Sure, there's been a lot of talk recently about UGO Entertainment and it's acquisition of 1UP. I'm not going to say anything about fairness or how messed up it is. I think we're all pretty unanimous about how we as a video game community feel about the situation.But it has becoming uncomfortably obvious that video games are selling out. Anything, when it reaches a certain size, will do so. I mean come on, I've seen Guitar Hero on cereal boxes for goodness sakes. With the words "selling out" there going to be a negative connotation, but hold off on your judgment for just a while. I hate the fact that corporations run America. It sucks that a few men at the top have so much power over so many. A lot of times they're able to use that power unchecked for huge personal gain. I've experienced it from almost every level. But again that's the way the system works and it's the shit sandwich we all have to eat.
The thing is, it's easy to say hey "FUCK the man, I'll do what's right." I'm not saying I or anyone else would make a decision incorrectly. Well, actually. Incorrectly is probably the wrong word. I really don't believe in being incorrect. Not as far as morals are concern. I think it's more of a case of two view points. There are always going to be people who see it another way and won't ever be able to see things the way you want them to.
So the question came to me. And play along with me here, I know it's kind of out in left field (Keep in mind this is fiction). UGO Entertainment wants to restart the 1UP network. They come to your rag tag group with dreams of writing professional about video games. You know full well what they just did to the people you'd maybe even call your Heroes. But they come and offer you their spots. Think of it as the X-Men leaving and you being asked to fill in for them.
On the one hand, this is your dream. To get paid to do what you love is something you could only spend nights lying in bed sleepless thinking about. Financially it would solve all your problems and also would give you a legitimate career your parents would finally be proud to tell other people about. You could move out of a life of retail slavery and god knows what else.
But then it's also a huge mountain to climb. First off, you're not going to be very well liked. People are resistant to change. Using the analogy from earlier, How could you even begin to fill the shoes of the X-Men? I'd be kind of excited by the challenge to try to win people over, but it's not something that will happen easily or overnight. More importantly I'd be concerned with being under someone else's control. I've been a expendable pawn long enough in my retail experiences. I've risen in the ranks enough to to understand enough about what goes on around here. I've seen people be fired and replaced for someone who'd take less money and, honestly, I know eventually it will happen to me. But do I want to go into a situation where I know full well what is going on, as well as face possible termination if I don't do what I'm told. I don't want to jump in to become a puppet. It doesn't sound so dream-like anymore.
For some of you it would be an easy decision. Others, not so easy. There's nothing to be ashamed of. Morals vs Money. It will all be a question we have to answer in our life time. It's nice to believe that you can change the world and make millions. I think we should all go into our lives believing, not thinking, BELIEVING that we are going to make an impact. But we should all be prepared if the time comes where we can have only the one or the other, doing what we think is right versus getting what we want.
But those are the situations we face in the world. In my eyes, there really is not right and wrong. Everybody has their story and we'll never fully understand someone else's. You can make a difference from which ever team you play for so long as you "fight the good fight."
Hope that was entertaining,
David
4 comments:
I would have diffilculty deciding as well David, Ive never really gone to 1UP or anything, but I know you have a lot of respect for them, it's sad to hear about it.
An interesting read, and all quite true. We all dislike selling out, but when we get down to it, most of us would.
To be honest I think you have a very naive viewpoint about the whole video games "selling out" thing. You sound as if you were under the impression that it was never about money in the first place.
Everything is always about money. If not money directly, then what money represents: affluence, influence, survival. Everybody has to make a living. When the first guy (I forget his name) made the very first Pong machine, which was arguably the first video game ever, what was the very first thing he thought? "I can put this machine in bars and public places and make money, so that this great thing I've created will help me make a living out of doing what I love".
Now it's true there comes a point where someone oversteps the line, and creates something that's not motivated by care or love at all, and was done purely to make money because someone notices that's what people are willing to pay money for. That's the point where people call it "selling out". The reason it's a myth is because it's not as if video games themselves are capable of "selling out" - they're not people, and there's no moral aspect to the games themselves, they're always just a product. It's the morality of the people who created that individual product that counts.
To answer your question about 1up, I think you'd be a fool not to take the job if it was offered. Put it this way - I'm a musician. That's my job. I don't get paid for doing it - not yet anyway - but it is my job and I will never have any other one. Now if I got a call tomorrow from a record company - any company - offering a £1 million recording contract, I'd be an idiot not to take it. If it turns out the company is just a bunch of mercenaries who are only interested in making a profit and don't care about the music at all, then fuck them. I can always quit. Nobody can ever take away your freedom to make your own decisions, and you're only a slave to the system if you believe you are.
If you got the job at 1up you'd be making money for doing the thing that you most love doing in all the world. How can that possibly be a morally wrong decision? If it turns out the company is run by mercenaries who want you to give a high score to a shitty game because the sponsor says so, then fuck it. You can always just refuse. Nobody can ever force you to do anything. Meanwhile, the time you spent on the site will mean that everyone who reads it will know who you are, and then you've improved your chances of surviving in the industry, doing the thing you love most, tenfold. It's about survival. The 1up guys are high-profile names on the internet, they'll be fine, and they're better off not working for a company that doesn't value them. They'll all probably go on to much better things.
Welcome to capitalism.
Or should I say weclome to common business practices. There are always individuals who have their own reasons for pursuing a career be it for the love of their profession, helping out others or having power, but when we talk about a company as a whole it's all about one thing: wealth. Its one of the main motives we get jobs in the first place. Without money we can't live or gain luxuries. Purchasing a network and firing those who love their job means nothing to the execs if it means more $$$ in their bank accounts. Even you yourself mentioned that companies would drop an entire work force if they could get the same result with new, fresh people at half the cost. No morals there I'm afraid. There probably are a small number of people and businesses that would consider the needs and issues of their employees and consumers first, but in all honesty they're probably few and far between.
I don't quite understand the second half of your post though David. I'm not sure if I'm misreading it or if you tailed off while writing. To me it seems what you're saying in the rest of your post is that one mans misfortunes can be another mans opportunity for success. While I think that is a good point and topic to bring up I don't think thats what you meant, is it? If someone could give me a summary to help clear this up I'd be most grateful.
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