Friday, July 24, 2015

Smedley steps down as Daybreak Games president

Perhaps of some interest to those of you who worked at SOE at some point.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/smedley-steps-down-as-daybreak-games-president/0153042

5 comments:

Rickart said...

Yeah, I saw that. I'm guessing he was just too much of a lightening rod for hackers. With him gone they can claim victory and move on to some other poor game company. No fault of Smed's... he was willing to stand up to them. I assume that he has to step down to draw the heat away from the company (and perhaps stay off the internet for a while and not divert anymore planes).

Tom Moon said...

Another article I read said that Russ Shanks would NOT be the new CEO and that they have yet to name someone.

Tom Moon said...

I never want any kind of public notoriety. You just become the target of crazy people. Even a minor amount of celebrity-hood can get you grief.

MrGoodson2 said...

That hacker backstory was very interesting. It brought to mind a film I watched in my only Psychology class. Obedience is the name. I guess I saw the film of the Milgram Experiment. As long as a person is fairly sure of anonymity, they might be capable of incredible evil.
Milgram Experiment-Why the internet is evil

Davis Chino said...

Thanks for posting this, Tom. A few weeks ago Blair hipped me to this whole hacker war that's engulfed Smedley. She ddin't know he was my old boss, too. We were so impressed with the way he was taking the fight to those dirt clods. Sad to think he had to step down to diffuse the situation....

You're right, Ellis--anonymity is such an invitation to abuse...but then, lookit me with my "anonymous" handle...Tom, I admire you for your non-pseudonymic presence on here!

I think Smedley should be applauded for banging the drum about the real threat of online stalking and harassment--it is "terrorism" in the truest sense of the word. He's been making the case that it is NOT a victimless crime--and that argument is beginning to get traction (look at the FBI-led action that shut down that Darkode site a few days ago--a not inconsiderable victory! 70 arrests, 20 countries).

Hope Smedley is doing OK. He has been brave to battle these guys. I never worked very closely with him, but he always treated me well and seemed like a pretty on-the-ball leader. Good luck to him.