The collapse of Channel Awesome

[Dorath]

I think the real problem I have with this is not the Walkers or even Michaud. It's that a bunch of other people who are (as far as we know) entirely innocent of any wrong-doing are effectively going to lose their jobs if Channel Awesome goes away--people like Malcolm Ray and Tamara Chambers, who really like working there and have never had a problem with the company, are just getting caught in the crossfire.

Both have been defending Michaud and the Walkers from the start. Malcolm has gone as far as muting anyone that criticizes Channel Awesome.

[Cizak]

Both have been defending Michaud and the Walkers from the start. Malcolm has gone as far as muting anyone that criticizes Channel Awesome.

Here for example, if anyone's curious.

[Lemmy]

Here for example, if anyone's curious.

That's an understandable reaction... Those are their bosses and possibly their friends. The accusations (many of which have no real evidence other than unsubstantiated claims) might not match Malcolm and Tamara's experience in working and dealing with the accused parties.

Are the people they are defending guilty of the accusations? Probably. But still... Their reaction is comprehensible, if not ideal.

Think about it: If people accused one of your friends of the things listed in the document, would you instantly believe them and turn your back on your friend without even giving him the benefit of doubt? Would you be completely pragmatic and objective in judging them? I can honestly answer "definitely not" to the former and "probably not" to the latter.

BTW, I'm guessing the main reason CA isn't apologizing is that an apology might be used against them in a potential law suit... It's pretty common behavior in cases where one side still has plausible deniability even if they are almost surely guilty.

[Dragonus45]

It’s also worth noting that newer CA members have commented that the business side seems to have greatly improved from what was reported before. And considering a fair deal of what was reported, aside from the sexual assault accusations and some claims of mike being sexist, were petty to begin with it makes sense they would want to defend their current meal ticket.

[Dorath]

Here for example, if anyone's curious.

That's going to cost a few SAG jobs.

[eggynack]

BTW, I'm guessing the main reason CA isn't apologizing is that an apology might be used against them in a potential law suit... It's pretty common behavior in cases where one side still has plausible deniability even if they are almost surely guilty.

Gotta say, if that was their intent, that weird refutation post they made was not exactly ideal. Some of the stuff in that post is pretty damning, honestly, and I couldn't imagine a lawyer ever okaying it. A lot of their "facts" were, "Yeah, that basically happened, but we're still cool dudes and won't apologize for any of it." In any case, this whole thing is some pretty high tier internet drama. I started reading that doc and was enraptured into reading the entire thing in one long sitting. Super interesting stuff.

[The Eye]

Can I say just I predicted there was something wrong with this guy some time ago?

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...stalgia-critic

[The Troubadour]

So, does CA still exist in some form? Has anything else happened, or have the revelations about Carmical finally burned everyone out on this whole sordid thing?

[Cikomyr]

What it is with these internet content hosts who always have a horrible track record to their providers?

First the Escalist, then CA

[Ramza00]

What it is with these internet content hosts who always have a horrible track record to their providers?

First the Escalist, then CA

Same stuff happen with Hollywood from the 1920s to 1950s.

[zimmerwald1915]

What it is with these internet content hosts who always have a horrible track record to their providers?

First the Escalist, then CA

There's no mystery. This sort of thing happens when the bosses have all the power and the workers have none.

[LaZodiac]

So, does CA still exist in some form? Has anything else happened, or have the revelations about Carmical finally burned everyone out on this whole sordid thing?

Far as I can tell literally two people remain on the site, one of whom is doing so purely as a joke that if he outlives the original creator it's his now.

So yeah no Channel Awesome as it once was is dead.

[Anonymouswizard]

Can I just I predicted there was soemthing wrong with this guy some time ago?

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...stalgia-critic

I remember that thread. Ah, the tangent about Starship Troopers, those were the days (I think I'd just finished a read through of the novel).

Far as I can tell literally two people remain on the site, one of whom is doing so purely as a joke that if he outlives the original creator it's his now.

So yeah no Channel Awesome as it once was is dead.

Yeah, essentially this. It's currently Doug, Brad Jones, and Guru Larry, plus Doug's additionals. But it's pretty much lost all it's talent, while Doug might have been the heavily promoted star he certainly was never the reason I used the site back in the day, and after blip closed and YouTube became the best replacement I eventually just stopped using the site at all, so nothing has changed for me or many other viewers in practice. The same content is still being put out, but it's just no longer Channel Awesome content.

I suspect there will eventually be some sort of group formed of ex-channel awesome members who still want to do all the crossovers and stuff, but I don't think we'll get another internet reviewer company out of it.

[factotum]

I don't think there's much danger of the predicted collapse now. They were haemorrhaging subscriptions on their Youtube channel for a while--I think they lost around 60k in all--but the subscriptions have now stabilised and are increasing again.

[Rynjin]

I suspect there will eventually be some sort of group formed of ex-channel awesome members who still want to do all the crossovers and stuff, but I don't think we'll get another internet reviewer company out of it.

I mean, the crossovers seem to still be going strong if Linkara's 500th episode celebration is any indicator.

Even SFDebris got in on the fun.

[Cikomyr]

I mean, the crossovers seem to still be going strong if Linkara's 500th episode celebration is any indicator.

Even SFDebris got in on the fun.

Did he appeared on Camera?!?!

[Anonymouswizard]

I mean, the crossovers seem to still be going strong if Linkara's 500th episode celebration is any indicator.

Even SFDebris got in on the fun.

Oh sure, I meant more as a way to make organising them easier.

I should probably look into Linkara.

[Lacuna Caster]

First the Escalist, then CA

Wait, what happened to the Escapist?

[Psyren]

Wait, what happened to the Escapist?

Mass exodus of content creators (Extra Credits, Jim Sterling, MovieBob, Critical Miss, Unskippable etc.) The reasons vary and probably aren't very sordid so much as they are a failure of Escapist's business model in a world where Patreon allows said content creators to answer directly to fans rather than to the rigid editorial mandates of the past. As near as I can tell though, Yahtzee is their biggest cash cow at the moment. Speaking personally Wednesdays are almost the only time I ever visit.

[Talakeal]

Did he appeared on Camera?!?!

No. Just voiceover.

[zimmerwald1915]

No. Just voiceover.

Chuck doesn't actually have a face, just an empty dark hole a la Squall from FF8.

[Cikomyr]

No. Just voiceover.

Still the funniest cameo

[Eldan]

Mass exodus of content creators (Extra Credits, Jim Sterling, MovieBob, Critical Miss, Unskippable etc.) The reasons vary and probably aren't very sordid so much as they are a failure of Escapist's business model in a world where Patreon allows said content creators to answer directly to fans rather than to the rigid editorial mandates of the past. As near as I can tell though, Yahtzee is their biggest cash cow at the moment. Speaking personally Wednesdays are almost the only time I ever visit.

Yeah. I mean, they are all on Youtube anyway these days, even Zero Punctuation. No reason to go to the Escapist, really. Haven't been in probably over a year and when I last saw it, it had no content I remotely cared about.

[Mokèlé-mbèmbé]

I was very much a fan of the early Nostalgia Critics and other content creators on ThatGuyWithTheGlasses.com. I am ashamed to admit I even sent in an audition tape because, to 14 year old me, I found there to be a strange romance in that lifestyle.

This here feels like a culmination of my generation's burgeoning adulthood. We're becoming more discerning consumers of media now, I think, and aren't as liable to accept things as they are anymore.

[zimmerwald1915]

I am ashamed to admit I even sent in an audition tape because, to 14 year old me, I found there to be a strange romance in that lifestyle.

Why would you be ashamed of this? Kids seeing romance in showbiz is a tale as old as time. Certainly as old as Broadway or Hollywood, both of which are chock full of self-indulgent stories about kids abandoning their lives to move to the big city and become a star.

[Mokèlé-mbèmbé]

Why would you be ashamed of this? Kids seeing romance in showbiz is a tale as old as time. Certainly as old as Broadway or Hollywood, both of which are chick full of self-indulgent stories about kids abandoning their lives to move to the bug city and become a star.

Because I can't, for the life of me, imagine what the romance was.

[zimmerwald1915]

Because I can't, for the life of me, imagine what the romance was.

Well that's also entirely normal. "Wonder" is often paired with "childlike" and "idealism" with "youthful" for a reason - they're things we grow out of as we learn more about the real state of the world and how it will always remain basically the same and basically hostile.

[Psyren]

Yeah. I mean, they are all on Youtube anyway these days, even Zero Punctuation. No reason to go to the Escapist, really. Haven't been in probably over a year and when I last saw it, it had no content I remotely cared about.

ZP is on Youtube but it lags by a week there, so it's worth dropping in on Escapist once per week to catch his latest review.

I was very much a fan of the early Nostalgia Critics and other content creators on ThatGuyWithTheGlasses.com. I am ashamed to admit I even sent in an audition tape because, to 14 year old me, I found there to be a strange romance in that lifestyle.

This here feels like a culmination of my generation's burgeoning adulthood. We're becoming more discerning consumers of media now, I think, and aren't as liable to accept things as they are anymore.

Well that's also entirely normal. "Wonder" is often paired with "childlike" and "idealism" with "youthful" for a reason - they're things we grow out of as we learn more about the real state of the world and how it will always remain basically the same and basically hostile.

Yeesh, aren't you two sunny

Look, there are lots of reasons to avoid the content creator/streamer lifestyle - the headache of being self-employed in the USA (if that's where you are) is definitely one of them - but the collapse of one media outlet shouldn't be. That has just as much to do with a changing business model and industry as it does any amount of mismanagement, misogyny, or whatever else was going wrong topside.

[Cikomyr]

Because I can't, for the life of me, imagine what the romance was.

"Ill be earning monet playing Video Games!"
"ill be earning money talking in front of a camera!"
"I'll be earning money selling weed!"

Kids that age have a growing concern about their place in the world, where the #1 concern society gives them is "how will you earn money?" Doing that while doing what you love seems a natural dream to hold for everyone.

****. I wished i knew how to earn money by playing board games.

[Mokèlé-mbèmbé]

Yeesh, aren't you two sunny

Look, there are lots of reasons to avoid the content creator/streamer lifestyle - the headache of being self-employed in the USA (if that's where you are) is definitely one of them - but the collapse of one media outlet shouldn't be.

It's not Channel Awesome's recent downfall that's made me so skittish about my past, I'm actually just no longer a fan of that content. I've felt this way about my auditions for a few years now.

"Ill be earning monet playing Video Games!"
"ill be earning money talking in front of a camera!"
"I'll be earning money selling weed!"

Kids that age have a growing concern about their place in the world, where the #1 concern society gives them is "how will you earn money?" Doing that while doing what you love seems a natural dream to hold for everyone.

****. I wished i knew how to earn money by playing board games.

You're probably right. I think it was a bit of an ego boost, to. The idea that people would go out of their way to hear my opinions or something.