Joystiq

Sonic fans create the best boycott of all time

Andrew Yoon — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:28:00 EST

[Fanpop; bramcurtis]

Thanks to the internet, the word "boycott" no longer conveys an element of gravitas. In fact, we're pretty certain that this collection of 1080 (and counting) Sonic fans doesn't actually understand the point of a boycott. The petitioners are upset about Sonic the Hedgehog 4, knowing full well from the leaked footage that it will "simply not be anywhere near as good as the original Sonic games." They're not going to stand for this and have threatened to hurt Sega where it hurts the most: sales. "We will not buy it," the petition explains. "We will in fact buy Sonic 1 on release in protest of Sonic 4."

Take that, Sega! Instead of giving you money, these people are going to ... give you money? Ha! Lesson learned. But in all seriousness, we do want to take a moment to offer some advice to the protesters: The best way to show Sega your disapproval isn't to buy another one of its games. Instead, satiate your desire to hurt Sega and needlessly throw away your money by sending a check or money order to: Andrew Yoon c/o AOL, 770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003. Thanks, Sonic fans!

[Via Destructoid]

Sonic fans create the best boycott of all time originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How not to boycott Modern Warfare 2

Griffin McElroy — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:30:00 EST

Don't worry, guys. We're fairly certain that most of those copies are pirated.

(Click here for the full version of the image, as captured by PC Gamer forum poster Olu446.)

[Via Rock Paper Shotgun]

How not to boycott Modern Warfare 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Left 4 Dead 2 boycott abandoned 4 demise

Justin McElroy — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:16:00 EST

The 41,000 member group formed to boycott Left 4 Dead 2 has reached its end, following Valve's pledge to add more content to the original game (which is already being made good on). As of October 21st, the collective will be disbanded after succeeding in its quest "to get Valve's attention and have them support original L4D."

Fresh from his free studio tour (courtesy of Valve), group co-founder "Agent of Chaos" wrote, "Our goal wasn't to steer people away from L4D2, it was to get Valve's attention and have them support original L4D." So, by utilizing a boycott that wasn't intended to keep people from buying a game, you managed to force Valve to do something they certainly would have done anyway.

Dear Internet: You are getting predictable.

[Via HotBloodedGaming]

Left 4 Dead 2 boycott abandoned 4 demise originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Newell pays way to Australia, donations go to Child's Play

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:30:00 EST

Despite the internet's best efforts to pay Valve prez Gabe Newell's way to Australia, the man simply won't take it. Posting on Fly Gabe Newell, the now infamous Australian Left 4 Dead modder "Joe W-A" says that not only are Newell and Valve project manager Erik Johnson heading down under next week, but they've paid their own way. "All the money accumulated will be going to the Child's Play charity," which Joe W-A tells Joystiq totals $3,099.54 from 233 donations.

Said Valve's Newell in an official statement, "The power of the gaming community and their ability to rally around a cause -- be it serious or fun in nature -- is amazing." And Newell's no stranger to both sides of it, having recently invited the creators of a Left 4 Dead 2 boycott to visit Valve's studios, sparking the joke email thread between Newell and Joe W-A that eventually resulted in the trip to Australia.

We'll have more on the visit next week; hopefully including a promised video from the Australian modder hosting Newell.

Newell pays way to Australia, donations go to Child's Play originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dude actually collects $3,000 to fly Gabe Newell to Australia

Justin McElroy — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST

OK, internet, we officially don't get it. You piss and moan about being nickel-and-dimed to death on every piece of downloadable unicorn armor, but then you'll rally around a dude in Australia and raise 3,000 bucks for him to fly Valve's Gabe Newell and Erik Johnson out to see his Left 4 Dead campaign that they jokingly claimed to be boycotting. All in the span of three days? Seriously?

We're starting to think the industry should be milking you for as much of your money as it can simply because you cannot, apparently, be trusted with it.

Dude actually collects $3,000 to fly Gabe Newell to Australia originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More Left 4 Dead DLC after 'Crash Course,' says boycotter

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EST

When Left 4 Dead 2 boycott co-leader Walking_Target visited ~~Wonka's chocolate factory~~ Valve Software recently, he saw the most fantastical things. Though he can't go into too much detail per a verbal agreement with Valve, the lucky gent drew upon his inner Keighley to deliver a few scant details about "more DLC for Left 4 Dead coming after Crash Course" on his blog.

According to Walking_Target, the upcoming content could be "a new special infected, a new campaign, or new weapon(s)." Considering the fact that the Crash Course DLC lands this month, and Left 4 Dead 2 shambles into stores on November 17, that leaves one empty month in between for this mystery content -- that is, unless Valve plans on releasing it after L4D2. This would of course put us in a compromising position: Buy Left 4 Dead 2 and potentially miss out on the original game's DLC, or download the first game's DLC and maybe permanently delay a purchase of the sequel? We've contacted Valve for more details to help us (and you!) solve this particularly problematic predicament.

Gallery: Left 4 Dead

[Via Shacknews]

More Left 4 Dead DLC after 'Crash Course,' says boycotter originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tired of boycotts? Donate money and fly Gabe Newell to Australia! [update]

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:20:00 EST

Update: A Valve representative got in touch with us and confirmed both the legitimacy of Newell's conversation with "Joe W-A" and that he would fly to Australia should the money be raised. Looks like this thing just got really real!

Valve's Gabe Newell has been getting all kissy-face with the Left 4 Dead 2 boycott leaders recently, and one man is (jokingly) mad as hell about it. Enter Brisbane, Australia resident "Joe W-A," entrepreneurial Left 4 Dead campaign modder and buddy of Gabe Newell, who recently started a (presumably) tongue-in-cheek blog to collect donations based on an email exchange with the Valve Software head.

"Joe W-A": Why the hell haven't I been flown to Valve? I mean, you guys need to preview my campaign."
Newell: We are boycotting your campaign.
"Joe W-A": Does that mean I have to fly you here?
Newell: Me and Erik [Johnson, Valve project manager].

And just like that, donations started piling in. Though we've contacted "Joe W-A" for more accurate numbers, our calculations put the dollar amount just over $700 as of this morning. He assures readers that if Newell and Johnson do in fact back out from visiting, he'll refund as much as possible and donate anything left to Penny Arcade's Child's Play charity. We know it's selfish, but the YouTube video that "Joe -W-A" promises to create of the visit has us hoping that Newell and Johnson will go through with it. We've asked Gabe Newell for comment and will update this post when we hear back.

[Via Rock, Paper, Shotgun]

Tired of boycotts? Donate money and fly Gabe Newell to Australia! [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Left 4 Dead 2 boycotters flown to Valve; boycotters boycot original boycotters

Xav de Matos — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EST

The two Steam users (Walking_Target and Agent of Chaos) who kick-started a Left 4 Dead 2 boycott, soon after the game was announced at E3 2009, were recently invited to Valve's offices to play the game and interview members of its development team. While both users (pictured above invading Valve boss Gabe Newell's personal space) vow to continue boycotting the upcoming title, they reported Left 4 Dead 2 "seemed balanced and 'tight' and did not feel like a rushed job."

Ironically, since visiting Valve's office the two boycott leaders have been forced to defend themselves against accusations of "corruption," a position not too removed from the one Valve now occupies in relation to the boycott. Some Steam users have asked the pair to relinquish admin duties of the boycott group, but the Valve visitors maintain the effort has progressed "well beyond what most people thought we'd get done."

The Left 4 Dead 2 Boycott group on Steam currently has over 40,000 members and requests (demands?) that Valve offer the sequel as either a free update or as a discounted expansion pack to owners of the original Left 4 Dead.

[Via Shacknews. Image credit: L4D2 Boycott Group]

Left 4 Dead 2 boycotters flown to Valve; boycotters boycot original boycotters originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Advocacy FAIL: L4D2 pre-order sales double of original, says Valve

Alexander Sliwinski — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:15:00 EST

For all the talk of petitions and boycotts over Left 4 Dead 2's sooner-than-expected release, the game doesn't seem to be suffering much. A Valve representative tells Eurogamer that pre-orders for the sequel are currently double that of the original's pre-order figures from the same time last year . Although that sounds impressive, it's possible to see some spin in there -- Left 4 Dead didn't really have its big coming-out party until E3 2008, which technically wouldn't occur for another two weeks from now. Couple that with general sequel buzz and you might have your inflated pre-order figure.

Nitpicks aside, Valve has already stated that it plans to continue supporting Left 4 Dead with more content. The company expects to announce more DLC near the end of summer and has expressed that people will understand the big L4D picture within a year. Assuming it hasn't announced Left 4 Dead 3 by then, of course.

Advocacy FAIL: L4D2 pre-order sales double of original, says Valve originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Battlefield: Bad Company's DLC guns are 'free,' but there's a catch

Ross Miller — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 20:04:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, First Person Shooters, Online

The developers of Battlefield: Bad Company have heard the outcry regarding the premium weaponry, both from Sarcastic Gamer and other outlets. Speaking to IGN, DICE Senior Producer Karl-Magnus Troedsson said there would be no charge for the five guns. Here's how you can get the guns:

Pay $10 for the Gold Edition of the game, have the guns on the disc
Buy the Standard Edition, hit the max rank level of 25
In both cases, "You have to do the marketing programs that we're going to announce further ahead" (huh?) before you can get the guns.

The last bullet point up there confuses us. What are the marketing programs? Troedsson told IGN there would be five marketing programs from EA that are free and will reportedly be "as easy as signing up for a newsletter." In other words, don't expect the Gold Edition guns on launch day, but know that you can be at rank level 4 and still get access to them at some point.

[Via X3F]

Battlefield: Bad Company's DLC guns are 'free,' but there's a catch originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 20:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Boycott' of Battlefield: Bad Company spreads through internet

Andrew Yoon — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:45:00 EST

Filed under: Game Patches

Many gamers have called e-mailed in about Sarcastic Gamer's "boycott" of the upcoming FPS game, Battlefield: Bad Company. Many are furious about the game's questionable DLC practices. Gamers will need to pay extra money to unlock five additional weapons, which can be used in online games. Although EA promises that it will not unbalance the game, it is a distressing misuse of DLC. We always thought that DLC extended the life of a product after it releases. For example, EA's own Rock Band serves terrific DLC long after the original's release. Unreal Tournament III adds tons of maps and does so at a terrific price: free. Heck, even Kane & Lynch is offering free post-release DLC.

So, undoubtedly it's angering to a lot of gamers when they know that certain features are simply being locked out for gamers who don't want to pay an extra premium. Considering the game already costs $60 for the consumer, shouldn't they get everything the developers have made, instead of being forced to receive an intentionally-gimped product? You decide.

[Via Joystiq]

'Boycott' of Battlefield: Bad Company spreads through internet originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yes, there's a boycott of Battlefield: Bad Company

Justin McElroy — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, First Person Shooters

We've gotten tips from a lot of you about the Sarcastic Gamer-fronted effort to boycott Battlefield: Bad Company, and we haven't posted about it until now for one simple reason: We don't get it. If you want to boycott a retail product, if you think that Battlefield: Bad Company isn't worth your $60 because content has been removed, there's a very easy way of dealing with that problem. Don't buy it. They're called market forces, and they work. If you need proof: How many times have you seen horse armor for sale since Oblivion tried it?

Do we like EA's idea of charging for individual weapons in an FPS, creating a gap (and it does despite what EA says) between the haves and have-nots? Of course not. But if you think the game is worth your money regardless, you should buy it and play it. If you don't want the extra guns, don't buy them. If that makes it less fun for you, don't buy their next game. It's as simple as that.

Sarcastic Gamer asked, "How, in good conscience, can EA take more money out of fan's pockets, who have already spent 60 bucks on the game?" Here's the answer: They don't have a conscience, they're a multibillion-dollar corporation that cares nothing for you. And it's not their job to care, it's their job to make money. It's your job to decide how to spend yours.

Yes, there's a boycott of Battlefield: Bad Company originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Blackout Monday: virtual boycott targets GameSpot, CNET sites

James Ransom-Wiley — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 11:59:00 EST

Filed under: Culture

GameSpot user 'Subrosian' has called for a boycott of all CNET-operated sites today in response to the controversy surrounding the firing of GameSpot executive editor Jeff Gerstmann, GamePolitics.com reports. Dubbed "Black Monday," the virtual boycott is to last 24 hours and instructs participants to avoid viewing, Googling, or clicking external links to the sites, particularly GameSpot. "Rather than live in a world where the media is controlled entirely by those with the most money, I want to live in a world where gamers who are living for their hobby ... can say what they truly feel about a game. So let's do the right thing and show solidarity with Jeff Gerstmann -- if he can't go to work on Monday at GameSpot then neither will we," declares Subrosian's manifesto.

Posted at 9:31pm ET last night, the call to action likely went unnoticed by many potential protesters before the blackout's midnight start time. Further discouraging any chance of effectiveness is the lack of a prominent external page for the boycott (try Googling "black monday gamespot" or other relevant search terms) -- um, the original post is a GameSpot.com link! If anything, Blackout Monday may serve as a seed for birthing a better-organized boycott before the Gerstmann story becomes "old news." Hardcore game forum posters-turned-activists need to appeal to the mainstream technology consumer to really stick it to the CNET network. But for anyone to get behind the issue, organizers must first wait for the swirl of rumors to settle and the truth to be made public. What's less legitimate than a rumor? The boycott of a rumor. (Reminder: the details of Gerstmann's firing are still unconfirmed.)

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Continue reading Blackout Monday: virtual boycott targets GameSpot, CNET sites

Blackout Monday: virtual boycott targets GameSpot, CNET sites originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 03 Dec 2007 11:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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