One of the most popular and longstanding gaming publications, IGN, has decided to “part ways” with its five-year editor-in-chief Steve Butts, following an investigation into “alleged misconduct.” The company released a statement to Kotaku this afternoon.
I hope the victims find some sort of solace in this.
I’m concerned that Peer is acting as EIC (or that he isn’t being investigated as well?).
Peer is an IGN founder, which means these allegations (and culture) grew under his watch.
I read IGN for a long time. I listened to the Nintendo Voice Chat podcast for even longer–in part cos I liked Peer.
But I’m not confident that he is part of the solution.
As an aside. I’ve not visited or looked at IGN content for a couple years cos of their devotion to political avoidance in their coverage and their awful community politics, the kind you find all around the internet.
I’m glad misconduct is finally having a light shone on it, and there are finally repercussions happening to the perpetrators, however distressing it is to hear of the increasing examples.
However I’m concerned with if we’re creating the best environment we can be for responding to these allegations. A lot of different things are brushed under the same vague umbrella of “allegations” even when there is more specific information available, which I think can result in an unpredictable and unrefined response. Back with Nick Robinson, I remember some people thought he was bad because he liked hentai, while people were sharing stories of him preying on minors.
I guess I’m just afraid of all these stories becoming too homogeneous, but I’m glad with society’s general momentum towards accountability and hopefully reducing predatory behaviour in the future.