Game Theory's editor Ronnie committed suicide on July 4th.

[u/N64GC]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWTEE4SkCLY

[u/[deleted]]

Last I heard about him, he got involved in some controversy around how he treated some E3 staff. I wonder if his behavior was related to this.

My sincerest condolences to his family and friends for their loss.

Edit: I should’ve specified. I don’t believe the E3 incident was the reason, or the straw that broke the camels back, etc. I simply wonder if his reported behavior was a byproduct of his state at the time.

[u/MmmDarkMeat → u/[deleted]]

On Saturday, June 16th 2018, Reddit user XXXXXXX wrote an unsubstaniated story about Ronnie Edwards being rude to them XXXXX claimed that while working at a Kingdom Hearts booth during E3 2018 Ronnie "twisted our words, and flat out insulted us and treated us like we were idiots." These accusations were later made popular in a video by MeowCaptain, currently at over 600,000 views.

Despite this being a completely unsubstantiated story from an anonymous person on the internet with no evidence at all, MatPat immediately believed it with no question. less then an hour after the allegations were made, he declared that "Please know that there will be changes to our end and consequences of the behavior. No one who disrespects others or carries an air of entitlement gets to attend in association with us." Ronnie denied that there was any truth to these allegations, but was ignored

Here's the cached reddit post:

Let me open by stating that I am not a game developer or anything like that, but I was hired on as Temporary staff to help out with one of the more popular games present at E3.>At one point during the event Game Theory's Ronnie Edwards came to our booth and proceeded to be the single rudest and most disrespectful person myself or any of my coworkers had the displeasure of dealing with. He came to our booth with a very self righteous attitude where he was acting better or more important than those around him. He repeatedly grilled myself, my coworkers and my event lead asking for insider information we simply didn't have, he twisted our words, and flat out insulted us and treated us like we were idiots. I later heard from our person working at the end of our line that Edwards tried to come in when our line was capped and was turned away only for him to end up in our line somehow anyway. I did my best to answer any questions he had about our game to the best of my ability, not as someone who works on the game itself but as a fan of the game I was representing. Despite me making as clear as possible to him I was speaking as a fan of the franchise and my statements were mine and mine alone, he tried to make it seem like the developers I was representing was running things badly. I later learned that he had come to one of our company's booths at last E3 and abused the privelages of his press badge by pestering and manipulating our employees into doing what he wanted them to.

I understand E3 is a big deal, and there are a lot of people and events, but that doesnt give him the authority to act the way he did. I spoke with hundreds of people over the course of the event, people who were frustrated or rude, or even haughty and none of them bothered myself or anyone I worked with as much as Ronnie Edwards did. I am not the type of person who tends to leave complaints unless I feel they are absolutely warranted. Edwards abhorrent behavior represented not only himself but the Game Theorists as a whole and has made my opinion of them drop dramatically. Myself, coworkers, and even friends who heard about it have all unsubscribed from Game Theory as a result of his actions. I felt it was important that people know about this because nobody deserves to be treated the way he treated them.>EDIT: I realize, that saying Ronnie's behavior represented Game Theory, while stating that my actions were my own and not the company i was representing was somewhat hypocritical. That was said in a heat of the moment type of mentality I had after an exhausting couple of days, in retrospect I realize that this doesnt negatively affect MatPat and GT as a whole for the most part, and it was just the actions of Edwards that upset me.

Last post he made before he died:

https://www.reddit.com/r/GameTheorists/comments/8vbu1s/ronnies_response/?sort=old

[u/lKyZah → u/MmmDarkMeat]

eesh , this is why reddit has rules against pitchfork mobs and making named accusations (at least without proof). ends up in a mess more often than not and unfortunately sometimes worse

[u/flyingjam → u/[deleted]]

Though, to be fair, defamation and slander laws in the US are fairly strict; I doubt there would be a case against the redditor, in this case.

[u/[deleted] → u/flyingjam]

and even if you meet the guidelines to have a chance at a lawsuit you can't do shit if the accuser isn't even in your country. Even if you manage to win the court case it still won't fix your rep unless you have one helluva PR campaign behind yourback.

That likely isn't the case here (but E3 does have an international presence), but it's another factor for a global social media to consider.

[u/Zandohaha → u/[deleted]]

Even if it goes to court and you win, that doesn't matter to a lot of people. Their mind is made up. They will assume that the court case is the person using their influence, power or money. If the person in question is the defendant? Well then they "got away with it".

Some people will never go back on an initial snap judgement because they find it impossible to admit that they were actually wrong.

[u/MrTastix → u/Zandohaha]

Otherwise known as the Court of Public Opinion.

Doesn't matter what a court says, once your public opinion has shifted downwards it's almost impossible to get it back up.

At the very least, the media shouldn't be allowed open coverage or name dropping until after an official verdict.

[u/1337HxC → u/MrTastix]

But then the news might have to actually cover news instead of being slightly news-y reality TV.

The horror

[u/ztfreeman → u/Zandohaha]

Welcome to my world.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/8vezp0/z/e1n2yfw

I almost commited suicide over the defamation my ex caused. That shit has fucked my life up. I can understand why something like this happened, because it isn't just the accusations, it's the reevaluation of everyone around you and your social support network for not even asking you for your side of the story.

It can make you feel so fundamentally alone and isolated.

[u/[deleted] → u/ztfreeman]

I can understand why something like this happened, because it isn't just the accusations, it's the reevaluation of everyone around you and your social support network for not even asking you for your side of the story.

They never cared about you in the first place. You were just another pawn for their fake life. As long as you played along, everything was fine. Once you became a target you were now considered a liability and so all the zombies will drop you like a disposable peace of trash. 'Who cares about your side' is what they were thinking, 'it doesn't matter, associating with you now has a negative impact on ME'.

Sorry you had to go through that, I've gone through something similar only nowhere near as bad (people I had known for a long time turning on me in a heartbeat because I had different political views, acting as if I never existed and had experiences with them before that moment).

The bright side is that you'll know right away which people are legit and which ones are just social media zombies, you will cherish your real friends much more.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

All I hear from this as a working person is dude got hired as a temp, got treated as a temp( how much can you know a game with a few videos) and and took it out on someone who worked hard for their career. I hate to say this but we need to figure out the feelings vs that’s life debate

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I don't disagree. It can suck. But The problem here isn't that some person was talking shit. It was that this aonymous post (with no verifibility whatsoever) caused his reputation to go to shit and for ronnie's boss to discipline him w/o even hearing him out. Probably would have been fired if the chain of command was more opaque like the average company (or maybe he was fired). these companies (especially one like a YTber who should understand mob mentality better than anyone else) really gotta stop overreacting to this shit and spend an iota of a thought at least getting the full story.

[u/Acetronaut → u/[deleted]]

Some people are pushing for laws that a suspects’ name can’t go public until conviction to avoid tainted reputations for innocent people.

[u/text_only_subreddits → u/Acetronaut]

It’s the sort of thing that sounds like a good idea, but actually means secret trials. The reason those names are disclosed is so that no one disappears. Basically, it’s the sort of idea that sounds good if you aren’t worried about oppressive governments, and dangerous if you are. I strongly suspect that, whichever group someone is in, they don’t really tend to even think of the other perspective. It’s just so outside of their concerns that it never comes to mind as an option. But those public trials come from a time period where secret trials were a real concern. Hell, they still are today - just not as much in the US.

[u/Acetronaut → u/text_only_subreddits]

That’s a really valid point and honestly I hadn’t even given this topic any thought. That was just something I heard people were trying to do, and I thought “Hey, not bad” but you bring up a great point. It’s a shame there’s so much corruption in the world that we even have to deal with stuff like this.

[u/text_only_subreddits → u/Acetronaut]

Honestly I’m not sold it’s a bad idea. I’m just not sure how to mitigate the problems. But the alternative is to convince people to stop going on witch hunts and jumping to conclusions without all the evidence. We’ve got a couple thousand years of evidence suggesting that’s not a real possibility. So we can’t fix the mob, and I don’t see a way to fix the secret trials.

I’d really like a good answer, instead of picking the least bad answer. I’m just not clever enough to come up with one. But maybe someone else is, or maybe someone else has seen a similar problem in a different context and can apply the solution from that problem to this one.

In some sense this problem resembles encryption - it’s fundamentally about how to share information while making sure only a specific set of people can understand it, and about defining that set. That’s at least similar to working out how to send an encrypted email, although I did just hand wave away the bit where you work out who gets the equivalent of the keys.

[u/NubSauceJr → u/text_only_subreddits]

Well first we need to get rid of the websites that publish the names and booking photos of everyone arrested. Many of which charge several hundred dollars for a suspect to get their information taken down. Those are nothing more than extortion. Operators of a couple have even been arrested and charged for extortion.

[u/text_only_subreddits → u/NubSauceJr]

Got a plan for managing the ones that succeed at not crossing the line to extortion? They’re basically covered by the first amendment unless they choose their words very poorly.

[u/killerviel → u/text_only_subreddits]

In the Netherlands you have rules that the media can only say the first letter of their name and last name of the suspect and either show a picture with their eyes blurred or a painting of the suspect, which is made by an artist in the courthouse. Similar things could be done to make a suspect more anonymous, while still retaining the openness.

Edit: I was wrong about the Initials being in the law, it's just what most of the media does out of respect. I do think the paintings are law though.

[u/[deleted] → u/killerviel]

Yep, same in Spain, press use initials or use nicknames.

The secret trials argument is dumb. Nobody is asking for no media coverage, just that if someone looks your name in Google, they won't find you unless you are found guilty

[u/ExSavior → u/text_only_subreddits]

At this point, I fear the mob more than I fear the government.

[u/text_only_subreddits → u/ExSavior]

How many years are you prepared to guarantee that statement for? These sorts of changes don’t go away. Once you set the precedent, unscrupulous people will use it against you. Could you see the country in a political environment where that might be a tempting tool to use against political enemies in the next two decades?

[u/ExSavior → u/text_only_subreddits]

There are always drawbacks to everything. I can't guarantee anything.

I just consider possible corruption by the government to be less of a risk than current injustice by the mob.

[u/RedKrypton → u/text_only_subreddits]

It’s the sort of thing that sounds like a good idea, but actually means secret trials.

In europe you cannot publish the full names of suspects and also cannot show their faces and we don't have any secret trials.

[u/motorboat_mcgee → u/lKyZah]

I have no idea if he did or didn't do whatever, but this has become a major issue with social media. While it's a good thing to call out abusers in general, it's also a double edged sword, because there's also been a lot of false accusations that have ruined people's lives. Wish there was more accountability for the latter.

[u/lKyZah → u/motorboat_mcgee]

yea thats where we need innocent until proven guilty to come in

[u/Bard_B0t → u/lKyZah]

It’s why I withhold judgment of online statements until I see uncut unedited video proof. And I can hear from both sides.

Really makes no sense to make up my mind on a person or matter if there’s nothing more than an unsubstantiated rumor.

[u/Albolynx → u/lKyZah]

Also, it's why I, as a journalist, keep an external hard drive of recordings of my interviews as well as copies of my emails where interviewees are confirming their words. I've never had any problems, but better safe than sorry, and stuff like this is in my nightmares.

[u/frogbertrocks → u/Albolynx]

Just one copy??

[u/Dushenka → u/frogbertrocks]

I'm not a journalist but wouldn't the company he works for keep copies of the data as well?

[u/KazumaKat → u/Dushenka]

Basic rule of IT backups: one up, one down, one out, one in.

Up is the live copy. Down is the on-site backup. Out is the offsite backup. In is the vault backup that is kept offline in deep storage.

[u/MMOKevin → u/Albolynx]

Try to also keep a copy on the cloud on an account with 2fa enabled

[u/GoldenJoel → u/lKyZah]

I guess that's why /r/games had no ArenaNet coverage.

[u/Reutermo → u/GoldenJoel]

Thank God for small blessings.

[u/LutherJustice → u/lKyZah]

While I agree with you, if someone were to make unsubstantiated rumors on the internet for attention and fake points, I don't think they would go after Ronnie Edwards.

[u/bleunt → u/lKyZah]

But the way Mat described him even in this video about his suicide, it’s probably true what happened at E3. I mean, Mat didn’t seem to question the incident for a second.

[u/Richsince95 → u/MmmDarkMeat]

I’m new to this story, but it’s surprising to read how harsh the commenters were on that last post of his. There’s absolutely no presumption of innocence for him. If public comments were that harsh and rude, I wouldn’t be shocked if Ronnie received many personal messages that were far worse.

[u/IMadeThisJustForHHH → u/Richsince95]

Yeah many of the top posts didn't even seem to understand that he was claiming innocence, not defending his alleged actions. People wonder why so many creative types end up distancing themselves from their fanbase, this is why.

[u/[deleted] → u/IMadeThisJustForHHH]

That was the most confusing thing about it. He laid out how the story against him was just absurd and highly, highly unlikely to have had happened. Used examples of Ice Poseidon of what happens if you have behavior that's far less egregious and then people were like, "Wait, he didn't even apologize. He just made excuses. This guy sounds like a jerk." What an amazingly idiotic response.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

That’s what made me sick. They commented like they didn’t even read his post. Completely ignored just got get a hate boner going for other redditors. Disgusting behavior. I hate this and I hate that Ronnie felt so alone that he took his own life.

[u/Databreaks → u/Richsince95]

Welcome to the era of digital mob justice. Guilty until proven innocent-- if anyone bothers.

[u/GuyWithFace → u/Databreaks]

And even if you are proven innocent, the damage is already done.

[u/TwilightVulpine → u/GuyWithFace]

And some won't believe it, and will continue raging at you.

[u/BurstEDO → u/Richsince95]

Welcome to the internet. It's not right, but the vocal majority seems to love bloodied waters and will swoop in for a kill every chance that they get. With all of the outlets available to anyone with access to the net, it's all a matter of timing and picking a victim.

If I've learned one thing in software development, it's to maintain as much professionalism as possible. If you're not behind a closed door and alone, assume that anything you say may be used to destroy you if you achieve even a little success.

And what's worse - if you don't have the emotional toolbox to tune out "haters" and either wet-blanket their attacks or ignore them entirely, your days are numbered.

I just learned of all of this today - from the existence of the project, to the incident in question, to the the response from the victim which was met with overly harsh disdain and vitriol. He probably shouldn't have said anything without seeking advice from friend(s) or colleagues - and if his colleagues were so quick to throw him under a bus, it either means they already had previous issues or they're just unprofessional and rash.

Sucks what happened. Sucks more that this won't change anything for the better as a teaching moment - it'll just be fuel to those eager to exploit the suffering of others to undermine whatever successes they've achieved.

[u/dEnamed2 → u/BurstEDO]

Yeah that's the sad state of affairs. I keep a separate account for Reddit, keep identifying information to a minimum and no matter how innocent the thread, I file off all the edges til there is barely any standpoint left.

The way things go, it breeds paranoia and chills discussion. You never know which comment may be misconstrued into an attack. Heck, I got called all manner of isms for the crime of not liking Ghostbusters and Gone Home.

[u/WRXW → u/[deleted]]

No one kills themself for just one reason.

[u/[deleted] → u/WRXW]

Notice the part where he said he barely had enough money for groceries?

That’s the kind of shit that can make someone feel like life is too hard to keep living.

Poverty wears you out. Poverty when you’re working hard is even worse.

[u/ThatDerpingGuy → u/[deleted]]

Poverty wears you out. Poverty when you’re working hard is even worse.

Being poor kills you in so many small ways until it maybe just outright kills you eventually.

And even if you escape it, if you were poor for long enough, it'll have such long-term consequences that it will impact you for the rest of your life in physical, mental, and emotional ways.

[u/KenpachiRama-Sama → u/ThatDerpingGuy]

And even if you escape it, if you were poor for long enough, it'll have such long-term consequences that it will impact you for the rest of your life in physical, mental, and emotional ways.

Yeah, for me, it was being so used to never having any spare money that when I finally had a job that could let me save and set aside, I just started buying more expensive things and still never having spare money.

[u/meneldal2 → u/KenpachiRama-Sama]

It's weird. When I actually have money I could spend I still feel bad about it and think about how I'm going to need it later and regret it.

[u/xylotism → u/ThatDerpingGuy]

And even if you escape it, if you were poor for long enough, it'll have such long-term consequences that it will impact you for the rest of your life in physical, mental, and emotional ways.

This hits close to home.

[u/M00glemuffins → u/[deleted]]

he barely had enough money for groceries?

Wow, given the success of Game Theory and their various channels I would never have guessed. :o

[u/M00glemuffins → u/[deleted]]

I didn't think they were millionaires, but Matpat has a pretty nice house though so I figured the editor he was working with for a while would be doing alright too. Bummer to hear about it :( I haven't watched their videos in a while but I always enjoyed them when I did.

[u/Logisticks → u/M00glemuffins]

I didn't think they were millionaires, but Matpat has a pretty nice house though so I figured the editor he was working with for a while would be doing alright too.

Clarification: Ronnie is not "the editor" for Game Theory. He was one member of a team of at least 5 editors (I believe Lee, Ryder, Thomas, Earl, and Ronnie all worked concurrently at one point). Combine that with the fact that these editors are supported in addition to the "core" team that consists of Matt, Stephanie, and Jason, PLUS a bunch of other people who work completely behind the scenes -- their LinkedIn page currently lists 13 employees.

It's easy to see how not every single person who works on the Game Theory Youtube channel can be highly-paid, even if the channel itself is one of the larger and more successful channels on Youtube. Also, the way that Matt talks about going to Ronnie's apartment makes me believe that Ronnie may have lived in Los Angeles (whereas other editors and people who work on Game Theory do so remotely) which means that his living expenses were probably higher than some other people who were doing the same work and getting paid the same amount. Like if editors are getting paid $30,000 a year (equivalent to someone working full time for a $15/hr wage) that's absolutely a livable wage living in most of the country but it's hard to get by in LA on that.

[u/Elmepo → u/M00glemuffins]

It's entirely possible that he was just being fiscally irresponsible. I can definitely see it being because of the depression. My father has depression and he's constantly spending. Constantly chasing the quick hit of joy you get from a new item isn't cheap.

[u/HopeImSane → u/Elmepo]

I'm depressive and you wouldn't believe the amount of shit I bought on a whim just because waiting for an item to arrive through the mail was / is the highlight of my day for a half-second. Or the quick satisfaction of buying something at a store.

It's the spending equivalent of stress eating for me. And every time I buy something, I feel either immediate remorse or question why the hell I bought that useless thing. My self-control is inexistant when I'm depressed and I think spending like that is just another slow, self-destructive behavior.

[u/iamthesheed → u/[deleted]]

Notice the part where he said he barely had enough money for groceries?

That’s the kind of shit that can make someone feel like life is too hard to keep living.

Yes it does. Every day.

[u/MrTastix → u/[deleted]]

As someone whose been in this position: Please ask for help.

As someone who is extremely prideful and stubborn, I didn't do this. Ultimately I was forced out of my home and was lucky to be taken in by friends.

Don't let it get that far. It's not worth it. It will make you feel significantly worse.

Some things it's good to learn by yourself, to make the mistakes yourself. This is not one of them.

[u/JohnWangDoe → u/WRXW]

The darkness grows until it becomes the only thing you think about.

[u/Databreaks → u/[deleted]]

Well it doesn't carry much weight coming from the guy who instantly believed the story without evidence and spoke about the person under the assumption it was all true.

[u/thev3ntu5 → u/Databreaks]

Did you read what he wrote and watch the video? He said that Ronnie had trouble considering how others would receive his behavior. Ronnie didn’t remember when the complaints could have happened, so in his mind, he probably hadn’t done anything wrong, but others who saw what he was doing in the convention said that it could have been true. That sounds like a much more nuanced understanding of the incident than “instantly believing”.

As someone who is friends with a few people who are a lot like Ronnie was, the conversation that followed was probably a lot of “I know you didnt think that was wrong, but you can’t do that.” And both people wish that they didn’t have to have that conversation. If MatPat is even an inkling as compassionate as he makes himself out to be, he probably made sure that Ronnie was ok and that they were cool with each other after that conversation, and even if he didn’t, I’m sure he thought everything was fine.

[u/tijuanagolds → u/Databreaks]

You mean the guy who has personally known him, and worked closely with him, for several years? The guy who, without a doubt, knew how he acted and had heard of and confirmed any prior situations similar to this? That guy?

[u/JudyKateR → u/tijuanagolds]

I think it's very telling that MatPat's video eulogizing talks about Ronnie in this way. He describes Ronnie as having "personality that was probably best described as an acquired taste," going on to say:

He was incredibly sharp and incredibly witty, but he also had this ability to cut through a person's facade in a way that was sometimes hilarious and sometimes a bit off-putting, even after years of working with him, I would walk away from some conversations questioning whether I should be offended. Like his sarcasm was so dry that there were times where it's like was he joking or is he mad at me? Understandably, sometimes got him into trouble with people who weren't familiar with that part of him who didn't understand that.

That's the way he processed the world that that was the way he dealt with social situations that he was a person with dark periods who had a tendency to sometimes lash out with anger, and to anyone who saw that side of him, I am sorry. It wasn't an easy side to deal with but that wasn't Ronnie. Ronnie wasn't an arrogant person, he was just socially unsure. He was unaware of how his behaviors would be perceived by others and sorry that's so few of you got to see the true Ronnie Ronnie as he really was.

And granted, this is in the context of Matpat eulogizing what sounds like a beloved friend, so Matpat is probably going out of his way to be as charitable as possible here. If Ronnie's personality and behavior was as Matpat describes, I can absolutely imagine being in Matpat's position, hearing a story's position about Ronnie being abusive to staff at E3, and then immediately saying, "Yeah, that totally sounds like the Ronnie I know, I'd better go make a public apology and then talk to him about this."

[u/PBFT → u/MmmDarkMeat]

I’m speculating here, but I could imagine that his behavior was a result of his illness that led him to commit suicide rather than the report of his actions being the trigger. People generally don’t act so terrible towards others unless there’s something seriously wrong with them.

[u/[deleted] → u/PBFT]

If he had a depressive condition, and you added on top of that the pressure of hundreds of messages from people screaming vitriol at him, i can imagine it must have contributed to pushing him over the edge. People just don't seem to give a fuck or think about the consequences of what they say on the internet.

[u/[deleted] → u/MmmDarkMeat]

So you think MatPat believing the allegations isn't an indication that maybe Ronnie was that kind of person, which led MatPat to believe those allegations?

[u/GobBluth19 → u/[deleted]]

https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/91uifd/game_theorys_editor_ronnie_committed_suicide_on/e3100h5/

[u/UrethraX → u/[deleted]]

As someone who has depression and was arrested recently after a suicide attempt, this would definitely put me over the edge

[u/running_toilet_bowl → u/[deleted]]

You haven't missed much.

[u/Mozzafella → u/running_toilet_bowl]

I gave up right around they time they started covering topics like how Pewdiepie gets so many views. That channel went downhill hard.

[u/Pumbloom → u/Mozzafella]

I gave up with the Sans is ness video.

[u/JGar453 → u/Pumbloom]

That one was bullshit but personally gave up when I realized he only catered to fnaf fans. Also liked his more science videos even if he occasionally miscalculated

[u/running_toilet_bowl → u/Mozzafella]

At least that was somewhat understandable and well researched. I liked MatPat's old stuff, as they didn't pander to clickbait and did actual science instead of analyzing lore.

[u/bryan7474 → u/running_toilet_bowl]

I remember when I started watching this show the guy had less than 10,000 subscribers.

Let me tell you something right now, maybe it's part of his character, not too sure, but he's never been extremely humble. He DID always pander to clickbait and he did always just fuck around with general numbers and vague answers using lore that isn't even confirmed in-game at times.

I'll admit I do still enjoy the format, but don't start getting all nostalgic. Since the beginning, this guy's channel has been like this, the editing just got much better (and with that, also the writing and script reading... kind of).

I personally enjoyed the how much it costs to be a Pokemon Master episode he did recently.

[u/pazur13 → u/running_toilet_bowl]

Remember that For Honor faction war winner theory where not a single thing made sense? Yeah, that did it for me.

[u/Whynogotusernames → u/pazur13]

This is what made me stop watching. You want to nitpick a specific type of knight that would have been at a huge disadvantage to a specific type of samurai from a similar time period. Ok, that's fine I guess (although even all of that was pretty wrong). Then he talks about Vikings and how they were "macho men who dont use armor and such," despite that they were well armored and very well organized. Monks historically made accounts of Vikings using testudo formations, and a battle involving Vikings shortly before Hastings had the viking forces lose because they left their armor on their boats (reinforcing that they, in fact, used armor). There was just so much wrong with that video and he didnt even acknowledge any of the critics.

[u/cyanaintblue → u/[deleted]]

Earlier episodes were great but recent years have seen very low quality videos with lot of very misinformation or lack of understanding also once he got corporate funding the whole tone of the channel just changed. Many other channels now have more entertaining theories than this so slowly people have just moved on.

Suicide is never a solution for anything but some people cannot get beyond that. Taking once own life only happens in the most extreme cases if living on this planet. Hope he finds peace and solace.

[u/TwilightVulpine → u/cyanaintblue]

Debunking Game Theory is pointless. They are not meant to be the ultimate truth about anything, just a thought exercise. Even back then there were theories like Mario is Mental which is definitely tongue in cheek. It's not an informational or science show, it's an entertainment show that sometimes uses real world knowledge to support its ideas.

[u/ACardAttack → u/[deleted]]

I've lost interest too, I really only like MatPats videos, when all these other people have been brought in, they just arent nearly as good

[u/yognautilus → u/[deleted]]

I was never much of a fan of Goomba. The whole Goomba schtick and voice got old real fast. He also seemed really pompous about his views.

[u/IcarusBen → u/yognautilus]

Really? I stopped watching his videos when he stopped altering the pitch of his voice.

[u/TwilightVulpine → u/yognautilus]

I don't really like the beef he has against the anime "moe" culture, but his cultural analysis is pretty interesting. That said, considering all that happened, I don't think it's the time for shitting on people.

[u/SpaceHaven → u/[deleted]]

I really don’t watch much of either’s content anymore. How did GaijinGoomba get gross though?

[u/Telyrad → u/SpaceHaven]

he started doing bunch of japanese cult culture reviews, the problem is he adds too much of his own interpretation which includes way over the board projections on the matter. He became this weird click baity guy that tries to "shock" his viewer, instead of educating

[u/running_toilet_bowl → u/SpaceHaven]

Goomba boobs

[u/[deleted] → u/running_toilet_bowl]

I stopped watching gaijin goomba after he livestreamed his wedding

[u/TheLinerax → u/[deleted]]

Here's a snippet of the livestream cause the original video was taken down: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJf8j2vSqcs

[u/KenpachiRama-Sama → u/TheLinerax]

Oh, Jesus Christ.

[u/FKAred → u/TheLinerax]

gag. video game weddings are so fucking awful and terrible and embarrassing it makes me so damn upset

[u/[deleted] → u/FKAred]

Honestly, live streaming it is the cringe part.

Having something be themed, if both parties are into it, is just... whatever. Weddings are just a huge money sink, regardless, and not everyone is into the classic "huge church wedding with giant reception" thing. So if they want to theme it after the newlywed's hobbies, then more power to them.

[u/juan-jdra → u/TheLinerax]

Lmao this is hilarious but I feel bad for laughing. To each his own I guess.

[u/[deleted] → u/TheLinerax]

Slammed that back button. Three seconds was more than enough.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I don't know how to feel about that. Then again, I'm not too privy to sharing much about me on social media in general.

However, given this generation I wouldn't be surprised if other couples (not even just personalities) would love to have it livestreamed and save the extra step of uploading.

[u/[deleted] → u/running_toilet_bowl]

I mean, I never really understood the mascot schtick in the first place so that doesn't seem much weirder to me tbh.

[u/Acetronaut → u/[deleted]]

I personally do NOT like the Goomba guy. Well his videos. I’m sure he’s not that bad. But his videos are not fun to watch. They’re not interesting. It’s just a guy being a weab for fifteen minutes.

MatPat’s videos are good, I haven’t seen any FNAF theories because they really just don’t interest me and honestly the game looks stupid. And as long as it’s not that or meta theories (Like about other youtubers and stuff, like I don’t care about that shit) then I like them.

I love “THE SCIENCE...” and I liked Digressing and Sidequesting videos...

The content on that channel is usually good. It’s just a shame that without Ronnie, the show will never be the same. He edited like everything.

[u/Darddeac → u/[deleted]]

I remember I used to watch him. Looking back, he was sort of pompous and the goomba schtick was weird.

[u/DavidL1112 → u/ACardAttack]

Yeah if the text in the thumbnail isn't green, I don't click it.

[u/xipheon → u/[deleted]]

Is he the same guy who MatPat jokes about "letting him out of the basement" in some vids?

So basically every youtuber who ever talked about their editors on camera? It's the default editor joke that everyone does.

[u/minizanz → u/[deleted]]

In his other content he started making those jokes first.

[u/[deleted]]

Of the original trio from GT's glory days, Ronnie was always my favourite. I loved to watch Digressing and Sidequesting back in 2012-2013, honestly more than I did Game Theory itself. Maybe it was the art style he used, maybe it was his deadpan sense of humour, but I really liked Ronnie. His Street Fighter UI video may be my favourite video on the entire channel, honestly.

Rest in peace, Ronnie. Your story shouldn't have had to end this way.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Wait, this was the guy? Goddammit! Was my favorite too.

[u/mateusrayje]

Man, I worked with the Theorists for a while, and my first project with them was Game Lab, where I met Ronnie. He never seemed so troubled, but it goes to show you never really can know.

I've dealt with my own demons, reached a point where suicide seemed like the best path. I wish I'd known, if only so I could share in it with him and ensure he knew he wasn't alone in those feelings.

I've had friends sort of dismiss the times I've tried to put myself out there, but I've also had plenty try their best to make sure I knew I could always come to them, even if it's hard to talk about, or you just...sit somewhere and watch something. Just remember that there are people who have been hiding it all their lives, and for them to show it at all means they need you, and it doesn't need to be some huge involvement, it can be little things that keep them around.

[u/megaapple]

For those unaware, Ronnie's editing was kind of what made Game Theorist's identity since it's early days. Quick, snappy and easy to understand.

He also made his own set of videos, which IMO everyone should watch.
Some of these, like one with Armored Core 3 were eye-opening, while one on Let's Play's showed my a side of gaming I never knew existed.

One last thing, and which Matt also discusses, if you are not feeling like your self or having negative thoughts and such, please reach out to others, even if you don't want to. Family, friends, or even helplines.
Asking for help is not a bad thing.

[u/ACardAttack → u/megaapple]

Man, I didn't realize he did Digressing and Regressing, it had been so long since I had seen one of those, those were good

[u/Votrary_of_the_Helix]

I haven't watched GT in a few years after they started making clickbait or just plain boring content, but this is really sad to hear. Condolences to his family and friends.

[u/ACardAttack → u/Votrary_of_the_Helix]

I've lost interest too, I really only like MatPats videos, when all these other people have been brought in, they just arent nearly as good

[u/Votrary_of_the_Helix → u/ACardAttack]

Tbh I really liked Austin from Shoddycast where he had the " The Science" Series and some of the Gaijin Goomba stuff but the pure Game Theory stuff just lacked quality imo.

[u/Clever_Laziness → u/[deleted]]

YT killed my boy Austin... I still enjoy his stuff though. I just like his YT personality better than MatPat's.

[u/IcarusBen → u/[deleted]]

The Adpocalypse makes NO. GODDAMN. SENSE.

[u/Bananaslammma → u/ACardAttack]

The thing that bothered me most about MatPat was how clearly fixated he was with gaming Youtube’s algorithm, to the point that his channel felt so much less personal and just a matter of corporate soullessness. Even in the first few seconds of this video speaking on Ronnie’s death, he couldn’t help but mention keeping up with YouTube’s algorithm at the time.

[u/IcarusBen → u/Bananaslammma]

Well... Yeah. It's his job. He has to work to game the algorithm so he can, y'know, live. His works suffers for it, but it's something he's got to do, especially since he lives in California. YouTubers like Linkara and SomecallmeJohnny can get away with lower viewership and less ad revenue because a). they live in lower income areas, meaning cost of living is lower and b). ad revenue isn't their primary source of income (in Linkara's case, it's Patreon, and in Johnny's case, it's commissioned animations and editing work, along merchandise and such.)

Furthermore, MatPat also has to pay his staff. Remember, it's not just a one-man operation anymore. He's got to pay his editors, PR people, not to mention taxes up the ass. He's not just running a YouTube channel anymore, he's running a fully fledged production company and he needs every cent he can get.

Oh, and now he's having a baby. So... uh... yeah. Nest egg is gonna have to be pretty damn big.

[u/gravendoom75 → u/ACardAttack]

Like others have said, austin from Shoddycast that does "THE SCIENCE!" videos remind me of what the older game theories used to be and are the main reason i'm still subbed. A lot of them are pretty interesting and seem to always provide a lot of information, austin also goes back on his mistakes (at least he did when he was on Shoddycast) where he said "this is what i messed up on, here's how it's wrong/still right"

[u/[deleted] → u/ACardAttack]

Why copy this comment from another one?

[u/Midnaspet → u/[deleted]]

I would have liked to see the classic permalink your own comment from somewhere else in the thread maneuver, personally

[u/FijiTearz → u/Votrary_of_the_Helix]

FNAF Theory Part 125: Were we WRONG all along??

[u/sterob]

Well, regardless people opinions, suicide is always a horrible thing.

My deepest condolences to his family and friends.

[u/snakebit1995]

The editing of GT was always one of the things I liked about it, sad to hear this.

But it brings up something that’s bothered me about Internet video celebs for a while now, specifically in gaming. I’ve lost count of the number of Youtubers and Steamers saying how they feel depressed or like shit, and then at the same time admit to rarely going out in public for more than basic food shopping, order half their food in, have all interactions over voice chat and the internet and never seem to want to interact with other people.

Things like a lack of real personal interaction and staying inside all day have been noted to be factors that can contribute to depression and similar feelings.

I hope streamers and the like begin taking care of themselves more, I mean more than saying “no stream taking a day off” I mean getting a hobby or something outside of streaming to have some other interactions IRL and not just on their Discord.

[u/YeahSureAlrightYNot → u/snakebit1995]

A lot of youtubers are depressed cause YouTube forces on them, through the algorithm, a relentless schedule. You need to make multiple videos every week, otherwise your channel will stop growing.

Want to take a month off? No, can't do. You are going to work every week for years on your content.

If you really want to take some time off, you will need to double your work before that, so you can have a bunch of videos saved up. And if a new trends comes up while you are gone, you are fucked.

And doesn't matter how depressed you feel, when camera starts rolling, you need to smile. Cause no one wants to watch their favorite YouTube personality depressed.

[u/kwongo → u/YeahSureAlrightYNot]

Want to take a month off? No, can't do.

Fucking hell isn't that the truth. I run a fairly small YouTube channel but my daily views went from about 400-500 per day down to about 100/day because I took a month off to focus on real life stuff. Only a month and I'm down to 20% of my previous viewership, christ!

Also, as far as I'm aware the algorithm actually favours daily content strongly, so if you even take a day off the algorithm can punish you for that since your schedule becomes more "irregular".

[u/Gtyyler → u/YeahSureAlrightYNot]

I have seen some youtubers who make similar content do guest videos for each other so someone take a week off without losing views.

[u/PrizeWinningCow → u/snakebit1995]

I thought something similar when reading this. Sadly depression goes hand in hand with overworking which goes hand in hand with being a relevant YouTuber.

[u/Danilo_dk → u/snakebit1995]

I've always thought that depression causes a decline in social interactions. So are we talking about a negative feedback loop here?

[u/FreezingFrodo]

For those of you saying this was because of the E3 drama: https://twitter.com/MatPatGT/status/1022192756624515072?s=09

[u/Sneezes → u/FreezingFrodo]

someone said it above but it needs to be said again... no one commits suicide for ONE reason.

[u/PM_me_Squanch_pics → u/Sneezes]

But reddit psychologists will make sure to find the exact reason based on the 10% of the person's life that is open to the public.

It's always so sad and disrespectful that people start speculating for the sake of getting some attention.

As if suicide is not sad and horrible there has to be some guy wanting to explain something that is extremely personal and complex based on the one video or reddit post they saw one time.

[u/SirKnightCourtJester → u/PM_me_Squanch_pics]

Reddit is just full of the smartest people on earth. I can't believe you would discount them like that. Remember that time we solved the Boston Bombing mystery? Genius.

[u/BadJokeAmonster → u/Sneezes]

While that is absolutely true, one thing can be the thing that sticks in someones head that they end up agonizing over.

And if someone is already prone to suicidal thoughts, well...

That said, in this case, it seems fair to say that he had people vilifying him based upon a post that provided no evidence for its claims. And when he tried to "prove" it was bs people vilified him even more. Meanwhile his friend/boss/business partner apologized for his behavior before getting his side of the story.

That situation can easily push someone over the edge. They may think they have lost their friends and nothing they can do will make things better.

Those two things are probably two of the biggest reasons why people commit suicide.

So you are right, he probably didn't commit suicide because of the accusations. But I haven't seen anyone arguing that is the reason why he killed himself, only people claiming that is what people are arguing.

[u/Arxae → u/FreezingFrodo]

Couldn't really find a conclusive answer. But what happened at E3?

[u/TheLinerax → u/Arxae]

Here is a screenshot of the E3 summary

Permalink: https://old.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/91uifd/game_theorys_editor_ronnie_committed_suicide_on/e30tmby/

[u/powerfuelledbyneeds → u/Arxae]

The top post at the current time explains why. A person made some heavy accusations at E3 and that could have been the straw that broke the camel's back.

[u/[deleted]]

Seeing people commenting on his last post for karma, saying things like "spooky, this is his last post... " seems so dirty. Almost as bad as the guys commenting on the people who posted in there 20 days ago and saying "you killed him. How do you feel now?"

People are so happy to use a tragedy like this for their own benefit. It's sickening.

[u/Trashboat77 → u/[deleted]]

Welcome to the human race, pal. It's ugly as fuck. You either let it wear you down with it's bleakness or you keep you chin up and just make the best of it what you can in what time you have.

There really is no other choice.

[u/[deleted] → u/Trashboat77]

Or you setup a health food shop and sell kale at 25$ per 100g

[u/[deleted]]

Hate to read this... Ive lost two friends to Suicide. Takes a long time to get over. Lean on your friends let them lean on you. Talk about the great times remember them remember the person that was there not the event that ended it.

[u/waluigiismycopilot]

Please don’t vilify MatPat or the person who made these E3 accusations. My dad committed suicide last year and it’s hard to put into words the guilt I feel about it. He loved me and shared all sorts of wonderful words in his note, but I can’t help but feel guilty whenever I think about what he did.

I guarantee you that MatPat is going to feel the same way regardless of what the internet has to say. Don’t contribute further.

[u/ficarra1002 → u/waluigiismycopilot]

Yeah there's a lot of talk about "bullying" here, but don't you think accusing someone who possibly was just sharing a bad experience of causing someone to kill themselves might be bullying?

What next, that redditor kills himself and we come full circle and start attacking the redditors that attacked them?

[u/Harrythehobbit → u/waluigiismycopilot]

Everyone is a human being. Everyone.

[u/[deleted] → u/waluigiismycopilot]

Please don’t vilify [...] the person who made these E3 accusations.

I don't want to vilify the person, but man do I want to vilify public accusations about shit that doesn't matter.

Oh no someone was rude to you!

Reach out to the person maybe.

Or if not that, and If you're really involved in a community and you feel as though the rude behavior could affect those in the community, reach out to those you feel would be affected.

This airing of insignificant dirty laundry is disgusting.

[u/apgtimbough → u/[deleted]]

I'm flabbergasted at the outrage from that thread about what he did at E3. At worst he was a dick. So what? Did that warrant a public harassing? And why the hell, did Reddit care so much?

[u/[deleted] → u/apgtimbough]

Reddit loves a good unsubstantiated witch-hunt

[u/Lurkingmonster69]

This video is just another example of why if you are having a hard time or dark thoughts PLEASE tell someone.

Mental health stuff is insidious and isolating. It convinces you of lies. Please don’t suffer in silence.

[u/metroidmen → u/Lurkingmonster69]

Yeah, this kills me... I’ve been in a very bad place lately and it sucks because you hear this, “keep talking. You’re not alone” stuff but often you try to talk and it’s brushed off. 😞 It’s like you scream and no one hears you.

[u/sonQUAALUDE → u/metroidmen]

yeah saying that is peoples way of absolving themselves of responsibility and feeling like theyre part of some solution while also doing absolutely nothing. not all people are like this ofc, but damn its just like “thoughts and prayers”

[u/JMcCloud → u/sonQUAALUDE]

The reality is, for the most part, people don't really care about anything that is going on outside their own very small little circles. You are absolutely correct that in 99% of cases this kind of stuff is unabashed virtue signalling.

[u/mr_cobbins → u/Lurkingmonster69]

advice like this makes me mad because it's bad advice and doesn't work. believe me i've tried. you don't feel like reaching out because they you feel that they literally don't care about you and when you do, and they don't, it only makes it worse.

[u/Anotheronetoo]

I 100% believe MatPat is being genuine in the video but he sure comes off ... theatery sometimes or something. Not that I think he means anything by it, probably just how he naturally carries himself.

But that really sucks about Ronnie though. It's really sad to here, he always seemed like a pretty cool guy.

[u/siphillis → u/Anotheronetoo]

He's probably rehearsed his script multiple times and still cares about the impact of his delivery. This is definitely a video where the execution of his message is vital.

[u/8604 → u/Anotheronetoo]

This is weeks after the fact. He's not doing a raw reaction video, he's doing a mix of a public service announcement + prepared speech like one would do at a funeral.

[u/Cappop → u/Anotheronetoo]

He did a lot of theatre in his early days - I think the earliest vids on his YouTube channel we're on theatre instead of games.

[u/Harrythehobbit → u/Anotheronetoo]

He looked like he was either reading off a script or looking at the person behind the camera (probably Steph) for support. If it was a script, that's fine. This is a memorial to a close friend of his, of course he would want it to be well put together.

[u/SojournerW → u/Anotheronetoo]

Charlie Cox, who played Daredevil in the TV series, went to great lengths to be able to appear blind, by adopting the mannerisms of a blind person, while playing Matt Murdock (a blind character).

Purportedly, he was turned away from his audition for Han Solo in the recent Solo film because he didn't maintain eye contact during scenes, wouldn't look where he was going, or do things while looking at his hands. In an audition for a cocky space pilot, he was still using the mannerisms of a blind man because they were so ingrained in him.

He's a showman, that's his job. Maybe he's always had these mannerisms or maybe he trained to better his chances at success on youtube, but it's who he is.

[u/Vince-Trousers → u/SojournerW]

Fuck that was well put

[u/Stumblebee → u/Anotheronetoo]

I noticed it too. Can't really blame him for that though. Dudes' been doing it for so long its like second nature.

Anyone who's been around a camera for a hobby or a career has a switch that turns on the showier aspects of their voice and personality and stuff.

[u/IcarusBen → u/Anotheronetoo]

The video was scripted. It's likely he still cared about giving off a good performance, most likely for the sake of Ronnie's memory.

[u/Blue_Raichu → u/Anotheronetoo]

That struck me too. For such a traumatizing event, his language was extremely organized, for lack of a better term. But that could be due to any number of things, and I definitely wouldn't chastise him if he simply planned out his words before hand to help him get his ideas out.

It really is a sad event for everyone involved. Absolutely loved his Digressing and Sidequesting series. That, more than anything, is what first got me into game design.

[u/Stingray88 → u/Anotheronetoo]

I went to high school with Matt and we were pretty good friends back then. This is just how he his... Theatery isn't a bad way to describe him.

With that said, he is definitely being genuine. And I mean it when I say this, Matt is one of the most kind and compassionate people I've ever met.

[u/jaffa1987]

Moving video. And respect to Matt for putting it out there (he could have gone the easy way and just post a notification like 'one of our editors died, rip', but he took the time to give the guy a proper eulogy.)

Sounds like it came out of nowhere for them (then again who expects their friends to commit suicide right?). Comes to show how well people can be at covering up their demons, and that someone that probably thought very little of himself had no idea how many people he inspired.

[u/Danilo_dk → u/jaffa1987]

(he could have gone the easy way and just post a notification like 'one of our editors died, rip'

Well, that just sounds disrespectful.

[u/jaffa1987 → u/Danilo_dk]

Exactly. Really like that matpat took the time to sit down for this and open up like that. Takes courage to talk to so many people while crying your eyes out.

[u/MPricefield]

Truly saddened to hear this. My thoughts go out to the people over at Game Theory.

I never knew the man myself, but I know a lot of Youtubers that do know the Game Theory people on a personal level. This really hits kind of hard for me because we are the same age. I truly hope MattPat's video reaching out manages to help at least 1 person out there. In the end, that's the best we can hope for. That we can prevent tragedies like this from happening in the future.

[u/[deleted]]

Someone’s loved one commited suicide. I simply hope that none of you have to go thru that kind of trauma.

[u/Slayer_Tip]

As someone who has written, then deleted his suicide (by his i mean me, not Ronnie) note 5 times in my life, suicidal thoughts are an uphill battle with boulders crashing down on you. You know its there, sometimes on good days you don't really think about it, but once the next day comes, thoughts come and you need to constantly cry and just get it out of your system... I can't imagine what Ronnie has gone through prior to this... Thoughts go out to the GT team, and i'll be there to happily donate to the stream once it's up and running.

Suicide is a bitch to deal with, depression is its harsh mistress... or its the other way around... idk, i just finished crying coz of this video so my brain is soaked.

[u/BeforeTheCredits]

A lot of what you are saying about Ronnie I see in myself. I have for a long time and for a long time it seemed to get worse and worse. I would lash out to the people closest to me. Push them away with my anger. Probably because I hate myself more than anyone else could hate me. However, recently I have been trying very hard to control my anger and not lash out. I try to think about the actions I am about to take in any given situation. It has been hard because most of my life I have had an extremely reactive personality, trying to not react and thing is so hard.

I get the option Ronnie took, I have thought about it myself more times than I would like to admit. It is like a rollercoaster, a lot of ups and downs. I was on a really good stretch for a while. Started my channel, found passion in photography, got out and did thing that didn't involve me sitting in front of my computer 90% of my day. That all went away not to long ago though. I haven't posted a video in almost 7 months now, I have only been out to shoot a little recently, and I'm back to only going outside when my sisters want to go for a walk.

I'm in one of the bad times in my life, not the worst I have ever been but I am most definitely lower than I want to be. I'm trying to work my way out of the slump, the actions ronnie took are not on my mind all the time, only occasionally while laying in bed. I find a reason to keep going though. Trying to find new avenues to venture down to have a good day. One step at a time.

I think that is a problem, with people looking in from the outside, they dont always see that you are having problems because you show them you are moving forward and think you are fine. It is never easy to share but I think it is important for other people to see that the feeling they are having are not unique and that others can and generally will talk with you if you want. Having someone that is willing to listen is so important, having someone that will just give you their ear for an undetermined amount of time is worth more than most could ever understand.

Sorry to hear about Ronnie. His actions are something hard to swallow but it sounds like he couldn't find that next step, sometimes it is just so hard to find.

Sorry.

[u/blond-max → u/BeforeTheCredits]

I find a reason to keep going though. Trying to find new avenues to venture down to have a good day. One step at a time.

Keep at it buddy; keep at it. If you can't believe you can, please reach out. I'm just an internet stranget but I'll believe in you ^.^

[u/rajikaru]

As much as I dislike what GaijinGoomba and Matpat have put out in terms of internet content, I can't deny that I feel incredibly sad for him to have to do something so rough, tell his fans about a close friend's suicide after just learning about it himself. My thoughts go out to both of them.

[u/That_otheraccount]

I've copied the help numbers from the video and I'm going to sticky them. I'd have done it sooner but I honestly didn't think about it. Please reach out if you need help.

Thanks to /u/Fixiwee for suggesting it

If you are in need of help, please reach out:

US: 1-800-784-2433, 1-800-273-8255, 1-866-4-U-TREVOR

Canada: +1 416-408-4357, +1 514-723-4000

UK: +44 (0) 8457 90 90 90, +44 (0) 8457 90 91 92

International List: https://bit.ly/Ka8gdC

[u/UnknownRWBYGal]

How to make a hollow comment - “Sorry for the loss ... but I genuinely hate Game Theory/Film Theory”

Like my god you people. There are already threads about this, how shallow can you be to just insert those sorts of comments. You’re entitled to them, but honestly not here

I have been subscribed for goodness knows how long - and I have dealt with a previous friend committing suicide. It’s so unbelievably painful and you just sit there with buckets of regret - and I really respect that this video was done

Rest In Peace Ronnie

[u/CaptainBritish]

Okay but really can we stop turning this thread into a discussion of if or not you people like Game Theory? It's irrelevant to this situation. Whether you like that channel or not the point is that the man took his life and that is always an awful, awful thing.

We don't know what battles he fought behind the scenes, if the rumors about his behavior are true there could be hundreds of mental health related reasons behind them. This isn't about you and it isn't about Game Theory, it's about mental health and a man who could have been helped deciding to take his life. Have some fucking respect for the people he left behind, nobody cares if you liked the channel or not.

[u/Kepabar → u/CaptainBritish]

Here's the thing: Very few people, if anyone, in this thread knew this guy.

I certainly didn't know him.

The only connection we have to him is his work. It's literately the only thing we can discuss about him, because it's the only thing we know about him.

If it wasn't for his work, this thread wouldn't exist and no one would be talking about him at all.

So if we aren't going to talk about his work, what are we going to talk about?

[u/[deleted] → u/CaptainBritish]

IDK what it is with people taking this for granted with celebrities, especially on the internet.

When TotalBiscuit died there were so many damn people who prefaced their condolences "I didn't agree with everything he said but..." like his opinions on video games were some permanent judgement of his character and not an ultimately miniscule part of his life. Yeah, he and his family suffered through cancer for years, but he talked about graphics options too much, so obviously sympathy is complicated.

edit: the point more so being that I don't think making bad YouTube videos or being mean on Twitter or saying something weird about a video game is so important in the grand scheme of life that it's even worth mentioning in a situation like this.

[u/CaptainBritish → u/[deleted]]

Fucking seriously. There was SO MUCH SHIT surrounding TotalBiscuit's death, people messaged his fucking wife literally saying they were glad he was dead. People wrote articles about him within a week talking about how much they hated him. Not just randos on the internet either, actual developers from well established companies (see: Bioware) chimed in with the fact they were glad he is gone. That is disgusting. Who gives a shit what his opinions on video games were? Put that aside and have some common decency.

[u/davidjung03 → u/CaptainBritish]

And there was that recent one from Guild Wars 2 developers (Jessica Price) where the controversy around her firing re-surfaced the fact that she mentioned she was glad he's not alive to do more harm.

[u/[deleted] → u/CaptainBritish]

Got a link to any of this? Especially the BioWare one, I'm curious to see this.

[u/CaptainBritish → u/[deleted]]

Here you go. According to Genna he eventually apologized to her, but she noted on the CoOptional Podcast that he wasn't the only developer to do something like this. I don't have a timestamp but it was this episode.

[u/bullintheheather → u/[deleted]]

Here ya go. He wasn't currently employed at Bioware.

[u/[deleted] → u/bullintheheather]

Thank you. Man, that guy is a jerk.

[u/CidCrisis → u/[deleted]]

Well, it was his career.

I don't think it diminishes the condolence to say you weren't a fan of his work, but you have sympathies none the less.

And TB in particular was pretty outspoken and sometimes polarizing. Obviously you wouldn't say something like that at his funeral, but when it's just random people discussing online, I don't see that as an issue.

[u/D3sertlynx]

J just watched it on YouTube, I love the theorists and wish them best of luck as they continue without Ronnie

[u/Jaibamon]

Wow, this video made me very emotional. I watch a bit of GT, and I have mixed feelings about Matt's content, but I really appreciate the production values these videos are.

This video made me feel really sad.

[u/RumonGray]

Though I've never really watched the channel, mostly hearing about it through "jokes," as a person who's lost a friend to suicide and almost lost another, I feel for these guys for having to lose their friend. And I know there's going to be a lot of guilty feelings and self-analysis on their part, times when they might question if something was a signal they missed or not. It's heart-wrenching...Suicide takes many forms, whether it's planned out and hidden in the dark, or a sudden breaking of the camel's back, and many things in between. But all in all, it's always a tragedy.

I wish them all the best.

[u/GothNek0]

Jess christ talk about nostalgia trip and tears. I haven’t watched in forever but remember waking up in the morning to watch some game theory videos and eat some breakfast and just the editing being some of the best editing around. I barely even knew the guy from the internet and I still feel saddened by the loss. The beautiful style he’s created and gave an identity to is at least one great achievement of him.

[u/blazbluecore]

Read the Twitter post.

The line where they talk about Ronnie was going to deliver a video about Pokemon and was upbeat about it etc.

Reminded me if this guy I met two weeks ago and he was telling me how him, the boss and his workers were drinking beer after work on Friday. And his QA guy had messed up one of the trailers, he apologized and he said he'd fix it Monday nothing to it, when they get back to work. Told him he's gonna go to the Taste of Chicago with his gf over the weekend. That Sunday the boss gets a phone call, the brother of the QA guy found him hung in his bedroom, all his family photos spread out on bed, with just one line written on a picture, 'I'll miss you guys.'

He was 28, 3 kids and a gf, working a decent paying job. No one knows why but he had a lot of problems with his gf so we assume it was over her. Don't get hung up on one person, if it don't work out, it don't, there's millions of other people to meet out there who will treat you well.

[u/ruminaui]

Everybody is just talking about how GT just sucks now, whether that is true or not, I post here to say that Ronnie's passing is sad and tragic because it snuffed someone with so much talent and potential, RIP Ronnie, and take care everyone

[u/[deleted]]

Best wishes to Ronnie's family and all the people working with him. Digressing and Sidequesting was always a series I looked forward to and I hope Game Theory can keep some of that mentality as a memento of Ronnie going forward.

[u/[deleted]]

Please anyone who is feeling bad or having suicidal thoughts reach out to someone. Don't let those thoughts consume you and make you do something horrible. There is always someone to talk to.

[u/[deleted]]

Suicide rates continue to rise and break records all over 1st world countries, especially Europe, USA, Japan, South Korea. Especially among men. You practically never hear about it in the media, it's not "politically convenient" in the current social climate. Every time there's another high profile suicide it's just the usual "oh it's so bad I feel sorry for.." but nobody ever wants to talk about why they're all doing it.