Author Topic: Wing Commander 6: The Undiscovered Release Date (Star Citizen Thread)  (Read 588935 times)

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Re: Derek Smart might be taking legal action over Star Citizen
Hmm, reading trough the SC's "Counsel Letter" (honestly, it's too ranty to be that), CIG claims that they do not issue their employees with ID cards at all.

Whoa?

 

Offline Luis Dias

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Re: Derek Smart might be taking legal action over Star Citizen
Read what I said, they claim that ID cards "do not exist", what really exists are merely key cards. They don't deny those exist, they just go "what id cards, pff there ain no id cards" and pretend that's enough clarity. It's not, it's sleazy deflection.

 
Re: Derek Smart might be taking legal action over Star Citizen
I noticed a lot of sperging during the weekend. People fervently willing to disprove the "Id Cards" and other nonsense. The amount of defensiveness over this subject is surreal, but the more I look into it, the more convinced I become that the article is genuine and so are the sources.

If we take CRs claims about this at face value, then those are things one can definitely construct a defamation case around. That the true believers of the Church of the Cloud Imperium jump onto those things as proof that every allegation made by The Escapist is wrong should not be surprising in the least.

Also, bonus popehat

Yeah but this article you're linking basically says that CR needs to prove that the escapist acted maliciously, not negligently.
Also kind of proves that the letter is full of ****, as the guy writing it is acting like a moron while at the same time CCing the head of a huge LA law firm.
Just seems like they're trying to scare and bully the escapist by suing them with their 90 million in crowd funding.

Hey maybe if this does go to court, CiG I can launch a new ship call the Adjudicator, pledges of which go directly to pay for their legal fees.

 

Offline karajorma

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Re: Derek Smart might be taking legal action over Star Citizen
Not quite.
Quote
That means they'd have to prove actual malice to win a defamation case. Constitutional "actual malice" doesn't mean ill-will, as Freyermuth's letter seems to imply. It means knowledge that the statement is false, or reckless disregard for the truth — that is, publishing despite serious doubts about its truth. Cloud Imperium isn't going to satisfy that standard.


So the kind of negligence in the Rolling Stone case would qualify. CIG can also satisfy that standard IF The Escapist actually did act the way CIG claim they did (i.e working with Derek Smart and not anyone from their company). But given that it's incredibly unlikely that they did that, I tend to agree with Popehat.
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Offline Luis Dias

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Re: Derek Smart might be taking legal action over Star Citizen
Yeah, getting funds to sue the Escapist might be troublesome for the very financials that they are accused of mismanaging....

Perhaps they could reach the internet and start a crowdfunding campaign.

 
Re: Derek Smart might be taking legal action over Star Citizen
Yeah, getting funds to sue the Escapist might be troublesome for the very financials that they are accused of mismanaging....

Perhaps they could reach the internet and start a crowdfunding campaign.

One SC backer who commented on gameinformer said roughly "At least if they go to court I will finally see some entertainment value for my dollar" hahahah.

 

Offline AtomicClucker

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Re: Derek Smart might be taking legal action over Star Citizen
Well, I did think the Escapist screwed up, and Derek Smart is Derek Smart.

But Chris Roberts showed he can't be diplomatic, or willing to make a concerted effort at an olive branch for reassurance.

Derek Smart is an attention whore, but what this mess showed is that Chris Roberts is indeed off his rocker - legal threats over these allegations are not going to back up confidence. I think it adds more salts to the wounds - and I'm going to ask for a refund from Star Citizen. One thing I do agree with Derek Smart? Accountability, oh irony. And since Roberts wants to engage in a slap fight, he can do it without my pledge.
Blame Blue Planet for my Freespace2 addiction.

 
Re: Derek Smart might be taking legal action over Star Citizen
Good luck with the refund. CiG has said they're not obligated to give refunds and only do so on a case-by-case basis.
I would not be surprised if their response is roughly "we're withholding our right to issue refunds at this time while the current legal situation is dealt with" or something to that effect because if they suddenly get 500-1000 people asking for refunds they're probably going to freak out.
« Last Edit: October 05, 2015, 04:06:21 pm by Akalabeth Angel »

 

Offline AtomicClucker

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Re: Derek Smart might be taking legal action over Star Citizen
Yeah, you have to threaten with legal action in regards to getting a refund - and as much as I hate to agree with Derek Smart - finagling the ToS and refunds is like adding salt to the wounds.

Currently writing an e-mail to them stating I find their behavior not only despicable, but actually motivates me NOT to sink anymore money in. Sure they'll ignore me, but at least I'll make my point to their idiocy clear: Chris Roberts, **** you and **** CIG for being douches.
Blame Blue Planet for my Freespace2 addiction.

 
Re: Derek Smart might be taking legal action over Star Citizen
The escapist responded to the threat and isn't backing down:

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/14727-The-Escapist-Explains-Its-Star-Citizen-Sources-Vetting-and-Respo

Update: The Escapist, notwithstanding Cloud Imperium Games' notice and posting, stands by its coverage of Star Citizen and intends to continue to investigate the developing story. Since publishing our original stories, we have been contacted by, and are currently interviewing, additional sources corroborating a variety of the reported allegations. Additionally, if Mr. Roberts' offer for The Escapist to "meet the developers making the game and see how we're building one of the most ambitious PC games first hand" remains open, we take the opportunity to accept such invitation so as to hopefully provide the public with sufficient information and opportunity to vet such sources' allegations and claims for themselves. We have also communicated the foregoing directly to Cloud Imperium Games.


As above they also apparently have additional sources they're in discussion with.

 

Offline karajorma

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Re: Derek Smart might be taking legal action over Star Citizen
I think that was posted before CIG said they'd sue.
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Re: Derek Smart might be taking legal action over Star Citizen
The main article yes.
But not the update at the top.

You can see the article from the front page:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/

"The Escapists position on our Star Citizen story"

There was also a thread on reddit about the Escapist saying no to the redaction/apology, but for some reason it's gone.  Oh here it is:
https://www.reddit.com/r/starcitizen/comments/3nn26d/sigh_escapist_are_not_backing_down_and_intend_to/

Says [removed]? I'm not familiar with reddit or how it works but guessing whoever is moderating it deleted the thread or removed it from the front page?

Other sites are reporting on the update as well:
http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2015/10/05/star-citizen-drama-continues-as-cig-threatens-legal-action-over-recent-article.aspx

 

Offline karajorma

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Re: Derek Smart might be taking legal action over Star Citizen
I'm pretty sure I saw the update before people on this thread started talking about the legal threat. And CR did publish a pretty epic rant first, and only then alter it into the threat to sue. I think this is pretty much a response to the first rant.
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Offline Rheyah

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Re: Derek Smart might be taking legal action over Star Citizen
As someone who frequently struggles to finish large projects, I know well the travails of the over-promise.

Star Citizen could have been managed by me.  That is all.

 

Offline Luis Dias

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Re: Derek Smart might be taking legal action over Star Citizen
I'm pretty sure I saw the update before people on this thread started talking about the legal threat. And CR did publish a pretty epic rant first, and only then alter it into the threat to sue. I think this is pretty much a response to the first rant.

I'm under the impression that you are wrong and Akalabeth has the right timeline, but your certainty got me confused now.

 
Re: Derek Smart might be taking legal action over Star Citizen
Kara is wrong. The Escapist's response to the first screed was to add it as commentary into the article.
The good Christian should beware of mathematicians, and all those who make empty prophecies. The danger already exists that the mathematicians have made a covenant with the devil to darken the spirit and to confine man in the bonds of Hell.

 
Re: Derek Smart might be taking legal action over Star Citizen
There's an interview of a current employee put up yesterday:
http://blogjob.com/oneangrygamer/2015/10/star-citizen-interview-cig-employee-addresses-financial-allegations-project-concerns/

Though there's not much value in it, what the guy is not saying is more important than what he is and also I think his position within the company as videographer, documenting the process would segregate him from the raw realities on the working on the floor.


Incidentally, the front page animation has the words "I am a dream given form"? Ripping off Babylon 5 Star Citizen? Come on. Only Dream Given Form is a 5-mile long space station in neutral territory.  They might as well put "Boldly going where no game has gone before" on the front page as well.  :mad:
« Last Edit: October 06, 2015, 12:43:40 pm by Akalabeth Angel »

 

Offline karajorma

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Re: Derek Smart might be taking legal action over Star Citizen
Kara is wrong. The Escapist's response to the first screed was to add it as commentary into the article.

I don't know if you guys have noticed, but the text of the update on BOTH of these

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/14727-The-Escapist-Explains-Its-Star-Citizen-Sources-Vetting-and-Respo

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/features/14715-CIG-Employees-Talk-Star-Citizen-and-the-State-of-the-Company?utm_source=latest&utm_medium=index_carousel&utm_campaign=all

is pretty much the same. I honestly can't say which one I read first but I'm really sure I read one of them before this comment on the thread by Aesaar where the first discussion of legal action against The Escapist appears. 

That said, it's a pretty minor point cause if The Escapist haven't changed it by now it obviously stands for their point of view regarding legal action regardless of whether or not it was written before that threat was made. I've only really bothered to try to argue when I saw the message in the hope someone else saw it at the same time I did and can prove to me that I wasn't imagining it.
Karajorma's Freespace FAQ. It's almost like asking me yourself.

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Offline Luis Dias

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Re: Derek Smart might be taking legal action over Star Citizen
@Akalabeth,

That's par for the course for an unimaginative hive of people doing an unimaginative mess of a game. And the more I look into it, into its art, into its culture, into its lore, the more I despise it.

It's not "derivative". That would be bad enough, but at least it would be defensible. No. It's pretensiously derivative. Now, brilliant works often are exactly like that, they "don't borrow but steal" ideas or concepts or other things from others and call it their own, but in order to pull that off, you have to do something brilliant yourself. You have to create your own culture.

And I'm not seeing that here. Just a collection of pastiche on top of pastiche shiny things.

 
Re: Derek Smart might be taking legal action over Star Citizen
Here's the rough timeline as I understand it:
1. Escapist publishes article about Derek Smart
2. Week later, escapist publishes second article featuring interviews from CIG employees; Roberts response is lost int he spam folder (allegedly)
3. Roberts posts his reply and a 5-page response on Star Citizen
4. Article with CIG Employees is updated with relevant responses from Roberts
5. Following day, Escapist publishes article vetting their sources
6. Escapist discusses Star Citizen in a podcast and reveals additional information.
7. Star Citizen publishes a legal response / threat letter
8. Escapist updates the articles for the vetting and the employee interviews to include their response and position after the legal threats.  The vetting article is brought back onto the front page.

Derek Smart
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/features/14695-Star-Citizen-Controversy-Reaches-a-Boiling-Point

Employee Inteview
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/features/14715-CIG-Employees-Talk-Star-Citizen-and-the-State-of-the-Company

Vetting Sources
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/video-games/14727-The-Escapist-Explains-Its-Star-Citizen-Sources-Vetting-and-Respo

Podcast
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/escapist-podcast/57500-Crowdfunding-Podcast

Chris Robert's responses / Legal letter / etcetera:
https://robertsspaceindustries.com/comm-link/transmission/14979-Chairmans-Response-To-The-Escapist