feature that had no competitive aspect to it besides the absolutely meaningless scores at the end of each match.

You've just about summed up achievements right there. They don't do anything to improve the game itself, they're only a (sometimes) flashy "reward" for doing something.

It doesn't matter, though. People will go to insane lengths to get these meaningless badges.

It's partially because of these throw-away awards that a sizable contingent of gamers are actively against real saves in games. Their reason? If you can save, you can shoot, save, shoot, save and it'll take no skill to get an achievement.

That, of course, assumes you can actually save during combat, which I haven't found to the case. Even if it was like that, who really cares? If you did something awesome in the game, then you know and that's good enough. No one gives a damn about your kills or score or whatever else.

[Rath Darkblade]

So... I'm confused. Is Jennifer Hepler quitting because of these threats, or not?

Regardless of her motivation, it's incredibly obvious that making death threats against her and her children is wildly out of proportion with the perceived "errors" in Dragon Age II. It would be laughable if the consequences were not so serious.

Go get 'em, Tawm! *hands Tawm the one and only Hackmaster +12*

[Tawmis]

Go get 'em, Tawm! *hands Tawm the one and only Hackmaster +12*

Excellent reference!