Blogger Sucker Punched at Gencon

[airboy]

The game blogger who runs TheQuartering on youtube was sucker punched at Gencon.

The guy who was attacked runs TheQuartering, a youtube game commentary channel with 122,000 subscribers on youtube.

The leftist jackass, Matt Loter has been accused of sucker punching the commentator.   Mr. Loter runs Elm City Games in New Haven, Conn.  He also stated he was going to fight people before GenCon based on his social media posts.  Specifically, Matt Loter tweeted out that he would be fighting people at GenCon 2018 if they had a problem with Anita Sarkeesian from Feminist Frequency.

Unlike a lot of "controversies" at conventions, this one has a police report which was filed for battery.  A complaint was filed with GenCon asking for a lifetime ban on Matt Loter.  Loter was promoting a game he designed at Gencon.  I'm purposefully not mentioning the game because he is a jerk.

Main Story can be found at:
https://www.oneangrygamer.net/2018/08/matt-loter-from-elm-city-games-allegedly-attacked-jeremy-hambly-from-the-quartering-at-gencon-2018/65450/
and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sriNqhzx2oI&app=desktop


I think Matt Loter should get a lifetime ban from attending any big game convention.  If the jerk cannot control his emotions and has to sucker-punch people he disagrees with at a Con, he is a dangerous hothead.  This was not a punch thrown in the heat of an unplanned argument, this was a premeditated and unprovoked attack on someone he disagreed with on a gaming issue.  If Game Conventions won't ban someone like this, then the whole "code of conduct" stuff is s sham.

[bayonetbrant]

Yep, there were a lot of people conflating this event with the Stephan Brissaud event and accusing GAMA of "covering up" something, until there was a police report filed and Brissaud's Facebook post that clearly delineated the two and it was clear that GAMA wasn't doing jack-all, especially since GenCon isn't even their show.

Loter should go to trial and if eyewitness accounts are accurate, might actually get prison time.

I don't know what actions other cons can legally take for banning Loter based on what happened at GenCon, but they should certainly explore their options.  I'm pretty sure GenCon can ban him, but I don't know if, for instance, Origins can ban him for what happened off-site at GenCon since it was (1) not at the convention itself, and (2) not even their convention.
Not saying he should be welcome at Origins, but just wondering how they could legally keep him out.

[airboy]

Looked up what happed with Stephan Brissaud at GenCon.  This is what Mr. Brissaud posted on his Facebook page:

Stephan Brissaud
August 4 at 8:50 AM ·
Hello friends.
I just wanted to clear the air about an incident that occurred at Gencon Thursday morning.

Right at the outset, I want to say I regret that it happened as well as my behavior. I recognize and acknowledge that no matter how tired, irritated or stressed I was, my behavior was unacceptable and goes entirely against my core beliefs and principles. There are no excuses for my behavior, and I would like to publicly apologize to everyone involved or affected. I fully accept and respect the decision of show security and management to take away my badge for the remainder of this year's show, and apologize to them as well. I will absolutely do better in the future, and nothing like this will ever happen again.

The basics of what happened is that two pallets, containing all new releases for the show as well as other vital elements for my booth, were not delivered as scheduled the day before the show (Wednesday 8/1). Therefore the morning the show opened (Thursday 8/2) when they did arrive, my team and I were scrambling to get everything from the loading dock to the booth. Because the rugs were down on the show floor, we couldn't use any heavy carts, pallet jacks, etc. So it was basically 6 or 7 of my team members, and I hand carrying boxes and booth items piece by piece. During this process, we were asked by security to use entry doors that were very far from our booth. I misguidedly thought it was an unreasonable demand and tried to talk my way into doors much closer. It didn't go as I'd hoped, the conversation became heated between security and myself, but I complied at that point.

My team and I then walked to the doors we were directed to, and when walking through those doors, I was asked by security to display my badge. This I felt, unjustifiably of course, was adding insult to injury and I had another heated conversation with security. During this exchange, I was out of breath, and my hands were full with boxes, so I refused to stop to show my badge (extremely stupid, I know) and brushed up against a member of the security team as they attempted to bar my path. To be clear, there was no violence, malicious intent, injuries, or any other third parties (attendees, etc.) involved. I say this only to make sure the facts are clear, and in no way as an excuse, as I, of course, regret and am very sorry for it. When I got back to the booth, a security representative visited me there, I showed my badge, was not very polite in doing so which I also regret and I am sorry for, and I thought the matter was closed at that point. Unfortunately for me, it was not. As a consequence of my actions, my badge was taken from me, and I was informed that for the remainder of the show this year, I was no longer welcome in any areas of the convention center that required a badge.

The technical reason behind Gencon's decision was that Gencon has a zero tolerance policy for any such behavior. I completely agree with that policy and its decision. In fact, I believe in it so much so that I fully intend to own my mistake and use this unfortunate incident as a teachable moment in all other aspects of my personal and professional life. As soon as I am back in my office, I will be putting together a program in this regard that I am very excited about. I hope to share the details of it with you in the coming weeks. My greatest hope at this point is to learn from this mistake, and turn it into a force for positive change.
Thank you to everyone who has reached out to me on this issue. I am genuinely touched by the overwhelmingly supportive messages I have received from all of you, and want to assure you that I will be there for all of you in the future should the need arise.
All the best,
Stephan

[airboy]

My take on these two incidents are:

1] Brissaud did multiple stupid things when tired and stressed and got his GenCon badge revoked.  He recognized what he did, supported the decision, and apologized publicly.  This should close the incident and Brissaud should not get any further sanction in the future if he behaves himself.

2] Loter deserves a lifetime ban at Gencon and other big game conventions.  He also deserves arrest and a trial.

3] Can Origins or other big game conventions ban Loter for something that happened at Gencon?  My opinion is yes.  Here is why.  The game conventions are private events.  Banning someone who punched another attendee, did so in a pubic premeditated fashion, and not in the heat of an argument indicates that Loter is a danger to other people at a game convention.  His behavior is directly related to what goes on at a game convention and involves unprovoked, premedited violence.  If Origins gets a complaint about Loter prior to the convention, they should not let him have a badge.

Loter's behavior shows he is a danger to other attendees at game conventions.  I'm pretty sure the courts would back up a private organization banning the guy since the behavior is so closely tied to activities which happen at any game convention.

[bayonetbrant]

Brissaud's case was raised to "GAMA" levels of concern b/c he is also the current President of the GAMA board.  He was not acting in that capacity at GenCon, but people pre-disposed to view GAMA in a negative light instantly accused GAMA of "covering up" when the incident wasn't even 8 hours old.

[JasonPratt]

"Game" commentary!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfwE_ODI1YTbdjkzuSi1Nag/videos?sort=dd&shelf_id=2&view=0

The channel has almost nothing to do with game commentary per se. Unless all those videos were removed from more than a year ago. He's an anti-SJW cultural/political commentator, who got into that by commenting on certain issues in Magic: the Gathering player-culture.

I don't think the leftist activist "Prettiest" Matt Loter attacked him over game commentary. In fact, his premeditated announcement was that he would attack people who had problems with Anita Sarkeesian. This was a cultural/political hit (literally), to signal his virtue and get attention among his peers.

[airboy]

Jason - Thanks for the additional information.  I don't even listen to grogcast and am unfamiliar with the guy's youtube stuff.  Thanks for the update.  I'm one of those "reader people" who don't do video much. 

I hope that GenCon and others ban Loter.  I don't want the culture war bullshit to totally infect the gaming world. 

[airboy]

Brissaud's case was raised to "GAMA" levels of concern b/c he is also the current President of the GAMA board.  He was not acting in that capacity at GenCon, but people pre-disposed to view GAMA in a negative light instantly accused GAMA of "covering up" when the incident wasn't even 8 hours old.

Unfortunately, GAMA's having Larry Correia as a guest of honor and then revoking it hours after it was announced injected them into the culture wars.  I totally agree that this was not a "GAMA issue."

Brissaud handled this quite well once he got some rest and had a couple of days to reflect.  All of us have lashed out when we are tired.

[JasonPratt]

Jason - Thanks for the additional information.

Not your fault; the article minimizes the connection. YT sends me his videos sometimes, but I've never liked them. I should de-x him, but I'm lazy. 

[Windigo]

Jeebus, but people can be stupid.