Comments on: The Microsoft Gamer Dad Incident http://www.gamesanityblog.com/2008/03/01/the-microsoft-gamer-dad-incident/ Games from a Parental Perspective Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:55:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: GamerDad http://www.gamesanityblog.com/2008/03/01/the-microsoft-gamer-dad-incident/comment-page-1/#comment-3760 GamerDad Sun, 02 Mar 2008 17:40:38 +0000 http://www.gamingwithchildren.com/2008-03-01/the-microsoft-gamer-dad-incident/#comment-3760 That is true. I was only semi-famous at the time - Penny-Arcade's Tycho was a fan, same with sites like GamePolitics, GamersWithJobs, and a few others, but it's so hard to get attention. For some reason many sites never mention me. I think they figure they don't have any parents in their audience. They're wrong - and I really don't think we overlap with 90% of the sites out there. But facing off against MS - and having them backoff - did an awful lot of good for me in the long run. In this way, the heart attack was good too. Gabe putting it on Penny-Arcade generated a truly amazing response! At the time though, it hurt and scared me badly. ;-) I always enjoy hearing how people found out about the site though. That's fun! That is true. I was only semi-famous at the time – Penny-Arcade’s Tycho was a fan, same with sites like GamePolitics, GamersWithJobs, and a few others, but it’s so hard to get attention. For some reason many sites never mention me. I think they figure they don’t have any parents in their audience. They’re wrong – and I really don’t think we overlap with 90% of the sites out there. But facing off against MS – and having them backoff – did an awful lot of good for me in the long run.

In this way, the heart attack was good too. Gabe putting it on Penny-Arcade generated a truly amazing response!
At the time though, it hurt and scared me badly. ;-)
I always enjoy hearing how people found out about the site though. That’s fun!

]]> By: PapaGamer http://www.gamesanityblog.com/2008/03/01/the-microsoft-gamer-dad-incident/comment-page-1/#comment-3759 PapaGamer Sun, 02 Mar 2008 15:33:24 +0000 http://www.gamingwithchildren.com/2008-03-01/the-microsoft-gamer-dad-incident/#comment-3759 On the flip side, the furor over it caused someone to mention me and, when I Googled my nick (as I occasionally do), I found your site. :) On the flip side, the furor over it caused someone to mention me and, when I Googled my nick (as I occasionally do), I found your site. :)

]]> By: Tim http://www.gamesanityblog.com/2008/03/01/the-microsoft-gamer-dad-incident/comment-page-1/#comment-3757 Tim Sun, 02 Mar 2008 13:59:02 +0000 http://www.gamingwithchildren.com/2008-03-01/the-microsoft-gamer-dad-incident/#comment-3757 I can see why it would hurt for them to completely undermine you like that and they really should have apologized themselves. But on the other hand you could coverage on every major gaming blog and spread the GamerDad message to lots of people who hadn't heard of it before (I hadn't heard of it till then). Admittedly that's probably not Gamerdad's audience but still they tell their friends who aren't video game nuts and they can then use GamerDad.com. I can see why it would hurt for them to completely undermine you like that and they really should have apologized themselves. But on the other hand you could coverage on every major gaming blog and spread the GamerDad message to lots of people who hadn’t heard of it before (I hadn’t heard of it till then). Admittedly that’s probably not Gamerdad’s audience but still they tell their friends who aren’t video game nuts and they can then use GamerDad.com.

]]> By: GamerDad http://www.gamesanityblog.com/2008/03/01/the-microsoft-gamer-dad-incident/comment-page-1/#comment-3741 GamerDad Sat, 01 Mar 2008 22:04:06 +0000 http://www.gamingwithchildren.com/2008-03-01/the-microsoft-gamer-dad-incident/#comment-3741 Would this bother you? <strong>Would it bother YOU if I came in and edited your posts? -GD</strong> Would this bother you?

Would it bother YOU if I came in and edited your posts? -GD

]]> By: GamerDad http://www.gamesanityblog.com/2008/03/01/the-microsoft-gamer-dad-incident/comment-page-1/#comment-3740 GamerDad Sat, 01 Mar 2008 21:56:52 +0000 http://www.gamingwithchildren.com/2008-03-01/the-microsoft-gamer-dad-incident/#comment-3740 Yep. I'm planning on going after all of them. The bloggers, the message board posters, the people on Xbox Live, and any company who uses it too. I'm not even going to sue them. I'm going to hunt 'em down and kill them!!!! Just kidding. I don't care about anyone using GamerDad so long as they aren't pretending to be me - using it for financial gain - or dragging it through the mud. In the MS case they were setting up a marketing column with my name. This not only would cause confusion over who GamerDad is - it would make my getting work harder because the mags I work for won't hire a corporate shill. I also felt having Gamer Dad be an Xbox 360 thing was too limiting. Given all of that, I could go after that kind of use. But if you want to go on Amazon.com and review things as "Mr. GamerDad" "Computer GamerDad" etc., or if you use it at a non-commercial blog about your family - I'll most likely leave you alone. Look at it this way. Imagine if I put out an ad that showed a picture of me and said: GAMERDAD KNOWS WHAT THEY PLAY! Just a phrase, right? How do you think the owners of WhatTheyPlay.com would feel about it? Yep. I’m planning on going after all of them. The bloggers, the message board posters, the people on Xbox Live, and any company who uses it too. I’m not even going to sue them. I’m going to hunt ‘em down and kill them!!!!

Just kidding. I don’t care about anyone using GamerDad so long as they aren’t pretending to be me – using it for financial gain – or dragging it through the mud. In the MS case they were setting up a marketing column with my name. This not only would cause confusion over who GamerDad is – it would make my getting work harder because the mags I work for won’t hire a corporate shill. I also felt having Gamer Dad be an Xbox 360 thing was too limiting. Given all of that, I could go after that kind of use.

But if you want to go on Amazon.com and review things as “Mr. GamerDad” “Computer GamerDad” etc., or if you use it at a non-commercial blog about your family – I’ll most likely leave you alone.

Look at it this way. Imagine if I put out an ad that showed a picture of me and said:

GAMERDAD KNOWS
WHAT THEY PLAY!

Just a phrase, right? How do you think the owners of WhatTheyPlay.com would feel about it?

]]> By: Mr. Do-Do http://www.gamesanityblog.com/2008/03/01/the-microsoft-gamer-dad-incident/comment-page-1/#comment-3739 Mr. Do-Do Sat, 01 Mar 2008 21:50:27 +0000 http://www.gamingwithchildren.com/2008-03-01/the-microsoft-gamer-dad-incident/#comment-3739 So you own GamerDad and Gamer Dad? Can someone call themselves a "Gamerdad" without you suing them? Just wondering why you think you can own a description. So you own GamerDad and Gamer Dad? Can someone call themselves a “Gamerdad” without you suing them? Just wondering why you think you can own a description.

]]> By: Roosevelt Frampton http://www.gamesanityblog.com/2008/03/01/the-microsoft-gamer-dad-incident/comment-page-1/#comment-3738 Roosevelt Frampton Sat, 01 Mar 2008 19:43:28 +0000 http://www.gamingwithchildren.com/2008-03-01/the-microsoft-gamer-dad-incident/#comment-3738 Hey, at least it's been a couple more years. After all that TV work - PAX - and your heart attack (it was beautiful how the community wrapped around you there man) do you think it could ever happen again? I mean you're so much more famous now - seems to me you can rest easy. Your trademark is safe. Besides, who'd dare tread where Microsoft was afraid to go? It'd take a giant company or a moron I think. Hey, at least it’s been a couple more years. After all that TV work – PAX – and your heart attack (it was beautiful how the community wrapped around you there man) do you think it could ever happen again? I mean you’re so much more famous now – seems to me you can rest easy. Your trademark is safe.

Besides, who’d dare tread where Microsoft was afraid to go? It’d take a giant company or a moron I think.

]]> By: DormOnkey http://www.gamesanityblog.com/2008/03/01/the-microsoft-gamer-dad-incident/comment-page-1/#comment-3737 DormOnkey Sat, 01 Mar 2008 19:28:35 +0000 http://www.gamingwithchildren.com/2008-03-01/the-microsoft-gamer-dad-incident/#comment-3737 yeah that digital diva thing was awful. she had a good site doing what gamerdad does, but explaining computer upgrades and hardware to moms. ms decides they want to launch a column like that so they launch their own digital diva. She tries to sue, they laughed at her!!!!!! and to this day she can't do anythiing about it. That wouldbe you gd, if it wasn't for gamers who get what your about Glad the game community had your back. Your work is too important to let something like stand. yeah that digital diva thing was awful. she had a good site doing what gamerdad does, but explaining computer upgrades and hardware to moms. ms decides they want to launch a column like that so they launch their own digital diva. She tries to sue, they laughed at her!!!!!! and to this day she can’t do anythiing about it. That wouldbe you gd, if it wasn’t for gamers who get what your about

Glad the game community had your back. Your work is too important to let something like stand.

]]> By: SolomonGrungy http://www.gamesanityblog.com/2008/03/01/the-microsoft-gamer-dad-incident/comment-page-1/#comment-3736 SolomonGrungy Sat, 01 Mar 2008 19:25:16 +0000 http://www.gamingwithchildren.com/2008-03-01/the-microsoft-gamer-dad-incident/#comment-3736 I've never heard of this! But I've been a fan since your PAX speeches last year. You rocked it GamerDad! Anyway, this makes me glad I have a PS3 and Wii and not an Xbox 360. What jerks. I’ve never heard of this! But I’ve been a fan since your PAX speeches last year. You rocked it GamerDad! Anyway, this makes me glad I have a PS3 and Wii and not an Xbox 360. What jerks.

]]> By: Dominick ECA http://www.gamesanityblog.com/2008/03/01/the-microsoft-gamer-dad-incident/comment-page-1/#comment-3735 Dominick ECA Sat, 01 Mar 2008 19:23:47 +0000 http://www.gamingwithchildren.com/2008-03-01/the-microsoft-gamer-dad-incident/#comment-3735 So you never found out why it happened? I remember reading about this and thinking "how could they NOT know gamerdad?" seemed like a flimsy excuse to me. Oh and I hope you're better after that heart atack So you never found out why it happened? I remember reading about this and thinking “how could they NOT know gamerdad?” seemed like a flimsy excuse to me. Oh and I hope you’re better after that heart atack

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