The industry filed false claims against the Stop Killing Games initiative

[Erasmus Roterodamnsus]

Oh, the irony of being a volunteer subtitle writer. Am I also entitled to €63,000? I don't think I've attracted enough heat from the industry to go after me. Yet. Enjoy Ross's Rickshaw Rides.

 

High-tech VTT subtitles featuring markup for positioning to get out of the way when needed! Just copy and paste the text in a txt and upload verbatim like usual.

 

WEBVTT

00:00:00.293 --> 00:00:01.200
Hey!

00:00:01.200 --> 00:00:02.054
You know that saying,

00:00:02.054 --> 00:00:06.166
"It's not paranoia if they
really are out to get you"?

00:00:06.166 --> 00:00:08.967
Well, I have another video
I do not want to make,

00:00:08.967 --> 00:00:11.097
but I probably should.

00:00:11.097 --> 00:00:15.120
And this one is newsworthy,
especially for me.

00:00:15.120 --> 00:00:19.233
I have behind-the-scenes news
on the Stop Killing Games campaign.

00:00:19.233 --> 00:00:22.800
Okay, a quick refresher,
because I know this gets confusing:

00:00:22.800 --> 00:00:25.040
I founded the
Stop Killing Games <i>movement</i>

00:00:25.040 --> 00:00:29.313
to challenge the legality of publishers
destroying games which you've paid for.

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This has involved a lot of things
which I've shown in slides before,

00:00:32.800 --> 00:00:36.800 line:75%
and that <i>includes</i> assisting with
the European Citizens' Initiative,

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which is the biggest thing
going on with it right now.

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However, I am actually <i>not</i> the founder
of the European Citizens' Initiative.

00:00:43.966 --> 00:00:47.520 position:100% line-right align:right size:50% line:50%
That would be a group of
volunteers whom I'm in touch with.

00:00:47.520 --> 00:00:50.214 position:100% line-right align:right size:50% line:50%
I'm ineligible to have
an official role in the initiative.

00:00:50.214 --> 00:00:52.488 position:100% line-right align:right size:50% line:50%
I'm just a major promoter of it.

00:00:52.488 --> 00:00:54.400
It's always been something separate.

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That's part of why it's called the
"Stop Destroying Videogames" initiative

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instead of the
"Stop Killing Games" movement.

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So, with that in mind,

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it was recently shared with me

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that the Stop Destroying
Videogames initiative

00:01:06.653 --> 00:01:11.473
has received a serious accusation
from an anonymous source.

00:01:11.473 --> 00:01:13.967
The EU Commission
relayed a complaint of it

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committing two violations.

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Yikes!

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A "false 'no funding' declaration",

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and "systematic concealment
of major contributions".

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"This declaration appears
fundamentally incorrect

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based on publicly documented evidence

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of substantial undisclosed professional
contributions to the campaign."

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Well, this is all news to me,

00:01:36.374 --> 00:01:39.680
but I don't know everything
that's going on with the initiative.

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What's this about?

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Oh, it's about me!

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I'm the evidence, everyone!

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What do we have here?

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A quote, "There have been
many weeks on the campaign

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where I've been working
12 to 14 hours a day

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to keep things moving
to get signatures."

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Damn straight I have!

00:01:57.001 --> 00:01:58.374
That is true.

00:01:58.374 --> 00:02:02.233
"I've been running a rickshaw
carrying people to the destination."

00:02:02.233 --> 00:02:04.348
Um… yes.

00:02:04.348 --> 00:02:06.880
I did say those words.

00:02:06.880 --> 00:02:08.580
It's unclear to me if the accuser

00:02:08.580 --> 00:02:12.400
thinks I've literally been running
a rickshaw service or not.

00:02:12.400 --> 00:02:13.360
And you know what?

00:02:13.360 --> 00:02:14.880
I'm not gonna tell them.

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They can guess that for themselves.

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They're doing a lot of guessing in this.

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You'll see.

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Media interviews
identifying me as handling

00:02:22.654 --> 00:02:26.480
"the standard day-to-day work of running
the Stop Killing Games initiative"

00:02:26.480 --> 00:02:29.440
and "described as the primary
strategic decision-maker

00:02:29.440 --> 00:02:32.197
and public spokesperson
throughout the campaign."

00:02:32.197 --> 00:02:34.398
Okay, this is reaching.

00:02:34.398 --> 00:02:37.680
Since I apparently
need to spell it out,

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when I say the initiative
"will do this" or "will do that,"

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that's me assuming the initiative members
are on board with what I'm saying,

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and me taking my best guess.

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I've even said before on video,

00:02:50.800 --> 00:02:53.840
the initiative members
are not a hive mind.

00:02:53.840 --> 00:02:57.033
They can disagree with
each other, including me.

00:02:57.033 --> 00:03:00.000
They certainly <i>listen</i> to my input,

00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:05.280
but the decision on literally everything
about the initiative is theirs.

00:03:05.280 --> 00:03:10.080
If I don't like something, but they do,
then I just have to deal with it.

00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:12.757
I have no actual authority.

00:03:12.757 --> 00:03:16.320
Nobody in the initiative
takes orders from me.

00:03:16.320 --> 00:03:19.071
But get ready, because here
comes the clown accounting.

00:03:19.071 --> 00:03:23.120
"Fifteen to twenty weeks of
twelve to fourteen hour days."

00:03:23.120 --> 00:03:26.570
That's interesting that they call this
a <i>conservative</i> estimate,

00:03:26.570 --> 00:03:28.724
because they're making
these numbers up.

00:03:28.724 --> 00:03:31.324
They may as well be
reading tea leaves.

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It's true I think I've spent that many
hours a day working on this campaign

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for <i>some</i> weeks.

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But 15 to 20?

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That would have killed me!

00:03:41.633 --> 00:03:43.264
Some weeks were this high,

00:03:43.264 --> 00:03:46.880
others it was anywhere
from zero to four hours a day.

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I don't know.

00:03:48.101 --> 00:03:49.920
You know why I don't know?

00:03:49.920 --> 00:03:51.600
Because I never track my hours!

00:03:51.600 --> 00:03:52.960
Why would I?

00:03:52.960 --> 00:03:55.040
Nobody was hiring me for this.

00:03:55.040 --> 00:03:57.120
It's all volunteer time.

00:03:57.120 --> 00:04:01.520
The only reason I said "12 to 14"
is because there were plenty of days

00:04:01.520 --> 00:04:05.704
where I would wake up,
work the whole time, then go to bed,

00:04:05.704 --> 00:04:09.040
minus eating, exercise,
and essential chores.

00:04:09.040 --> 00:04:10.658
And those days make me batty.

00:04:10.658 --> 00:04:12.966
I hate working that much.

00:04:12.966 --> 00:04:17.233
But I am impressed that they think
they know my hours better than I do.

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Oh, but here's the good part:

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"Professional rate:
50 to 75 euros an hour."

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Yeah, maybe that would mean something

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if I was a professional
who had a rate for <i>anything</i>.

00:04:28.687 --> 00:04:34.988
"Minimum estimated value:
63 to 147,000 euros."

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Oh, yeah(!)

00:04:36.633 --> 00:04:39.214
Okay, this one annoys me a bit

00:04:39.214 --> 00:04:43.374
because their low end, €63,000,

00:04:43.374 --> 00:04:48.480
is more money I've made
in any year in my entire life.

00:04:48.480 --> 00:04:49.277
Though, hey,

00:04:49.277 --> 00:04:51.760
I'm sure all kinds of people
are worth more

00:04:51.760 --> 00:04:55.120
if they make up numbers about
how much they should be getting paid

00:04:55.120 --> 00:04:57.266
from imaginary sources.

00:04:57.266 --> 00:05:00.167
But they're saying my volunteer work
is worth that much,

00:05:00.167 --> 00:05:04.720
so, by not reporting it,
it's violating Article 17, yada yada.

00:05:04.720 --> 00:05:08.560
Their supporting evidence is media
treating me as though I'm the leader,

00:05:08.560 --> 00:05:10.987
and me saying
I've worked a lot on this.

00:05:10.987 --> 00:05:13.760
Well, it's true I have
worked a lot on this.

00:05:13.760 --> 00:05:15.120
But I must have said publicly

00:05:15.120 --> 00:05:18.974
that I'm ineligible to join the
initiative at least 50 times.

00:05:18.974 --> 00:05:21.281
And this may surprise the accuser,

00:05:21.281 --> 00:05:26.182
but sometimes game journalists get details
wrong when reporting on something.

00:05:26.182 --> 00:05:29.280
"Twelve to fourteen hour day
commitment during 'many weeks'

00:05:29.280 --> 00:05:32.729
far exceeds any reasonable
volunteer threshold."

00:05:32.729 --> 00:05:34.240
Yes, true!

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They're right about that.

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That isn't reasonable at all.

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I've hated this crap and I can't wait
to work less on the campaign!

00:05:41.520 --> 00:05:44.334
It's only my perception
that this is my one chance

00:05:44.334 --> 00:05:47.600
to fix the problem of destroying games
that's pushed me this hard.

00:05:47.600 --> 00:05:49.595
But I have my limits, guys.

00:05:49.595 --> 00:05:51.001
"Professional time investment

00:05:51.001 --> 00:05:53.756
constitutes quantifiable
in-kind contribution

00:05:53.756 --> 00:05:56.066
under transparency regulations."

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I guess good thing
I'm not a professional then!

00:05:58.666 --> 00:06:02.320
Well, this is a very serious accusation,

00:06:02.320 --> 00:06:04.387
and it sounds like
I should have logged my hours

00:06:04.387 --> 00:06:07.566
and made up hourly rates
like my accuser did, huh?

00:06:07.566 --> 00:06:10.000
But wait, here's a thought:

00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:14.636
Why don't we check what the
European Union's rules actually are?

00:06:14.636 --> 00:06:17.087
"Who is considered a sponsor?"

00:06:17.087 --> 00:06:19.334
"Sponsors are people or organisations

00:06:19.334 --> 00:06:22.641
providing financial
support over 500 euros."

00:06:22.641 --> 00:06:25.719
Okay, well, I've spent
zero euros on the initiative,

00:06:25.719 --> 00:06:28.785
just a crapload of time,
so, that's not me.

00:06:28.785 --> 00:06:30.953
"Legal persons or organisations

00:06:30.953 --> 00:06:34.960
providing other economically
quantifiable (in-kind donations)

00:06:34.960 --> 00:06:38.320
or non-economically quantifiable
support to an initiative

00:06:38.320 --> 00:06:40.597
are also considered sponsors."

00:06:40.597 --> 00:06:43.671
Well, I've been advised
I'm not a "legal person,"

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I'm a "natural person."

00:06:45.451 --> 00:06:47.232
That sounds right.

00:06:47.232 --> 00:06:51.120
And I certainly wasn't representing
an official organization.

00:06:51.120 --> 00:06:55.040
I mean, I haven't signed one form
with "Stop Killing Games" on it,

00:06:55.040 --> 00:06:57.197
or for the initiative, for that matter.

00:06:57.197 --> 00:07:01.533
"Individuals providing non-financial
support, such as volunteering,

00:07:01.533 --> 00:07:05.440
are not considered sponsors
under the ECI Regulation

00:07:05.440 --> 00:07:08.500
and do not need to be reported."

00:07:08.500 --> 00:07:10.640
Oh, what's that?

00:07:10.640 --> 00:07:14.133
That description, which is
exactly what I've been doing?

00:07:14.133 --> 00:07:19.233
So the EU says the initiative has
been following the rules this entire time?

00:07:19.233 --> 00:07:23.533
But what about this anonymous accuser
saying the EU doesn't know its own rules?

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Is there a hidden clause here?

00:07:26.080 --> 00:07:27.474
Like, you're not a sponsor

00:07:27.474 --> 00:07:29.440
unless you work really hard?

00:07:29.440 --> 00:07:31.000
So, let's get this straight:

00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:35.994
We've got an anonymous complaint
saying the initiative is violating EU law,

00:07:35.994 --> 00:07:38.335
I'm apparently in charge
of the initiative,

00:07:38.335 --> 00:07:41.233
despite being ineligible to even join it,

00:07:41.233 --> 00:07:44.000
hence why my name is not on here.

00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:47.280
The accuser is making up
how many hours I've worked on this

00:07:47.280 --> 00:07:49.534
and are making up
imaginary money amounts

00:07:49.534 --> 00:07:52.080
I've supposedly donated in kind,

00:07:52.080 --> 00:07:55.966
and their claims directly contradict
the EU's own laws on this.

00:07:55.966 --> 00:07:57.966
And hey, plot twist:

00:07:57.966 --> 00:08:00.240
There's something I didn't tell you.

00:08:00.240 --> 00:08:04.400
The official organizers
literally asked EU representatives

00:08:04.400 --> 00:08:07.854
if it was okay for me to assist them
in the capacity I have been

00:08:07.854 --> 00:08:10.687
back in spring of 2024,

00:08:10.687 --> 00:08:13.267
just to make sure
everything was above board,

00:08:13.267 --> 00:08:16.800
in case there was a problem,
or we needed to report anything.

00:08:16.800 --> 00:08:19.600
They said what
I've been doing is <i>fine</i>.

00:08:19.600 --> 00:08:22.100
We've been doing this
by the book, guys.

00:08:22.100 --> 00:08:24.500
So where did this
complaint come from?

00:08:24.500 --> 00:08:27.200
Well, we'll never know,
it's anonymous.

00:08:27.200 --> 00:08:28.487
But let me ask you,

00:08:28.487 --> 00:08:31.667
does anyone think this is
just some <i>concerned citizen</i>

00:08:31.667 --> 00:08:33.840
acting independently here?

00:08:33.840 --> 00:08:36.880
I mean, pretend all of these
accusations were true.

00:08:36.880 --> 00:08:39.114
Would that end the initiative?

00:08:39.114 --> 00:08:39.881
Maybe.

00:08:39.881 --> 00:08:41.307
I don't know.

00:08:41.307 --> 00:08:45.233
Someone was gunning for us,
this is a shot across the bow.

00:08:45.233 --> 00:08:46.134
Now, again,

00:08:46.134 --> 00:08:50.240
this complaint is anonymous,
so I'm not accusing anyone.

00:08:50.240 --> 00:08:52.000
I don't know who wrote it.

00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:54.160
But I'll just say the timing of this

00:08:54.160 --> 00:08:57.840
is awfully hot on the heels
of an industry lobby group

00:08:57.840 --> 00:09:01.120
giving some very bad statements
about the movement.

00:09:01.120 --> 00:09:04.866
In some cases,
I think outright lying about it.

00:09:04.866 --> 00:09:07.066
But I don't know if it was them.

00:09:07.066 --> 00:09:09.420
Maybe it was a different
lobbying group,

00:09:09.420 --> 00:09:13.780
or maybe it was just some political
hatchet man hired by the industry.

00:09:13.780 --> 00:09:16.921
But someone was trying
to kill the initiative.

00:09:16.921 --> 00:09:19.522
Filing paperwork
to the European Union,

00:09:19.522 --> 00:09:23.543
accusing the initiative
and myself of violating the rules,

00:09:23.543 --> 00:09:26.957
maybe even committing
a crime, I'm not sure;

00:09:26.957 --> 00:09:29.040
that's no small thing.

00:09:29.040 --> 00:09:31.840
This is the industry
playing dirty now.

00:09:31.840 --> 00:09:33.866
It reminds me of <i>Battleship</i>.

00:09:33.866 --> 00:09:35.461
They took a shot,

00:09:35.461 --> 00:09:37.600
hoping my battleship was here,

00:09:37.600 --> 00:09:39.627
when it was actually here.

00:09:39.627 --> 00:09:43.266
So, they missed,
but I sure felt the splash.

00:09:43.266 --> 00:09:45.720
So why am I telling you all this?

00:09:45.720 --> 00:09:48.320
Well, this has me a little worried.

00:09:48.320 --> 00:09:50.400
I mean, this complaint
doesn't scare me.

00:09:50.400 --> 00:09:52.960
We followed the rules
and they made up the charges.

00:09:52.960 --> 00:09:57.200
I mean, hell, if they hadn't put
"<i>appears</i> fundamentally incorrect,"

00:09:57.200 --> 00:09:59.800
this might have been
borderline libel against me.

00:09:59.800 --> 00:10:03.574
But the fact that first we have
the industry lobbying against us,

00:10:03.574 --> 00:10:07.488
then we're getting this attempted
shot at us behind closed doors

00:10:07.488 --> 00:10:10.466
makes me concerned
about what's coming next.

00:10:10.466 --> 00:10:13.280
I mean, I haven't done
anything shady that I'm aware of,

00:10:13.280 --> 00:10:15.360
but maybe that doesn't matter.

00:10:15.360 --> 00:10:19.694
If they can't find a real angle on us,
maybe they'll make more things up.

00:10:19.694 --> 00:10:21.840
Maybe serious things.

00:10:21.840 --> 00:10:25.600
At the rate we're going,
I'm expecting the next news

00:10:25.600 --> 00:10:28.320
to be a Photoshop of me
in a parking garage

00:10:28.320 --> 00:10:30.900
doing a handoff with
a briefcase full of money.

00:10:30.900 --> 00:10:35.040
Now, what I've been told is
if the industry can't kill the initiative,

00:10:35.040 --> 00:10:38.087
the next step is to
throw so much dirt on us,

00:10:38.087 --> 00:10:41.534
members of parliament
start getting scared to support it.

00:10:41.534 --> 00:10:44.800
So just because this is only
the second shot at us,

00:10:44.800 --> 00:10:47.933
that doesn't mean there aren't
20 more shots coming behind it.

00:10:47.933 --> 00:10:51.840
And I'm again reminded of
how stupid this whole thing is

00:10:51.840 --> 00:10:56.480
when you consider what a comparatively
low cost an end-of-life plan is.

00:10:56.480 --> 00:10:59.760
I bet whatever companies are
spending on lobbying against us

00:10:59.760 --> 00:11:03.537
is more than it would cost them
to have end-of-life plans for their games,

00:11:03.537 --> 00:11:05.971
especially in the future.

00:11:05.971 --> 00:11:08.400
Hell, I think a lot of
end-of-life plans for games

00:11:08.400 --> 00:11:12.300
would be less than those
imaginary euros I'm not being paid.

00:11:12.300 --> 00:11:14.194
But I don't know
what's coming next,

00:11:14.194 --> 00:11:16.220
and it could get a
lot worse than this.

00:11:16.220 --> 00:11:17.600
Who knows?

00:11:17.600 --> 00:11:20.720
I am so out of my league on this.

00:11:20.720 --> 00:11:24.080
I have never been
a political target before,

00:11:24.080 --> 00:11:27.200
so this is all uncharted
territory for me.

00:11:27.200 --> 00:11:30.000
Have you ever played a game
that's getting harder and harder,

00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:32.640
and you can still keep
up with it in the moment,

00:11:32.640 --> 00:11:35.120
but you're starting to think
at the rate it's going,

00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:38.320
you're not sure if you can
handle it in a level or two?

00:11:38.320 --> 00:11:41.200
That's kind of the vibe
I have right now.

00:11:41.200 --> 00:11:43.680
And for those of you
who think I'm being paranoid,

00:11:43.680 --> 00:11:46.000
did you hear about that
retro gaming YouTuber

00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:49.544
who was arrested for reviewing
modded handheld consoles?

00:11:49.544 --> 00:11:53.600
Oh, yeah, that doesn't hit
close to home for me at all(!)

00:11:53.600 --> 00:11:56.985
I mean, I don't have any handhelds,
so I guess I'm safe there.

00:11:56.985 --> 00:11:58.900
But what about abandonware?

00:11:58.900 --> 00:12:02.400
If I play an emulated
Commodore 64 game,

00:12:02.400 --> 00:12:06.474
are they going to send the cops
to my place as step five?

00:12:06.474 --> 00:12:08.764
Gotta love the games industry!

00:12:08.764 --> 00:12:12.521
But as of this moment,
I still feel free to speak my mind,

00:12:12.521 --> 00:12:15.280
so, I better make use of it.

00:12:15.280 --> 00:12:16.480
Here's the thing:

00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:19.222
The video games industry
is worth billions.

00:12:19.222 --> 00:12:22.289
If they really want to
smear me or the initiative,

00:12:22.289 --> 00:12:24.276
they'll find a way to do it.

00:12:24.276 --> 00:12:27.933
We're lucky their attempts
have been so bumbling so far.

00:12:27.933 --> 00:12:31.360
I mean, I just showed you
how these claims are false,

00:12:31.360 --> 00:12:34.366
because they're lying about
how the law defines my actions.

00:12:34.366 --> 00:12:37.920
Video Games Europe was almost
certainly lying about this claim,

00:12:37.920 --> 00:12:39.760
and it was irrelevant.

00:12:39.760 --> 00:12:43.040
Almost certainly lying
about their liability here.

00:12:43.040 --> 00:12:46.859
They were either so obtuse they couldn't
understand what we're asking for

00:12:46.859 --> 00:12:48.700
when it's spelled out for them,

00:12:48.700 --> 00:12:51.127
or they're lying about
not understanding it.

00:12:51.127 --> 00:12:52.400
Take your pick.

00:12:52.400 --> 00:12:53.834
Oh, and this claim.

00:12:53.834 --> 00:12:57.200
This one is a bit clever
because it can't be disproven.

00:12:57.200 --> 00:12:58.987
You could say this about anything.

00:12:58.987 --> 00:12:59.746
Like I could say,

00:12:59.746 --> 00:13:03.360
"It's prohibitively expensive
for me to make a paper airplane."

00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:04.080
And you might say,

00:13:04.080 --> 00:13:08.080
"What are you talking about?
A piece of paper costs what, 2 cents?"

00:13:08.080 --> 00:13:08.800
And I could say,

00:13:08.800 --> 00:13:12.034
"Yeah, but that would
curtail my choice,

00:13:12.034 --> 00:13:14.320
because I want to
make my paper airplane

00:13:14.320 --> 00:13:17.541
out of the Magna Carta,
and that's priceless.

00:13:17.541 --> 00:13:22.127
Thus, it's prohibitively expensive
for me to make a paper airplane."

00:13:22.127 --> 00:13:25.120
I guarantee you that's the kind
of logic they're using here

00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:27.600
if you were to really
dig into the details.

00:13:27.600 --> 00:13:29.200
Oh, and let's let everyone know,

00:13:29.200 --> 00:13:32.890
this lobby group isn't even
representing its members that well.

00:13:32.890 --> 00:13:37.040
<i>BeamNG</i> says they weren't consulted
by Video Games Europe,

00:13:37.040 --> 00:13:39.820
and disagree with their
statement and behavior.

00:13:39.820 --> 00:13:42.000
Even Epic Games,

00:13:42.000 --> 00:13:45.367
yeah, that small company,
you probably haven't heard of them,

00:13:45.367 --> 00:13:48.960
has come out saying that they're
currently non-committal on this.

00:13:48.960 --> 00:13:53.266
So, Video Games Europe wasn't representing
<i>them</i> in their statement either!

00:13:53.266 --> 00:13:56.320
So, if they're not even
consulting their members,

00:13:56.320 --> 00:13:58.866
who the hell are they
representing, exactly?

00:13:58.866 --> 00:14:01.714
Okay, some news as I'm editing:

00:14:01.714 --> 00:14:04.862
Ubisoft has responded
to Stop Killing Games.

00:14:04.862 --> 00:14:06.890
I was not expecting that.

00:14:06.890 --> 00:14:10.518
It's a lot of misdirection,
I'll try and speedrun this.

00:14:10.518 --> 00:14:12.339
Okay, this is irrelevant.

00:14:12.339 --> 00:14:14.126
We're aware of your terms,

00:14:14.126 --> 00:14:16.673
it's not yet determined
if they're legal or not.

00:14:16.673 --> 00:14:18.640 line:50%
This is also irrelevant.

00:14:18.640 --> 00:14:19.914
This part is true,

00:14:19.914 --> 00:14:22.560
this is a widespread
problem in the industry.

00:14:22.560 --> 00:14:24.080
The only thing unique to Ubisoft

00:14:24.080 --> 00:14:27.327
is they're trying to get away
with this crap as a French company.

00:14:27.327 --> 00:14:29.948
Okay, even the EU Commission
wouldn't commit

00:14:29.948 --> 00:14:33.440
as to whether these types of games
are services or not when asked.

00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:37.433
So, he can call these games services,
but legally, they might not be.

00:14:37.433 --> 00:14:40.000
Services tell you when they end.

00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:42.213
And the endless support argument.

00:14:42.213 --> 00:14:43.760
Okay, I'm undecided.

00:14:43.760 --> 00:14:46.267
If this was a senior
developer saying this,

00:14:46.267 --> 00:14:48.787
I would 100% call this misdirection.

00:14:48.787 --> 00:14:49.634
I mean, hey,

00:14:49.634 --> 00:14:51.794
this looks awfully
similar to that comment

00:14:51.794 --> 00:14:54.560
from Video Games Europe
about endless support.

00:14:54.560 --> 00:14:56.720
This could be the
industry's new playbook.

00:14:56.720 --> 00:15:01.461
If they can pretend to not understand
what we're asking for over and over again,

00:15:01.461 --> 00:15:03.833
maybe they're hoping
that will change the narrative.

00:15:03.833 --> 00:15:07.440
However, this is a CEO saying this,

00:15:07.440 --> 00:15:10.844
so maybe he really doesn't
know how these games work.

00:15:10.844 --> 00:15:12.201
Hey, if so,

00:15:12.201 --> 00:15:13.840
he wouldn't be the first CEO

00:15:13.840 --> 00:15:16.560 line:50%
to not understand how his
company's products work.

00:15:16.560 --> 00:15:19.360 line:50%
So, I can't tell if he's just
trying to gaslight everyone,

00:15:19.360 --> 00:15:21.920 line:50%
or if he just doesn't know
how these games are made,

00:15:21.920 --> 00:15:24.266 line:50%
so he thinks they would
need endless support.

00:15:24.266 --> 00:15:26.733 line:50%
I kind of hope he
actually doesn't know.

00:15:26.733 --> 00:15:28.433
Anyway, the point here is

00:15:28.433 --> 00:15:31.900
there's a lot of lying and shady stuff
going on from the games industry

00:15:31.900 --> 00:15:33.760
against Stop Killing Games.

00:15:33.760 --> 00:15:36.400
And I guess now, me too.

00:15:36.400 --> 00:15:40.067
So, if these attempts to shoot down
the initiative keep happening,

00:15:40.067 --> 00:15:41.920
maybe assume the industry,

00:15:41.920 --> 00:15:44.350
which has been shown
to be lying repeatedly,

00:15:44.350 --> 00:15:46.320
is lying again.

00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:50.560
And the whole point of their accusations
is to make you forget the real issue,

00:15:50.560 --> 00:15:53.600
which is consumers are
getting robbed by the industry.

00:15:53.600 --> 00:15:56.400
There are nuances to it,
but the basic message

00:15:56.400 --> 00:15:58.907
is when you buy a copy of a game,

00:15:58.907 --> 00:16:00.720
you should get to keep it,

00:16:00.720 --> 00:16:05.497
and publishers shouldn't be able
to destroy what you already paid for.

00:16:05.497 --> 00:16:07.760
This concept is so basic,

00:16:07.760 --> 00:16:11.520
it's still a joke we even
have to fight for this.

00:16:11.520 --> 00:16:14.560
So don't let the industry
throw you off the scent,

00:16:14.560 --> 00:16:16.230
especially in the future.

00:16:16.230 --> 00:16:20.233
If something doesn't pass
the smell test, push back.

00:16:20.233 --> 00:16:23.280
I say this because things
could heat up so much

00:16:23.280 --> 00:16:24.527
that maybe in the future,

00:16:24.527 --> 00:16:29.440
I'm <i>not</i> at liberty to give commentary
or defend myself like this.

00:16:29.440 --> 00:16:32.320
I've managed to get in touch
with a few political insiders

00:16:32.320 --> 00:16:35.520
that know more about
how these attacks work than I do.

00:16:35.520 --> 00:16:38.233
I intend to follow their advice.

00:16:38.233 --> 00:16:41.360
Right now, my plans
haven't changed at all.

00:16:41.360 --> 00:16:44.880
But if I just go really quiet
on some topics in the future,

00:16:44.880 --> 00:16:47.200
then I'm telling you why right now.

00:16:47.200 --> 00:16:50.000
It will be because the attacks
are getting so serious

00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:53.760
that me saying anything
might be a liability somehow.

00:16:53.760 --> 00:16:54.733
I mean, remember:

00:16:54.733 --> 00:16:57.120
This was behind the scenes.

00:16:57.120 --> 00:16:59.600
The industry didn't
make this one public.

00:16:59.600 --> 00:17:02.400
So, who knows what the
next thing they're planning is.

00:17:02.400 --> 00:17:04.859
Now, hopefully I'm overreacting,

00:17:04.859 --> 00:17:07.520
and the industry won't
keep escalating this.

00:17:07.520 --> 00:17:10.240
This was just them
taking a couple pot shots at us,

00:17:10.240 --> 00:17:13.120
but I'm trying to prepare
for a lot of scenarios.

00:17:13.120 --> 00:17:16.000
I mean, I knew there was a chance
of something like this happening

00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:18.640
back when I launched
the campaign last year.

00:17:18.640 --> 00:17:23.027
That's one of the many reasons
I never wanted to do this.

00:17:23.027 --> 00:17:26.704
At least this is just me trying
to get the most bare minimum

00:17:26.704 --> 00:17:29.760
common sense regulation
in the games industry,

00:17:29.760 --> 00:17:33.711
and not trying to be a whistleblower
on the defense industry.

00:17:33.711 --> 00:17:35.833
That would be bad.

00:17:35.833 --> 00:17:38.440
Okay, to end this on a lighter note,

00:17:38.440 --> 00:17:40.080
despite all this mess,

00:17:40.080 --> 00:17:44.366
we've been getting more and more support
from European members of Parliament.

00:17:44.366 --> 00:17:46.560
Here are some I've been informed of,

00:17:46.560 --> 00:17:49.200
though some of these
I'm pretty late finding out.

00:17:49.200 --> 00:17:52.233
Markéta Gregorová's
was from last year, actually,

00:17:52.233 --> 00:17:54.666
and had cool promotional art
and everything.

00:17:54.666 --> 00:17:56.880
That's what, 4-bit color?

00:17:56.880 --> 00:17:59.734
But the big one is Nicolae Ștefănuță,

00:17:59.734 --> 00:18:02.800
a Vice President of
European Parliament,

00:18:02.800 --> 00:18:07.130
throwing his weight behind the initiative
and saying he signed it himself.

00:18:07.130 --> 00:18:11.040
Okay, I'm the wrong person
to judge social media effectiveness,

00:18:11.040 --> 00:18:14.480 line:60%
but 85,000 likes on Twitter
would sound like a good day to me

00:18:14.480 --> 00:18:16.080 line:60%
if I was a politician.

00:18:16.080 --> 00:18:19.766 line:60%
This is what I mean about
easy wins for politicians, guys.

00:18:19.766 --> 00:18:21.034
Keeping it real,

00:18:21.034 --> 00:18:24.720
most people don't care
about video games either way,

00:18:24.720 --> 00:18:27.520
so this is pretty safe politically.

00:18:27.520 --> 00:18:29.184
But for the people who do,

00:18:29.184 --> 00:18:33.280
Stop Killing Games is advocating
for a very popular position

00:18:33.280 --> 00:18:36.320
that's in line with existing
consumer protection laws,

00:18:36.320 --> 00:18:38.480
and is narrowly focused,

00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:41.300
so this isn't going to
cripple the industry either.

00:18:41.300 --> 00:18:42.880
The industry is fighting this

00:18:42.880 --> 00:18:46.494
because they'll fight <i>anything</i>
that requires them to do something.

00:18:46.494 --> 00:18:51.760
Stop Killing Games is about as safe
and popular as it gets in politics.

00:18:51.760 --> 00:18:52.880
And as a bonus,

00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:56.960
it's appealing to people who might
not normally be involved in politics.

00:18:56.960 --> 00:18:59.033
That's an elusive demographic.

00:18:59.033 --> 00:19:00.800
And now's a good time
to mention again

00:19:00.800 --> 00:19:03.360
that contacting members
of European Parliament

00:19:03.360 --> 00:19:06.160
on the Internal Market and
Consumer Protection Committee

00:19:06.160 --> 00:19:09.120
is probably the best thing
we can do to push back.

00:19:09.120 --> 00:19:12.560 line:0
Though, I've received conflicting
information on which parties to contact

00:19:12.560 --> 00:19:14.880 line:0
and what subject lines to use.

00:19:14.880 --> 00:19:16.000 line:0
If you want to help,

00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:20.000 line:0
just try your best with contacting
a representative of your country.

00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:22.866 line:0
Preferably someone who
cares about consumer rights.

00:19:22.866 --> 00:19:24.841
Okay, that's it!

00:19:24.841 --> 00:19:28.160
I have no idea what's
coming down the pipeline now,

00:19:28.160 --> 00:19:29.360
but all this resistance

00:19:29.360 --> 00:19:32.627
means we are throwing around
some real power to fix things.

00:19:32.627 --> 00:19:34.033
So, let's keep at it!

00:19:34.033 --> 00:19:35.069
[Subtitles by Erasmus Magnus]

 

[Erasmus Roterodamnsus]

You know what, I haven’t mentioned this on the forum before because I felt it wouldn’t be appropriate, but this video really hits home for me. Between all the truthful things Ross said about volunteering that really sting, the accusation that nobody would work this much for free, and recently watching Louis Rossmann words on the topic, I’ll cut the humble act and put it out there: I accept donations.

Edited Tuesday at 05:16 PM by Erasmus Roterodamnsus
I always misspell Rossmann's last name, Ross, man. (see edit history)