Ooblets devs respond to Epic Games Store controversy

Ever since Glumberland - a small studio formed of Rebecca Cordingley and Ben Wasser - revealed that their game Ooblets would be an Epic Games Store exclusive at launch on PC, there has been a storm surrounding the game online and on social media, as we've come to expect from such reveals. We've seen the same with Metro Exodus, Borderlands 3, and more, but it turns out the discussion around Ooblets has been particularly fierce.

Wasser himself has now issued a statement on what's been going on in the last week, revealing that both him and his wife have been receiving threats of death and rape, homophobic and racist insults, and more, with Wasser saying that he made a mistake in responding with tongue-in-cheek humour to criticisms of the decision. "It was a stupid miscalculation on my part," he said.

This carried over into their Discord too, where again Wasser responded in the same fashion. "It was obviously a mistake to engage in that way. I unintentionally threw a lot of fuel on the fire because my messages were screenshotted without any of that context (and sometimes specifically rearranged to change the context or outrightly fabricated) and shared back amongst where the hate mobs were mobilizing," he continues, before sharing examples of the messages they've received (just as a warning, these are extremely offensive, and unfiltered, although they don't include the examples on 4chan, Reddit, and other platforms).

"I'd challenge anyone to be on the receiving end of this for a few minutes/hours/days to not come to the conclusion that a huge segment of the broader gaming community is toxic. People are upset that I've said that word. Now imagine someone getting offended by me using the word "toxic" in the context of what this group has been saying and doing to us," Wasser said, defending his use of the word over the last week or so.

He also shares his thoughts on how certain gamers think of developers and how they should treat consumers, and how it's "totally fine with us" if they disagree with the decision and don't buy the game as a result. He also talks about the anger that comes from mentioning that they don't owe gamers anything, again reiterating the word 'entitled':

"'Entitled' isn't a meaningless insult I was throwing around. It's a description of people who feel owed something from us just because they are potential customers or that they really wanted the game. They can't seem to comprehend that there is no difference between someone making a game and anyone else. Strangers don't owe you anything, regardless of whether they've spent $200 to register an LLC or not."

Wasser addresses the concern around Patreon supporters too, explaining that the team has been in contact with them throughout the process. Open and clear communication has been key for Glumberland, and the Epic announcement mentions what it means for these supporters, as well as asking them what should be done with the Patreon in general.

"We've been getting nonstop questions about whether patrons will still get Steam keys or not, despite none of our Patreon tiers offering the game at all. Maybe these folks don't know what Patreon is and think it's the same thing as Kickstarter, or maybe they're just trying to cover their undue entitlement in the trappings of concern on behalf of patrons," Wasser adds, before doubling down on the lack of apology here:

"I recognize that none of this post equates to an apology in any way that a lot of the mob is trying to obtain, and that's by design. While some of what I've said was definitely bad for PR, I stand behind it. A portion of the gaming community is indeed horrendously toxic, entitled, immature, irrationally-angry, and prone to joining hate mobs over any inconsequential issue they can cook up. That was proven again through this entire experience. It was never my intention to alienate or antagonize anyone in our community who does not fit that description, and I hope that you can see my tone and pointed comments were not directed at you."

"A game being available on one platform or the other, someone's tone, or them calling you entitled is not enough to justify a harassment campaign targeting two indie game developers, or anyone for that matter. In fact, there's little justification to ever participate in that kind of movement. These mobs represent the worst manifestation of human psychology and social behavior: Our urge to attack weaker outgroups, to let group mentality justify our actions, and to delight in violence and anger."

"What happened to us is the result of people forgetting their humanity for the sake of participating in video game drama. Please have a little perspective before letting your mild annoyance lead to deeply hurting a fellow human being."

Wasser finishes by thanking those who have supported the team, including Epic, and speaking of which, it's worth reminding you about the reason for the deal via the original announcement:

"Because Epic doesn't yet have the same market share as their competitors, they offered us a minimum guarantee on sales that would match what we'd be wanting to earn if we were just selling Ooblets across all the stores. That takes a huge burden of uncertainty off of us because now we know that no matter what, the game won't fail and we won't be forced to move back in with our parents (but we do love and appreciate you, parents!)."

"Now we can just focus on making the game without worrying about keeping the lights on. The upfront money they're providing means we'll be able to afford more help and resources to start ramping up production and doing some cooler things."

What do you make of this situation?