As you may know from Twitter, trolls somehow got my email server put on spam lists a couple days ago . I’m sure they thought this was hilarious, and I guess it was sort of humorous. Still, I wasn’t laughing at the time. Long story short, it took me three hours to fix it. But, [email protected] works again, thanks to Google Apps. (Full Disclosure: I get money from Google AdSense). I had to get it fixed quickly, because many of the biggest stories in this site’s history, came to me via that address. In fact, the important story that I’m going to tell you about today, got to me in the same manner.A man named John Szczepaniak emailed me with a very compelling story. He claims that his book, The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers, Vol. 1 (I receive no money if you buy from that link.), has been blackballed by the gaming media because of the defamatory attacks of some Japanese interpreters. I can’t tell you if that’s the truth of the matter, or not. I would rather just let the man testify on his own behalf, and let you readers be the judge.

A crowdfunded project which reached £70,000 ($110,141.50), £20,000 over its goal, not getting much (if any) media coverage from the big outlets, is rather strange. The topic is very interesting, so that can’t be it. I would be interested to hear the reasoning behind their decision not to cover this book. By the way, I was offered a review e-copy, and I do intend to accept it. I think it might be a good article for the site, but (again, for the lawyers) that doesn’t mean I co-sign any allegations made by Mr. Szczepaniak. These are his words, and his story. The reason I’m running it, is because I’m tired of seeing people silenced by SJWs, and the media. I want TheRalphRetort.com to be the voice of those people, when the agenda media won’t listen.

I’m letting John tell his side of the story.  Let the chips fall where they may. 

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Everything below this point, is written by John Szczepaniak. He speaks only for himself, and not any outlet he has ever been affiliated with. 

The mainstream games press has closed ranks against me in a deliberate attempt to kill my career. Despite all the hard work I have done researching primary sources and trying to be ethical, producing work of genuine value, the industry is now trying to ostracise me.

I write for numerous other websites and magazines, and I have zero interest in tainting my work with social politics. I document games and their history without the moral prejudice modern writers seem to wallow in.

I am also the author of “The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers” book. I was funded through Kickstarter and travelled to Japan, hiring interpreters to conduct interviews with numerous videogame legends.

My problem stems from the coordinator I hired in Japan, Hanako Kaku, who scammed me out of money, and her dangerously psychopathic sister, Agness Kaku. While in Japan my coordinator requested payment in advance for booking fees, which I paid, and then she supplied poor quality interpreters (her friends) who couldn’t handle the work provided. The exception was an outside interpreter named Maiko McKelvey, who I brought on board. Hanako described her as a “junior” and encouraged me to hire her friends instead, who turned out to be incompetent. I parted company with Hanako who immediately tried to sabotage my project by telling the outside interpreter, Maiko, not to show up for bookings I had already paid for. I made this public, and since then the sisters have stopped at nothing to destroy my career, my reputation, and my project.

Agness sent a defamatory email out using the IGDA’s mailing system. This would have been received by the thousands of paying IGDA members.

It was a gross abuse of her privileges as an IGDA member, for which she should have immediately been banned. Sadly she was not banned.

I was formerly an IGDA member too (you pay to subscribe and be a member), but given their lax attitude, I did not bother to renew my subscription.

As a result of the sisters contacting all games media outlets, lying about me, accusing me of misogyny, and maintaining a Twitter account dedicated solely to spreading hatred about me, no one in the press is willing to give coverage to my work.

There are a few exceptions, such as Ollie Barder of Forbes and Mecha Damashii, but otherwise I have been stonewalled by all the other websites and magazines. Rather than investigate this matter, or judge my book on its own merits, they would rather side with Kaku sisters in an attempt to end my career.

There are two aspects to this situation:

1) I produced what I think is a very compelling work, featuring more undocumented information than pretty much any other book on the subject. It has been completely ignored because of two lying sisters, who lie and use the word “misogyny” to attack anyone they do not like. They scammed me out of money. When I then presented the facts, they stopped at nothing to destroy me.

2) Agness Kaku, translator for Metal Gear Solid 2, is one of the most dangerous people in the games industry, resorting to blackmail, extortion, threats, doxxing, libel tourism, breaking NDAs, and every conceivable lie imaginable to damage others. It is no surprise she has been fired on multiple occasions from different companies. I have never come across someone as vindictive as her. Anyone who crosses her path is labelled “mentally ill” and a “misogynist”.

When I wrote the book I did so without any kind of leftist agenda. I documented facts as is. With interviewees I discussed adult games, hentai, and other controversial topics, without passing judgement or trying to moralise. In fact I’m quite proud of the fact that one reader complained online that he was pissed off with me for not condemning Japanese culture in the interviews.

Why would any decent journalist do that? My objective was to celebrate Japanese games and culture, not demonise or condemn anyone.

My only concern, and it’s a small one, is that I want to emphasise that I contacted you and the GG community as a free agent – not as a representative of any establishment I’ve written for.

I spoke the truth and have now been punished for it by the gatekeepers of the media, because I do not share their values.

For the limited edition cover I had Sega and Falcom artist Hitoshi Yoneda produce a piece of beautiful artwork, showing a powerful, attractive young woman on the cover, and… Yes, you guessed it, the Social Justice Warriors came out in force to condemn it for having a “sexist” cover. It’s easy to find if you Google the name of the book and the word “PLATINUM”. It’s a beautiful piece of art by a well known master of the work.

I think the GamerGate community, who appreciate honest journalism, would value my book. It’s all first hand research from primary sources, without any SJW moralising or condemnation. It’s an honest, heart-felt level of journalism which is rare today.

Unfortunately my ability to produce this work has been severely compromised because of a conceited effort by the mainstream to silence me.

I would be happy for some kind of coverage, if you feel it would be of interest to the GamerGate community. With most of the mainstream media stonewalling me, I’ve effectively been silenced and denied the opportunity for publicity for my work.

It’s sad, because I’ve written one of the largest and most significant game history books available, and because two sisters are angry with me for calling out their scamming business practices, they accuse me of misogyny and suddenly the press closes ranks to destroy my career.

That is dangerous behaviour.