So..... Anyone heard of 2K hiring goons to intimidate a borderlands youtuber?

[Func_Ladder]

So apparently 2K, the publisher for borderlands 3, hired two private investigators to intimidate some youtuber named "SupMatto" for "leaking" info about Borderlands 3.

But this isn't the first time 2K has done this.

A little flashback to 2015

If your in the gta 5 modding community you should know that your not welcome it 2K's world.

2K hates modders so much that back in 2015 2K hired PI's to a gta 5 modder's house for making a moddable version of gta online for private severs. 2K's reason for hiring people to go harass someone was that the mod was "promoting piracy," even though the mod required the game to function properly.

If you want to read more about this incident here is a article about it.
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-11-10-take-two-sends-private-investigators-to-gta5-modders-home-report

Now this might sound like this incident should have caused a big outrage strom, it didn't. Mostly due to media company's not picking the story up.

Now back to the main topic

Now back to the main topic. So, why did 2K hire goons to go to SupMatto's house? Well it started out on twitch, basically SupMatto noticed a test account, what he assumed to be some sort of secret thing that the Borderlands 3 PR team made as apart of some sort of marketing campaign.

But it turned out that it wasn't that, it was what i can only assume that the account was made to test upcoming streams.

So a few days latter he noticed that the account was streaming, and decided to watch it. The stream was set to private, so he didn't see anything important, but he did see the thumbnail, and then SupMatto made video talking about the thumbnail.

A day or two latter two PI's were banging at his door asking questions.

And 2K didn't want this news coming out so they nuked his twitter and discord and mass flagged most of his videos.

The impact

Now this would have just faded into the background like the gta 5 modder incident, but SubMatto made a video talking about it and it got some traction, and then a few other youtuber's made videos about it, and the controversy got enough traction that #BoycottBorderlands3 became trending on twitter.

Then IGN made a article about it, was mostly dismissed by people as being biased or something.

Borderlands 3 has gone through a lot of controversy the past few months, from it becoming a epic exclusive, to randy's fits on twitter, and now this. I have no doubts that Borderlands 3 is going to sell well, i would be surprised if it failed. But thanks to these events the good will for this game for some people has been soiled damp yellow and isn't coming out easily.

Some sources

SupMatto's video. (To be honest this video will probably will be taken down sometime soon.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRR-C1OCIWM&feature=youtu.be

Three videos about the situation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzV_Ps52hyk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kmC0NZShfM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQUVXGgr5lQ

Honestly i'm just posting this video here because i think its relevant to the situation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsUuhW7WbIg

And the IGN article, ill let you decide if its good or not.
https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/08/07/take-two-addresses-investigation-into-borderlands-3-streamer-leaks

[The Badger (née Poignion)]

I mean, GTA Online probably has terms and conditions with clear consequences (which players would have to agree to, to even be able to play) and in the case of Borderlands 3 it is a clear breach of copyright and misrepresents the product by being an incomplete version of what would actually be revealed by Gearbox. I doubt the "goons" were actually violent, but instead enforcing the laws that were broken. It really does suck from the streamers' and their fan's perspectives, but honestly, there was some law or rule broken there, otherwise the company would be in hell in court. Of course that's my view, but even companies should be more clear in the consequences of such things happening so it doesn't just happen, even a T&C summary to highlight the consequences more clearly, seeing as 99% of us skip them. Just my two pence, though.

[TheRandomGuy]

toki wa tomare původně napsal:

I mean, GTA Online probably has terms and conditions with clear consequences (which players would have to agree to, to even be able to play) and in the case of Borderlands 3 it is a clear breach of copyright and misrepresents the product by being an incomplete version of what would actually be revealed by Gearbox. I doubt the "goons" were actually violent, but instead enforcing the laws that were broken. It really does suck from the streamers' and their fan's perspectives, but honestly, there was some law or rule broken there, otherwise the company would be in hell in court. Of course that's my view, but even companies should be more clear in the consequences of such things happening so it doesn't just happen, even a T&C summary to highlight the consequences more clearly, seeing as 99% of us skip them. Just my two pence, though.

From what I've read on the issue.

2K had upcoming info on BL3 on a private Twitch Stream. Twitch does not hide thumbnails for Private Streams. This Streamer was able to piece together information based on thumbnails, and gather information that way. There was no hacking of Twitch or anything like that. The information divulged was public on twitch via the thumbnails of the private streams.

The "Goons" were Private Investigators sent to investigate the streamer. Legally speaking, a person can refuse to cooperate or even allow them on their property (In the US). This streamer however cooperated, which is an admission that he let them on his property.

2K went way overboard with nuking the guy's Discord and Youtube channel though. Also, members of his Discord did indeed clarify that no, he was not selling access for the leaks, and that was just to chat with him. The leaks were disclosed by him publicly in his discord / youtube channel.

The guy in question was also not under any sort of NDA, and since the Twitch Stream's thumbnails were up for all to see, 2K has nobody to blame for it but themselves.

[secuda]

Wont really effect my purches of this game.
But sucks to be that guy. No really i would be rather frightned over such thing.

[Brian9824]

So did anyone actually read the article because it sounds like 2k was VERY well justified to send people to talk to him and investigate and that he broke multiple laws.

However, 2K allege SupMatto’s leaks into Borderlands 3 goes far beyond just the Twitch extension. SupMatto's YouTube channel has published videos dating back to 2018 with information on Borderlands 3, including accurate details on characters and mechanics months ahead of Borderland 3's official reveal. There's also a question of where SupMatto got his leaks. If they were from third-party vendors, or internal parties connected to Borderlands 3, then there's the matter of breached NDAs to consider.

In our discussions with 2K, we’ve learned that the Twitch streams SupMatto used as sources were set to private, not public, as SupMatto claims. We were told that it was an exploit in Twitch’s security that allowed SupMatto’s community to datamine their way into getting access to thumbnail previews on what were private test streams. This puts SupMatto's claims in his Borderlands 3 videos into question.

So 2k is investigating theft of trade secrets, NDA's being breached, etc. Sounds fully justified to me. It also sounds like he knew full well he was getting data and info he wasn't supposed to have.

According to sources familiar with the matter, previously listed perks on SupMatto's YouTube channel allegedly offered access to a private Discord channel that included further Borderlands 3 leaked information in exchange for a $5 membership to his YouTube channel.

In SupMatto’s video he revealed that his Discord channel was shut down and received the following notice from Discord: “Your account was involved in selling, promoting, or distributing cheats, hacks, or cracked accounts.”

Then it sounds like was monetizing his access to that data, breaching his NDA, and was shut down by discord over violating their policies

We’ve learned that both Twitch and Discord were investigating SupMatto’s Twitch channel and Discord server, respectively. We’ve reached out to both Twitch and Discord for confirmation.

Also he is/was being investigated by multiple parties. HE closed his accounts and 2k did not close them as people are falsely claiming. So the claim that 2k nuked his accounts is just 100% false.

[Radene]

Ahhh, internet. Blowing everything out of proportion.

[𝕎𝔸𝕃𝕋𝔼ℝ]

Beep původně napsal:

2?

L_?

[Arnie Rimsy BSc.SSc.]

brian9824 původně napsal:

So did anyone actually read the article because it sounds like 2k was VERY well justified to send people to talk to him and investigate and that he broke multiple laws.

However, 2K allege SupMatto’s leaks into Borderlands 3 goes far beyond just the Twitch extension. SupMatto's YouTube channel has published videos dating back to 2018 with information on Borderlands 3, including accurate details on characters and mechanics months ahead of Borderland 3's official reveal. There's also a question of where SupMatto got his leaks. If they were from third-party vendors, or internal parties connected to Borderlands 3, then there's the matter of breached NDAs to consider.

In our discussions with 2K, we’ve learned that the Twitch streams SupMatto used as sources were set to private, not public, as SupMatto claims. We were told that it was an exploit in Twitch’s security that allowed SupMatto’s community to datamine their way into getting access to thumbnail previews on what were private test streams. This puts SupMatto's claims in his Borderlands 3 videos into question.

So 2k is investigating theft of trade secrets, NDA's being breached, etc. Sounds fully justified to me. It also sounds like he knew full well he was getting data and info he wasn't supposed to have.

According to sources familiar with the matter, previously listed perks on SupMatto's YouTube channel allegedly offered access to a private Discord channel that included further Borderlands 3 leaked information in exchange for a $5 membership to his YouTube channel.

In SupMatto’s video he revealed that his Discord channel was shut down and received the following notice from Discord: “Your account was involved in selling, promoting, or distributing cheats, hacks, or cracked accounts.”

Then it sounds like was monetizing his access to that data, breaching his NDA, and was shut down by discord over violating their policies

We’ve learned that both Twitch and Discord were investigating SupMatto’s Twitch channel and Discord server, respectively. We’ve reached out to both Twitch and Discord for confirmation.

Also he is/was being investigated by multiple parties. HE closed his accounts and 2k did not close them as people are falsely claiming. So the claim that 2k nuked his accounts is just 100% false.

Shouldn't you be off coddling the fun pimps instead of babbling about NDAs lol

[Brian9824]

SPQROddHistory původně napsal:

brian9824 původně napsal:

So did anyone actually read the article because it sounds like 2k was VERY well justified to send people to talk to him and investigate and that he broke multiple laws.

Shouldn't you be off coddling the fun pimps instead of babbling about NDAs lol

Shouldn't you be actually discussing the thread instead of posting off topic BS about stuff you clearly have no clue about.

But hey, I get it. When someone posts facts that you can't refute then you just try to make random attacks against people hoping to deflect from your strawman arguments.

Maybe next time before you make inane posts like this

SPQROddHistory původně napsal:

Just another regular example of how the video game industry disregards games as a hobby and aggressively focuses on anti-consumer business practices in some pathetically petty way to maintain control of their profit margins.

You'll take the time to actually read the articles first so you don't come across looking foolish.

[Killerwhale]

no

[Brian9824]

TLDR version - guy apparently had an inside source that broke NDA and stole info, then he illegally accessed some private twitch channels via a security exploit, then got banned from discord for selling access to said confidential information and then he removed his own twitter and video pages after getting paid a visit by two investigators who were looking into the data breach who were by all accounts polite and did not attempt to intimidate him at all.

Apparently youtubers complaining when they get busted receiving stolen information is news these days. Go figuire.

[novasunshine]

TakeTwo isn't 2K

[Goose]

Idk a good name původně napsal:

Beep původně napsal:

2?

L_?

777777777777777777777777

[𝕎𝔸𝕃𝕋𝔼ℝ]

Beep původně napsal:

Idk a good name původně napsal:

L_?

777777777777777777777777

LLL

[(N☆G) Jackal ★JJ★]

I just think its incredibly scummy that The Know covered the leaks first and that guy did it second and nothing is being remotely done to The Know while DMCA take downs are hitting his channel.

I guess since he did 4 years of content and doesn't even have 500 subs that thought they could just bully him....

With the game going to Epic stores first for 6 months and Randy's jerkish comment about it I was going to wait for it to be on Steam.... but now I don't even know if I even care to support such crap. Yeah... the game looks like its going to be amazing like BL1 and BL2 was but I'm kinda over still buying products from companies that don't give a ♥♥♥♥ about their fans.

Not to mention, the exclusive deal was a REAL ♥♥♥♥ move considering Valve was the one who gave Randy and Gearbox Software their big break by allowing them to be the ONLY company to officially make Half Life sequels and this is kinda of what they do....

Randy stealing from his own employee's bonuses, screwing over the people who made them big so they can get free money..... Gearbox is turning out to be the new EA.... right along with Epic and Bethesda.

[Brian9824]

(N☆G) Jackal ★JJ★ původně napsal:

I just think its incredibly scummy that The Know covered the leaks first and that guy did it second and nothing is being remotely done to The Know while DMCA take downs are hitting his channel.

I guess since he did 4 years of content and doesn't even have 500 subs that thought they could just bully him....

With the game going to Epic stores first for 6 months and Randy's jerkish comment about it I was going to wait for it to be on Steam.... but now I don't even know if I even care to support such crap. Yeah... the game looks like its going to be amazing like BL1 and BL2 was but I'm kinda over still buying products from companies that don't give a ♥♥♥♥ about their fans.

Not to mention, the exclusive deal was a REAL ♥♥♥♥ move considering Valve was the one who gave Randy and Gearbox Software their big break by allowing them to be the ONLY company to officially make Half Life sequels and this is kinda of what they do....

Randy stealing from his own employee's bonuses, screwing over the people who made them big so they can get free money..... Gearbox is turning out to be the new EA.... right along with Epic and Bethesda.

Actually SupMatto's already said that 2k did NOT take down most of his videos and that he did them himself but don't let facts get in your way.

Also SupMatto's was under investigation for over 10 months related to older leaks and stuff he had did and how he was getting access to the info, part of which involved him using an exploit in twitters's security to access information he wasn't supposed to be able to. It wasn't related to 1 specific leak.

He was also SELLING access to the leaked info and making a profit off of it which is why he was banned by Discord for violating their terms.

So completely different scenarios.