I'll just lay it out as it happened.
The allegations:
1/5 To everyone who crowdfunded please remember what we were promised and how much money went in those crowdfunding rounds plus his subscribestar. over 200k in total. That lasted a little over a year and staff were not paid.
2/5 @thequartering is still taking money from @ExclusivelyGame supporters on his subscribe star for the total of $320 per month in his own personal pocket. We advise you if you're still supporting EG on subscribestar to cancel your support as soon as possible
3/5 Staff were paid from a defunct company owned by @TheQuartering that was dissolved in 2012. There is no company called Exclusively Games. There is no trademark. There is no Copyright. There is company filings or company taxes paid.
4/5 This was the website as has been for a while now. @thequartering had zero ideas to revive the website. It was dead in the water. None of the writers could use their articles for references if applying for other posts on other websites. It was gone.
5/5 We love games, we love the community we had going. We are sorting out a website as we speak. We don't plan to ask people for hundreds of thousands of dollars to create a WordPress website. We are just very disappointed that we got conned out of money from @TheQuartering
All in all, we could have worked with Jeremy on EG's future but he ignored us. So we will carve our own path. 2020 is going to be good for gaming. Unless you're intel that is.
Jeremy's responses:
You're an idiot. That's not even the company. Take it down now
"Jeremy didn't email us back so we stole his stuff." Remove your stolen IP immediately. I am already speaking to your web host, domain registrar and my lawyer. You have until monday
Categorically false. With receipts. My writers were not only paid, they were paid ABOVE industry standards and provided a severance. You are playing a very dangerous game kid. I know you think it''s "cool" but it's about to get VERY expensive. End of discussion
Imagine putting this out, for me to archive and the world to see. I KNOW who you are. Your "community" is about 10 people. Remove my stolen IP or I will make this VERY expensive for you If you think I am kidding, let me assure you I am not & I am VERY vindictive. Last warning
I will let your slanderous comments go FOR NOW. Consider me now on the clock. Your domain registrar is getting me your information a we speak. Do NOT make the mistake of thinking I am joking around.
Yes this is one of the people behind it. The writer wanted me to commit tax fraud so he could avoid paying child support or something. I refused & he melted down.
You would think "@XclusivelyGames" would take a brief look at what happened to the last guy I took to court. I am giving them until Monday to removing my IP and once that process starts I'll see it though to the end. Big mistake
lol right? like paying 20 writers and 3-4 full timer staff for a year and a half totally was free...and the web hosting, software, editing, graphic design...hahahaha I fooled everyone!!!
Thoughts, KiA?
Edit:
Two staff members have now come forward on Twitter to say that they were paid in full
Thank you.
Looks like Jeremy replied.
https://twitter.com/TheQuartering/status/1287471316824723460?s=19
Is this scummy or not? Is there generally an expectation that a site will pay you if they decide not to run your article?
My understanding is the articles were accepted, set to be published, but never published so the person did work that he wasn't paid for but their defense is"we didn't publish it" which is sketch but not illegal. Imagine if you asked to wash my car for $10 and I agreed because I was taking it to a car show, then you washed my car but I didn't pay you because the car show was cancelled.
Weren't the articles written already though? Like were they working for Jeremy when they wrote them, or was it a freelance deal? That makes a big difference.
AFAIK the ideas were pitched to EG editors, given approval, then written. I could have been told incorrect information tho.