Eurogamer is reporting that CCP has launched an investigation against CSM chairman, Alexander ‘The Mittani’ Gianturco, after he presented at Eve Fanfest during the “unfiltered” player panel last week.
Eve Online, like the real world, is one of the few MMORPGs, if not the only, that allows its players to participate in in-game crimes and scams; allowing players to steal in-game items and currency from each other.
During his presentation, The Mittani aired out a private conversation with one of the Eve Online players that he had scammed.The victim revealed that he had recently gone through a divorce and had become depressed, to which The Mittani mocked during his rant, stating “We’re sure that he’s not dead” and “he might have committed suicide.”
The Mittani then revealed the player’s in-game username and encouraged the audience and viewers watching to find the player in-game to harrass them, in the hopes he would eventually act out on his depression and commit suicide.
CCP public relations and social media speicalist, Ned Cokes, responded with the following statements,
“I want to reassure you that CCP in no way condones the harassment of players, especially those who suffer from depression or suicidal thoughts, as we understand the possible consequences of such abhorrent behaviour,”
While the content of online interactions between players cannot realistically be gated within our game worlds, we do take very seriously accusations of such behaviour between our players
We are undertaking a full internal review of this panel as well as the process used for vetting the panel’s materials. Even though this panel was billed as unfiltered by CCP, we expect public presentations to be courteous and professional towards others.
I realize this was the “unfiltered” portion of the event, but for the head of the Eve Online player elected CSM to blatantly show no regard for other players well-being, is quite shocking. I watched part of his speech during the live stream and couldn’t stomach his personality for more than a few mins. Sorry, but he just seemed like a complete asshole to me; I don’t care if he was drunk. I turned it off after he read the messages between him and the victim, before he gave out the players username and asked the audience to harass him, but I’m not surprised he went on to do that.
It will be interesting to see what CCP does to address the issue, but I think The Mittani can kiss his CMS chairman position goodbye.
To those of us who actively play and follow the politics of the game, this comes as no shock. Mittani has sat at the head of the largest in game group and used that power and influence to fuel arrogant rampage after arrogant rampage. Unfortunately, I can foresee that if removed from CSM, he will use that same in game power to try and make CCP regret the action by forcing his underlings to cause havoc in the facets of the game he feels will hurt the player base the most.
This kid’s an idiot… now when folks Google his name they’ll see a ridiculous chinbeard wearing a wizard hat tied to cyber-bullying.
As for his band causing issues for the general playerbase, that’s been their goal from the beginning hasn’t it?
from what my brother has told me(he plays eve) Mittani has recieved the perma-ban-hammer from CCP. so im not too sure that he can cause that much more damage.