Yesterday the game Paranautical Activity was taken down off of Steam when one of its developers Mike Maulbeck, frustrated by the fact that Steam released the game later than expected and accidentally continued to label it was Early Access when it was actually a full release, threatened in a Tweet that he would kill Gabe Newell. Today on the blog of Code Avarice, the developer of Paranautical Activity, Maulbeck has stated that he is deeply sorry and has sold off his share of the company and all rights to profits from the game. You can read the entire post below:
Yesterday, Paranautical Activity released out of steam Early Access, and following some confusion about the state of the game I became frustrated with Steam, and tweeted a series of angry tweets that ended in me sarcastically saying I was going to kill Gabe Newell. A statement I obviously didn’t mean but was regardless completely unacceptable.
As a result of my actions, Paranautical Activity, a game made by 4 or 5 people depending on who you count as team members, was removed from steam. I feel is it my responsibility to step down from Code Avarice completely so that Steam has no reason to harbor any more ill will towards the company, and maybe even if we can’t see Paranautical Activity restored, at least future Code Avarice games may be allowed onto the platform.
I’m really, deeply sorry that my short sighted, hot tempered actions resulted in not only my own dreams and aspirations being destroyed, but those of the entire team I worked with. I’m sorry that my statements made Valve and/or Gabe uncomfortable and upset (rightfully so).
My temper and tendency to use twitter to vent has been a consistent problem since I entered the games industry, and I just can’t do it. I don’t have the willpower necessary to be the “face” of a company. If I do continue to work in games it’ll be as an anonymous 1 of 1000 at some shitty corporation, not the most public figure of a single digit sized team.
I’ve sold my half of Code Avarice to Travis. Given up all my rights to CA as a company, and all it’s intellectual properties. I won’t receive any money from the sale of Paranautical Activity or any future games CA develops, I won’t be consulted on business decisions, and I won’t have any hand in development.
I’m out.
His now ex-partner at Code Avarice Travis Pfenning stated in a Tweet that he does not agree with the decision and the entire situation is ludicrous:
My partner, has left the company I do not agree with this. We all make mistakes. This whole thing is ludicrous. http://t.co/jewxsal1cr
— Master Vallisca (@Vallisca3x3x3) October 21, 2014
He then goes on to state that as the only public representative of the company, he apologizes to “Steam, Gabe Newell, and any other party involved in this debacle.”
Do you agree with Mike Maulbeck’s decision to step down over his threatening Tweet to Gabe Newell? Is Travis Pfenning making light of the situation by calling it ludicrous? let us know in the comments.
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