Twitter Fight Ends in Game Being Cancelled

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**Ahtman**

Article

High-profile Twitter meltdowns are fairly common, but they don’t often result in the cancellation of entire projects.

But that’s exactly what happened over the weekend when Phil Fish, the mercurial creator of indie game sensation Fez, was so affected by an escalating series of tirades on Twitter that he declared he was quitting the industry and canceling development of Fez II.

The news came shortly after a massive Twitter fight with writer Marcus Beer, who took aim at Fish during a segment on GameTrailer's Invisible Walls. Beer lashed out at Fish and fellow indie designer Jonathan Blow for voicing objections to press inquiries about Microsoft's reversal on its Xbox One indie game self-publishing rules.

"Gents," he said. "You were the guys who did Indie Game: the Movie. And some of you looked relatively normal in it, one of you looked like a total tosspot in it. But you can't have it both ways. You're successful game designers — you're 'indie' game designers — hurrah, good for you, you f****** hipsters."

Beer's harsh comments struck a nerve with Fish, who demanded an apology via Twitter, getting progressively more upset as others replied.

The exchange ended with Fish announcing he was canceling the recently announced game, then locking his Twitter account. Since then, Fish’s development studio Polytron has posted this message to its fans:

"FEZ II is cancelled. i am done. i take the money and i run. this is as much as i can stomach. this is isn’t the result of any one thing, but the end of a long, bloody campaign. you win."

Fish has confirmed the cancellation with several news outlets as well.

**Somedude593**

This is why we cant have nice things

**LordofHats**

Ah look at the little baby. Aren't you cute? Where's your mommy?

Childish. I've thrown my share of rage, but this takes the cake.

**carlos13th**

Fish seems to have trouble with criticism and the fact that people on the internet act like donkey-caves. He has been guilty of being an donkey-cave online as much as the people who upset him have done so. He is a great game designer but seems to struggler with the pressure that the industry and being an online presence brings.

**TheDraconicLord**

Since Phil Fish is an a** himself, I can't say I'm sad.

http://venturebeat.com/2012/03/10/fez-creator-gamers-are-the-worst-fing-people/

http://kotaku.com/5891833/japanese-games-just-suck-target-speaks-out

He apologized later but the damage was done. You can't let your emotions get the best of you in situations like this, it's so unprofessional it hurts. This is the reason donkey-cave people who are genius at something but horrible with people need that "people person" to act as a proxy.

**Sigvatr**

Unprofessional and childish reaction. Sad that Fez was a good game.

**thenoobbomb**

Very childish. No sympathy for the man anyways.

**Grundz**

screw you guys
I'M TAKING MY BALL AND GOING HOME!

**MrDwhitey**

The guy does seem to be a colossal douche.

**Platuan4th**

I'm entertained by the names of those involved.

Beer and Fish fight whilst Blow is caught in the middle.

**Gearhead**

TheDraconicLord wrote:
This is the reason donkey-cave people who are genius at something but horrible with people need that "people person" to act as a proxy.

Exactly.

**Rotgut**

He's made it pretty clear in the past that he is a cry baby.

The news today is that cliff bleszinski made an open letter to fish to come back to the industry, so really all the high profile attention seekers in the game industry are getting involved, any second now Peter Molyneux will have something to say.

**Avatar 720**

Rotgut wrote:
any second now Peter Molyneux will have something to say.

And as normal, we'll be excited about it but ultimately let down by the content.

**Soladrin**

People still get excited by anything coming out of that prick?

**Compel**

I just can't quite work out peoples thought processes for this.

"Ok, I'm really stressed, you guys are all JERKS. Stop flaming me."

That, thought process I understand. Going from that to.

"I hate you guys so much and are so mean to me that 6 months from now, I'm going to stop being able to afford to pay my mortgage!*"

* Or sports cars or drug habit or toy soldier collection...

**curran12**

Good riddance.

Nobody should support the "IM QUITTING THE INTERNET FOREVER AND YOURE ALL GOING TO MISS ME" kind of tantrums.

**The Foot**

But those are the best kind of tantrums...

**The Grumpy Eldar**

Phil Fish is an awefull person anyway. His ego is about as big as the guy from Rovio. He think he's the world or something like that, just because he made ONE succesfull indie game..

**Jehan-reznor**

Wow, the guy was constantly insulting his customers and gamers in general, and gets pissy when they bite back?

**TheDraconicLord**

Hum, I think Ctrl-Alt-Del resumed the situation well

(spoilered because of "bad" words

)

Spoiler:

**Alfndrate**

TheDraconicLord wrote:
Hum, I think Ctrl-Alt-Del resumed the situation well

(spoilered because of "bad" words )

Spoiler:

Huh, that's the first humorous CAD I've seen in a while...

**Avatar 720**

Alfndrate wrote:
TheDraconicLord wrote:
Hum, I think Ctrl-Alt-Del resumed the situation well

(spoilered because of "bad" words )

Spoiler:

Huh, that's the first humorous CAD I've seen in a while...

Wait, when did he become blue and the other one become red?

**TheDraconicLord**

Avatar 720 wrote:
Alfndrate wrote:
TheDraconicLord wrote:
Hum, I think Ctrl-Alt-Del resumed the situation well

(spoilered because of "bad" words )

Spoiler:

Huh, that's the first humorous CAD I've seen in a while...

Wait, when did he become blue and the other one become red?

Those are characters he used sparingly before for some quick joke. There are 4 players, numbered 1 to 4, all with their distinct personalities. Now they show up much more often because the story with Ethan and company is done. You can try reading the final arc if you are curious.

**Avatar 720**

I gave up on Ctrl+Alt+Del when they stopped being funny, so around the second or so strip.

**Platuan4th**

Avatar 720 wrote:
so around the second or so strip.

Sick burn.

**curran12**

Avatar 720 wrote:
I gave up on Ctrl+Alt+Del when they stopped being funny, so around the second or so strip.

This just in: Ctrl+Alt+Del quits the internet because you're all so MEAN! WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

**Talizvar**

LordofHats wrote:
Ah look at the little baby. Aren't you cute? Where's your mommy?
Childish. I've thrown my share of rage, but this takes the cake.

Have you worked with creative types? You know, the ones that live in their head? Worked with a few thin skinned types, he just needed a handler to forward the good stuff and to summarize "positive criticism" for him.

Like interpreting your comments to: "He is a very sensitive person, who's reaction is rather endearing, he just needs time to reflect. His innocent view of the world rivals my own."

Makes me wonder if he REALLY wanted to make the second game.
I bet he may have been looking for an excuse and was somewhat forced into it, do not always judge at face value.
It is not an easy thing to produce an Indie game and I am sure he faced far worse criticism than he does now (volume may have increased however but positive feedback should be proportionately larger), he just does not have the incentive (other than money but it's value may not mean much to him?!?!).

**BrookM**

The Jimquisition did an extra episode on the matter, it's unscripted, but still an interesting bit, perhaps aptly called "Go Fish"

**unmercifulconker**

What a stupid child. Herp derp words hurt my feelings.

**Medium of Death**

What a tear-soaked dildo.

Good on that guy on IW for calling him out on his BS.