The Tim Langdell saga continues...
Develop reports that a petition to remove the controversial Langdell from the board of directors of the International Game Developers Association has garnered far beyond the 1,200 signatures required by the organization's by-laws. More than 2,000 IGDA members reportedly signed the petition against Langdell, who is regarded by many as a "trademark troll" - an abuser of the trademark process. The vote should trigger a special meeting at which members could vote to remove Langdell from the IGDA board.
IGDA member Corvus Elrod, who devised the petition, told Develop:
It's true, we've got the signatures we need. But now the hard work really begins, as we convince the board to take it seriously and the entire membership to take a stand and vote.
Meanwhile, The Escapist recounts an e-mail flap involving the ongoing Langdell situation. While new IGDA Executive Director Joshua Caulfield disavowed an e-mail circulated to members this week calling for Langdell's removal, Orbus Gameworks President Darius Kazemi believes the messages are legitimate:
[Kazemi] believes a group of people opposed to Langdell's presence on the Board of Directors simply divided the member list between them and used those contact forms to send the message.
"Nobody obtained email addresses through dubious means," he wrote. "It's like sending a message via Facebook messaging... These messages were not sent in an unethical or illegal way. If anything, the messages are a consequence of the rather poor state of the current IGDA website."
To view the e-mail, click here.
Comments
Re: Petition to Remove Controversial IGDA Board Member ...
The IGDA certainly is dragging ass. Perhaps they just hope it will blow over? Not only are they responding extremely slow to this issue but when they make announcements, such as today's e-mail, it sounds as if it isn't very high on their radar.
Re: Petition to Remove Controversial IGDA Board Member ...
Known fact: KISS's Gene Simmons is a trademark troll. He owns "OJ" used as orange juice.
Re: Petition to Remove Controversial IGDA Board Member ...
Whether or not Langdell gets removed from the IGDA or not, a few things are pretty clear to me...
1.) The IGDA is largely worthless. Somebody please explain to me what - as a trade body - they actually contribute, that matters to the lives of game makers in any way? Better yet, point me to at least five ways in which they make a difference to anybody working in the industry. Can't be done because they're worthless.
This all sort of makes that plain and clear. They've got a viper sitting on their head and they're incapable of reacting.
2.) Regardless of what happens to Langdell's IGDA position, does anyone see him having much success with his games, company, or career going forward? What gaming mag, web site, or editor WON'T mention his scumbag behavior alongside reviewing any games he may eventually publish or be associated with? Anyone see him even getting preview coverage at all? Perhaps only to point and laugh and let everybody know that something they shouldn't buy is on its way. Does anybody give two shits about the now IN"famous BOBBY BEARING", for example??
Point is, no matter what, Langdell is toast. There are now thousands upon thousands of industry people -THAT MATTER- that couldn't be bothered to spit on the so-called man, let alone do business with him.
So, in reality, this is all he's got left.
Tim, I know you're reading this, so let me be plain and clear. You have no integrity, no honesty, no merit, no creative value, your company is a joke, your games are a scam, your legacy is malice and lies, and frankly I'd rather toss Bobby Kotick's salad than even shake your hand. Way to be.
Re: Petition to Remove Controversial IGDA Board Member ...
The worst is the board and the ED defending Langdell and discrediting the membership...
But I believe that it is because Langdell is threatening to sue them for breach of contact (if they fire Langdell from the board) and libel (if they officially support the anti-langdell people).
A board member (sorry, I cannot say who), told me that at least he personally is totally in favour of removing langdell, but as official organization they can't.
And this really bothers me.. To me they should kick langdell out and face the lawsuit and ask membership help, crush langdell on his own territory (well... he has so much lawsuits, including a restraint order: http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=6456.msg240845#msg240845 that he must live inside a courtroom).
criadordejogos.wordpress.com
Re: Petition to Remove Controversial IGDA Board Member ...
That is not the issue. The issue is that the board itself cannot remove another member. That has to come from the membership. The membership has to file the petition and organize the drive. That is how the board gets appointed and that is how they get removed.
I wouldn't doubt there are other board members that want him out.
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
OK Game Devs
Random Tower
Re: Petition to Remove Controversial IGDA Board Member ...
Well, we actually tried that, and I think that it is working, but we had issues like a official e-mail critizing it, and even someone asked surveymonkey to close the survey because we were evil hackers (and in fact surveymonkey did closed it... happily someone from the board asked surveymonkey to open it again).
Also the problem is with a assimetry on the board election process... To remove a member we need to 10% of the membership call the vote, then 50% of the membership must approve the vote, while to elect someone, it is needed 0 votes, since altough there are a quorum, when it is not reached the board can appoint people until the board is filled.
criadordejogos.wordpress.com
Re: Petition to Remove Controversial IGDA Board Member ...
I signed the petition. This is something that has to happen. 50% is going quite difficult to achieve but I think the creative membership of the IGDA can get it done. Game Developers are creative so I'm confident that this will be achieved.
My question is how will the IGDA as an organization act if he is removed? Will they speak out against what he is doing or will they ignore it? The IGDA doesn't seem to be in the place I expected it to be in. I know a board member and while I'm not planning on interupting them with an e-mail I'm sure I'll see them in September so I'll ask then. This is quite unfortunate but I have a feeling there will be some backlash against Langdell, the "pioneer".
Re: Petition to Remove Controversial IGDA Board Member ...
I hope to him have ALL backlash...
He is pioneer in not paying people (ask the authros of the C64 games that he plan to re-publish for Wii...) also he is pioneer in creating clone organizations (a british version of AIAS seemly... that he claim to be founder of AIAS instead, like wanting to distort the truth in his favour), also he is pioneer in sueing a established game developer because a game has "edge" embedded on it (he sued Nanco over Souledge, making the series get enamed to Soulcalibur and he losing the lawsuit), also he has a restraining order against him for harassing an actress, and this pioneered the change on BAFTA bylaws that say that anyone with a restraining order will get expelled (and he was expelled this way), and also he is pioneer in bothering a TV series author to make a game (http://twitter.com/carltonholder).
Any backslash against him, is weak... He is a person that everyone that I know that had dealings with him, regret it, thus if noone want for ever talk with him, this will be a great good to all humanity.
criadordejogos.wordpress.com
Re: Petition to Remove Controversial IGDA Board Member ...
Get this sumbitch outta there! I wanna publish and release my new game, The Edgy Edge-ventures of Edgeson Edgy Edgingtonsworth: The Edgy Edge at the Edge of Edgington Edge! by year's end!
But I can't do it unless this jackass is GONE! Damn you, Tim Langdell, you bastardious troll bastard!
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Game on, brothers and sisters.
Re: Petition to Remove Controversial IGDA Board Member ...
When corperate rules the order of the day anything can be protected for the sake of profit.
Until lobbying is a hanging offense I choose anarchy! Stop supporting big media and furthering the criminalization of consumers!! http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/
Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Let's renegotiate them.
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http://zippydsm.deviantart.com/
Re: Petition to Remove Controversial IGDA Board Member ...
How the hell can you trademark the word "Edge" how the hell those that hold up...
I might as well trademark the work "Phone" and sue everyone compagny \ book \ game \ reference that contains that word for 1000$ per use...
crazy ppl... [shaking my head in dispair]
Re: Petition to Remove Controversial IGDA Board Member ...
I guess he has a hard-on for DICE's Mirror's Edge.
Common words may be trademarked to keep others in the same industry from using it. You cannot start a computer company with the word "Apple" if it has the same ambitious focus. But Apple Computers and Apple Vacations can coexist because their industries are not related and therefore not in competition.
GameSnooper
Re: Petition to Remove Controversial IGDA Board Member ...
Amazingly, he hasn't actually issued a single letter to EA/DICE about Mirror's Edge. Instead he made some website about a game with a similar name hoping they would sue him instead.
Re: Petition to Remove Controversial IGDA Board Member ...
Of course, because if they do and win, that sets a precedent that he can use to exploit at any time he sees fit. In fact he could even turn it around and nail them on the use of "Edge" in "Mirrors Edge" after the fact.