Star Citizen - How It All Came To This

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In July, after I got wind of the Star Citizen project in trouble, unable to deliver, backer money being wasted, I started to investigate it.

I got in touch with Chris to try and get some more details from him. He ignored both of my inquiries on LinkedIn and Facebook.

So I continued with my research and subsequently published that first blog, Interstellar Citizens.

http://www.dereksmart.org/2015/07/interstellar-citizens/

Then, in what can only be described as sheer madness, they lost their minds and made it personal.

They canceled my backer account, and refunded me. Without my asking.

Then to make matters worse, they sent out a press statement about my being refunded, and my account canceled.

http://www.pcgamer.com/derek-smart-star-citizen/

Then tried to make it look like I had somehow violated their ToS for the game and the website.

Problem is 1) I have never posted on their forums 2) I have never downloaded the game due it not being complete nor playable. They actually confirmed this in their legal response letter as mentioned in this blog.

http://www.dereksmart.com/2015/09/star-citizen-the-long-con/

Then they doubled down when Ben Lesnick in customer service, made a public forum post about it.

https://forums.robertsspaceindustries.com/discussion/comment/5304637/#Comment_5304637

All these actions were taken in obvious retaliation for the blog and the fact that it got widespread release in the media.

As you can now see, they simply made it worse by making themselves subject to the Streisand Effect.

They bet on my being completely vilified for writing an opinion based and technical blog. Forgetting that I have been a fixture of this industry for almost 30 years and that sort of tenure has its merits.

So I kept digging and writing. All the while Chris and Sandra kept making defamatory statements about me both in writing and in person. And there are people willing to be deposed under oath about the aforementioned statements.

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