#nick calandra

[gaykarstaagforever]

I think a lot of this OtherFrost / Nick Calandra Second Wind drama is less about high crimes, and more about Nick being an asshole in general, and Frost and other young creatives getting mad that they let him take advantage of them.

That said, given Nick's professional history alone, it's obvious that he's bad at his chosen profession, and the kind of guy who makes the absolute worst decision for the stupidest reasons, a good 60% of the time.

And if any of the rest of this is true, he isn't even selling out for anything good. A free trip to Iceland and a $100 swag bag? A $2000 gamer chair he hated that he immediately got rid of? Corporate connections at fucking THQNordic? Dude.

I also like the part where he sold one of his websites for less than $10k, then had to whine at his new corporate overlords just to get a salary of $85k. ...And that only lasted a couple of years, then that inevitably fell apart and he was back to scrounging.

The state of video games journalism is dire. This is a $200 billion global industry, but we figure out which games we want to play from corporate showcases and random streamers, so the people trying to do serious reviews and analysis are warping review scores just so Activision will send them food. It sucks, but such is life. They need to admit games criticism is now like literary or film criticism, a solely academic thing no one is going to pay you very much to do.

Because the alternative is a bunch of guys with big journalism school loans, desperately back-stabbing each other and being shady for a tiny piece of a very small pie. ...And they all have to have second and third jobs anyway, because you can't live on this.

Nick is more a cautionary tale of what happens when someone has tons of ambition, but what they hope to achieve is kind of shit in the first place.

Manage a Target and do a podcast on the side, guys. Your dreams are outdated and the pressure of that is driving you all mad.

And YES, he hits Yahtzee a little here, as a selfish guy who just wants to get paid to do art, to the point that he actively takes zero interest in the business that is being done with his stuff. Like he knows he could make more going indie, but he wants someone else to handle all the legal / business stuff and pay him a salary / healthcare. Which is pretty much the impression I always have had of him.

Is that bad? I...don't know. There is an argument to be made in favor of that. And going hard on a guy for NOT being greedy or ambitious is kind of weird. I guess the biggest problem is that it seems he refuses to step up and speak out when shit behavior is going on, because he literally does not care so long as he gets paid? Which, if true, is shit. There is certainly a moral responsibility here since he is a legal part / co-owner of the business, whether he likes it or not.

You don't get to play the awkward smol bean artist too pure for this world, after this many years profiting from it. Like, grow up, dude.

[jodjuya]

Frost's exposé on Nick Calandra's cartoonish ineptitude is so incredibly damning.

Calandra is the poster-child of petite tyranny. The only things he knows how to do is be a weasel, have bad ideas, tank projects, obfuscate financials, feel resentment, harbour insane grudges, refuse accountability, skim off the top, be stubborn, throw people under the bus, micromanage, cyberstalk, create ""hostile work environments"", not take criticism, and be unhealthily addicted to twitter.

If you stand up to him, then that's attacking him, and so he's justified in getting back at you.

If you don't stand up to him, then that's proof that you're secretly plotting revenge against him, and so he's justified in preemptively 'striking first'

Like, hooooooooo boy! he's one of THOSE people! okay!

Must have enjoyed snacking on lead paint in his childhood or something. Grown ass man with all the ethical maturity of a sulking snot-nosed brat. Dude needs a Stop Being Such A Little Bitch intervention, where all his friends and family gang up on him together to bully him into going to therapy so he can learn that "Gaslight Gatekeep Girlboss" is not supposed to be genuinely aspirational. What a fucking muppet. Embodies the Dunning-Kruger effect like it's his life's calling.

Second Wind Group had SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much social capital and community goodwill behind them, and this debacle is going to torpedo them dead in the water. I can't see Nick bowing out with any kind of dignity, and I hope to god he doesn't scuttle the organisation out of sheer pettiness.

[magneto666666]

I've fallen in love with the community outpour of support for Second Wind - what Nick, Yahtzee, and co. have managed to build in a week is fantastic. The Discord is so much fun to take part in, too. Anyone looking for a kind and positive online community would do well to take note!

SOLIDARITY WITH THE ESCAPIST JOURNALISTS

corporate hacks fired the editor-in-chief of the escapist for not making them enough money, and then almost all the team resigned in solidarity

including by far their biggest star. by far.

this is a horrible day for journalism BUT a fantastic showcase of workplace solidarity. Ben and a lot of the team are off to join editor Nick’s new thing, so all the best of luck to them, but they’ve lost the ZP name (and probably the colour yellow i’d imagine)

fuck corporate greed ruining journalism

🌹union strong🌹

[duckyfruitbat]

So The Escaptist Youtube is Dead

I know what you're thinking, "Wow this twink is late to this party-JESUS CHRIST GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" To that I say, calm down, you're giving me a migraine. Also yes, this is an old story now. I still want to share my thoughts on it though.

For those of you who don't know, the Escapist magazine had a fairly popular YouTube channel centered around game criticism, development, and commentary with the one and only Benjamin Yahtzee Croshaw hosting the most popular show on the channel, Zero Punctuation. A series that has been going since 2007 and is the source of the PC gaming master race meme. In recent years the Escaptist brought on the editor Nick Calandra to lead the video department. He managed to lead a golden age for the Escapist YouTube channel, there hasn't been this much variety since before Yahtzee became the only creator on the channel.

It all came crashing down on November 6, 2023, when the Escapist decided to fire Calandra and a good portion of the video team. This was the biggest mistake the magazine has ever made, because apparently everyone, and I do mean everyone involved in video making absolutely loved Calandra and they all quit on mass. This was such a disaster for the escapist that the YouTube channel was dead for two weeks until the remainder of the video backlog was all uploaded at once. Meanwhile everyone started up a new channel called Second Wind with all the shows that were on the Escaptist with the exception of Zero Punctuation. When Yahtzee originally joined the Escapists in 2007, he sold the rights to his original show called Fullyramblomatic. The Zero Punctuation name was fully on the Escapist, and also the designs of Yahtzees avatar and the little jelly bean imps. For the first week Yahtzee had to figure out a new name and design where upon he landed on a legally distinct version called Fully Ramblomatic with a space, and now the imps are replaced with dogs, because dogs are great, and Yahtzee's fedora is black and he now has a suit and glasses. Clearly they're taking the piss on the Escapists for the whole situation. All the other shows also kept the art style of Zero Punctuation, most keeping the names too.

This isn't the first time this happened either, they dropped the ball on Extra Credits when they didn't pay them, and screwed over Stephanie Sterling with not publishing their reviews. Those two are what eventually lead to Yahtzee's takeover of the channel. Now the channel is sitting there dead, hasn't been updated since the last Zero Punctuation compilation was published. Now the Escapist YouTube channel may never recover, they still own Zero Punctuation, but what are they even going to do with it aside from just sit on it like a jewel in their dragon's hoard. The rest of the magazine is doing fine, so they may just pivot purely to that for the next few years. Second Wind is currently thriving on the audience that jumped ship while also being fully independent, which means more swearing.

In the meantime, join me as we sing a little tune that I feel is very appropriate for this.

Let's all laugh at an industry that never learns anything teeheehee!

[zoeythebee]

Holy cow! Yahtzee Croshaw the person behind Zero Punctuation and the entire Escapist video team has resigned!

Apparently the parent company did a fucked up and fired the beloved producer Nick Calandra, and others.

They are all going independent with the aptly named Second Wind group. I'm actually very excited to see what happens next.

Sadly this does mean the end of Zero Punctuation as that brand name is owned by The Escapist.

I hope Yahtzee's art style is still owned by himself as it's extremely iconic.

[sekhithefops]

Adventure is Nigh... is Nigh!

So, not sure how many people on here are aware of this, but a while back The Escapist did their own d20 Critical Roll-like series called Adventure in Nigh. Now as some of you might be aware, the Escapist ain't doing so hot right now.

But former Editor in Chief Nick Calandra and those who left the Escapist following their attempted firing of Nick most certainly are doing quite well.

But one thing that had been up in the air was the fate of that show, Adventure is Nigh. It was beloved by it's audience and was almost done with it's third season with plans for a fourth as well as a spin off 'sidequest' storyline involving two of the main characters... however, The Escapist still owned the rights to it...

... UNTIL TODAY!

I know that this'll likely be lost on a bunch of you as it was a very niche series but holy yip did this make my day. I'm part of the Second Wind server and people are losing their damn mind there.

[finchmagistrate]

If anyone is curious as to why the AiN animatic is gone now:

[maximuswolf]

My Problems With Nick Calandra (and Why I Believe He Shouldn't Work In Games Media) - Frost

My Problems With Nick Calandra (and Why I Believe He Shouldn't Work In Games Media) - Frost https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbPiP_eR3gQ Submitted August 15, 2024 at 04:31AM by ProxyDamage https://ift.tt/IH4lUjs via /r/gaming

[8biteric]

Alyssa Mercante and Nick Calandra Want Smash JT Fired Over Criticism!

[gaykarstaagforever]

Nick Calandra and Yahtzee talk to the VDC channel about how they left The Escapist.

They refused to sign NDAs (and no one ever should), so they talk honestly about what went down and give a rare insight into how a lot of these currently-stumbling low-rent "entertainment media networks" work.

Tumblr's parent company is probably dealing with the same kind of issues as Gamurs / The Escapist was. How these companies evaluate and handle all this is what makes them persist or crumble. Watch this, and gain some knowledge about why your favorite websites either become YouTube, or get bought out by a gang of rich idiots who act like pimps. This is how our world runs right now.

[thewirely]

New World Interactive, a subsidiary of Saber Interactive which is in turn owned by Embracer Group, has recently undergone layoffs as part of Embracer Group's comprehensive restructuring program. The studio is widely recognized for its development of tactical multiplayer shooters, notably Insurgency and Insurgency: Sandstorm. Initial reports, including a Twitter post on December 4 by Nick Calandra, co-founder and content director of Second Wind Group, hinted at the possibility of the studio facing permanent closure. However, as reported by Eurogamer, Saber Interactive has refuted these claims, describing the situation instead as a "restructuring." In a statement provided to Eurogamer, Saber Interactive confirmed the restructuring changes at New World Interactive, which have regrettably led to layoffs within the studio. Additionally, Saber Interactive is endeavoring to reassign the affected employees to existing vacancies within the company. Those impacted by the layoffs are being offered severance packages. The publisher also assured that development on the studio's team-based first-person shooter, Insurgency: Sandstorm, will continue, alongside other unannounced future projects. The exact number of employees affected by these changes at New World Interactive remains undisclosed. This development is part of a larger trend within Embracer Group, which has seen several of its studios experience job reductions this year. Notably, the German studio Fishlabs recently underwent 50 job cuts. These layoffs are part of Embracer Group's ongoing restructuring efforts, which, as of the end of September 2023, have resulted in over 900 individuals being laid off. Embracer Group’s interim chief strategy officer, Phil Rogers, commented on the restructuring, describing it as a critical strategy for the company's success. He acknowledged the difficulty and necessity of these measures in achieving the group's revised and essential objectives.

[wolfleblack]

Embracer has allegedly shut down New World Interactive

According to Nick Calandra of Second Wind, the company made up of former The Escapist employees, he has heard from sources that Embracer has shut down New World Interactive, the studio perhaps best known for Insurgency: Sandstorm. Calandra went on to say that a public post on LinkedIn seemed to confirm what his sources said. He opted to keep the name of the poster private, but here’s what was…

[beatrix-plotter]

Goddamn, can't believe that Yahtzee Croshaw quit making Zero Punctuation. I've been watching since an old online friend sent me a link to the original Bioshock review he did. It's the end of an era.

Still though, I'm glad he took a stand and quit when Gamurs Group fired Nick Calandra on really stupid grounds. Good luck making any money when you pissed off your golden goose!

Right now, I hope he takes himself a break. Lord knows he's earned it.

[hackernewsrobot]

The Escapist staff resign following termination of editor-in-chief Nick Calandra

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/the-escapist-staff-resign-following-termination-of-editor-in-chief-nick-calandra

[sekhithefops]

Boopin' Heck...

So, this week I've seen Blizzcon's announcements which:

Included the next THREE WoW expansions and the announcement of The Worldsoul Saga, along with the return of Chris Metzen being Chris Metzen as hard as he can Metzen.

The reveal of Earthen as an allied race which totally changed my planned ending of the Dragonflight story arc for one of my characters in Adventures in Azeroth (try to guess which one!)

And the overarching story sent me on such a crazy idea splurge I now have two brand new characters I'm working on.

At the same time on Monday...

Nick Calandra, former Editor in Chief of the Escapist... well, became the former EiC as he was unceremoniously booted from the website by it's new owners, the GAMURS Group, for 'not meeting projected goals.' What goals? Well Nick and the others would have liked to know that.

In response to his termination, and several others, basically everyone involved with the animation side of The Escapist walked out on them... INCLUDING BEN "YAHTZEE" CROSHAW OF ZERO PUNCTUATION. With his departure, the Escapist is effectively dead, at least on the video side of matters.

Within a day however they announced they were banding together to form a new independent studio, Second Wind, of which I'm now a Patreon of and watching every ounce of news I get with bated breath as I hope against hope that they can save Adventure is Nigh, which is their own Critical Roll-esque D&D campaign. They're trying to get the rights to the IP, but whether or not they will is the question.

THE VERY NEXT DAY...

Guardians of the Dream went live and I was able to dive in headfirst into the new storyline, got a ton of cool shit for my druid, and even came up with the idea of having her shapeshift forms be a THEME based on seasons just by noticing that this was a thing I could pull off.

I have a ton of new writing ideas and am almost ready to continue writing Adventures in Azeroth now and begin a huge finale for Dragonflight for my characters.

THEN TODAY...

Nick and Yahtzee hosted a stream where they discussed the future for Second Wind. Zero Punctuation is dead, long live Fully Ramblonic! Yahtzee will continue with his own brand, leaving ZP to rot uselessly as without him its essentially a dead show anyways.

They announced that even if they can't get Adventure is Nigh back that Jack Packard came with them and there will be something D&D related... but given I really loved the story for two of the characters (Grinderbin and Dabarella if you know the show) I'll still be really upset.

They also announced a bunch of their newer shows like Design Delve, Cold Take, and the like were able to be saved and that Yahtzee will be continuing his "Extra Punctuation" series under the new title, "Semi Ramblonic."

It will NEVER be more appropriate to use the following image:

[nikkisticki]

It's really funny that the Escapist is exclusively Nick Calandra milking Yahtzee