Discussions in the Cleve indiegogo thread made me think about this.
Where do you draw the line in paying for products which are provided by people you dislike? Do those products become "tainted" by their producer? I've divided people into two groups:
1/ People with unpleasant views - eg Cleve Blakemore, possibly Brad Wardell. Cleve's views are well known as being rather "out there" and obnoxious. Brad Wardell has been accused of sexist attitudes in the workplace (and potentially straying into actual harrassment). Does this affect whether you would buy a game from them?
2/ Those who have acted immorally, eg. convicted criminals such as Gary Glitter and Chris Langham. These names may not mean anything to you if you're outside the UK. Gary Glitter was a 1970s pop star specialising in glam rock, who also happens to be a convicted child molester. Chris Langham is a television comedian starring in the political comedy "the Thick of It" who was convicted of child pornography offences. Its very hard to watch clips of these two individuals now without thinking of the acts they perpetrated. Likewise it poses a moral dilemma if, say, you want to buy a Gary Glitter song on iTunes - you may still like "Rock and Roll" but should such a person still be getting royalties?
For me, I think buying from people from group 1 would depend on the views in question, and the degree of association they have with their product. I think Cleve is more likely to earn a "boycott" because of how vocal he is about his views, and the fact that Grimoire is, mostly, a one-man effort. Whereas Fallen Enchantress from Stardock has many more people involved, it is less closely associated with Brad Wardell on his own. There is also the fact that the sexism he is accused of has not been proven yet.
In the second group it is more clear cut - I wouldn't really buy anything from such individuals in general, although if the person involved is extremely repentant and doesn't reoffend, I might reconsider. Its a big problem that you can't enjoy their material without thinking about the offence though, even if you can accept they are now rehabilitated.
Any views?
Where do you draw the line in paying for products which are provided by people you dislike? Do those products become "tainted" by their producer? I've divided people into two groups:
1/ People with unpleasant views - eg Cleve Blakemore, possibly Brad Wardell. Cleve's views are well known as being rather "out there" and obnoxious. Brad Wardell has been accused of sexist attitudes in the workplace (and potentially straying into actual harrassment). Does this affect whether you would buy a game from them?
2/ Those who have acted immorally, eg. convicted criminals such as Gary Glitter and Chris Langham. These names may not mean anything to you if you're outside the UK. Gary Glitter was a 1970s pop star specialising in glam rock, who also happens to be a convicted child molester. Chris Langham is a television comedian starring in the political comedy "the Thick of It" who was convicted of child pornography offences. Its very hard to watch clips of these two individuals now without thinking of the acts they perpetrated. Likewise it poses a moral dilemma if, say, you want to buy a Gary Glitter song on iTunes - you may still like "Rock and Roll" but should such a person still be getting royalties?
For me, I think buying from people from group 1 would depend on the views in question, and the degree of association they have with their product. I think Cleve is more likely to earn a "boycott" because of how vocal he is about his views, and the fact that Grimoire is, mostly, a one-man effort. Whereas Fallen Enchantress from Stardock has many more people involved, it is less closely associated with Brad Wardell on his own. There is also the fact that the sexism he is accused of has not been proven yet.
In the second group it is more clear cut - I wouldn't really buy anything from such individuals in general, although if the person involved is extremely repentant and doesn't reoffend, I might reconsider. Its a big problem that you can't enjoy their material without thinking about the offence though, even if you can accept they are now rehabilitated.
Any views?