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QAA Podcast

Episode 261: Pilled Game Developers

Jan 6, 2024
The hosts discuss chaotic incidents on New Year's Day, a poorly designed indie game and right-wing reaction, controversies surrounding a game, disturbing DIY games and controversies, a 1000-page life journal and experimentation with substances, trying to impress people at parties, and a parody game review of 'Acquitted Self Defense versus Brain Dead'.
01:20:14

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Individuals who use video game design as an outlet can manifest extremist beliefs, as seen in the disturbing games created by Joseph Cantrell.
  • The brutal attack by Joseph Cantrell on a colleague highlights the dangers posed by individuals who harbor extreme views and use game design as a platform.

Deep dives

Joseph Cantrell: The Disturbed Game Designer

In February 2023, Joseph Cantrell, a Microsoft employee, brutally attacked and stabbed another employee, David, outside the Redmond office. Cantrell's personal website revealed his deeply disturbed psyche, showcasing his obsession with video games, anime, and controversial beliefs. The website featured games he had designed, including an Anne Frank simulator and a game called Untrumpable, where players control Donald Trump dodging fake news. These games offered disturbing insights into Cantrell's distorted worldview. The attack was largely underreported, possibly due to Microsoft's efforts to scrub any references to Cantrell from search engines. This disturbing incident highlights the dangers of individuals who use video game design as an outlet for their extremist beliefs.

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