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Epic defend Ooblets dev and call for more transparent discourse

Published: 05:46, 06 August 2019
Epic Games
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Ooblets dev's decision to go with the Epic Games Store exclusivity seems to have backfired in just about every sense of the word. Unfortunately, some evidence used to escalate the situation was faked, which Epic addressed in a blog post.

Ironically, this happens to be one of the rare times Sweeney and Co didn't catch all the flak for the opportunistic appetites of their partners, but it wasn't exactly a cause for celebration either.

If you've just tuned in, let us condense real quick - Glumberland's plan for Ooblets included a launch on Steam, but once Epic came knocking, the two-person team found the offer too good to refuse.

This is where things get messy, and many of the game's supporters didn't find Glumberland's blog post to be tongue-in-cheek, but rather condescending, setting the stage for mass outrage. 

Initially planned as a stop-gap solution to the disgruntled fanbase, Discord sessions ended in more frustration and various accusations at the expense of "entitled gamers", some of which were screen-capped and it escalated further. 

It turns out, however, that some of the particularly vitriolic screenshots were fakes, and so was the video proof, which prompted Epic to react.

"The announcement of Ooblets highlighted a disturbing trend which is growing and undermining healthy public discourse, and that's the coordinated and deliberate creation and promotion of false information, including fake screenshots, videos, and technical analysis, accompanied by harassment of partners, promotion of hateful themes, and intimidation of those with opposing views", they said.

Epic maintain they will continue to work towards a healthier ecosystem for everyone, and stressed that "healthy, truthful discussion" is the best way to ensure this. "When everyone shares their earnest views, the best ideas ultimately prevail", they wrote.

Glumberland Ooblets

It's impossible to know just how much of the outrage was due to the fakes, one of which had to be redacted before it came to say "Gamers would be better off in gas chambers".

However, the ethical implications of fabricated evidence being used to push a righteous agenda are huge, and cast a nasty shade over what was a pretty clear-cut case.

You can find Epic's statement on their .

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