GayGamer.net

Gaymer.org's official response to r/gaymers

2012-09-10T18:30:00Z

After the news of subreddit r/gaymers' cease and desist yesterday, much was being said about both Gaymer.org and its owner Chris Vizzini. Many users have noted that Gaymer.org is, as of writing, down and has been for several hours.

This morning Mr. Vizzini took to Reddit himself, username GaymerOrg, to share his official statement on the issue:

Hello fellow gay gamers. I wanted to address the cease and desist letter that was sent to reddit.
First and foremost, I never asked for the sub-reddit gaymer to be removed. I emailed reddit twice asking that they simply rename the community to something else. They did not respond.

As a trademark and word mark holder, it's my responsibility to defend the marks, otherwise I could lose them.

I started Gaymer.org in 2003 and began to build Gaymer as a brand. Thats why I trademarked and word marked the name. At that time, there was only one other site around dedicated to gay gamers. I have spent countless hours and thousands of dollars on Gaymer.org. I have done so gladly as it's brought happiness to many people.

I have received many nasty emails and comments on my site, not to mention what's been said on the reddit site.

I cannot stress this enough. I have no problem with other gay gaming sites. I think it's great others exist. The only problem I have is when the Gaymer name is used. That infringes on the word mark. A perfect example of this is gaygamer.net. Its a great website for gay gamers but does not use "gaymer" in its name therefore I have no problem.

It's only when "gaymer" is used in the site name that causes confusion to the public. That is what word marking is all about.

I have absolutely no ill will towards the reddit community. I have been in contact with a very nice woman at reddit who is working with me on this.

I would never try to take something away from people that they hold so dearly. But I also can't have the Gaymer name used in your community.

One thing that has been asked is why GaymerCon was not contacted. They do not have an online community. That is a convention. My marks pertain to online communities. Should they ever add an online community, then I would have issue with that. I did remove the GaymerCon article. While I do still support them personally, I can't give them support on behalf of gaymer.org. They made disparaging remarks about my site without knowing the details. I do wish them well on their venture.

For this to be resolved, its going to take respectful communication between the moderators at reddit, the reddit people themselves and myself.

I hope the barrage of insults directed at me and my site is not an indicator of how this communication to resolve will take place.

Looking forward to a peaceful resolution to this matter.

Chris Vizzini Gaymer.org

Now that both sides have made their case the gay gaming community will have to watch and wait to see what becomes of r/gaymers.

r/gaymers under attack?

2012-09-10T08:10:00Z

Updated to include the official statement from Gaymer.org

Today the more than 16,000 subscribers to r/gaymers, the gay gaming community on Reddit, received news that their subreddit may very well be shut down. The r/gaymers moderators were informed that Reddit had received a cease and desist from the owner of Gaymer.org, Chris Vizzini, who filed a trademark for the term 'gaymer' in 2007. Longtime readers surely remember that story and the heaps of controversy surrounding it.

The trademark was filed as follows:

IC 042. US 100 101. G & S: Computer services, namely, creating an online community for registered users to participate in competitions, showcase their skills, get feedback from their peers, form virtual communities, engage in social networking and improve their talent; Computer services, namely, hosting and maintaining an online website for others to discuss, receive and disseminate information concerning video games; Computer services, namely, hosting on-line web facilities for others for organizing and conducting online meetings, gatherings, and interactive discussions. FIRST USE: 20030526. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20030526

Some supported Vizzini's move with the perspective that he has every right to protect the name of the website he created, while others argued that trademarking the term 'gaymer' would lead down a slippery slope by giving Vizzini and Gaymer.org complete control of the word's use as a web entity. Still others were apathetic to the controversy altogether, preferring to not call themselves gaymers at all.

It must be said that, in 2007, the term 'gaymer' did not have the widespread use and appeal it seems to carry with it today. What's more in the mere six years since 'gaymer' was trademarked the way people use the internet has changed rather drastically. In 2007 filing a trademark to protect onesself against web entities using the term 'gaymer' carries some logic; the hypothetical www.finalfantasygaymers.com won't be cashing in on anyone else's work. However the rise of social networking has brought with it things like facebook groups, tumblr communities, online guilds, and, you guessed it, subreddits that all have 'gaymer' in their name. All of these being not for profit subsections of much larger commercial entities, the legal situation here becomes even murkier than it already was before.

The users of r/gaymers did not take this news lightly, noting uses of the term 'gaymer' prior to 2003 (which the trademark cites as its first usage), the wide-reaching effect this cease and desist would have on many other 'gaymer' subreddits, the seeming lack of concern regarding the name of the much anticipated Gaymercon, concerns over the validity of the trademark's authority in the first place, and the group's years of history that includes gift exchanges, meetups, and even a real life marriage in their own defense.

Read their full responses and the official statement from Gaymer.org on the matter, after the jump.

]]> The news of a possible r/gaymers shutdown was first delivered to gay gaming redditors by moderator MisterGhost who posted the following emotional response:

Ladies and gentlemen, this is incredibly important, and quite frankly too important for a TLDR, so please read.
Someone wants to take gaymers from us. A cease and desist letter has been sent to Reddit. It would seem that the owner of gaymer.org is an incredible douchenozzle and has decided that we somehow are infringing upon his right to run a very subpar blog. Though Gaymercon seems to be A-OK. It seems pretty fucked up that they seem to be ok using the same GAYMER name, even though we aren't making money. See what it is, is that this motherfucker from gaymer.org is sending reddit a cease and desist letter that we are using a name that he had trademarked in 2007 though whoever gave him that trademark is clearly not the brightest lightbulb in the box. It is a general term, not really sure how we fucking come into play.

Now here is this dude's trademark:

IC 042. US 100 101. G & S: Computer services, namely, creating an online community for registered users to participate in competitions, showcase their skills, get feedback from their peers, form virtual communities, engage in social networking and improve their talent; Computer services, namely, hosting and maintaining an online website for others to discuss, receive and disseminate information concerning video games; Computer services, namely, hosting on-line web facilities for others for organizing and conducting online meetings, gatherings, and interactive discussions. FIRST USE: 20030526. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20030526

Now clearly this is fucking ridiculous in terms of his claim against Gaymers, and is demonstrated so.

Reddit doesn't require registered users, you can be anonymous.

We do not showcase skills or participate in competitions.

It is engaging in social networking, but not to improve talent. The first part of the registration clearly shows that this is a site for gay gamers to focus on games. This subreddit is about the subculture of gaming within the context of being gay. The goals are different.

Lastly, the trademark office does not allow you to register what is called Descriptive Trademarks. That means, for instance, you can't register Grocery Store for a grocery store.

It would be easy for us to argue that gaymers is just descriptive of Gay Gamers and is just descriptive mark and not some sort of corporate logo or trademark. Now if anyone has any question in regards to this claim: I am sure that the gentleman sending the cease and desist, who is bringing these claims against us would be happy to answer the questions of you 16,000 gaymers.

I am sad, sure, I will be honest, I'm not the happiest guy around. However, you dudes have become happy. People I know have improved their lives, RedditHolmes has gotten married to a gaymer for fucks sake, people have gotten jobs, even some of you have confided in me the want to commit suicide, unless I or someone else convinced you otherwise. Guys, Ladies, and everyone else, this is bullshit, IT IS NONSENSE, quite frankly FUCK THIS ENTIRE LEGAL ENDEAVOR. Reddit will not help us, neither will anyone else. The estimate I got for defending us legally would be above 50k dollars, and honestly since I was begging for food and money trying to pay for gaymers mumble, I don't think that we are gonna be able to get the money needed.

Here is what I need gaymers, I want you guys to subscribe to /r/internauts. The reason I have selected that particular name is because Mason Wyler suggested it, and it made me giggle SO DEAL. So anyway we may have to transplant not only to this subreddit, but also to offsite, I am open to names what we would call it, but understand that I am devoted to making a better community for you guys. I would have made a video speaking what I thought about, but I am far too prideful to show that, maybe someday I will be a bit different, anyway, join the new subreddit, fuck gaymer.org and have a great night.

edited to remove rambling

Fellow moderator MrPookers then followed with this:

TL;DR: shit's goin' down, y'all! r/gaymers might be banned this week over a cease and desist letter from someone who claims to have trademarked the word "gaymer." Please subscribe to /r/internauts where we will regroup.
You've probably read MisterGhost's announcement regarding gaymer.org's cease & desist letter served to Reddit. In this post, we the mods are sharing the information we have in as clear, concise, and unbiased language as we could muster.

Citizens, our situation is dire: The term "gaymer" was trademarked in 2007 and its holder, the owner of www.gaymer.org, has served Reddit a Cease & Desist letter. We are not, and have never been, affiliated with that website. Since we cannot change the name of r/gaymers, complying with the trademark would require that all of the gaymers subreddits be removed, and with them, all existing posts and comments.

We do have a viable case for our use of the term, if this matter were to go to court. Primarily, "gaymer" is a word which cannot be legitimately trademarked to begin with. Ideas cannot be trademarked, nor can widely used generic names for things. This is why certain corporations, while striving for market dominance and ubiquity of their products, stress that their brand names not be confused with the general product as a whole. For example: Band-Aid doesn't sell band-aids, it sells Band-Aid brand bandages. LEGO doesn't sell lego, it sells LEGO blocks. You don't wipe your nose with kleenexes, but with Kleenex brand tissues. The distinction is important because if all commercially sold bandages became widely known simply as band-aids, Band-Aid would lose the trademark to its own name. Anyone could call their bandages "band-aids."

Here's an example of the term "gaymer" being used in 1997 in a Usenet post as a descriptive term for a gay gamer. Here's another example in a blog post from 2002. The term "gaymers" is a purely descriptive term for "gay gamers", it's commonly used online in a context completely unrelated to the trademark, and purely descriptive terms cannot be trademarked. This trademark shouldn't have been granted in the first place; it was invalid then, and it is invalid now.

In our case, we could argue that "gaymer" is naturally a descriptive word for what a gay gaymer is, and that the trademark should be revoked. Riding this case to court, however, could require moneys on the order of $50,000. We don't have that money, and contesting the trademark is the only way to truly free the word "gaymer" for gay gamers everywhere.

When you're angry, the desire to demonize people is strong. Know, though, that everyone here is doing what they have to do. Reddit isn't invested in its subreddits enough to launch an expensive legal battle to protect a few of them. The trademark's holder has to ask Reddit to stop violating its trademark, because it's legally his responsibility to see that it is enforced. If you're like us, you're angry about this bullshit situation. We must not, however, let it devolve into a witchhunt. Petitioning Reddit on this, or blaming Reddit for this are not viable or recommended efforts. Our goal, as always, is to make the world a better place.

Confusingly, gaymer.org has expressed support for GaymerCon (imgur screenshot). We do not, however, know anything else about their interactions.

Where do we go from here? MisterGhost has set up /r/internauts as a sort of refugee camp/potential new home. We don't know how this week will to play out. For all we know the admins will destroy all the gaymer subreddits outright on Monday morning, or they might figure out a way to change the names for us. We don't even know what powers they have at their disposal or when they will choose to wield them.

Finally, beware: much personal information of the trademark's owner is dangerously exposed online and you must take care not to link to it anywhere on Reddit, especially as there may be a great deal of hostility towards him. Linking to it counts as doxxing, and may get offenders shadowbanned. Please do not abuse him. Remember: we want his good will. He may be able to tell Reddit to let us call ourselves gaymers.

If reddit complies with this cease and desist order, /r/gaymers and its entire history of posts and comments could be destroyed. In the nearly two years of its existence, we've had a gift exchange and meetups that have brought together hundreds of gaymers all over the world, spawned guilds and corporations† and brought two gaymers together in an actual, real-life marriage. We have built a very real community here. They can take the name gaymers from our subreddit, we can't fight that battle legally -- but we have to keep our history.

With Love, the /r/gaymers mod team

Not surprisingly there has been quite the outcry from users as well. Some redditors have begun brainstorming possibilities to combat their newfound legal troubles, while others have begun compiling evidence to help support their case. Many users who subscribe to both r/gaymers and Gaymer.org have taken to the latter's forums and chats to voice their support for r/gaymers. A quick gander at Gaymer.org's Gaymer Shoutbox shows many of its users support r/gaymers, with some even renouncing their support of Gaymer.org; the most common argument being that, legalities aside, this move appears to be dividing the gay video gaming community even further. Just like when the trademark was first filed.

~~As of this writing, there is no official word from anyone at Gaymer.org on the issue.~~

Update: Via a chat room conversation on Gaymer.org Chris Vizzini chimed in on the issue with the following (under the username Gaymer):

I did send the reddit legal team a cease and desist letter. I emailed them asking them to change the name to something else but they ignored me so as a trademark holder I didn't have much choice.
...

If you don't defend your trademark, you can lose it. Tim and I spent nearly the last ten years and countless thousands on this site. I love it. And I'm not going to risk losing it. This is not a money maker for me, believe me. But the Gaymer name is something I worked hard on, way before reddit was even an idea.

Mr. Vizzini then took to Reddit himself, under username GaymerOrg, with the following response:

Hello fellow gay gamers. I wanted to address the cease and desist letter that was sent to reddit.
First and foremost, I never asked for the sub-reddit gaymer to be removed. I emailed reddit twice asking that they simply rename the community to something else. They did not respond.

As a trademark and word mark holder, it's my responsibility to defend the marks, otherwise I could lose them.

I started Gaymer.org in 2003 and began to build Gaymer as a brand. Thats why I trademarked and word marked the name. At that time, there was only one other site around dedicated to gay gamers. I have spent countless hours and thousands of dollars on Gaymer.org. I have done so gladly as it's brought happiness to many people.

I have received many nasty emails and comments on my site, not to mention what's been said on the reddit site.

I cannot stress this enough. I have no problem with other gay gaming sites. I think it's great others exist. The only problem I have is when the Gaymer name is used. That infringes on the word mark. A perfect example of this is gaygamer.net. Its a great website for gay gamers but does not use "gaymer" in its name therefore I have no problem.

It's only when "gaymer" is used in the site name that causes confusion to the public. That is what word marking is all about.

I have absolutely no ill will towards the reddit community. I have been in contact with a very nice woman at reddit who is working with me on this.

I would never try to take something away from people that they hold so dearly. But I also can't have the Gaymer name used in your community.

One thing that has been asked is why GaymerCon was not contacted. They do not have an online community. That is a convention. My marks pertain to online communities. Should they ever add an online community, then I would have issue with that. I did remove the GaymerCon article. While I do still support them personally, I can't give them support on behalf of gaymer.org. They made disparaging remarks about my site without knowing the details. I do wish them well on their venture.

For this to be resolved, its going to take respectful communication between the moderators at reddit, the reddit people themselves and myself.

I hope the barrage of insults directed at me and my site is not an indicator of how this communication to resolve will take place.

Looking forward to a peaceful resolution to this matter.

Chris Vizzini Gaymer.org

No matter where anyone stands on this issue, I think we can all agree that a peaceful resolution would be best for the entire gay gaming community.

Sound off in the comments: Where do you stand on not only the issue of r/gaymers' cease and desist, but on the 'gaymer' trademark controversy as a whole?

Hands On: Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!!!

2012-08-28T20:00:00Z

Way back in 2007 a peculiar little animated short was shown to me by a good friend. The short was bizarre, quirky, and incredibly rhombus. Yes, it was Pendleton Ward's Adventure Time that, nearly seven years later, is now bringing its offbeat love of math and language to people worldwide as the number one show on Cartoon Network.

For the handful of patoots out there who have never seen the show it is very much a love letter to classic fantasy adventures like Dungeons and Dragons but with a modern twist. Adventure Time centers on a boy named Finn and his dog Jake as they explore a brightly colored post-apocalyptic Earth called Ooo. Fans of the show will finally get a chance to explore the Land of Ooo and interact with all (and I mean all) of their favorite characters this Fall with Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!!! for the Nintendo DS and 3DS.

]]> The most notable thing about Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!!! is how much it feels like the show. Creator Pendleton Ward, a game lover himself, penned the game's story, provided the characters' dialogue, sent the staff original doodles, spoke in character voices, and approved everything that went into the game to ensure it was as authentic an Adventure Time experience as possible. What's more all of the developers are fans themselves, pointing out every detail in the game (and the couple of episodes we watched together) that only a hardcore fan could appreciate. This isn't your run of the mill cartoon tie-in game.

The game features an original score, including a new version of the show's opening theme, and even a Final Fantasy-esque victory anthem incorporating the main theme that Finn dances to after defeating bosses. The Land of Ooo is faithfully recreated in the game, with every location being exactly where fans of the show will expect them to be. If you've got a favorite character from the show, no matter how small, they will likely show up here. In the demo alone I saw Finn, Jake, BMO (who occupies the DS and 3DS touch screen with stats, maps, and options), House People, Water Nymphs (who act as the game's save points), Hot Dog Knights, Hot Dog Princess, Donny the Grass Ogre, Lump Space Princess, Princess Bubblegum, Neptr, Raggedy Princess, Worms, King Worm, Cosmic Owl, and the Ice King. While the game regrettably doesn't feature full voice acting, characters do have their iconic voices for one-liners and key phrases.

Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage!? is, rather appropriately, an adventure game reminiscent of classic titles like Zelda 2. Players control Finn (with a backpack riding Jake playing Kazooie to Finn's Banjoe) in sprite-based 2D sidescrolling worlds connected via a show-accurate top-down overworld map filled with roaming enemies, treasures, and secret areas. The 2D graphics capture the show's vibe superbly, and look absolutely incredible with the depth of field that the 3DS version offers.

The gameplay is simple yet intuitive, with traditional platforming controls mixed with more complex button combos that can be unlocked as the game progresses. There is a taste of RPG here, with Finn's stats (heart, speed, and attack) and abilities being upgradable over time. Different weapons become available over time, Finn's trademark sword for instance, and Jake learns new abilities through songs that he learns over the course of the game. While the gameplay is simple beneath the hood it's got its fair share of complexity, offering plenty of room for more advanced players.

The game offers a linear storyline to follow, but the game is very much a free-exploration quest-based affair. Players have clear objectives, but can freely explore as much of the world as is available to them at the time. In fact, developers emphasized the importance of exploration as one of the game's biggest features. During my play-time with the demo I was sent by the House People to go after Donny the Grass Ogre, which I could do at any time, but found my way to an unrelated forest first where Lumpy Space Princess and Raggedy Princess gave me an upgrade that proved useful in the eventual fight.

Exploration is also heavily encouraged in the game's condiment system. Yes, I said condiments. Many different kinds of foods and condiments can be found in the Land of Ooo and these are used to restore health. Combining condiments with the foods you find will yield various results such as higher health restores, negative status ailments, and even special abilities. By mixing and matching combinations, players will uncover more of the game's secrets. In addition to food players will find rare treasures and other forms of loot that all have different effects. In the demo I played I uncovered the Vorpal Fist, which gave me a rapid-fire punch attack, and the bumblebee, a temporary pet that went after enemies for me. Only by going off the beaten path to find and experiment with different items will players find all that this game has to offer.

It's pretty algebraic how much this game has going for it. If players have half the fun playing it as the developers clearly have had making it then we're all in for quite the treat. If you're a fan of Adventure Time then you will NOT want to miss WayForward Technologies' Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!!! when it drops this November 13, 2012 for Nintendo DS and 3DS. And if you're a real Adventure Time faithful you'll definitely want to grab the Collector's Edition, which includes the full game, an Enchiridion steel book case for it, Finn's gold sword stylus, Book of Beasts Bestiary, and a Land of Ooo fold out map.

Minecraft Officially the Gayest Game. Ever.

2012-07-28T17:00:00Z

We here at gaygamer.net love our Minecraft, and can you blame us? A testament to the strength of indie game development, Minecraft has built one of the single biggest followings in the entire gaming world. And of course, it's just good old fashioned addictive fun.

Now we have even more reason to love it, after original creator Markus "Notch" Persson took to his tumblr blog to share his thoughts on gender and sexuality in the game.

[Keep in mind I am no longer the lead developer on Minecraft, Jens is. This post is about what I thought about back when I was making it]
If it wasn't for the fact that the default Minecraft character is referred to as "Minecraft Guy" and that I once jokingly answered "Steve?" when asked what his* name was, Minecraft would be a game where gender isn't a gameplay element.

The human model is intended to represent a Human Being. Not a male Human Being or a female Human Being, but simply a Human Being. The blocky shape gives it a bit of a traditional masculine look, but adding a separate female mesh would just make it worse by having one specific model for female Human Beings and male ones. That would force players to make a decisions about gender in a game where gender doesn't even exist.

All the other mobs in the game are genderless and usually exhibit the most prominent traits of both genders. Cows have horns and udders (even if I've later learned that there are some cows where the females do have horns), and the chicken/duck/whatevers have heads that look like roosters, but still lay eggs. For breeding, any animal can breed with any other animal of the same species.

Obviously, I'm not saying this is a good way to deal with gender in all games, as the better your graphics are, and because of how quickly the human mind tries to identify the gender of other humans, you are going to have to make a decision as a developer about gender, but I felt we could get away with it in Minecraft.

There's no point to this post. I just wanted to clarify, so there's an official word on it.

Also, as a fun side fact, it means every character and animal in Minecraft is homosexual because there's only one gender to choose from. Take THAT, homophobes!

* I do regret using masculine terms to talk about the default character. These days I try to use the up-and-coming use of "they" as a genderless pronoun.

Quite the one two punch for gender and sexuality representation in gaming. Thanks Notch!

Final Fantasy Versus XIII Cancellation a Rumor, and Nothing More

2012-07-24T08:15:00Z

A few days ago Kotaku published a rumor from an undisclosed inside source at Square Enix that Final Fantasy Versus XIII, after six long years in development, was being quietly cancelled and its resources allocated to other projects.

The internet, myself included, responded as one would expect it to.

Thankfully the vapor-rumor has been put to bed by the head of Square Enix himself: Yoichi Wada. Mr. Wada took to twitter earlier today and released the following statement:

ヴェルサスがキャンセルされたってデマ流してるやつがいるらしい。ﾌﾌ..たった今ヴェルサス定例会議が終わったとこ。今日プレゼンされた街なんぞ見たら腰抜かすでぇ～w

Translated into English, the tweet reads something along the lines of: Someone made up a rumor about Versus being cancelled. ~~Fufu~~ Haha. Just got out of the regular Versus meeting right now. The presentation of the city was today.

So there you have it, straight from the chocobo's mouth. We can all breathe a collective kweh of relief.

Now if only Square Enix would show us something, anything, of the game. Even the tiniest bit of information would be nice. After all, the serious lack of information about Versus XIII is what made the cancellation rumors at all believable in the first place.

Time to, yet again, play the waiting game.

EA Versus DOMA

2012-07-20T23:15:00Z

Electronic Arts has officially joined the coalition of businesses standing in opposition to the Defense of Marriage Act, the company announced on Wednesday via its official website:

Electronic Arts has joined with dozens of leading US employers in signing an amicus brief that opposes the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and urges the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to find portions of the Act unconstitutional.
DOMA presents a number of problems for businesses like EA, as it creates regulatory, tax, and discrimination complications for employers, and that's why we're standing against it. The underlying lawsuit impacts all employers no matter how big or small, and no matter the industry, and we encourage other business to join these efforts.

The Defense of Marriage Act, which federally defines marriage in the United States as being between a man and a woman, barring gay couples from insurance, Social Security, and tax benefits, was signed into law in 1996 under President Bill Clinton, who has since changed his views and has argued for its repeal.

While I applaud Electronic Arts' public support of the cause, I do find it curious that EA cites business practices as its main reasoning for opposing the law, and fails to mention sexual orientation, LGBT employees or any direct references to sexuality once in their statement. Also we mustn't forget EA's history of reported overworked employees; they're hardly the Mother Theresa of game companies.

But as they say, don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Or in this case, don't look a gift ally...in...the mouth. Allies are allies, and in the gaming industry they were once few and far between. Their reasoning may be primarily business-driven, but having a pillar of the gaming industry on our side is progress nonetheless.

And it's not as though EA has remained silent on LGBT issues in the past: The Sims franchise was one of the first to include same-sex content in gaming, and with BioWare EA has published the gay friendly Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic franchises. Last year the company joined the It Gets Better Project, as well:

Final Fantasy Versus XIII Rumored to be Vaporware

2012-07-20T21:15:00Z

I just...-sigh-

From our friends at Kotaku:

Kotaku has heard from several sources that the game, as originally intended, is done for.
One source tells Kotaku that Final Fantasy Versus XIII was officially cancelled within the last few weeks. The decision impacted morale at Square Enix and staff were reportedly saddened by the move.

Square Enix, this source added, has also decided to let Final Fantasy Versus XIII die quietly on the vine and fade away, instead of officially announcing its cancellation.

Now before we let our knees jerk, as they always do, we do have to remember that this is, as of now, merely a rumor from unidentified sources. Square-Enix has yet to provide a comment, though with the suspicion of a quiet cancellation, it makes sense why they wouldn't. But as with any rumor, let's take it with a grain of salt. For now.

]]>
The last Final Fantasy Versus XIII was heard from was in January 2011, when the first gameplay trailer for the game was released. It has regularly been absent from major gaming conventions like the Tokyo Game Show, E3, and even from some of Square's own private events. Originally announced in 2006 alongside Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Type 0 (then known as Agito XIII) the game has had a notoriously long dev-cycle and little to show for it, with many theorizing that it would ultimately become vaporware.

The rumors of cancellation do come with some smidgen of hope, though:

Another source tells Kotaku that, a few months back, Final Fantasy Versus XIII's development and resources had actually been folded into another game, which is to be the next numeric Final Fantasy title, Final Fantasy XV.

So not all is lost.

From a business stand point it would be foolish for Square Enix to have invested so much money, their highest profile dev team led by their star child Tetsuya Nomura, and the better part of a decade working on a project to then just drop it altogether. Re-purposing however much of the game there is (assets, code, game mechanics, staff) to another project is the most logical thing they could do given the circumstances.

Part of me wonders if Square Enix is intentionally rebranding this title as Final Fantasy XV in hopes of putting as much distance between it and the incredibly divisive Final Fantasy XIII.

But again, this is all merely rumor and speculation. Until we get any kind of official statement from Square Enix the game is, for all intents and purposes, still being made. However given how little of the game has been shown in the past six yars, and it's absence from this year's E3, if this bad boy doesn't show up at the Tokyo Game Show or Square's own event in late August...I'd say we can call this chocobo cooked.

One good thing to come out of all of this, though: If the game really has been cancelled, maybe Kingdom Hearts 3 can finally get rolling.

Now back to your regularly scheduled knee-jerk reactions. Here's mine:

It Gets Better For Pokemon Trainers Too

2012-06-12T02:30:00Z

Today the online community Bulbagarden, one of the most comprehensive resources for all things Pokemon, enacted new anti-discriminatory policies in support of its LGBTQ members. Wonderful news for the queer Pokemon fans out there, and a step forward for the gay community at large when it comes to the very real issue of cyber-bullying. But of course, what would a move towards progress be without somebody voicing their disagreement. A group of users, likely the ones whose behavior this new policy aims to combat, argue that the admins of the site should not be taking political stances.

Not to let the naysayers win the day, Bulbagarden vice-webmaster Evil Figment had this to say:

Webmaster Archaic of Bulbagarden announced today a new policy against discrimination, hatred and intolerance toward lesbian, gays, bisexuals, transsexuals, queers and questioning members of the Bulbagarden community. Many people, even among those who support gay rights, may feel that this is out of place and that Bulbagarden, as a Pokémon fansite; shouldn't be taking stance on political issues.
But our new policy isn't about politics.

Our new policy is about the teenagers and young adults who begin to realize they're "different". The ones who are afraid anyone will find out what they are, because they live in a place where being what they are can get them shrugged, beaten, and even killed. The ones who have already lost their family, or fear they will lose their family. The ones who can't bear to go to school anymore. The far too many who have been driven to end their lives because of this intolerance.

The policy is about the hundreds of Pokémon fans who experience this everyday, or who experienced it in their past, and who come online to enjoy their favorite games, only to find that even here, they cannot escape being mocked, attacked, condemned and told they don't deserve equal rights. To find that even here, trying to play the games or watch the anime they love, what they identify as is being used as an insult.

Saying those fans deserve to enjoy Bulbagarden as much as any other fans is not politics. Saying that they won't be able to enjoy Bulbagarden as much as any other fan, if we tolerate people saying homosexuality is a disease, or immoral, is not politics. It's being humane.

Going out of your way, on a Pokémon forum, to hound teenagers who are struggling with who they are to tell them they are going to hell; that they shouldn't be able to marry; that they suffer from a disease? That's not about being who you are, it's not about trying to live your life - it's about trying to tell others who they have a right to be, and how they should live their lives. That is politics. Letting it happen is politics. And it's the bare truth that this sort of politics doesn't belong on a Pokémon fansite.

At the end of the day, we don't feel that choosing between these two sides is playing politics.

Who would have thought that one of the most poignant, beautifully articulated, and concise statements on cyber-bullying and LGBTQ rights would come out of a Pokemon forum of all places?

Kudos, Bulbapedia staff! From all of us here at gaygamer.net, Pokemon fans the lot of us, thank you! And keep up the great work.

E3 '12: Square, We Need to Talk

2012-06-06T20:35:00Z

Six, yes, six years ago Final Fantasy Versus XIII was announced alongside last year's ~~beyond terrible~~ Final Fantasy XIII. I know early announcement and long dev cycles have become frustratingly common place in the modern gaming industry but still...six years later there isn't so much as a hint of a release date. It only just recently entered full production.

Let's also think about this: Final Fantasy XII was ~~flawfree and better than your faves~~ met with mixed, though generally positive, responses but flew under the radar outside of Japan. Final Fantasy XIII received such terrible criticism that Square-Enix made a sequel that underminded all of the original's gameplay mechanics. Final Fantasy XIV might as well have not been released at all, after underwhelming its core audience from Final Fantasy XI to the point that the entire game is being overhauled and every effort is being made to try and appease upset fans.

When you look at it like that the main Final Fantasy franchise hasn't had a certifiable hit in over a decade.

Add to all of this the fact that the next entry in Square-Enix's other big name franchise,Kingdom Hearts 3, won't even begin development until Versus XIII is finished (despite Tetsuya Nomura having time to develop numerous handheld spinoffs...) and one is left wondering 'what the heck has Square been doing all this time?'

This, apparently:

]]> Okay, so not just this one tech demo, obviously. I'm not that much of a conspiracy theorist. But one can still see why this is so frustrating.

Via our friends at IGN:

Square Enix took a hurdling leap into the future with its unveiling of the Agni's Philosophy demo at E3 2012. Running on the next-generation Luminous Studio engine, this is the same cutting-edge game technology that will be found in PlayStation 4 and the next-generation Xbox. ... Demonstrated in realtime to E3 showgoers, Agni's Philosophy: Final Fantasy Realtime Tech Demo combines the technical skills of Square Enix' top studios, including its Japanese Visual Works development group and Crystal Dynamics in the UK, as well as INEI Inc., Art Spirits, and YEBIS (makes of high-quality effects middleware.) The demo was designed to showcase the magic and emotion of the Final Fantasy saga, and "was created through the lens of the FINAL FANTASY series, where ancient magic and advanced science coexist in a near-futuristic world. The video depicts a life-changing encounter for our heroine, the magic-wielding protagonist Agni."

Final Fantasy fans may recall Square-Enix's Final Fantasy VII tech demo for the PS3 that sparked incessant rumors of an HD remake. Before that Squaresoft rendered the Final Fantasy VIII ballroom scene to show off the PS2's capabilities. And way back in the day they recreated scenes from Final Fantasy VI for the N64, before ultimately developing Final Fantasy VII on the original Playstation.

Basically this is nothing new; Square likes making tech demos for the next console cycle.

This wouldn't be frustrating if it weren't for the fact that so many of Square's triple-A titles are still MIA and their most recent efforts have all failed, rather publicly, to grab audiences.

One can only wonder where Versus XIII and maybe even Kingdom Hearts 3 might be at this point had the time and effort gone into making this rather snazzy tech demo gone into their development instead. And it truly is snazzy: The mix of real-world-esque environments with monsters, machine guns, and magic is very reminiscent of the PS1-era games which just so happen to be some of the most universally well loved in the franchise. Of course it also goes without saying but I will anyway: this is capital G GORGEOUS to look at. And all in real-time, no less. But then again, when has Square-Enix ever not had the pretty on their side?

More frustrating still is that, as of now, this tech demo is just that and nothing more. For now.

It would appear that Square isn't abandoning Agni (the tech demo's protagonist) and her philosophies just yet. After taking a visit to www.agnisphilophy.com one can find a survey about the demo.

Curious...the other tech demos never got a survey. The plot thickens.

After answering some basic questions about one's country and gender (which includes a decline to state response, probably the closest to trans one can get with a major corporation like Square-Enix) gamers will get to answer some questions about the content of the demo; namely what they thought about the magical Agni.

Perhaps Square is laying the groundwork for Final Fantasy XV? Perhaps surveying their audience to see if this direction is worth their time at all?

Well I'd be all for it, personally. That four minute tech demo was exponentially more exciting than any of Final Fantasy XIII or XIV.

That being said, though, maybe Square-Enix should focus on finishing the games they've already started before they even think about starting another.

Just a thought.

Hideo: A Theatrical Concert Comes to San Jose This Weekend

2012-05-22T20:20:00Z

If you've been reading the site for a while then you're probably already somewhat familiar with Hideo: A Theatrical Concert of Music from Japanese Animation and Video Games, also known simply as Hideo.

This one of a kind show, described by NPR as 'A video game symphony on steroids' is the brainchild of creator Blair Baker who sought to create the ultimate experience for fans. After attending many video games concerts Blair decided that there was a lot more that these shows could be doing, and so she created Four Lights Productions to do just that.

Hideo combines an original play with live music from anime and video games the likes of Final Fantasy, Megaman, Noir, Wolf's Rain, Chrono Cross and many more. Each song is accompanied by animated projections courtesy of artist Dan Howard.

The world of Hideo is one that is ever expanding via smaller performances known as Overtures (that feature new storylines, characters, and music) as well as original graphic novels. By bringing together live music with theatre, art, stage combat, audience participation, and more Hideo becomes more than just a concert: it becomes an experience unlike any other.

What's more the entire show is entirely by fans for fans. Every single person working on the show is a fan themselves, whether of anime, video games, or the music they feature.

Here's a small taste of what Hideo has to offer:

Hideo began in 2010 and has had two major performances, one in Berkeley and one in San Luis Obispo. Beyond the main stage shows Team Hideo has made its way around the anime convention circuit, even performing as the opening act for Fanime's Masquerade in 2011.

While Hideo won't be an official Fanime event this year, the show will be taking place right across the street from the San Jose convention at the Montgomery Theater so whether you're a con attendee or not you'll get a chance to see it.

If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, will be attending Fanime, or are just a huge fan of live music and theatre then this is one event you won't want to miss. There are four chances to see the show, 2pm and 8pm on both Saturday the 26th and Sunday the 27th.

Get your tickets at the official Hideo website: www.hideoconcert.com

And be sure to check out the show's official facebook event, and while you're there be sure to give Hideo a like, and maybe even a follow on twitter.

Do not miss this one of a kind show!

~~oh and I'm in it...so see it for me!~~

Adam Sessler Leaves G4

2012-04-26T01:00:00Z

One of gaygamer.net's faves, Adam Sessler, has left G4.

Our friends at Kotaku reached out to Sessler's representative and received the following response:

Television personality Adam Sessler and TV network G4 are parting ways, with Adam's last episode as host of G4′s "X-Play" airing on the network today, Wednesday, April 25. Adam has been hosting the show since it first aired as ZDTV's "Gamespot TV" in July 1998 and he also served as Editor In Chief of games content at G4. His current projects include starring as himself in the Summer 2012 movie "noobz" and consulting with a film production company on theatrical feature adaptations of video games. Adam intends to stay in front of the camera and continue as a key voice within the games industry. He also sings and is available for weddings and bar mitzvahs.

Adam later confirmed his departure via twitter:

Thank you to everyone with your exceedingly kind wishes and thoughts. I think I'll finally take a nap....

Sessler leaves behind X-Play co-host Morgan Webb and Attack of the Show co-host Kevin Perreira as the channel's only remaining personalities from the G4TechTV merger. Webb is now the sole remaining personality from the original TechTV.

In addition to his hosting and editing duties with G4, Mr. Sessler has long been a vocal supporter of LGBT issues in the gaming industry. Last year he chimed in on all of that Dragon Age 2 controversy we couldn't stop talking about. He has proved himself time and time and time again as one of the gayming community's most valuable allies. And one of our best friends.

We here at gaygamer.net wish Adam all the best in his future endeavors!

Mario and Luigi Make Out.

2012-04-25T09:00:00Z

Who Needs a Princess Anyway?

Mario and Luigi are quite the popular pair in the world of homoerotic art, it would seem. Last year we shared Muto Magazine's fetish-tastic spread featuring Nintendo's legendary plumber pair and now we've got a video of the two making out courtesy of Director Alex Goddard.

It's pretty hot.

Well...hot if you ignore the whole incest-thing and all the icky feelings it brings up.

Fashionable Fantasy

2012-04-04T18:00:00Z

Quite dapper, Sazh.

Final Fantasy characters are hardly known for their practical outerwear. Unnecessary belts, J-Pop haircuts, buckles for days, and asymmetric pant skirts are all part for the course.Truly, over the years the franchise has become known for its fashion as much as, if not moreso, than its gameplay.

So, really, this announcement, via the official Square Enix blog, doesn't come as much of a surprise:

Today we're excited to announce a new collaboration that brings together two different worlds together for something truly unique. Featuring in the latest issue of Arena Homme+, your favourite characters from FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 dispose of their casual clothes in favour for something from the latest Prada 2012 Spring/Summer collection. Dressed to impress, Lightning, Noel, Snow, Sazh and Hope are aiming to look their best for the FINAL FANTASY's 25th Anniversary celebrations.

The real surprise is how...well...normal all of these guys look for once. What will the cosplayers do with this?

Check out the rest under the cut.

]]> "Our Spring issue focuses on a world of direction and escapism, and having a visually stunning videogame franchise such as FINAL FANTASY work alongside us and a leading fashion brand like Prada to create something so unique is incredible," said Max Pearmain, Editor of Arena Homme+. "I've always been interested by the power of videogames and their place in society, and the amount of work that's gone into this project blows my mind. We're incredibly pleased with the result.

Yoshinori Kitase, Producer of FINAL FANTASY XIII-2 added, "The FINAL FANTASY series is known for its creativity and innovation; so working with Prada, a renowned fashion house with such beautiful clothing, was a very exciting opportunity. The images we have been able to create together are vibrant and unique."

Arena Homme+ goes on sale from Thursday 12th April.

So what do you think? Does this Final Fantasy and Prada Men's Collection pique your curiosity?

~~Lack of Snow's fine self is upsetting.~~

Audio File Friday 'Leeni'

2012-02-24T22:00:00Z

Greetings Audiophiles!

Apologies for the break last week. As I've said before we've got something very exciting on the way and a lot of energy is going towards it, hence no Audio File Friday last week. But it will all be worth it in the end. I promise.

As you may recall, after realizing how few women have been featured here on AFF I've been on the hunt for talented musicians of the female variety to showcase. Now the thing about all of the female artists I've found thus far is that they all seem to be of the singer/songwriter variety. Nothing wrong with that at all, but where are the nerdcore girl rappers or the chiptune loving ladies?

Earlier this week I happened to stumble upon a lady gamer that is both a talented singer/songwriter and a chiptune artist. Best of both worlds! Even better: Supporting her music goes to help suicide prevention efforts by the Jed Foundation. How could you not love her?

She goes by the name Leeni.

]]> Based out of Seattle, Leeni has been an active member of the chiptune music world since 2006. The following year she released her first full album 8-Bit Heart and has since released two more: Labrynth in 2008 and The Only Now in 2011. Her newest EP, Headphones on Your Heart, was created to benefit the Jed Foundation. She's made quite the name for herself, performing at major game music events like Blipfest, Iam8Bit, and the VGXPO.

Leeni describes her sound as '8-bit gameboy synth pop', combining a chiptune aesthetic with soothing vocals and a charming lyrical sensibility. If I Fight Dragons are the Jimmy Eat World of the chiptune world, Leeni would be its indie darling Lana Del Rey.

Speaking of, it just so happens that I found the multi-talented Leeni via her impeccable cover of Lana Del Rey's Video Games:

~~First of all, I need to go dust off my copy of Barbie for the NES and give that a playthrough.~~

This cover takes all of the beauty of the original song and transforms it into something that really speaks to gamers. There's even a clever shout out to Legend of Zelda fans about twenty seconds in. Ladies often get accused of not being 'real gamers' but I don't think anyone could deny Leeni's legitimacy.

Video Games is featured on her new EP, Headphones on Your Heart, along with four original tracks that vary from Katamari Damacy-esque quirky to inspirational and uplifting. What's more 100% of the proceeds from this album go to support the Jed Foundation's 'Love is Louder' movement, to help prevent suicide. As Leeni puts it:

It's been 6 years since Leeni first donned her Gameboy to write her debut album, 8-Bit Heart, and 5 years since her popular track "Headphones On Your Heart" was first composed and released.
Since that time, Leeni has been receiving emails from fans all over the world, telling her a similar story: that the song was the reason they decided not to kill themselves, that it gave them hope...and that it was 'the only reason' they are alive.

These messages have touched Leeni so much over the years that she wants to do more to give back to people who may be running low on hope.

And this "Headphones On Your Heart" EP is her answer. 100% of the proceeds of all of the sales will go to support the Jed Foundation to support its "Love is Louder" movement as well as other programs.

The album is a mere five dollars, and considering you're getting great music and supporting a great cause how could you not be downloading it already?

Headphones On Your Heart (EP) by Leeni

Leeni's most recent album, The Only Now, is my personal favorite, with standout tracks like Conspiracy Theory, Spotless Mind, and Awake:

The Only Now by Leeni

Both The Only Now and Labrynth are available in full at whatever price you'd like to pay via Leeni's official bandcamp, so there is absolutely no reason not to give this eclectic songstress some listens.

Labyrinth by Leeni

And before you get to thinking she's a one-trick pony, some vintage Leeni proves that she can do much more than just chiptune:

I am completely enamored with Ms. Leeni, and can't wait to see what's next for her. If you're just as enamored as me you can get her albums on bandcamp, like her on facebook, and follow her on twitter.

That's all for this week, Audiophiles! I'm getting back to work on ~~exciting things that I'm not supposed to talk about~~ finding more original gaming music for you to fill your iTunes libraries with. Let Leeni take care of you this weekend, and I'll catch you all next week.

Audio File Friday 'FFmusic Dj'

2012-02-10T23:00:00Z

Greetings Audiophiles!

It's no secret that we here at Gaygamer.net are big Animal Crossing fans. While I go in and out of my AC-binges, our very own Wootini has managed to keep up with his town for literally years now. Animal Crossing: City Folk was released in 2008. It's 2012. That's more staying power than even some of the most lauded of big-budget titles on the market. There's just something about doing chores, picking fruit, and ~~fighting the 1%~~ dealing with Tom Nook that is endlessly satisfying.

What a shame, then, that despite spending nearly a year showcasing original video game covers, remixes, and what have yous, finding good Animal Crossing inspired music worth featuring has proved...not so fruitful.

Until today that is! While plenty of Animal Crossing inspired tracks exists, today I managed to find one that stands out from the pack courtesy of this week's featured artist FFmusic Dj.

]]> Real name Haroon Piracha, FFmusic Dj is a sound designer and composer working in the video game industry. Currently based out of Hollywood, CA, the fan turned industry-pro spend his free time remixing tracks from his favorite game series.

Now before you ask: Yes, as FFmusic Dj's name implies he is quite the Final Fantasy fan. And yes, the bulk of his work is more Square-centric, but that doesn't mean he didn't give his bonus Animal Crossing track any less love:

AnimalCrossing - DJKK (FFmusic Dj Mix) by FFmusic Dj

Who doesn't love KK Slider? His unique vocals add an extra layer of geek to this mellow chill-out track and take the song, no doubt enjoyable on its own, to the next level. Non-Animal Crossing fans might furrow their brow at first listen, but just give it a few and let Slider's sound sink into you. Before long I guarantee you'll be youtubing every possible KK remix there is.

So DJKK is the extremely rare, very well done AC remix, but what about the rest of his work? Well I'm happy to report that all of Mr. Paracha's remixes are just as enjoyable. Take, for instance, this eargasmic progressive trance remix of Kingdom Hearts 2's Passion ~after the battle~ by Utada Hikaru. The song makes a complete 180 about halfway through, and the drop at the 4:55 mark actually got me to get up and go, 'whoah!' When you're dealing with a genre that's built on repetition and rhythm, the well timed surprise is always appreciated.

This trance remix of Final Fantasy 7's Cosmo Canyon, a personal favorite tune of mine, is a complete overhaul of the once-tribal track but is far from unrecognizable. And now I've got uncomfortable images of Red XIII glowstick-raving in my head. Thanks, FFmusic Dj, you've turned me into a furry-raver.

Final Fantasy 6's Relm has never sounded more relaxing than in this spectacular chill-out remix:

Of course, being as big a Final Fantasy fan as he is, FFmusic Dj has got plenty more unexpected remixes for fans to enjoy, like this soothing Final Fantasy 7 Under the Ocean chill-out remix. Riding around in that submarine may not have been very calming with Emerald Weapon lurking around, but with this remix I can pretend that it was.

This guy has also done a lot of work with our friends at OCRemix, including an out of this world Chrono Cross Scars of Time remix. I jump at the mere mention of Chrono Cross, but to hear such a fresh take on this classic is a real treat.

For more FFmusic Dj check out his official soundcloud, Last.fm, tumblr, personal blog, and, of course, hit him up on facebook and follow him on twitter.

That wraps it up for this week! Enjoy FFmusic Dj's mixes and I'll catch you all next Friday.