I don't think anyone ever said that he was the first one to angrily be mad at a video game, but he was definitely VERY early on the internet bandwagon in this regard, and he was certainly at the forefront of that particular style - a game review (generally well thought out) with a character and even skits and stuff that were just over the top pissed off about these things. You have to be nuts to think the AVGN was any sort of direct ripoff of anything else out there at the time, and then also just as nuts to think the Irate Gamer wasn't (especially since it's documented fact basically, but even if it wasn't, it's pretty damn obvious).
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Angry Video Game Nerd
- Thread starter demi
- Start date
I don't think anyone ever said that he was the first one to angrily be mad at a video game, but he was definitely VERY early on the internet bandwagon in this regard, and he was certainly at the forefront of that particular style - a game review (generally well thought out) with a character and even skits and stuff that were just over the top pissed off about these things. You have to be nuts to think the AVGN was any sort of direct ripoff of anything else out there at the time, and then also just as nuts to think the Irate Gamer wasn't (especially since it's documented fact basically, but even if it wasn't, it's pretty damn obvious).
sonikokaruto
Banned
soooooo ...
making stuff for money is selling out?
making stuff for money is selling out?
Ultravi0lence
Member
The IG video was very insightful. He made it clear AVGN was his inspiration and conceded he only became popular through the sheer luck of being featured randomly.
I really hope that James (or Mike) weren't purposefully going for his planned videos to sabotage IG's views or reputation, as he claims. I can understand their frustration in not being partnered but it's a dick move, especially when the guy had attempted to be nothing more than a humble fan.
I really hope that James (or Mike) weren't purposefully going for his planned videos to sabotage IG's views or reputation, as he claims. I can understand their frustration in not being partnered but it's a dick move, especially when the guy had attempted to be nothing more than a humble fan.
A humble fan that would delete any comment mentioning AVGN or similarities between the reviews at the time, and essentially ripped entire rants wholesale while trying to peddle his shitty dvds to make a buck. Real humble.
BassForever
Member
Considering the AVGN did his first review on home video back in like 2003 he probably was one of the very first to do an angry style video game review.
Yep, some of his best vid series ever.
Crash Station
Member
Huh, that I did not know. Never really knew much about IG before.
To be fair, people can change. If that's not something IG would do now, awesome. Same with James regarding IG's story about him. Seems like both were in the wrong at some point, just like everyone is at parts of their life.
I don't even think either of them did anything 'wrong' on any level, but it's very easy for IG to make a video and try to seem sympathetic and make James seem in the wrong, yet I would still be completely shocked to see James do the opposite of that - he's never really acknowledged the nonsense in the past why would he suddenly start flinging mud? He doesnt' have to. The fact that IG is hung up enough on the AVGN to make a video years after all of this started tells me he isn't 'over' any of it, he's still trying to ride James' coattails for a quick buck rather than trying to become something fresh and original, something like this is a sad attempt to claim some relevance and push some hits onto his videos, nothing new at all.
It's REALLY hard to find the IG watchable stacked next to the AVGN, yet all Chris Bores ever does is force the comparison. He's quite literally the Transmorphers dvd sitting next to Transformers.
Thank you
I don't know Irate Gamer, but he admits that he was an AVGN-inspired nobody who got lucky and was catapulted into the #2 spot, which instantly earned him a pile of haters for being a no-talent copycat, and says he decided to ignore the haters and give his fans what they asked for (more of the same).
And then he wrote to AVGN, who he idolized, but AVGN posted his email for everyone to laugh at, so he stopped looking up to AVGN, and decided that he didn't want to talk about it (until now).
It makes perfect sense for him to be salty, and to delete comments that try to talk about AVGN.
Last we saw, James said that IG won't admit that he exists, so James doesn't need to admit that IG exists either, but now IG has publicly acknowledged James, and aired his beef with him. The ball's in James' court now for some sort of reconciliation. Seems like they're one or two apologies away from being on normal speaking terms with each other.
BassForever
Member
Didn't the irate gamer completely plagerize the avgn's ninja turtles review? If he's never acknowledged that then James has no reason to acknowledge him
IG said in his video that there were at least 200 different people ripping off AVGN, and that he only joined the fray because he saw James refer to this scene as "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery". He admits that he ripped off James, as well as many of those other 200 people. He also entered an AVGN-sponsored contest where the specific objective was to rip off AVGN.
Then he got pushed into the spotlight, and suddenly everyone (including James) started treating him like crap and calling him a plagiarist, so he stopped giving a fuck what they thought of him.
Assuming that IG didn't just invent this whole story, it looks to me like IG has done his part by opening up about it, and now James simply needs to apologize for posting IG's private email (or blame Mike), and that should pretty much end an internet feud.
BassForever
Member
I mean he literally reviewed some of the same games, including reusing footage and special effects from the AVGN reviews. IIRC he even uses the same shadow effect to point out the same awkward pizza location in one of the later levels.
Here's the truth about that e-mail.
He sent it to James, saying he was going to stop copying his material.
A week later, he released the TMNT video, which was full of copied material.
James noticed this and forwarded the e-mail to Mike.
Mike posted the e-mail showing him as a liar.
Source: Mike himself.
He sent it to James, saying he was going to stop copying his material.
A week later, he released the TMNT video, which was full of copied material.
James noticed this and forwarded the e-mail to Mike.
Mike posted the e-mail showing him as a liar.
Source: Mike himself.
brianmcdoogle
Member
To change the subject...
Do you guys think we'll get a AVGN Halloween episode or Christmas one? I'd love a Halloween one so long as it isn't a short commercial tease like last year's Alien one which existed only to plug Monster Madness.
Do you guys think we'll get a AVGN Halloween episode or Christmas one? I'd love a Halloween one so long as it isn't a short commercial tease like last year's Alien one which existed only to plug Monster Madness.
I imagine we'll get a Halloween one. He never misses that.
BulletBees
Member
I actually found the Irate Gamer BEFORE AVGN. I never really thought the Irate Gamer was anything special but definitely loved what James was doing right away. I've been a fan since I saw his TMNT review 8 years ago. (Wow, time flies.) I even went and saw his movie in Chicago and loved it. I just ignore Irate Gamer and kind of forgot he was around. I'll watch his video 'exposing' James and Mike because I'm curious to see what he has to say but I'm curious if this means James is gonna respond or ignore it like he has been for 8 years.
My favorite AVGN episodes are the ones where he gets super in-depth into the history or details about a game or series, and less where he tries to be funny and cuss or do skits. As such, some of my favorite episodes are the Street Fighter 2010 episode, the Barbie one where he walks you through the creation of an entire episode, or the Nintendo Power one.
I know this topic is about AVGN, but for some people looking for something akin to those episodes, check out retro hardware: https://www.youtube.com/show/retrohardware/videos?sort=dd&view=8&shelf_id=0
Sadly I think they stopped making episodes of these, there hasn't been a new one in 2 years.
I know this topic is about AVGN, but for some people looking for something akin to those episodes, check out retro hardware: https://www.youtube.com/show/retrohardware/videos?sort=dd&view=8&shelf_id=0
Sadly I think they stopped making episodes of these, there hasn't been a new one in 2 years.
Coke never mentions pepsi. The market leader never compares itself to the competition, because doing so legitimizes the competition. It's always the competitor who tries to measure worth by comparing himself to the market leader.
If James is smart, he'll just ignore this.
Agreed. I find the ones where he goes over an entire console or series more interesting, not to mention episodes where multiple games are covered (Action 52 kind of counts + Cheetahman 2 & the Genesis version). Seems I tend to rewatch those kinds of episodes more compared to ones where it's just one particular game.
It depends on how he covers a single game. Sometimes, he'll get really into detail on a single game and I'll enjoy it, like his review of Super Pitfall, but sometimes he'll just completely miss the point and it becomes annoying, like his review of Lester the Unlikely. Actually, his review of Lester the Unlikely highlights another criticism about the AVGN - if he didn't play a game growing up, it's obvious when he reviews them, because his review is really superficial and it becomes obvious he doesn't know how to play. Lester the Unlikely isn't a bad game, really. It's in the same vein as stuff like Flashback or Another World, but he goes in and tries to play it like Super Mario Bros and hates it. It just comes off as uninformed.
It wasn't a full review, but his Jaguar CD review is like that. He tries to play Battlemorph like Starfox and just complains the whole time that it's not starfox instead of actually playing the game correctly. I much prefer when he demonstrates intimate knowledge of the game, rather than when he is just looking for things to shit on.
wondermega
Member
nice, will check out the link, thanks for posting that! Mostly agree with you on AVGN vids
Red Chocobo
Banned
Same here. He is great at doing research and making informative vids. I also like his console reviews like the Atari 5200 and the Colecovision/Intellivision episodes.
It's kind of a shame that most of his viewers just want to see him swearing at some game that he has probably only played a few times before reviewing it. I feel like it's holding him back.
I agree. I feel like he doesn't branch out to more obscure stuff because he has to maintain a degree of familiarity with his audience. And he can't really review any obscure stuff that doesn't suck because it doesn't fit his schtick. I see his Commodore Amiga 500 box in the background of many of his videos and wish he'd do a non-angry review of that machine like he did with Nintendo Power, because that machine is awesome.
Why is the ball in his court? This is exactly the nonsense response the IG is looking for. the simple fact is, IG is the one responsible for literally all of this. Sure, he can open up 'now' about being a shameless hack, but that sure didn't stop him from doing it in the first place. He's been trying to make a quick buck on the AVGN bandwagon the whole time, nobody forced him to do it but himself.
Why does he need to apologize in the first place? Everyone started telling him he sucked and was a plagiarist because....he sucked and was plagiarizing James. Shit isn't rocket science, and this whole 'honest' angle IG is trying to portray in that video is just trying to guilt people into not disliking him. Sorry, no dice. If James can forgive him that's fine, but he has no real reason to - he has no real reason to care about the guy at all. It doesn't make him bad to not get all buddy buddy, the only reason IG wants that to happen is for his own gain, as usual. AVGN acknowledging him as a legitimate contemporary would legitimize him in the eyes of many fans and let him try to sweep his past under the rug. It would be one thing to say 'everyone was copying James for funsies' if he had just done that as a fan and then kind of enjoyed his moment in the sun. Instead he used it to try to capitalize quite literally on the AVGN's success, launch his own web series, and steal content flat out. I could post a video of me just redoing one of James' rants myself and just be a fan, but the minute I try to start "The Yangery Video Game Nerd" brand I should probably stop just lifting my shit from his videos. There's a line there that IG drove right over.
Ultimately, the only thing AVGN (Or mike, who cares) did was post the letter.
IG is the one who started copying the concept at all.
IG is the one who chose to plagiarize rants wholesale during the reviews.
IG is the one who wrote the letter.
It's nice that IG wants to bury the hatchet. He's the one that put it there in the first place though and also the one that can't move past it.
I just watched both TMNT videos, which is more Irate Gamer than I had any desire to watch.
Irate Gamer is clearly an AVGN derivative (and admits to also being a derivative of other AVGN derivatives, but he didn't think that was a problem, because AVGN endorsed and even promoted the idea of AVGN derivatives), and he covers some (but not all) of the same points that AVGN covered in their review. But he also seemed to put effort into distinguishing his review from AVGN's, and covered much more ground to try and more seriously review why TMNT was a bad game. He would have been remiss not to mention some of the same major points which AVGN mentioned. And even beyond character and content, much of IG's direction looked like an amateur who was learning how to direct by mimicking AVGN (which is how most amateurs learn). IMO, not a plagiarist, just an amateur.
But even if I were to call Irate Gamer a plagiarist, Mike was out of line by posting that email. IMO, Mike owes Irate Gamer an apology.
Because the last we heard (afaik) from James on this issue was "Irate Gamer hates me and I don't know why, so... fuck him."
Well, now we know why. Irate Gamer finally spilled his guts on why he hates AVGN, and it seems somewhat reasonable. He was doing something which he thought was okay, and then Mike was a dick to him.
If James privately (no need for it to be public) sends an email to IG and says "Oh, I didn't know what it was that was eating you. Sorry. I shouldn't have let Mike post that email" and IG responds with "Whatever. Past is past" that would effectively end a feud right there. The small shots both sides apparently took during the feud don't look like they reached critical mass, so dumping water on the source should put out the fire. Or AVGN can continue to be "right" about Irate Gamer being a talentless fraud (which wasn't AVGN's official position before), and the feud can continue. The ball is in James' court. He's the one who can control what happens next.
BulletBees
Member
You're probably right. I know in the past he hasn't said much of anything and I don't see that changing. James is Pepsi in this case. Since, ya know, Pepsi is better than Coke.
BulletBees
Member
Also, I can't really stand Archfiend. I don't know the full story of how this happened again but I know Archfiend might have been the one to 'stir the pot' as they say. I love how back when James had the indiegogo campaign for the movie he claimed we all got ripped off and James took the money and ran. Well, guess what. We got the movie. Archfiend seems like an ass.
Wait, when did he say the movie wouldn't get made?
BulletBees
Member
I can't seem to find the original video but someone uploaded a section of it. Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CngqvJmjgT8
But again, how is there any 'ball' in his court? The notion that there is some game that James has to participate in here is ridiculous. It has never served him in the past to acknowledge his inferior, it wouldn't serve him now. I don't see the big deal about Mike posting the message in the first place - it was basically just to show that yes, he did in fact start doing it because of the AVGN. Something he tried to deny until that point.
The only person who gains anything from this horse shit is Chris Bores. James is way above it at this point, and as fans we're better served by the IG just finally going the hell away (Or ignoring it, same difference).
You don't just get to randomly trash talk people and then have 'the ball in their court' so to speak, that's not really how it works. They need to be in the same league for it to matter in the first place, and it just fizzles and dies if James doesn't respond to it anyway.
Mr. Enigma
Member
Someone let me know when this thread stops acknowledging garbage like Irate Gamer and Archfiend.
There is a game going on that exists because there is a game going on that exists. It's an internet feud. Neither side appears to like each other.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdA3z-Ql0Is
"He pretty much pretends that I dont exist so why would I even need to say anything about him?" - James Rolfe
IG stopped pretending that James doesn't exist, and explained why he's mad at James. That changed the dynamic of the situation. James' former position of responding to silence with silence is no longer valid, and he's been placed into a new position of power where he could probably end the feud rather easily, or he could escalate it (highly doubtful, James isn't an idiot), or he could just ignore it. He's under no obligation to return the ball, but even not returning the ball counts as a response.
I'm not sure why it's controversial to point out that James might have the opportunity here to end a feud, with little effort. James and Mike did violate IG's trust by posting a private email. Now that James knows that that's what got IG hot under the collar... simple apologies are cheap, and go a long way. Of course, if James and Mike deliberately posted the email because they wanted to prove that IG was a plagiarist and a liar, then they're not so far above this game as people like you have been suggesting, and that would seem to make an apology less likely.
Responding to silence with silence was valid, but now IG spoke.
If AVGN continues with silence, then they're not responding to silence with silence, they're responding to a complaint with silence. Which is fine, if that's what James wants to do, but it's not the same as his previous position.
So his excuse was "but lots of people do it!" then tries to pass it off as flattery? There's a difference between inspired by and copying. George Lucas was inspired by many older films when he made Star Wars. He did just flat out copy a movie and call it his own.
Also, James doesn't need to respond to anything. I think it's pretty sad trying to "expose" and bring drama to youtube. What are they going to go? Keep posting videos back and forth? Honestly, I don't even care if AVGN is money hungry. Everyone wants money plus he has a wife and baby. As long as he keeps releasing fun, entertaining content then by all means keep earning those dollars.
As a big fan of James, I found the IG's video very insightful. I don't hate the guy. His content was lackluster but whatever I never saw it hurt anyone. James not being partner and IG being partner is all YouTube's fault.
I didn't see this video as an attempt of attention or trying to get back at James. He even says it at the end that he has no resentment towards him anymore. Seemed like a good time as any since both him and AVGN are pretty much no where near the spotlight anymore so he isn't gaining anything by this and this probably won't affect James anymore.
I didn't see this video as an attempt of attention or trying to get back at James. He even says it at the end that he has no resentment towards him anymore. Seemed like a good time as any since both him and AVGN are pretty much no where near the spotlight anymore so he isn't gaining anything by this and this probably won't affect James anymore.
Question: Why should AVGN care or agknowledge some random nobody who's literally know for plagerizing him. Irategamer is the Dane Cook of Video game reviewing. He was caught plagerizing on the TMNT review and was exposed as a lying shameless plagerazing hack and that should be the end of the story as far as James should be concerned.
Also lol at him still thinking that the outnerdthenerd was rigged and isn't just the fact that he wasn't good enough.
Also lol at him still thinking that the outnerdthenerd was rigged and isn't just the fact that he wasn't good enough.
James & Mike Play Mondays: Super Castlevania IV (Part 1)
Now I feel like going back to his Castlevania retrospective. Wonder if he'll ever review some of the other games in the series.
Edit: YouTube version.
Now I feel like going back to his Castlevania retrospective. Wonder if he'll ever review some of the other games in the series.
Edit: YouTube version.
TheContact
Member
Yeah and the back to the future one. Completely copied him right down to the same jokes. He's an incredible douchebag, not to mention he has his own ghost hunter show which is God awful
AVGN apparently had 200 imitators for years. IG was a fan of AVGN and the imitators, with some desire to try it for himself. Then one of the imitators asked James what he thought of people imitating him, and James said "It's awesome and flattering, and I wish I had more fans like that." So IG decided to become talentless imitator #201. While IG was talentless imitator #201, James actively encouraged IG (and the rest of the group) to imitate him even harder.
Then through random luck, IG flipped from being talentless imitator #201 to talentless imitator #2 in a weekend, and thousands of people were calling for his no-talent ass to produce more content.
While IG was trying to come to terms with this series of events, and trying to find his footing as a real artist, he reached out to AVGN for help and AVGN betrayed him, apparently because they felt threatened by his sudden rise and felt the need to "prove" that IG was a no-talent hack.
I didn't say that AVGN "needs" to apologize for posting the email (although I think he should, I don't care how high AVGN is above IG, privacy in email is a right that should be extended to everyone). I said that if AVGN wants to end a long standing feud, all he needs to do is take the high road and say a few nice words (privately).
I'm sure that AVGN could make videos of their own and go on for hours about all the ways in which IG sucks, but that's the opposite of what I thought was a good idea.
No one betrayed anyone. It is just that IG was exposed as a talentless hack. And why should AVGN care about Irategamer or make ammends for anything that he didn't do.
Also, there is no feud here. and if it is, then it is completely one-sided on Irategamer, who can't seem to let go that he got exposed as a hack who continued to copy Avgn to a massive amount *see the TMNT review he did*, can't play video games to save his life, jumped on the ""AVGN Is a money grubber" bandwagon when AVGN was doing some cheetahman 2 or movie stuff and who can't let go of the fact that he lost some random contest and instead says that it was "Rigged"
http://irategamersucks.blogspot.com/ check out this blog to see how full of shit IG is. Mike Matei himself sometimes comments on the blog.
Posting an email is a betrayal of trust. IG was looking for help from a mentor he idolized, and was attacked as an enemy.
Seriously?
IG had to stop posting his schedule in advance, because AVGN would beat him to the punch. That could be coincidence, but probably isn't.
I did see that review. I didn't want to, but I felt I should inform myself. What I saw was a video that fits with a no-talent imitator making an attempt to be something more than that. It fits with IG's story.
People keep bringing this up, but what does the difference in AVGN and IG's artistic ability have to do with anything? If Mike was a dick and earned AVGN a crazy stalker, then Mike was a dick and earned AVGN a crazy stalker. If James can easily fix the situation by saying "Sorry about that. Peace?" (which was not possible before, because IG wasn't talking), why should AVGN be "above" such lowly interactions?
Ben Morales
Member
He actually just released a video talking about the plagiarism and other stuff.
http://youtu.be/IYnM9hexHdA