A Half Hour Session, Heavily Edited Down
Today, Brad Flick made good on his promise to release video from last week’s Sega of America Community Event. He did so through the Sonic Stadium branded Sonic Show, and the result is below via YouTube.
The portion most will concern themselves with begins at the 6:35 mark. Many will notice the piece, in full, clocks in at just under 15 minutes, and the feedback session lasted a touch over half an hour. That results in some jump cuts, interstitials, and other forms of editing to cut out about two thirds of the session–including fuller portions where Flick spoke. Flick has been a loud, outspoken critic of the episodic game, and much of his past and present gripes are reflected in the video either through his brief remarks, others’ remarks, or intersititals meant to represent his full explanations at the event. On Sonic Retro, Flick assured there was no funny business in cutting for time:
Everything Sammybeany said at the meeting is in this video. I didn’t cut “lively” stuff to make it look entirely tame. It was, front to back, a chill meeting. The cuts that were made involved lots of people repeating/echoing each other and lots of “uuuuuuuhhhs,” “uuuuuuuums,” stammering and people not being able to hear each other across the room. Also, for some reason at the beginning of the meeting, I turned the camera off like a dum-dum when I wanted to speak. So, I added those abridged explanations.
In the interest of completeness, if you were at the event and have an unedited recording from the event, audio or video, we would love to hear from you; please send a news tip with more information.
On Sonic Stadium, Flick warned commenters any feedback proclaiming complaints over productivity would be met with bans. You thankfully don’t have to feel that threatened here. Watch the video below and make your own assessment. Do you feel, based on the presentation, that the meeting was productive for fans and for the company, or was the feedback was on the level of complaints–unnecessary complaints, even? Do you believe the meeting will yield substantive change in Episode 2, or do you think it was establish to appease the more discriminating fans among us? Watch and discuss below, and our next @Issue poll will tackle this subject.
Loading ...
I liked the video. I think SEGA’s taking the complaints into mind, and I hope there will be revisions in Sonic 4.2.
“You thankfully don’t have to feel that threatened here.”
^ And must you attack them in every post you make towards that site?
Otherwise, I found this to be a good, informative article.
@Crackers: I don’t think it was intended as any sort of attack, it was more like “Feel free to speak your mind about the matter here without fear of a ban at the Stadium.” Although using the same nickname you use there may not be the wisest.
Very good interview, could definitely tell there was passion in the way people presented themselves, and I absolutely agree with everything.
Hey tristan, act like a real journalist and stop acting like a biased lunatic. You should become more aware of the jealousy that is going through you. Stop acting like an envious retarted bastard man.
You’re making yourself look like a really bad person. It’s one of the reasons why tssznews is the last website I go for latest news. Only to find another retarted article where you jump to conclusions in a hateful manner.
Look in the mirror and do something about yourself
Great video by the way. Brad Flick and ‘ben kalough’ are 2 great guys in the fanbase. Unlike you
Hey T, Ignore Jwiwo up there. I can’t believe that snazy didn’t notice you weren’t very judgmental at all. Oh well, to one’s own ignorance we ignore.
Don’t worry, your site is the first and the ONLY site I go to for news- I couldn’t care much about anything else, Honestly.
~Micheche
@ Solus: Why not? xD I use the same username everywhere for continuity.
And for Tristan’s envy of the Stadium…
“For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” ~ James 3:16
Back on topic: I laughed at that Knux joke. xD The comparison between Sonic 1′s physics and Sonic 4′s was laughable as well.
Sammybeany’s Sonic Retro? he.
Jwiwo: If I *really* wanted to be negative, I would have mentioned in the story that Flick is the same person who told Sega to go fuck themselves on the main pages of Sonic Stadium after Unleashed in 2008. Most of us know he can turn at the drop of a hat.
That leads me to a larger point–I’m not sure what the purpose of this meeting was, to be honest. I’m far from calling it appeasement, but they have to be at least somewhat along with Ep. 2 development by now, so I’m not sure the fruits of these efforts will be immediate.
And if this was *the* feedback session, what the Hell were Aaron and Ken doing the past six months on so many message boards? It’s one thing to say “we’re listening,” but at some point it has to yield action.
I can see where others think it’s to the level of excessive complaining, because in the video’s current state, I’ve heard nothing different in it than anything that can be read on Retro or Sega’s boards or anywhere else since the leaks happened. I know a lot of people don’t like the so-called Sonic Defense Force, but there’s a point where the other sides becomes a bit forceful as well.
If nothing else, you can tell that, in a calm manner, fans have made clear the stakes are elevated for this project. I hope, for Sega’s stake, that the listening ends and the action begins, because when Episode 2 is teased, if no results are seen, I can almost guarantee Retro, GAF and the like will unleash the shitstorm of all time.
-T
I really don’t see the logic in calling someone a turncoat because TWO YEARS AGO they chose to use the internet to tell a faceless video game company to “fuck off” because of a dissatisfying game, and then (years later) acted a bit more respectful in the presence of an actual human being.
I also don’t know how or why you would bother to remember every goddamn thing every single community member has ever said (unless you spend your free time “digging up dirt” on people just to be a douche) just for the sake of holding it against them later. Have you really nothing better to store in that brain of yours?
Ignoring the Mortal Kombat above me, this seems more like appeasement than anything else. I mean, really, a half hour meeting that doesn’t seem professional in any sense? The whole thing feels like an afterthought; 4 hours of playing games and then half an hour to discuss the future of what’s supposed to be the best Sonic game ever? I’m dissappointed in SEGA and RubyEclipse. They should have an actual event dedicated to Sonic 4 and Sonic 4 alone. Hopefully they will, but if this is it, than SEGA really doesn’t care. And if they do, they aren’t showing it.
right im not sure why so many people seem to hate Tristian here but… yeah…
anyway… it would be nice if someone could explain the history here. :S
@soranamineforever: In ways i dont think sega really does care, its their mascot, their games and etc. We are like obsticles to sega in ways… lol
Seeing as most in this community love to remind each other of my predicament *four* years ago, I have absolutely no problem adding context with something more relevant that occurred two years back.
-T
I don’t get all the hate for Tristan either. All this competition between different Sonic sites makes everyone in the fanbase look like a bunch of bitter nerdy fags. And I’m not even talking about Tristan, I’m talking about people randomly throwing stones at each other, something that I did not see Tristan do in his article. That he mentioned we should not feel threatened here is a good and positive, actual advantage that TSSZ is giving us, a space to voice our opinions. If you wanna bitch about that, well, be a dumb fuck and carry on.
@ Andre: True, seeing it at face value. Everyone telling Tristan he’s being offensive is seeing the subtle attack hidden in his comments.
Or that’s the way I see it. Feel free to disagree.
Tristan, I think you might be slightly missing the point here.
The reason your news site is such an “easy target” for people to make fun of is because of the tone and demeanor you use when you start talking about Sonic the Hedgehog. No matter how hard you might try to think of this site as something more, it is still a news site primarily dedicated to Sonic the Hedgehog, with the occasional tangent SEGA story thrown in. Look at the fandom. Look at your core userbase. Then take a step back and look at this site, and how you write every single thing you ever talk about.
Really, I don’t think you know what you want this site to be. It reminds me of when you started the whole “deleting news stories of sensitive material” thing back when Sonic 4 was leaked. You made this big spectacle that you wanted to let the world know of certain information (because you are super journalist) but then wanted to remove it (because you don’t want SEGA to yell at you ;-;) but then wouldn’t shut up about the sensitive material in every other news story you posted. Which means you didn’t really care about your own new rule. You just wanted to protect yourself, for whatever reason.
Yes, I know other websites removed those videos as well, but unlike you they did it under the rug, with a casual mention that the content was gone. They did not freak out about it, they did not write exposes about how SEGA was the devil because they wanted to unveil their properties on their own schedule.
You seem to treat the Sonic community as if it is one big conspiracy. I’m sorry, but this is not Watergate. You are not Bob Woodward. There is no secret dealings here. SEGA is just a corporation that seeks to exist, and looks at the bottom line of “how can I make money.” It’s not like they are being financed by the government and are making secret arm deals with the middle east. Yes, video game development and information can be interesting. We only need to look at the Sonic 2 Beta and the wealth of websites it sprung up to prove that. But you take things…to another level. A level it doesn’t need.
Imagine, if you will, that your website was about the My Little Pony franchise. And was written in the exact same tone, with the exact same context. People would think you are crazy.
I’m not even saying that covering fan going-ons are a bad thing. Even your “enemies” at Retro and Stadium put those things on their front page. The difference is they do not go after the community and demand they be held responsible for their actions. The administrators at Retro and Stadium are not elected officials, nor do they run anything with any real importance. They run a Sonic the Hedgehog website, and have to deal with all the crazy fans that come on their message boards and spew out sometimes information that is incomprehensible. That is not their fault. And hey, it might drive some people to be agitated. I’m sure even you get agitated at some of the comments on your site, even when they don’t deal with you.
Maybe if your website didn’t try to take itself so seriously, didn’t try to be all “just the facts, ma’am” while having your own personal beliefs seep into every paragraph you write…I know you once tried to make this more of a blog and felt it just didn’t work well, but that was more because you want to be a professional. You want to work for CNN or Fox News, and you just haven’t been able to. So, you imagine you are with something you can control. Which would be fine if you could actually function that way, and realize that what you are reporting on is not the most serious thing in the world.
Heck, even making a post about “lol those retro fuckers locked another topic!” would be slightly more acceptable if you didn’t try to set yourself up as “the moral backbone of the community.”
…I know I’ve gone on too long with this, but I just thought it should be said. Though it won’t matter or change anything.
Dav, I think the issue with some of the staff on other sites is that many of them are no different than the lesser forumers they at times censor–they just happen to be in more powerful positions. The whole “it’s Sonic the Hedgehog” argument went out the window, I think, the minute many folks on other sides started nitpicking Sonic 4′s finer points–from physics to green eyes–to kingdom come–including those staffers. The vibe I get, however, is that so many of them don’t want to hear the other side anymore, even if those arguments are well constructed. Their word is law. That’s no way to moderate a discussion, and then they wonder why drama or animosity breaks out.
No one who’s participated in that level of hypothetical micromanagement discussion this year, in my opinion, should be allowed to use the “it’s just Sonic the Hedgehog” excuse. Else, it’s a double standard, and that sort of hypocrisy, NOT morals (believe me, I don’t have the background to be a moral backbone, and I’ve never professed to be as such–that was a label Retro threw on me when they became the subject of our stories), is what’s so agitating.
And on that, considering all the time and effort spent discussing Sonic 4 and how very seriously lots of people have taken it, why can’t this site at least try to be more professional than the others? The flow of information in this community was far more constricted and much less formal before we came along. Other sites needed to step up in our presence, whether they want to admit it or not. We set the tone. It’s been very successful. Why fix what isn’t broken?
If you really want the intent of this site, it’s to foster more intelligent reporting and discussion about, ideally, areas of gaming beyond this community (clearly we’re very far from that general point). It is, at its best, issues based reporting and thoughtful discussion, and not just mere rehashes of press releases that anyone could do. On the discussion part, it goes both ways, and it has to, when appropriate, include discussion that’s critical of me and my role on this site. I respect your opinion, and though I may not agree with parts of it, it is well constructed, and for that reason I moved it out of Spam and into the public view. I don’t expect 100% positivity–you just can’t with the type of stories we do. But so long as the discussion is more thoughtful and less reminiscent of trolling, that’s what matters to me most. You can say “you suck” to my face, so long as you do so eloquently.
I hope that was helpful, Dav.
-T
(Tristan Edit – Shoot, I didn’t mean to truncate your original comment, ChaoticFox. Please post again. -T)
“Except that the two situations are entirely different, one is significant and one is very much not.”
—–
Says who?
That’s an opinion–a personal opinion. Your opinion differs from the next person, so on and so forth. I happen to be just fine with Sonic 4′s physics on the console versions. You and others may or may not feel the same way. Ultimately, we have to offer those opinions in a manner far better than “OMG GREEN EYES WUT” and Sonic Defense Force labels, and respect each other for holding different points of view.
For the record, I tend to embrace the philosophy that things just “are.”
-T
Gotta love how my comments are just being deleted like it doesn’t matter.
Haru: That’s because you’re using an offensive, derogatory term in them. Don’t use it, and your comments will be safe.
-T
@Tristan:
A colorful way to just act like a moderator because you don’t like how I comment about YOU and your behavior at times.
Sugarcoat it some more, and you’ll sound like some of the moderators on the SEGA forum.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISXg8N263oI
0:57
All I gotta say. C:
Haru — I allow “fuck” here, but I don’t allow the f-word you’ve used a couple times in the past 24 hours.
-T
@Tristan
Try reading my post again if you’re so much smarter than I am.
I’m talking about how you’re just deleting my comments because I’m referring to YOU, so maybe your feelings are hurt and had to hide what I have to say then.
Oh well, not everybody can take it.
Haru, you can criticize me all you want, but you can’t use that word. Period. It’s like I said earlier in the thread, be more eloquent.
@ Tristan
“The vibe I get, however, is that so many of them don’t want to hear the other side anymore, even if those arguments are well constructed.”
Wow. It’s been stated clearly many times. The Stadium accepts opinions, not trolling. What they get a lot is trolling. Heck, Dreadknux and Slingerland had opposing views on Sonic 4. They understand that.
“The flow of information in this community was far more constricted and much less formal before we came along.”
And informal settings create a restriction on information? Really? I would’ve thought otherwise (excuse me if I misunderstood your statement).
—–
@ Haru: May I mention, opinions are fine. Derogatory language is not, no matter who you are.
@Tristan
Can’t really remember all I said before the edit. Ah well, doesn’t matter.
I apologize if there was a miscommunication, but my comments were directed at your remarks regarding Brad and his alleged “changing at the drop of at hat” simply because of some comments made years ago and taken out of context by comparing them to his conduct regarding an officially sponsored event in the real world.
Those two scenarios are entirely different, and only show that Brad knows when to be tactful and when (and where) it’s okay to say whatever the hell you want.
Saying that people hold a grudge against you for certain (legitimately more significant) incidents is quite different from going to the trouble of memorizing every swear word every community member has ever used in order to scrutinize and cross-reference their lives and conduct without considering the appropriate context. That’s all I’m sayin’.
@ ChaoticFox: Well said.
Anywho. I seem to recall Brad noting that he “knows when he’s hosting the Sonic Show and when he’s not.” He knows when to act respectfully and when it doesn’t matter, when it’s his own turf and when it’s more appropriate to be tactful.
Okay, FOR THE SECOND TIME GUYS, stop picking on Tristan.
Let me spell it out for you pointedly challenged here: This is meeting. Sonic meeting. T does not like meeting all that much. Tristan is entitled to his own opinion. Kiddies flame-warring are whining about Tristan’s opinion.
FLAME WAR ACTIVATES.
*Sigh* Seriously, do you perfect fannies use the “common sense” part of your brains anymore?
~Micheche
@Crackers: Indeed. It’s called something this website and it’s owner have never experienced in all their time on the Internet…. Tact.