Some fans of Guild Wars 2 are not satisfied with the current content of the game and expressed constructive criticism. This did not go down well with one developer. She felt underestimated as a woman and went on the offensive. This has now backfired on her.
Are there convincing heroes in MMOs? The narrative designer Jessica Price is part of the team at Guild Wars 2 that creates the story and dialogues. In a post, she elaborated on how difficult it is to write dialogues for the player’s hero. In fact, it is almost impossible to create a convincing personality as a player hero in an MMO.
Proposed solution from the community: YouTuber Deroir disagreed. He is not only a Guild Wars streamer but also partnered with the developer ArenaNet through the Content Creator Program.
Deroir criticized and suggested allowing the story to diverge based on how a player decides. This would bring more personality to the hero.
Objective criticism or “mansplaining”?
Developer gets angry: Deroir’s comment did not go down well with the developer. She felt insulted that one did not expect her to have already thought about this form of storytelling. After all, she has been working in the industry for ten years.
Don’t tell me how to do my job! Thus, she soon attacked the YouTuber and accused him of “mansplaining.” This is a practice where men condescendingly explain something to women, for example, how they should do their job “correctly.”
“Assholes have nothing to say to me!” The thread quickly picked up steam, and Price became increasingly angry. In the end, she mocked “hurt male feelings” and insulted her critics as “assholes” who had nothing to say to her.
Shitstorm on Reddit
Huge thread on the topic on Reddit: It didn’t take long for the topic to reach Reddit. Things heated up quickly, and although some defended Price, many Reddit users were clearly against the developer. In over 10,000 comments, many users expressed their dissatisfaction with Price’s behavior.
Witch hunt begins: This then spilled back over to Price’s social media profiles, where she was inundated with angry comments. Furthermore, people searched her channels for further misconduct by Price.
ArenaNet takes action
Statement from the boss: The developer’s behavior towards criticism harmed not only her but also Guild Wars 2 and the studio ArenaNet. Therefore, the situation had serious consequences. In a forum post on July 5, studio head Mike O’Brien spoke out.
He announced that two employees would no longer work for ArenaNet as a consequence of this matter. Their attacks on the community were unacceptable.
Although no names were mentioned, it is strongly believed that Jessica Price and Peter Fries were fired. Fries rushed to his colleague’s aid and defended her opinion against attacks.
What is your opinion? The action vividly demonstrates how from a simple misunderstanding a career can end. What is your opinion on the matter? Is it justified to fire someone for such things?
We at Mein MMO have addressed the GW2 controversy in an opinion piece:
