Ben Judd accused of public exposure and predator behavior, calling someone the n-word

[Weltall Zero]

Oh, absolutely. I'm just really hoping that Tim Schafer doesn't turn out to be a creep. Finding out Ken Levine was an asshole was a huge fucking blow to me when it happened.

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Videogame MeToo hasn't yet buried anyone I truly idolize, but if Tim Schafer, Derek Yu or Justin Ma turn out to have dirt on them, I may jump off a bridge. Hopefully I'm a good enough judge of character and they actually are the A+ awesome people they seem to be.

I don't really follow or care about indie games

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:(

 

[PlanetSmasher]

Videogame MeToo hasn't yet buried anyone I truly idolize, but if Tim Schafer, Derek Yu or Justin Ma turn out to have dirt on them, I may jump off a bridge. Hopefully I'm a good enough judge of character and they actually are the A+ awesome people they seem to be.

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Yeah. Tim always struck me as such a genuinely nice guy that it would probably floor me for a week if he turned out to be a creepazoid. I would feel horrible.

Re: indies - sorry. It just takes a very special breed of indie game to draw my attention and I rarely follow the devs who make them. Too many Jon Blows and Phil Fishes in the world to spend energy on!

 

[FormatCompatible]

Jesus christ so many sleazy fucks thankfully being outed. This is one I'm personally a tad disappointed to learn about because he was involved in the localization of so many great games, but his behavior is just sickening.

 

[faceless]

wait.... BIONIC COMMANDO producer Ben Judd!?!?!?!

fuck

 

[cw_sasuke]

What would constitute proof for you?

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Someone else to collaborate those claims or back them up in some way would already help alot.....one random Twitter user I don't know isnt enough.

 

[Weltall Zero]

Almost all of the perpetrators of these actions are white men in a position of power. Hmmm, how curious is that.

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On the other hand, "white men in a position of power" is pretty much a tautology in videogame development. :P

 

[Weltall Zero]

Yeah. Tim always struck me as such a genuinely nice guy that it would probably floor me for a week if he turned out to be a creepazoid. I would feel horrible.

Re: indies - sorry. It just takes a very special breed of indie game to draw my attention and I rarely follow the devs who make them. Too many Jon Blows and Phil Fishes in the world to spend energy on!

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If you are even remotely interested in videogame development, I wholeheartedly recommend listening to pretty much any interview or talk by Derek Yu (Spelunky) or Justin Ma (FTL, Into the Breach). They're not just amazing (and I mean world class) designers, they're also top notch communicators and it's always a delight to listen to them. Derek Yu in particular always exudes so much positivity, it's almost intoxicating. :)

 

[Exit Music]

Someone else to collaborate those claims or back them up in some way would already help alot.....one random Twitter user I don't know isnt enough.

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I literally have no idea who Ben Judd or anyone else who has been accused of misconduct today are, so I'm not carrying water for anyone, but it really seems like we have abandoned all pretense of expecting proof in public accusations.

 

[Cardon]

wait.... BIONIC COMMANDO producer Ben Judd!?!?!?!

fuck

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Yeah that's pretty much what I know the dude from the most. I remember listening to the BC podcasts he hosted back in the day. So yeah, these accusations are a huge bummer if they're true.

 

[Deleted member 5621]

Ben Judd is also the actual responsible for the Might nº9 "It's better than nothing" quote, fyi.

Personally, I would prefer to stay seeing nothing instead of seeing random people balls.

 

[Hikari]

They are dropping like flies. I wonder how many stories we will get next month. It's really great that people are speaking up.

 

[Mobyduck]

I literally have no idea who Ben Judd or anyone else who has been accused of misconduct today are, so I'm not carrying water for anyone, but it really seems like we have abandoned all pretense of expecting proof in public accusations.

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The accusers, being minorities, usually have way more to lose than the accused. The industry is so entrenched in nepotism that people who have been ousted before still can easily find themselves holding to positions of power. The people speaking out about this have to relieve their trauma and risk being a target of harassment, as well as burning bridges, since they are accusing powerful people. The only thing they gain from this is preventing new victims, but risk losing a lot, be it mental health or job security.

Believe the victims.

 

[Exit Music]

The accusers, being minorities, usually have way more to lose than the accused. The industry is so entrenched in nepotism that people who have been ousted before still can easily find themselves holding to positions of power. The people speaking out about this have to relieve their trauma and risk being a target of harassment, as well as burning bridges, since they are accusing powerful people. The only thing they gain from this is preventing new victims, but risk losing a lot, be it mental health or job security.

Believe the victims.

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I feel like the people in power have a lot more to lose in most cases since they're the ones who have power and money.

I'm not discrediting anyone or saying I don't believe the accusers, I was just making the point that we now automatically accept public accusations as true, in many cases without proof. I don't disagree with a lot of what you said, but it doesn't contradict what I said.

 

[faceless]

I feel like the people in power have a lot more to lose in most cases since they're the ones who have power and money.

I'm not discrediting anyone or saying I don't believe the accusers, I was just making the point that we now automatically accept public accusations as true, in many cases without proof. I don't disagree with a lot of what you said, but it doesn't contradict what I said.

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what kind of proof would be a good baseline?

 

[Okabe]

who do you think screams objection?

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Why Harvey Birdman of course.

 

[MaverickHunterAsh]

Shit... I've considered Ben an industry acquaintance and have in fact gone out for drinks with him in Japan. Nothing happened that night that was indicative of any sort of behavior like this, but I also wouldn't be a target for him. This is all just reprehensible, and I won't be going out of way to continue any sort of professional relationship with him (unless, of course, he is legitimately absolved of these accusations -- but I always give the victim the benefit of the doubt, because the vast majority of the time they're not lying and blaming/not believing victims is one of the worst things you can do).

And the N-word bit... god damn it, man. My wife is African. I could and would never excuse or look the other way about any of the stated behavior, but I sure as fuck won't stand for that.

What the hell is wrong with this industry? So many of us came from childhoods where we were bullied and ostracized for being nerds and super into video games... and some of us respond to that by not only becoming even bigger bullies, but going above and beyond and engaging in some deeply twisted, criminal behavior.

I dearly hope this momentum continues. Every single one of these people should be outed. Every. Single. One.

 

[daegan]

I'm not discrediting anyone or saying I don't believe the accusers, I was just making the point that we now automatically accept public accusations as true, in many cases without proof. I don't disagree with a lot of what you said, but it doesn't contradict what I said.

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Naming names in public, especially in something as stupidly tribal as gaming can be, is one of the hardest things someone can do. That Alex would post this at all is proof enough for me.

 

[Tavernade]

I feel like the people in power have a lot more to lose in most cases since they're the ones who have power and money.

I'm not discrediting anyone or saying I don't believe the accusers, I was just making the point that we now automatically accept public accusations as true, in many cases without proof. I don't disagree with a lot of what you said, but it doesn't contradict what I said.

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The people in power have more power though. Accusers are the ones that get harassed, targeted death threat campaigns, etc.

Most of the time the powerful just duck out of view for a few months then go on a 'look I'm back' tour as if nothing happened.

 

[daegan]

The people in power have more power though. Accusers are the ones that get harassed, targeted death threat campaigns, etc.

Most of the time the powerful just duck out of view for a few months then go on a 'look I'm back' tour as if nothing happened.

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YUP

we didn't even know Matt Conn worked on TJ&E until my wife's kickstarter code showed up and we finished it! like wtf! we wouldn't have supported the game had we known. it's absurd.

 

[Glass Arrows]

The people in power have more power though. Accusers are the ones that get harassed, targeted death threat campaigns, etc.

Most of the time the powerful just duck out of view for a few months then go on a 'look I'm back' tour as if nothing happened.

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Sometimes if they are big enough even when they basically admit to doing it they still get away basically scott free or with a slap on the wrist. See Roman Polanski and Woody Allen.

 

[massoluk]

He's a long time acquaintance of 8-4 people, I'd really want to hear from them. 🙁

 

[thepenguin55]

I found out about this guy via the Bionic Commando reboot. I believe he jumped ship from Grin to Capcom once the Grin ship started sinking? (I could be wrong about that)
The dude always had a 'tude in interviews and generally came off real douche-y. He's definitely well known among people in the industry so I would be real curious to see if we hear more stories about him. Hopefully Iga drops him but I'm not holding my breath.

He's a long time acquaintance of 8-4 people, I'd really want to hear from them. 🙁

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Yeah I've heard his name dropped on their podcast as an acquaintance (as you said) and I've heard his name dropped on the Bombcast before (I feel like any time they discuss Iga they mention his current connection with Ben Judd) so I'll be real interested in hearing comments about this on both podcasts.

 

[LiQuid!]

Keep em coming! Get em all out in the open. Normalize calling out this kind of behavior so more people are emboldened to do it in the moment rather than rationalize it and let it fester

 

[Deleted member 4532]

Yet another one out of the woodworks

 

[rawhide]

I found out about this guy via the Bionic Commando reboot. I believe he jumped ship from Grin to Capcom once the Grin ship started sinking? (I could be wrong about that)

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You are, he was at Capcom long before then but the Bionic Commando reboot (starting with Rearmed) was his initiative.

Part of that initiative was a podcast he ran out of Japan called Top Secret where he interviewed several fairly prominent Japanese Capcom guys and a lot of those discussions were questionable even for the time.

 

[Zeouter]

Wow.
Ben Judd.

That's the first of the recently named abusers to be someone I admired.
Disappointing isn't even the right word to use.

 

[Sibylus]

This is a good thread that bears sharing on why this information being public is so important (and it has nothing to do with sending pitchfork mobs after the accused).

 

[Exit Music]

Naming names in public, especially in something as stupidly tribal as gaming can be, is one of the hardest things someone can do. That Alex would post this at all is proof enough for me.

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I definitely agree that making this type of public statement puts a bullseye on someone, but it also earns them a lot of positive attention, and that has been especially true in the last few years. Again, I don't mean to say that these accusations are not true, and I don't want to be argumentative, but making a statement publicly does not automatically ensure it's veracity.

 

[Deleted member 203]

Believe victims. It's a huge risk for victims to speak out, way more risky for them than the accused, since they likely will never actually face justice.

Believe victims.

 

[KuroNeeko]

It's too bad that this particular instance will probably not gain as much traction because the accused is insulated by location.

I think if this were to get picked up in Japan, that it would have an immediate effect. Mid- to large-sized development teams would probably disassociate with him. The Indie crowd would probably go unaware unless the news hits a sort of critical mass.

If true, I hope the rest of the Dangen crew pulls through.

 

[rawhide]

The vast majority of Dangen's work is bringing overseas indies to Japan, so these accusations wouldn't necessarily have to be widely spread or entertained over there in order for them to substantially affect his business.

 

[woinf]

Naming names in public, especially in something as stupidly tribal as gaming can be, is one of the hardest things someone can do. That Alex would post this at all is proof enough for me.

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That's dangerously ignorant.

 

[Taco_Human]

This is what the internet is for...let it all out

 

[woinf]

I feel like the people in power have a lot more to lose in most cases since they're the ones who have power and money.

I'm not discrediting anyone or saying I don't believe the accusers, I was just making the point that we now automatically accept public accusations as true, in many cases without proof. I don't disagree with a lot of what you said, but it doesn't contradict what I said.

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I think it's debatable whether or not the accusers or the people in power have more to lose, but I do agree with your sentiment that ERA tends to accept public accusations without proof or with the existence of other corroborators. I think victim shaming is absolutely despicable but I also don't believe in potentially destroying a person's life without proof. The words and accusations of victims should always be taken into consideration with respect and empathy but it sets a dangerous precedent to always believe the victim's accusations without proof, which ERA tends to do.

 

[battleborn27]

Capcom hiring yet another sexual predator/racist? Yikes

 

[Doof]

I think it's debatable whether or not the accusers or the people in power have more to lose, but I do agree with your sentiment that ERA tends to accept public accusations without proof or with the existence of other corroborators. I think victim shaming is absolutely despicable but I also don't believe in potentially destroying a person's life without proof. The words and accusations of victims should always be taken into consideration with respect and empathy but it sets a dangerous precedent to always believe the victim's accusations without proof, which ERA tends to do.

Click to shrink...

 

[woinf]

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What a mature response lol xd

 

[Khanimus]

He's a long time acquaintance of 8-4 people, I'd really want to hear from them. 🙁

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I'm sure they'll say absolutely nothing.

 

[LavaBadger]

I think it's debatable whether or not the accusers or the people in power have more to lose, but I do agree with your sentiment that ERA tends to accept public accusations without proof or with the existence of other corroborators. I think victim shaming is absolutely despicable but I also don't believe in potentially destroying a person's life without proof. The words and accusations of victims should always be taken into consideration with respect and empathy but it sets a dangerous precedent to always believe the victim's accusations without proof, which ERA tends to do.

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And it's a dangerous game to play to suggest people shouldn't be believed without "proof". These situations often have no way to provide tangible proof. "X person groped me." "Y person used a racial slur." How does one provide proof? And if one can't provide proof of that scenario, they aren't to be believed? Then what's the point of speaking if you know no one will take you seriously? And so the cycle of abuse continues.

Demanding proof is a good idea in theory, but the practicality of proof is something that doesn't often apply to these situations.

 

[KuroNeeko]

I'll just say that I support the victim. That people usually don't take shots--opening themselves up to both professional and personal backlash--without cause. I guess we'll see if more people come forward.

 

[Ambient80]

Agreed. Individual threads for the different stories should absolutely remain and continue to be posted, so that each can be discussed on their own. An OT collecting and linking to all these different threads sounds like a good idea, however, allowing for a more general discussion of these developements.

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That sounds reasonable. Also with game devs we could list titles they work on and such, for those who want to avoid supporting them. It would just make for a much more centralized area for that kind of information, while allowing separate threads for more specific discussion.

 

[Justified]

What's the OT title?

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|OT| Named and Shamed

 

[Mobyduck]

|OT| Named and Shamed

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|OT| Milkshake Duck Season

 

[Exit Music]

And it's a dangerous game to play to suggest people shouldn't be believed without "proof". These situations often have no way to provide tangible proof. "X person groped me." "Y person used a racial slur." How does one provide proof? And if one can't provide proof of that scenario, they aren't to be believed? Then what's the point of speaking if you know no one will take you seriously? And so the cycle of abuse continues.

Demanding proof is a good idea in theory, but the practicality of proof is something that doesn't often apply to these situations.

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I know what you mean, and I am not "demanding proof". It's just a very difficult situation when we aren't talking about a court of law here, but the consequences can be almost as severe as criminal punishment. People can and do lose their employment, credibility, and/or family over these accusations. Sometimes we aren't even talking about allegations of criminal misconduct, but rather socially unacceptable, creepy, or boorish behavior.

I suppose at the core of it, I'm just not convinced that this type of public accusation is always the right way to resolve a difficult situation, especially if it's years after the fact and it will be almost impossible to discern what really happened.

There also seems to be no proper way to respond to a public accusation without either admitting to something that didn't happen or risk being seen as victim blaming.

 

[Truthspitter]

Is there a place in this conversation for the admission that sometimes women use their sexuality as a way of jumping the ladder of success? And while this does not excuse the person with more authority, it recognizes that women do have agency and does not infantilize them. I just think if we are going to have a full conversation about sexual abuse allegations and power dynamics, we should at least make a show of trying to recognize that there is more than one type of power and that responsibility, in some cases, is shared. IOW, things be complex sometimes.

 

[deadbass]

Is there a place in this conversation for the admission that sometimes women use their sexuality as a way of jumping the ladder of success?

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No, because that is an incredibly stupid thing to both bring up and discuss.

 

[Strat]

Is there a place in this conversation for the admission that sometimes women use their sexuality as a way of jumping the ladder of success? And while this does not excuse the person with more authority, it recognizes that women do have agency and does not infantilize them. I just think if we are going to have a full conversation about sexual abuse allegations and power dynamics, we should at least make a show of trying to recognize that there is more than one type of power and that responsibility, in some cases, is shared. IOW, things be complex sometimes.

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Tripespitter

 

[FormatCompatible]

Is there a place in this conversation for the admission that sometimes women use their sexuality as a way of jumping the ladder of success?

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In Gofuckyourselfville, maybe.

 

[Terrell]

I know what you mean, and I am not "demanding proof". It's just a very difficult situation when we aren't talking about a court of law here, but the consequences can be almost as severe as criminal punishment. People can and do lose their employment, credibility, and/or family over these accusations. Sometimes we aren't even talking about allegations of criminal misconduct, but rather socially unacceptable, creepy, or boorish behavior.

I suppose at the core of it, I'm just not convinced that this type of public accusation is always the right way to resolve a difficult situation, especially if it's years after the fact and it will be almost impossible to discern what really happened.

There also seems to be no proper way to respond to a public accusation without either admitting to something that didn't happen or risk being seen as victim blaming.

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Until someone can provide a better alternative, it's all that any of these victims have (which clearly still isn't enough), and you're sitting here poking holes in it. What do you think the end result of that is, exactly?

And there is a public response, it's already been mentioned: duck into the backdrop and then reappear months later like nothing happened. If it works for people who are guilty of this sort of shit, surely it can also work for the innocent.

 

[Captain of Outer Space]

This is the guy that was the face of the Bionic Commando games last gen?