Regardless of which side of the always-online fence a gamer sat on, most would be surprised to find that Adam Orth still contributes to the video game industry. Even more would be surprised to find that he emerged from his scuff with the angry, faceless internet mob feeling better than ever.
During a phone interview with Kotaku, Adam Orth described how he’d managed to turn a bad situation to an overwhelmingly positive one.
According to Kotaku, Orth’s transformation involved him changing his diet, losing 50 pounds in weight, sharpening his mental state and redefining who he was to all those close to him. That’s not to say that Orth’s initial reaction to the war waged against him was a pleasant one.
Orth attribute his rise from the depths of depression to the support given to him by numerous members of the video game industry, including Harvey Smith and Brenda Romero. Orth currently enjoys a new creative career in Santa Monica, dreaming up indie games under the name Three One Zero.
While it’s good to hear that Adam Orth’s life wasn’t completely destroyed as a result of his infamous “#dealwithit” tweet, one can’t help but find difficultly in celebrating his ordeal as a ultimately positive experience. The comments Orth made via Twitter were irresponsible and unintentionally highlighted an anti-consumer picture already painted by the likes of Diablo III, SimCity and Aliens: Colonial Marines.
Conversely, the comments Orth made on the then-always-online, yet-to-be-announced Xbox One resulted in myriad discussions on the advantages and disadvantages of modern day DRM. As a result, Microsoft’s official announcement of the Xbox One and its restrictive, always-online technology caught no one by surprise. In fact, one could go as far as to suggest that Orth inadvertently gave gamers a much needed heads up on Microsoft’s plans, resulting in Microsoft’s eventual back peddling.
Should gamers be sympathetic with Adam Orth, or do his comments still pain those that were originally offended? Leave us a comment below and let us know your thoughts.
Microsoft’s Xbox One will be released in most Western territories on November 22nd.
Source: Kotaku
