So, a few days ago I covered the drama on YouTube surrounding 2 British retrogamers, Villordsutch and Top Hat Gaming Man.
The basic story goes like this – Top Hat Gaming Man used footage from Villordsutch without permission, and (intentionally or not) edited it to hide most traces of Villordsutch’s name from the video, not realizing he left the “VIL” name in the video in the form of a high score Villordsutch had put in in the progress of his original video demonstrating the game.
Villordsutch made a video calling Top Hat Gaming Man out on this, and while the video was a bit hostile, I could understand the feeling behind it. What Top Hat Gaming Man did, in principle, isn’t right – he should have asked to use the footage.
The drama would go on for quite a few days until Villordsutch and Top Hat Gaming Man worked things out – it seemed rather suddenly one day the original video (where THGM used Vil’s footage) was removed from YouTube. Within 24 hours Villordsutch had uploaded this video stating that things had been worked out. I find it awesome that Vil had admitted that in comments and in the original video he was a bit harsh. Again, I fully understand him being rather angry and very much in the “heat of the moment” as one would say, but still, he was a bit harsh on this, and I still think really shouldn’t have gone public like he did at first.
Villordsutch however had every right to say what he felt on the issue – this was between him and Top Hat Gaming Man. The retrogaming community who followed this, however, they really had minimal say, yet wanted to make sure their thoughts would be heard, regardless of what they were. I already covered in the first article on this subject the fact that this was made public in the way it was resulted in quite a few people having their say. Some names I recognized, others that I have no clue on.
For those few I recognize, it actually kind of makes sense for them to chime in. Their statements also just happen to make sense on the issue – generally being voices of reason, as shown in the last article, expressing that this is being way overblown.
It seems most others, however, felt like this was the perfect time for a witch hunt. To that end, I felt like sharing a selection of screenshots gathered of posts on the original video, and from twitter, to archive just what was being said by some as this went down.
I originally had several screenshots of posts others had made during this, but I decided to remove that content only because it would possibly attract those same people to come and try to give me hell over tearing apart their pathetic, petty points.
I’ll say this much – it turned into an absolute shit show! Accusations flew wildly, hate filled comments were posted everywhere, and it showed just how fucked up the YouTube Retrogaming community is in general. Pettiness was the order of the day, with everyone having to throw hatred just for the sake of it.
There was one person even throwing out 3 videos on the subject. Three fucking videos talking about the original topic of the used footage, the aftermath and, for some specific reason, Kim Justice.
I didn’t entertain his videos more than long enough for me to decide I just don’t like this person. That simple.
The fact that this at all became the big deal it is to people other than Villordsutch and Top Hat Gaming Man is just amazing, yet completely expected given the nature of people online on a whole. I’ve only covered it in the way I have on the grounds of it being the absolute shit show that it was!
I’ve no issue with Villordsutch for making the original video. It doesn’t affect me, and is none of my business to get worked up over. I have opinions on the actions taken by both sides, (which I’ve expressed in the previous article) but notice I did it without saying anything like others have! Seriously, follow threads on twitter, or look the subject up on YouTube and you will see what I mean with others comments.
Hell, here you can clearly see when it’s all said and done, Top Hat Gaming Man and Villordsutch have worked everything out. Why the fuck can’t everyone else, who weren’t even involved in this, let it go as well?
Oh, and before you ask why I followed and wrote about it.. again, my love of social commentary and nothing more. 😉
https://postimg.cc/image/adca5nw0l/
As you can see above, everything is worked out well. The two people involved have gotten things straight, and everything is fine. If the two people involved can work things out, why the hell can’t everyone else at least be civil, if not keep their goddamned mouths shut on stuff they aren’t directly involved in?
Perhaps it can be summed up well in this twitter thread that was started my buddy Prince Watercress and was replied to by my new friends at FirepowerGaming.
I felt it was a little overblown, with a lot of people who didn't need to be involved jumping in schoolyard style, and not many putting up valid comments (youtube can be a real sewer at times..)
— Wor Rich (@Wor_Rich) March 23, 2018
It kust showed YouTube has one of the most poisonous communities i'm part of, and some of the videos that came from this issue were much worse than the issue itself, a certain "report" that completely ripped into members of the UK retro youtubers was just vile, and unnecessary
— Wor Rich (@Wor_Rich) March 23, 2018
Let the record show that with this all said and done, I still have a positive opinion of Top Hat Gaming Man, and Villordsutch, who I knew nothing of until this all happened.
Thanks for reading this social commentary, have a good day.