Profile of SturmtigerCobra

Don't forget his love of barely legal porn. Which perhaps explains the two women wearing school uniforms in the pile of **** that was Duke Nukem Forever.

I did some more research into this Gearbox mess which is quite fascinating.
The sexual allegations in this lawsuit are a sideshow due to lack of evidence (for now).
The crux of the two lawsuits is Randy and Wade Callender are in for a big money fight.
For an entertainment industry, which makes their living from creating art and retaining loyal customers? The greed from upper management is out of control.

In-depth analysis of the two lawsuits (Randy vs Wade Callender) and CEO Randy Pitchford of taking secret $12 million bonus;

Ramifications?
Randy and Wade are old friends, so I suspect they have a lot of "financial dirt" on each other which could result in Gearbox top leadership falling apart. Or they will reach a legal settlement.

Who is Wade Callender? Former US Navy attorney
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wadecallender/

Wade Callender representing Gearbox, from 3:00

Money & power corrupt and it’s hard to tell who the “good guy” are in this mess.
Also related to this Wade lawsuit is a personal assistant Randy suid but then went missing.

Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford allegedly scammed out of nearly $3 million by former personal assistant:
https://www.pcgamer.com/gearbox-ceo-randy-pitchford-allegedly-scammed-out-of-nearly-dollar3-million-by-former-personal-assistant/
A con artist scamming another con artist? really?

Ladies And Gentlemen, It's Magician Randy Pitchford:
“Did you know Gearbox Software founder, president and CEO Randy Pitchford started out as a professional magician in Hollywood?”
https://kotaku.com/ladies-and-gentlemen-its-magician-randy-pitchford-1562831587

Randy vs Wade Callender legal fight
Callender filing an earlier complaint about workplace abuse 10 days before the Gearbox filed lawsuit.

Gearbox CEO allegedly mocked ex-lawyer’s Christianity with slurs, “ridiculing” gifts:
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/01/gearbox-ceo-allegedly-mocked-ex-lawyers-christianity-with-slurs-ridiculing-gifts/

Former Gearbox Lawyer Accuses CEO Randy Pitchford Of Taking Secret $12 Million Bonus, by
Jason Schreier:
https://kotaku.com/former-gearbox-lawyer-accuses-ceo-randy-pitchford-of-ta-1831679539

So in late 2018, Randy sued Callender first to defame him and then Callender made a counter lawsuit. Randy are trying to portray himself as “the victim” that was attacked by his “greedy” friend.
He also used deceptive PR tactics to defend against Sega allegations and the Colonial Marines Class Action lawsuit.

Gearbox boss says Colonial Marines lawsuit was like "Mafia-style extortion”:
https://www.pcgamer.com/gearbox-boss-says-colonial-marines-lawsuit-was-like-mafia-style-extortion/
What goes around, comes around.
Callender was the key Gearsoft lawyer and friend that was keeping the rogue CEO and thus Gearbox out of “legal trouble” for many years.

A few more points about these active lawsuits related to Gearbox’s financial fraud;
Using sources from Gaming Journalist, Nick Monroe and others

1) David Eddings, formerly of Gearbox, VP of Gearbox Business Development (Oct 2005 – Mar 2017). Accuse Randy of being a liar and conman.

https://twitter.com/davideddings/status/1084163014851526656?lang=en
https://www.linkedin.com/in/davideddings/

2) Gaming executive, Kevin Dent accuse Randy for bribery and financial fraud:

https://twitter.com/TheKevinDent/status/1083875298389696512
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevindent/

3) Gaming executive, Derek Smart

https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedereksmart/

4) Where could the siphoned $12M for personal gain be now?

source:
https://www.corporationwiki.com/p/2rgexx/pitchford-entertainment-media-and-magic-llc

Bottom line?
Current state of the AAA game industry
Below is a good insider commentary/quote from a lower-tier developer (Plamen Todorov) that work on big franchises such as Assassins Creed.
Unfortunately, it's not just Gearbox that is falling apart due to greed and leadership incompetence.

Credit:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/plamen-todorov-289863106/

The gaming industry is failing apart.
The wrong people are in charge and all they care about is money.
The good people that care about making good games are leaving and are getting replaced by people that do not care.
AAA for the most part at this point is how much money is thrown at a game not quality.
More and more games will fall victim to bad management and sloppy execution. The state of some studios is horrible. The game industry is bleeding talent and is taking unqualified developers that will not question the status quo or bad decisions. The Bioware that made great games is gone. The people that made it what it was are gone.

The biggest waste of money is not graphics or things of the sort. It's incompetence and poor decisions by people who have no idea what they are doing or talking about.
For the most part it's because someone did not do the job they had to do or did not listen to someone that knew what they where talking about. Most studios will push out a broken product that is not working instead of scrapping it to get some money back. That's on the executives not the developers. The top level management also meddles in game development often to the detriment of the game. And it's a strange occurrence but sometimes some people invest more time and energy in finding reasons not to work instead of just getting the job done. For the most part the big studios are not what they started out as anymore. Blizzard is full corporate now so is Bioware. And corporate studios are a (I hate to use that word but it fits perfectly) toxic environment. Talent gets crushed and "yes man" thrive. That's why good people are quitting.

A greedy gaming empire on the rise from Apple/Google? Execute Order 66?


Quotes from David Brevik, the founder and former President of Blizzard North (1992-2003):
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-brevik-4707933/?locale=da_DK

David Brevik‏ @davidbrevik
https://twitter.com/davidbrevik/status/1110239294264737792
I'm very worried about the future of the gaming market. All of these services where developers get paid by the minute are going to have radical impacts on design motivations and predatory practices. If you thought Free-to-play was bad, you haven't seen anything yet.

There is no way to stop this. These changes are coming. When mega-companies like Google and Apple are making this a corporate initiative, gaming is going change forever.

Marcello Lins @MarcelloLins
Care to elaborate! I'm genuinely interested in your take about this new monetization model. What exactly worries you?

David Brevik‏ @davidbrevik
Spotify had a profound impact on the music industry. Imagine a world where authors didn't sell books, but you subscribed to a service and they got paid a penny by the page read instead. It would change everything.

Future?
Subscription services are not necessary anti-consumers/anti-indies, it's all about execution.

Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Vows to “Go Big” at E3 in a Leaked Response to Google’s Stadia
https://wccftech.com/xbox-phil-spencer-stadia-response-leak/


Nintendo's Damon Baker joins Microsoft as Head of Portfolio for Xbox:
https://www.windowscentral.com/nintendos-damon-baker-joins-microsoft-head-portfolio-xbox

Gamers have the final word by voting with their wallets.
Until that happens, it's going to get worse for AAA game developers that don't have good studio leaders that are fighting for them and their fan base (think Respawn Entertainment fighting against EA greed).
Respawn Says Apex Legends Was Studio’s Idea, Not EA’s:
https://gamerant.com/apex-legends-respawn-ea/
EA is committed to Titanfall – "Whatever the f*** that means" Respawn CEO responds.:
https://rectifygaming.com/ea-is-committed-to-titanfall-whatever-the-f-that-means-respawn-ceo-responds/
Whatever happens to Randy/Gearbox, they are the byproduct of a very greedy gaming industry.
I don't blame Randy, I believe he's doing a fantastic job exposing the AAA gaming industry for what it has become.
So buckle up or go play AA/indies/older games until the industry sorts itself out.

PS. I hope my posting doesn't cause too much headache for mods. But it's important to understand the big picture at play here. If the "bad guys" win this war, this new "gaming empire" (paid by the minute monetization) will make EA look like a pony show.

A few updates I posted on reddit some time ago;
The interior design team DIALOG is involved with the new Relic office
Completion: October 2019
http://www.dialogdesign.ca/projects/relic-entertainment/

DIALOG was also involved with Capcom Vancouver which was shut down only 1 year after moving into a new office in 2017.

Pathfinders▴
Relic’s new Vancouver HQ manifests the strategic secret sauce their company utilizes in developing their entertainment. ‘Path finding,’ the complex computer game making process is expressed throughout the space with a vibrant, dynamic ceiling form that wraps the building-core and guides occupants towards destination zones.

Pathfinding Simulation▴
The pathfinding simulation is comprised of destination-zones that act as metaphors for experiences one may encounter in a Relic game. For instance, the ‘community hub’ and reception area are composed of dark wood in angled, fragmented forms, that represent the scattering ash of an explosion. ‘Cerebral’ spaces along the journey are reprieves from the simulation. They are pure, clean and crisp and act as safe houses from the very social and active destination zones.

Story Space▴
The client’s goal was to have a design that helped people focus on work and, knowing the industry’s long work hours, to provide opportunities and spaces to re-focus, socialize and refresh. The design team responded with Relic’s story: upon entry, the guest is greeted with a 3-dimensional timeline that shares Relic’s past. The timeline wraps around the core and leads you into the reception waiting area where you are awed by the suspended sculpture above the reception desk. Hundreds of Relic's yellow toy soldiers are assembled in the shape of an R. The game-testing theatre space wears exploding acoustic panels on its walls, a metaphor for the many games the company has wowed the market with. Pin-up areas – where team members collaborate and ideate – were placed along social-hub areas. A stepped wooden bleacher system for tiered viewing offered more capacity. Inside the office’s speakeasy lounge is a water vapour fireplace providing visual warmth and comfort for the lounge users, and a reason for them to step away from their workstations and slow down the hectic pace of their work. Throughout the lounge and other social spaces, one will find graphic mantras on the walls that speak to the culture of the studio.

All's Well That Games Well▴
Making a video game is a whirlwind. The taxing industry can cause staff exhaustion and staff turnover. The executive team from Relic Entertainment agreed that they wanted a space that offered focus and refuel. Common areas varied from lounges to large community kitchens, theatres, break out spaces, open meeting areas and even craft spaces.

My personal take on this;
I highly doubt a new Relic office will change much except studio management will have something to impress others or to meet with stakeholders etc..
Lack of fancy office space is not why good people are quitting.
Can Microsoft turn things around for PC gaming studios such as Relic?
Who knows, we'll have to wait and see.

Relic money suits 5 years plan for CoH2?

Update;
Gearbox Software (CEO Randy Pitchford) owns the borderlands 3 IP and the former Relic IP, Homeworld.
So there is a real risk future Homeworld RTS games will be Epic store exclusive.

Negative Reviews, Piracy and Boycotts: Epic Still Doesn't Care


FYI; Randy Pitchford is a real piece of work (a rogue CEO & douchebag) that fooled Sega, press and fans alike with his lies and fake Aliens Colonial Marines demos which cost Sega millions of dollars in a class action lawsuit and later revenue loss on Sega's Alien:Isolation created by Creative Assembly.
Gearbox boss does “whatever the fuck he likes”, says Sega

If Epic store was any good, they should keep Randy Pitchford on a short leash as he's doing terrible PR for the store.
I think Steam need more competition, but the Epic store raises a red flag as not favorable to consumers (yet).
Steam has one of the best user-reviews system and Randy are intentional spreading misconceptions and fake news to make the Epic store look more favorable.

Recent example of Randy's misconceptions and lies about steam;
1) On 15. mar. 2019 Valve announce coming changes to the review system, correcting misuse and review bombs:

https://store.steampowered.com/news/?feed=steam_blog
*SNIP*
Since that post, we've continued to listen to feedback from both players and developers. It's clear to us that players value reviews highly, and want us to ensure they're accurate and trustworthy. Developers understand that they're valuable to players, but want to feel like they're being treated fairly. We've also spent a bunch of time building analysis tools to help us better understand what's happening in the reviews across all titles on Steam. With that feedback and data in hand, we think we're ready to make another change.

That change can be described easily: we're going to identify off-topic review bombs, and remove them from the Review Score.

2) 5. apr. 2019 Randy quote:
https://twitter.com/DuvalMagic/status/1114169379338555392

@thereal_scottv
5. apr.
Not cool at all to misuse the review system like this and shame on @steam_games for allowing it.
Randy Pitchford:
Ironically, that this misuse is possible and that Steam has no interest in correcting this misuse makes me kind of happy about 2k’s decision and makes me want to reconsider Gearbox Publishing’s current posture on the platform.

Cobra got popcorn ready for more Randy and Epic store drama;

Fallout Goes "Pay-to-Win" & False Advertising:
Bethesda’s P2W Betrayal Is Worst Fallout 76 Move Yet: They Literally Lied

Bethesda's New Disaster - Makes Fallout 76 Pay-To-Win & Fans Are ANGRY!
Breaks Cosmetic-Only Promise


TL;DR:
Greedy retail publishers (EA/Activision/Bethesda) want to milk loyal fans and whales with a big wallet. Cosmetics are not making enough money so Fallout goes for deeper monetization.

Last year quotes from Bethesda boss, Pete Hines

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fallout-76-has-microtransactions-but-bethesda-insi/1100-6462850/?utm_source=reddit.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/pete-hines-6987131/
"If you don't want to spend money in the Atomic shop for cosmetic stuff you don't have to. We give you a sh*tload of Atoms just for playing the game," Hines said. "Folks that want to spend money on whatever the hell it is because they don't have enough Atoms, they can, but it's not, 'I'm now better playing against other players because I spent money.' It's not pay-to-win. And it's not loot crates."

https://twitter.com/dcdeacon/status/1032589221398282241
@ModishNouns
Will it be possible to buy non-cosmetic items, say, a legendary minigun, with microtransactions?

Pete Hines:
No. Only cosmetic.

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fallout-76-has-microtransactions-but-bethesda-insi/1100-6462850/
"All the content we ever put out for Fallout 76--all the DLC, all the post-launch stuff--is going to be free. That's important. And to say, the Atomic shop is cosmetic stuff. To make sure folks understand--look there's a line. There are people who have crossed it, but we're going to stay on the right side of it in terms of the things you can spend money on and how this stuff works and what you're getting for your $60," Hines said. "That you know, when they put out new content or features or whatever, I'm getting that stuff for free. That feels right."

Quote Bethesda APRIL 4, 2019

https://fallout.bethesda.net/en/article/6eQmVlhbjlkX0GzGb7DB3j/inside-the-vault-looking-beyond-patch-8-april-4-2019
BASIC REPAIR KITS IN THE ATOMIC SHOP
We read tons of feedback and suggestions from the Fallout 76 community, and Repair Kits were a popular request that we wanted to get into players’ hands. We also felt we could try out something new with these, both in-game and in the Atomic Shop. As we look to the future, we’re exploring ways we can bring other community-driven ideas to the game as well, such as refrigerators for C.A.M.P.s, ammo and food converters, and even the ability to send scrap to your stash without having to head home. Repair Kits are our first attempt at a utility item like this, and we plan to make adjustments based on your feedback, so we hope you’ll share your thoughts with us when they go live later this month.

Bethesda: Cosmetic-Only, not P2W MTX
Gamers: You lied to us!
Bethesda: It’s not P2W, but Pay for Convenience/pay to not grind..

Investigative gaming journalism is dying but Jason Schreier from Kotaku has done some top-notch work here and deserves respect. This work is based on 19 people who worked on Anthem.
Don’t miss out of this rare opportunity to see what goes on behind closed doors within the AAA gaming industry with studio mismanagement, shady EA marketing and the horrible working conditions for Bioware devs.
Highly recommended reading. What a mess.
wow.

How BioWare's Anthem Went Wrong
https://kotaku.com/how-biowares-anthem-went-wrong-1833731964?utm_medium=sharefromsite&utm_source=kotaku_copy&utm_campaign=top

*SNIP*
This account of Anthem’s development, based on interviews with 19 people who either worked on the game or adjacent to it (all of whom were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to talk about Anthem’s development), is a story of indecision and mismanagement. It’s a story of technical failings, as EA’s Frostbite engine continued to make life miserable for many of BioWare’s developers, and understaffed departments struggled to serve their team’s needs. It’s a story of two studios, one in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and another in Austin, Texas, that grew resentful toward one another thanks to a tense, lopsided relationship. It’s a story of a video game that was in development for nearly seven years but didn’t enter production until the final 18 months, thanks to big narrative reboots, major design overhauls, and a leadership team said to be unable to provide a consistent vision and unwilling to listen to feedback.

Current analysis and commentary by popular gaming critics on Youtube (UPDATED list 10/4/2019):







Official Bioware response:
http://blog.bioware.com/2019/04/02/anthem-game-development/
Bioware's Cowardly Response to Exposé on Anthem's Mismanagement:


Jason Schreier response to Bioware/EA:

I've spoken to several current and former BioWare employees since my article went live today, including some I hadn't interviewed earlier. General consensus has been sadness and disappointment at BioWare's statement, which read as disheartening to those who hoped for change.

1) https://twitter.com/jasonschreier/status/1113100727587651585
2) https://twitter.com/jasonschreier/status/1113101944887934976
3) https://twitter.com/jasonschreier/status/1113255159751073792