The Apology of the Converged Institution

So, some of my traffic from the last day has been from Geek and Sundry, the You Tube/social media leftist geek media institution that hosts Wil Wheaton and his Tabletop show. Why? Because they wrote an article by way of an apology to our dear friend Monica Valentinelli.  Monica complained:

I am a Gen Con Industry Insider. Only, my credits are scrutinized. I’m lumped in as a data point, and am told women do not matter and we’re ruining gaming.

 And G&S went on:

 This led to charges that the women selected were, essentially, affirmative action hires, and “just data points,” as Monica wrote. One blogger dismissed Monica as “a busy small timer” despite having been lead developer and writer for a game based on a major Hollywood property.

 Of course, the reason for the article comes up next:

Geek & Sundry is in line for some shame here. In an article on her Shadowrun release, Court of Shadows, Monica points out the following:

My new Shadowrun book is covered by Geek and Sundry. Terry Pratchett’s poem erases my 40,000+ word contribution. I am invisible once again. Terry Pratchett was never mentioned in that supplement. I am grateful for the coverage.

And she’s right. In an article about a book on which she was the lead writer, we never once mentioned her name, and devoted precious column inches to a Terry Pratchett poem which has no link to the book, other than both are about elves. It’s not our finest moment.

So we have motive for the pointing to me as EVIL. They wanted to be better than somebody horrible.  Of course, they ignored my stated methodology for judging people's worthiness(BGG and RPGG credits), and just think that having a game based on a "major hollywood property" makes you a notable designer. It doesn't, nor does it make you a good one. Or does nobody remember all the lousy tie in games from movies and TV? Columbo, Escape from New York, not to mention all the terrible games that came from Lord of the Rings and Star Wars? And with one season and one movie, Firefly is not a major property. It is a property with a large following, sure. But CW's DC shows have far better claim to major property status based on screen time.

Maybe if Monica quit celebrating "womyn in gaming" and started caring about the quality of games she and her fellow designers were producing, she wouldn't be a data point. As to her accomplishments, a poem erasing a 40k word contribution? HAHAHAHA. You're invisible because your sex politics make you irrelevant, Monica, not Sir Terry's poem. Your credits don't disappear from the book or RPGGeek because a good writer got quoted.

And being a busy small timer is no insult. There are numerous small time authors that make good money by writing LOTS of books. Are they even mid-tier authors? No, they don't have to be. They have more work out there. That's respectable in it's own right. But, to say that she isn't the GRRM of gaming is apparently the highest insult. Well, he doesn't get my money, either.

Crafty games should thank you for limiting their sales, Monica. I was tempted by the new Mistborn book until I found out you were involved. Now? No  thanks.

When you play Social Justice, the world loses.