The Bendy Controversy, Revisited | The Story of Joey Drew Studios

[@Godzilla0936]

I got my cheesecake :)

[@merry____0001]

This is a certified cheesecake moment

[@ebkits10]

congrats 🎉

[@thegreatkiwibeast2591]

This is the greatest conclusion ever seen

[@albinhaformiga1070]

Awesome, congrats man 🎉

[@AnonymousC-D]

The good ending

[@dreamcastr7290]

Man, that quote from can't be erased: "innovation made us stronger but that power was abused." really didn't age well describing the writing woes section and the whole development of bendy in general.

[@clumsy_headphones]

JT Music wrote the future

[@dreamcastr7290]

@@clumsy_headphones fr

[@rebekahsimmons8353]

I’m listening to the song after watching this in its entirety, and it sounds completely different with this background. It fits so well that it’s frightening.

[@OrderOfMessiah]

@@rebekahsimmons8353 It's frightening how they became Mr.Drew.

[@tnc7399]

​@@clumsy_headphones the game wrote its fate and it sealed it.

[@OdaSwifteye]

Ya know the worst part about the novels being so good is that all the games needed was a writer that cared. No one making the games cared about the art of storytelling and the gameplay was sparse. People imagined a better game and the creators just ran with it.

[@DrawciaGleam02]

Agree. I watched a nutshell video about the first major chapters and I found it mostly boring. The scary moments landed well for me though.

[@pancakes8670]

The Novel genuinely surprised me, especially since I'm used to Fnaf Novels milking its own franchise. Kudos to the Author for putting in some actual effort!

[@--CHARLIE--]

@@pancakes8670 disagree on the fnaf novels, atleast the silver eyes trilogy. I can kind of understand with Fazbear frights (there are a lot of them, they aren't as emotionally impactful for the most part, and they aren't as significant but get way more attention due to being newer and short enough to hold peoples short attention spans), but even then. Its not milking the franchise. If anything, most complaints about both the newer games and the books both the short stories and the last two books of the novel trilogy is that they are too different. Which seems like the opposite of milking the concept to death like the series was accused of back when there were only 3 games. Which was bs, but I see why people thought that. Sorry for the unprompted rant. My adhd meds have worn off and I have strong feelings about these things.

[@doubleaabattery7562]

Correction : nobody in UPPER MANAGEMENT cared, clearly the people working on it cared somewhat.

[@RAC00NFANGIRL]

@@DrawciaGleam02 I play video game get story that why I stuck with world of Warcraft for soo long because of the lore and story telling. RPGs and other brand with story telling keeps me rooted and makes me play over and over again.

[@anubiscats]

That bendy book has NO right being that good. Somebody give that author a raise.

[@JuniperJadePR]

Definitely gonna go check it out now since it does seem pretty interesting.

[@RAC00NFANGIRL]

@@JuniperJadePR ehh I want to read but I don’t want support this company lol.. I don’t want give them cent to their name.

[@JuniperJadePR]

@@RAC00NFANGIRL I'd check if they have it at a thrift store/secondhand shop for that reason.

[@bookbook9495]

Someone pay that author! Knowing these guys, the author won a story competition and won the prize of it being canon.

[@jaidnbanana9788]

​@@RAC00NFANGIRL🏴‍☠️

[@KyleAllenMusic]

I was the first fan to make a song. The song I made got me close to the team, building a friendship, talking about future plans they had and even helping me learn Unity occasionally. I would test each chapter, get sent free merch and felt spoiled in a way. Truthfully, I wish I had kept a respectful distance though. Mike shared things that made me reconsider my love for the game such as his feelings on his competitors, his marital issues, the amount of money they were making and his excitement on his expensive investments (new cars, house, office space, employees). Keep in mind, I was still a small KZbinr at the time. However, It made writing songs much harder and I no longer felt like a fan. It was a lot for me to take in so I vented slightly to my current friend at that time, who broke my trust and shared it with the whole internet. That's when Foxygen told me I was in the hot seat and both Mike & Meatly went from friendly/active with me to dead silent. I never heard from them again. I've kept this to myself all this time but felt here would be the safest (I did not feel safe) and most appropriate place to finally share my experience. I moved on after a couple years by making songs for my favorite fandom, Five Nights at Freddy's. Whenever bendy drama resurges though, the unpleasant memories come back. Truthfully, I've found contentment in letting the past be in the past. I don't think I can bring myself to make another Bendy song knowing what I know now. If I did though, it would be to remember the good times and celebrate the past with whatever fans remain. I just really hope I served the fandom well, made the players happy when they found my little radio in chapter 1 and they listen to the songs from the good ol days with nostalgia and fond memories of a simpler time rather than associating it with the mess we're seeing as of late. We must remember, our job as creators are to be fans as well.

[@iamacdr9998]

fuck five nights at freddy's. its kiddy shit and so is BATIM. play cruelty squad

[@ma.2089]

I’m sorry about your friend. It sucks when ppl break trust like that. And I’m sorry Mike gave you so much personal info, it really sucks when you’re forced into holding onto a lot of someone’s personal baggage. I’m glad things are better for you now tho

[@Horizon_Flyer]

I'm sorry that they did you wrong. I've been a fan of yours for a while and I'm glad you chose to make songs on what you like other then being forced.

[@KyleAllenMusic]

@@Horizon_Flyer It's not a business to me, yeah. I love these games like everyone else.

[@danielstachowiak568]

Still very much a fan of those old songs. They bring a lot of good nostalgia to an otherwise kind of tainted series. Honestly the music was the best thing to come out of bendy.

[@mmgmagic]

If I had two nickels for when a popular indie game eventually caves into desperately wanting Matpat to cover it, I'd have two nickels. It's not much, but more than there should be.

[@mr.dudley3484]

hello there, neighbor :)

[@temmieKAT]

What was the other?

[@mmgmagic]

@@temmieKAT Hello Neighbour, and them infamously begging Matpat to check out their new show.

[@temmieKAT]

@@mmgmagic Bruh 💀

[@mmgmagic]

@@temmieKAT Bruh indeed

[@WhicheverComa]

I appreciate being able to share my experience with the Kindly Beast staff, and I hope this serves as a somewhat cautionary tale. Thank you Chris for making this video and bringing all these things to light.

[@honeysenpai1025]

I'm thankful that you were able to share your experience dealing with KB, hoping that you're doing well now both in general and career-wise!

[@anxietyprimev6983]

Sorry about the surprise free commission. Mfs treated that art like a furaffinity adoptable. That's just cruel.

[@SStupendous]

Been a fan since Bendy's beginning, this video, which I'm yet to finish, is very interesting, cannot lie. Been wondering what happened, as years go flying by, with BATDR not out. Never knew about what was really going on.

[@flickyfkosstitcher8547]

As someone who owns the various books, I feel sorry for you and those other artists who put in a lot of effect to your entries, and got little to no credit/gratification for them.

[@alfred2744]

Can you shut up please? They were struggling with BATDR or their next big project! If they were too much staff, they'd have to get rid of some of them! If staff aren't working well, they'd have to take away some! If that didn't happen, we wouldn't get Batdr!

[@Mamaluigi13]

It’s terrifying just how close Joey Drew studios is to the fictional one. And I feel terrible for the fanbase too. It’s practically non-existent at this point.

[@pierrebegley2746]

In that case, good. The series shouldn't have a fanbase after everything that's happened.

[@mesii.06]

@SuperSonic Al same

[@Herebedragons_25]

@@pierrebegley2746 a lot of people can love a story, it's world, characters, art style, message, meaning, and more while also not supporting or standing for what that franchise's creators have done. Judging from the comments, plenty of people who love Bendy for those reasons clearly are against and disheartened or upset to learn about all the stuff presented in this video. Some people knew long before while others are just now hearing about it. I'm one of those people who heard of most of this a few years ago as it unfolded, and through the first video, however I still have my own personal reasons for holding onto my interest in the Bendy franchise, despite having left the community for my own reasons. I won't go into depth to spare a long paragraph but there's just some of my own thoughts I hope can be insightful to a few.

[@electroswingnerd7156]

Same

[@alijahaskew4644]

@SuperSonic Al Same.

[@BubblesZap]

the "we are making games for stupid kids, this isn't hard" almost made me choke. Just the insane lack of respect for both your fans, your creation, and your developers all at once

[@SpringyGirl69]

Who said that again?

[@jeffjeff9037]

@@SpringyGirl69 Mike

[@SpringyGirl69]

@@jeffjeff9037 god he really ruins everything

[@merry____0001]

Right? That really struck me there as someone who has been fixated on it and has created so much based on it over the past few years. What a way to totally sh*t on the people and franchise who made him the money he's got right now to begin with. I have no idea how people have the nerve to even say things like that, but as they say, money changes people.

[@redpanda6497]

Timestamp?

[@DarkDesertRose]

Build Our Machine was, and possibly is, one of the most popular Bendy songs out there, so Will saying that may not be that big of an exaggeration. The game was super niche at the time and he was one of the prominent youtubers who were actually playing it.

[@DuskinCBC]

That song is definitely what got me looking into bendy and I didn’t even know da games before that song. I doubt I’m the only person who got turned onto the game from the song

[@randompromises1038]

i remember the incessant begging for him to make a chapter 3 song, and he initially said he wouldn't. then he caved and made one, and it's not half as popular as his other two. it was kind of depressing.

[@DrawciaGleam02]

@@randompromises1038 I watched it I believe. The instruments of...you know what?

[@catherinephan2311]

@@DrawciaGleam02 Instruments of Cyanide

[@DrawciaGleam02]

@@catherinephan2311 It's a great song! Visuals are *chef's kiss* Ironically there's a Friday Night Funkin version of the song now....

[@mediocreme7798]

Giving the artist of a shirt only £100 hurts my soul they mustve made so much off of them

[@shart8008]

I know right!! That design probably made over a million :(

[@dankerbell]

yeah i know he was comparing it to a guy who got nothing but cp using it as an example of someone being treated with respect was kinda funny if the merch really was beating out overwatch merch, because £100 is definitely nothing

[@ectopasta]

As an animation major, realizing that 80% of the choices made in bendy were just "bioshock cool" is so disappointing. This era of animation has so much going for it from not only a technical level, but a cultural one at that- animation as a medium really feels like something that clambors for an identity, and that was ESPECIALLY true in the 30s-40s when animation was essentially dumbed down to kids media, each short being visually and thematically similar. Fleischer and Disney aside, there were other studios like Van Buren, Terrytoons, the Iwerks studios... identity through animation is such a powerful concept, and the fact that bendy didn't explore it at all beyond "lets do it cause bioshock" in its main game feels...depressing. Bendy feels like it uses animation studios as an excuse to go "evil disney" instead of uniquely understanding the medium and utilizing it to its fullest.

[@OneAndOnlyWendigo]

I recently graduated from high school and I plan to study animation. This game solidified my decision to do so and, in many ways, inspired some of my art and stories. I’ve been hearing about this controversy for a while and I didn’t want to believe that some of my biggest idols were really just as twisted as their in-game counterparts. I feel scared, like I would’ve become just like them if I didn’t learn the truth. Scared that my passion and creations will be stolen from me just as the employees of both the in-game and real studio. I don’t know. I have so much I want to say but I don’t know the words I should use. Fortunately, unlike Joey Drew, I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by friends who are willing to push me to do the right thing. This feels like a cautionary tale. Surround yourself with people who push a little harder.

[@themoocow7718]

I always loved older animation. I grew up with Warner Brothers, and Looney Tunes.

[@SStupendous]

Back then, animation wasn't "dumbed down" at all, it was definitely aimed more towards adults, if the early rubberhose cartoons can be anything to go by. Thanks for contrubuting your opinions here though.

[@OdaSwifteye]

You can tell that it's all surface level when you compare it to something like Cuphead which could just be a Contra with cartoons but instead has designed from the top down to be a homage to that era of animation right down to the games taking so long because the animation aspect is almost equally as intensive as it originally would have been.

[@maxhasproblems4885]

plus its like bioshock’s setting had a REASON the entire point was meant as a criticism of Ayn Rand’s philosophy, and the setting was meant to show how objectivism even in the absolute peak conditions will still fail. The art deco aspects also bring a lot to the underwater city concepts and just the overall look of the game but the 1940s style was meant to show why a certain philosophy could not work in real life. bendy doesn’t have any sort of point like this, and the fact that it only managed to see bioshock for it’s aesthetics is not only disrespectful to bioshock, but disrespectful to this era of animation.

[@cerberusmutt4252]

for the Bioshock segment, the issue is that Bendy copied the *results* from Bioshock, and not the process that got to those results. They have no foundation, and are hollow.

[@dragonbornexpress5650]

Yep. They basically replicated the skeleton, but none of the cartilage, none of the internal organs, and not one bit of the soul.

[@justice8718]

Bendy's devs were so shallow and shameless, they perfectly filled in the missing gaps with their own awfulness.

[@RAC00NFANGIRL]

As someone who adores bioshock and loves the first game they copy everything to the point! And it hurts too see I get taking idea but they literally copy and paste everything.. Screw this company I hope other company suing them wins

[@flarestorm9417]

I think a paraphrase of the Jurassic Park quote fits well here. "I'll tell you the problem with the game design you're using here: it didn't require any discipline to obtain it. You read what Bioshock had done, and you took the next step. You didn't learn the knowledge for yourselves, so you don't take any responsibility for it. You stood on the shoulders of geniuses to accomplish something as fast you could, and before you even knew what you had, you patented, packaged it, made merchandise, and you're selling it". It's like implementing code without understanding how or why it works. You can't fix any problems with the system because you yourself do not know how the system works.

[@mimic7184]

... Is the Meatly unaware of the existence of Epic Mickey? Considering the Fortnite stuff is clearly in that Steamboat Willie-era style, i.e. exactly what Bendy is based on, and Epic Mickey is about Mickey and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit taking on evil ink and paint. But no, no one ever thought of transformative ink before, and I'm sure there are dozens of similar concepts long predating Bendy.

[@FACTORYSHORTBUS]

The teen titans movie was about a villain who was stuck to a machine that produced ink that brought art to life.

[@Titleknown]

There's also some... very prurient transformation content using the concept, almost certainly well before Bendy.

[@SUCHMISH]

There is a defense to this, and that is you never mess with a bigger company that has more lawyers than you

[@leadpaintchips9461]

@@SUCHMISH So why is he poking Epic?

[@enderkatze6129]

There is literally a microfetish about the concept, they did NOT invent it. And yes, you all needed to Know that.

[@chrystalmckenzie1941]

The second ex-employee saying that Dark Revival was going to something inspired by Bioshock (no surprise there) made me realize that Audrey looks like a vertically flipped Elizabeth from Burial at Sea

[@zhanehoyle8269]

So, I wasn't crazy when I saw Audrey? She has her hair and jack's sweater, too. Like, how did people not notice that??

[@EdenHellCipher]

Commenting on this after the game has come out and I watched footage of it: The Bioshock “homages” (coughLIFTScough) are even more flagrant than I think anyone anticipated.

[@MisterJohnDoe]

From the images I've seen, Joey Drew looks like an Andrew Ryan cosplayer and the "Keepers" look like the Big Sisters mixed with a bunch of other enemies. Typing this comment, I also just realized "Brute Boris" is like a Handyman. A tortured disfigured gorilla-like humanoid with great strength and agility whose weakness is the exposed heart on the front. Some of the first hostile cutscenes also involves ambushing and tossing the player around.

[@OmniversalInsect]

It's actually scary how much this parallels the fictional Joey Drew Studios. Even things like Mike correcting things he doesn't know about are the same as Joey rejecting the original Bendy design from Henry. Joey is like the meatly and Mike mood, Henry is like all the employees that were borderline abused and given a bad work environment.

[@MadelineTheUndertaleVideogame]

I'm a former "fan roblox bendy" dev and the moment you mentioned the roblox servers i just felt so many vietnam-war-like memories coming back to me

[@gamerstheater1187]

To be fair, it’s just Roblox being Roblox

[@MLSpence3D]

Thank you Chris for allowing me to share my story in the video. It means the world to me. I’m glad you’re bringing all this controversy into light once again. Thank you. P. S. It’s “ML” now. We don’t talk about the meme lord era LMAO

[@ChrisPortalBits]

RIP the era that didn’t happen.

[@zephaniahofgod1673]

he mogged you

[@dandypineapple]

@@Cynfulpleasures intimidating randos online isn't a good look hun 🤷‍♀️

[@beep3459]

@@dandypineapple bro what?

[@briarbadlanelandlords7102]

if it hasn't been two years, please contact the Law referral service of Ontario at the Law Society of Ontario to speak to an employment law litigator in your area; if half of this is true you are entitled to months of severence not weeks under case law from the Supreme Court of Canada. In general going to the Ministry of labour is the wrong choice but there's specifics you need to address. There's also two syndicated shows in Ontario that cover employment law and have calculations available under the Bardal rules for compensation. GL HF canadian!

[@VVen0m]

My man genuinely looked at 500 images of BATIM rule 34, I mean come on, he deserves a sub for that alone

[@gamerstheater1187]

A whole patron page

[@Cynfulpleasures]

Interesting

[@lusalar4463]

I do that daily and i dotn get subscribers

[@null6209]

wait what XD I don't feel like watching the 4 hour video so could you tell me the timestamp. Nevermind found it 14:00

[@terriblyterrified8742]

@@lusalar4463 you guys are getting paid?

[@jaydeesc2812]

2024 UPDATE: Mike Mood has returned to twitter, but he no longer goes by Mike Mood anymore. Now he's just Mike D. (The D probably stands for Desjardins). He hasn't addressed these videos or the controversy at large in any way, however he does disable or limit replies to his tweets. He said he'll do this until he can guarantee that the platform is safe enough for him to warrant enabling replies. Aside from that, he mostly just tweets about The Cage's development and gives out free codes for BATIM and BATDR. EDIT CUZ I FORGOR TO MENTION: Mike has confirmed that he now has access to the BATIM console ports. He hasn't promised anything but let's hope soon he can actually fix the damn game. (EDIT: Even though he limits access to his replies, I STRONGLY URGE YOU to NOT HARASS HIM in any way!! This comment was meant to inform, nothing more.)

[@ar6543]

“It’s MY sleepover and I get to choose the movie!” But seriously this is a great documentary. Get well soon.

[@ChrisPortalBits]

Thank you!

[@jamzee_]

Good movie, wont lie.

[@callmeaprilroseorisha404]

i really like the sound track, and the whole movie was really polished

[@ProdCharles]

Really appreciate the effort you put into this video. You're a champion. Hope your condition improves.

[@ChrisPortalBits]

Thanks man, I appreciate it!

[@wakspacific6928]

I thought you were dead

[@Zeromaru42]

@@ChrisPortalBits I'm laughing at the fact that you legit got every port of Bioshock just to prove your point about Bendy's similarities.

[@CojaGamez]

Oh hey Charles

[@dreamfisher]

I'm very impressed by the lengths you went to find sources, even going so far as to contact the lawyer for the legal case, and Scholastic. That's the kind of journalism that I wish all commentary channels would do!

[@shadeangelx]

Basically, that's is the type of case of: "Life imitates art." It's very sad that a game that used to be one of your favourites horror indies, had such creators and companies

[@darkmodeenjoyer3367]

And weirdly scary how much

[@solarixstar]

During the GameCrusher tv thing I can’t help but notice just how little the other guys talk. Mike seems to be the sole voice in the room and it almost seems like others are afraid to talk over him. That….explains a lot actually.

[@nicoleartist9803]

I remember back in october after the release of chapter three, I was doing inktober and had made an image of the bendy plushies lined up next to eachother around a pillar with the words heavenly toys above it, in homage to the chapter. not even a week later meatly was selling a tshirt with almost the exact image he redrew, except he removed the pillar and swapped the position of the toys, but the entire structure and everything of the image was the same, just in his art style. so him stealing fan work in one way or another doesn't surprise me one bit.

[@Super_NoahGalaxy]

The fact the meatly sees an ink character and instantly assumes they wanted bendy but were too scared to ask him is hilarious Like dude, not everything with ink is a bendy reference. And the fact he acts like it is is just- Ego much?

[@madman1502]

While I agree that he’s clearly got an ego, Fortnite does have a history of doing that so it’s not that big a leap.

[@UltimatePerfection]

By that logic he should be sued by whoever owns the rights to Felix the Cat since he's the OG "ink character" (much more so than a certain mouse).

[@Super_NoahGalaxy]

@@madman1502 they did in the past but since chapter 2 season one (the skins released in chapter 2 season six) they have only ever done things with permission.

[@Cynfulpleasures]

You really believe everything you hear? No asked for the other side of the story. This is one sides and theMeatly is NOT like that. Shame.

[@Cynfulpleasures]

@@UltimatePerfection exactly! Cause it never happened!

[@6sloththesix]

This is why I think fangames should be allowed.. it keeps the fandom alive while they wait... but because of them trying to shut fangames down and the slow release of bendy content, the fandom is mostly dead. I feel sad as BATIM is and will probably always be my comfort sort of game, in a way I guess the lack of story allows a lot of interpretation for fan creators and I think a lot of the fan creations and stories are better than the over all game.

[@jemma927]

Fangames to me, are what keeps a fandom alive and active even after a series has either ended or the fans don't know if there ever will be a new installment. A good example I know of is the Danganronpa Fandom. The most recent installment, story wise, was V3 back in 2017 and then after that, prior to the boost in popularity at the series 10th anniversary and rising popularity due to COVID, Fan games (Known as Fangans is the community) were being created to help not only engage the fandom and get more people into a piece of work, but it allows fans to explore avenues of storytelling or material that the main series couldn't due to either censorship for dark material or the person wishes to subvert a trope common within the series. If you want to see someone explore Fangans, then I Highly recommend SHSL Blaze. They have been exploring fangans for a while now and its very entertaining.

[@johnynoway9127]

the issue is when fan games become really weird and uncomforatable. Nobody wants their brand associated with those thimgs. Tho... if your brand is big enough... it doesnt matter much

[@gamerstheater1187]

It’s sad that now the game is just left as early 2010s nostalgia, basically the remains of a gaming icon that once was

[@gotgunpowder]

Except if they allowed fangames to exist, they'd lose their trademark over the content and no official games would be out.

[@cantthinkofaname5046]

@@gotgunpowder explain how Scott Cawthon still has the FNAF trademark?

[@sussy3778]

This controversy is exactly what happened to the 2.5 Million Dollars Hiveswap Kickstarter, a game based on the Homestuck webcomic, there was so much mismanagement by the creator and the company, and it ended up escalating in mass firings, fandom abuse, censorship attempts (like in the SarahZ video) and many more, I would love if you did a video about this controversy too, I can even provide you with the details if you want since I was there when most of the chaos ensued.

[@xmasxmasxmas]

woah i never knew about this... i left the fandom around the time hiveswap was gaining traction

[@sussy3778]

@@xmasxmasxmas Many things happened, one of the most commented cases was when the official team tried to take over the reddit community by defaming the mod team.

[@xmasxmasxmas]

@@sussy3778 woa

[@ShakedownDreams]

@@xmasxmasxmas Hussie wrote a 200k word email on a video they admitted to never even watching, it was a wild ride

[@SeraphinSnecmel]

Ohhhh that‘s why this scenario sounded so familiar

[@Horsehater500]

I remember when I first read "Dreams Come to Life". It made me so frustrated how the games story was so poorly told, in my opinion anyway. The book shows off the world of Bendy much better than the game. I actually got attached to the characters... I was so invested in it all. I wish the games were like that honestly. I never read the other books- only that one. This is such a great video, very informative on everything that went on. I thought I knew everything about the situation but I guess I didn't!

[@JayRedGear]

Honestly, I feel the same. I read the book and it was far more fascinating compared to the game (and boy, the ending was sad and really made you just hate Joey even more). Buddy and Dot were also more interesting than Henry.

[@phenomenal-flop]

@@JayRedGear Hey, you would mind telling what was the ending of the book?

[@JayRedGear]

@@phenomenal-flop If you want, sure Spoiler: Basically, Buddy gets ripped in half by Ink Bendy and drowned trying to protect Dot, a character introduced in the book. He is then reborn as Boris (the same Boris from the game that helps Henry). Buddy loses the ability to speak and even starts to forget who he once was as the Boris side takes over. He even breaks Joey's hand and runs away deep into the studio. Boris and The Dark Survival confirms this as the mixed matched poster of different parts was vaguely what he once was but he has long since forgotten who he was.

[@doctorspiders]

Yeah it was honestly a good book

[@piperjojostott7790]

I guess this must be my cue to finally sit down and read that book. I did get around half way through, but just didn't come back to it yet.

[@kateb6699]

As awful as the layoffs were, it's nice to hear about the solidarity between the employees who fell victim to them, and that they were determined not to let it get them down.

[@PigBoy99]

If PhatMojo wins and releases the early Showdown Bandit without any of the abusive staff from JDS getting money from it, I’m def buying it It sounded so great and the work put into it should NOT have been lost

[@BubblesZap]

if nothing else it'd be simply fascinating as it's basically lost content now. Anything like that I'm ALWAYS excited to see!!!

[@thatrandonamedrandy]

I am interested as to how the content was initially implemented with the given timeframe. Some of it seemed very ambitious for the team.

[@gamerstheater1187]

I thought PhatMojo was in the wrong here, they are suing for half a billion dollars which is a lot more than what an indie studio would ever spend money on, the judge could easily overrule the price

[@boh2797]

i was disappointed when they delete SB and i'm disgusted with such behavior.

[@Cynfulpleasures]

Ya, no

[@pascalcleroux6]

Great Video Chris! I can just imagine the amount of time this thing took to research, write and produce, as someone who was on the opposite side for your first video, seeing that tweet again just made me shutter, I was blinded by the emotionality of feeling like I had to defend something I helped create, only realizing last year how wrong I was. Lessons learnt, the hard way I guess. The rat comment actually made me chuckle since Mike and I were not on a good terms after the Karmen buy out, I was demoted to 3d artist from Art Director simply because Karman already had an Art Director so it conflicted and since I was more hands on. We only started talking again when they needed me to stay on after the firings but by that point everything was already set. But I can see why people thought that, I was definitely seen as a villain for staying on, looking back, I should of just declined and left but it's hard to say goodbye to something you know you helped build. The thing that I think really killed it was how fast they wanted to grow, they put the leaders of Karman in charge and went on a hiring spree, putting / promoting people that we had never worked with in positions of power instead of keeping the team we had and slowly growing as we needed. I think they thought things would just fall into place if they hired enough people. No one ever thinks it'll happen to them right... I was actually working on other projects before Bendy ch1 with Mike and the Meatly and they really seemed like they just wanted to make games but then success happened and that tends to bend peoples perspective and focus. Also I've never even created a Glassdoor account so that definitely isn't me haha Great video again and I'm excited to see what you work on next, hopefully this video will atleast help direct other creators of what not to do with success. Cheers and hope you feel better soon!

[@whydoiexist2180]

I'm sorry but it's not your place to write this comment I'm sorry lol

[@siIIyguy]

@@whydoiexist2180 "it's not your place" mate he was an ex employee, his experience when it comes to the company is valued. it is absolutely his place to say stuff lmao

[@kcw0126]

@@whydoiexist2180 Sorry to be this person, But if he was indeed an ex-employee, he should be allowed to have a say. It's not your place to shut down employees who've had an experience at the company when you haven't worked in it personally.

[@pascalcleroux6]

@@kcw0126 pretty sure he’s just trolling as it’s a phrase i mentioned in my initial reply to Chris’s first video haha

[@kcw0126]

@@pascalcleroux6 Ah, sorry I apologize. Just wanted to make sure. Legitimately thought it was some advertisement for employee shut-down week, ha-ha!

[@rensartpark]

My man genuinely went throuigh the ink trenches of suggestive fanart. Absolute legend.

[@raineblackstar3522]

The fan content policy basically tells us you can't make fan content at all. Why have a policy if you're not allowing any of it? Kinda makes me want to write a wattpad fanfiction that violates all of it *on purpose.*

[@Glue_Eater06]

Did you do it?

[@raineblackstar3522]

@@Glue_Eater06 should i?

[@Glue_Eater06]

@@raineblackstar3522 yes, the world needs you to

[@--CHARLIE--]

If you do it, do it on ao3 instead. They give writers legal protection from the original creators of works so it would be alot safer to post it there just in case, even if its unlikely that it will actually be seen by the bendy team.

[@RealSnuuy]

They roleplayed Joey Drew Studios way too good, even the bankruptcy part

[@notjebbutstillakerbal]

Still waiting for the living drawings part...

[@nonchip]

8:10 i like how he uses the "trademarks don't have fair use" and "we are forced to protect our trademark" excuses while ignoring the fact that a completely *free* fangame won't constitute ... trade... a distinction, which their content policy *does* correctly make with the "don't make money from it". so yeah the free fan games should never have been any problem for them (legally) _if it hadn't reused assets_ , even without their policy (which doesn't even really apply here). fun fact, stuff like commissioned fan art is technically "worse" (because that _is_ "trade") and the fact they haven't DMCA'd that while going after free games is just weird...

[@beanburrito4405]

Holy shit, the amount of effort put into this video is insane! This isn’t a rant, or a stream, or a compilation; this is a fully-edited, good-faith, in-depth covering of the whole situation, and it’s damn impressive. Props to a year-long effort, hope this blows up

[@magiefish6368]

I was one of the 'stupid kids' the developers thought they could sell anything to when the game came out. I became interested in around June 2017 after Chapter 2's release and I remember being complerely enraptured by this world and its characters and its art. I was obssessed with the game, its been one of my long term hyperfixations, longer than any other I've ever had, and has been a major part of my life throughout my formative years. What you said about accessible horror is true, BATIM opened the door for me to get into other indie horror games, triple A horror games, horror podcasts, hell I even became a massive fan of gothic horror and literature. BATIM inspired me to want to pursue game development when I'm older: through it I've realised what things I like and am interested in with art. I've realised that I love mysterious narratives, occult themes, mad science, I love game development and all the little intricacies and effort it takes to make a truly good game, I love metanarratives and stories about art and creation, I love animation and art and the process behind both, I love vintage stuff and stories set in specific periods, I love, well, everything i thought the creators made BATIM to be. I looked up to Mike Mood and The Meatly (or rather Paul) for a while and I remember how it felt to slowly realise just how depraved they really were. They are pieces of shit and I hate that I once admired them but well I couldn't have known any better. Considering that I was what many people would've stereotyped as a 'cringey fan' purely by my identity (overly enthusiastic afab young teen because god forbid girls be enthusiastic about anything) I think I handled the whole thing very well: I wasn't a fan who tried to deny anything or rabidly followed the creators, I wanted to know the truth and to you I am incredibly thankful for giving it to me and allowing me to make informed decisions. I followed the controversies closely from their onset because I wanted to know what was really going on. Funnily enough, despite their emphasis on merch I never liked getting merch. I own at least 2 bendy t-shirts and a hoodie but those were all gifts from other people and even before the controversy I never wore them in public because I had such bad anxiety about being ridiculed or mocked for my interests (which did happen once). I've never really liked merch in general, shirts and badges maybe, but I never understood figures or toys and merch in general just always made me feel super uncomfortable and icky. I may have been a kid but I was not stupid: I feel in discussions around games like BATIM or Poppy Playtime everyone older involved, commentators and game devs alike, seem to think kids are just idiots who will just chase anything shiny enough thrown their way. But I wasn't like that - I cared about the games quality and when Chapter 5 came out I remember after having a literal freakout over the ending (which to be honest has grown on me over time) I sat down and planned out an entire rewrite of the game to make it better because well I wanted it to be better. From there I crafted an entire AU I am working on a comic for. And I know a lot of those 'kids' also cared deeply about the games quality and it's sad to know that they just see us as an easily exploitable market. We're not uncritical, we actually care about how and by who the things we consume are made. My relationship with BATIM will never be simple. It has left such a deep mark on my life and who I am that it would be impossible to let it go. It has already inspired so many stories of mine. I love so much of what the community has made and I still love the characters and I want to contribute to it with my own AU and story. But I will never support the creators again. I can't. I refuse to buy any of their books or their merch and if BATDR comes out the only situation I would buy it in was if I was absolutely sure it was actually worth my money (few bugs, good story, good gameplay) because at least then I suppose it would prove that they cared about this world as much as I do. Sorry for leaving such a long comment I just have a lot of feelings and thoughts about everything that's happened. I appreciate the LinkTree I've always wanted to support all the passionate people that were wrongly laid off and had their work discarded. And thanks again for the video - I am certain to hang around for anything you make in future. Thank you and good luck for the future!

[@meh4294]

Well mrech is for them to get more money ,like when youtubers do merch despite the video profit bc they want money to fund their crew and staff members in thier studios/themselves,it's like when a painter or a musician sells copies of their art as merch and CDs or on Spotify

[@magiefish6368]

@@meh4294 I mean, I know what merch is for and that for some people it can be a major source of income and there's nothing inherently wrong with it I was just saying it was kind of ironic I was part of the demographic these guys assumed would buy it when I have such bad anxiety I feel uncomfortable with owning any of it lmao

[@gotgunpowder]

>(overly enthusiastic afab young teen because god forbid girls be enthusiastic about anything) Right, nobody EVER makes fun of young teenage boys for being excited about stuff. Only girls. Nobody ever mocked Fortnite for being played primarily by screechy 12 year old boys. Nobody back in the day said that only loser neckbeard dudes with autism play Minecraft. And there's definitely no current trend of people mocking any movie whose primary audience is "angry young men". The amount of willful ignorance displayed by the people who really think only teenage girls get made fun of for liking things online is actually appalling. No, people just make fun of young people in general for liking things. You're not special.

[@magiefish6368]

@@gotgunpowder That was an oversight on my part, young people in general especially neurodivergent young people do get mocked for their interests, it's just the ways they are profiled/generalised differ. Not so sure what neckbeard dudes and angry young men have to do with what I'm talking about seeing as they aren't teenagers but im not here to start a war about anything you might feel the need to vent about. Speaking of which, I understand that this might be a subject of frustration for you judging by your tone, but I'd appreciate it if you could tone down the agression a bit - none of this is a targeted attack on you just a simple mistake/overisght and I made no pretences about my experience being special I just wanted to voice an experience I felt a lot of young girls had especially in the horror scene which has been a genre largely targeted towards men for a long time. Anyway, lets not turn this into a reply war, I appreciate your input and we'll leave it there.

[@rbck8826]

I honestly feel the same way about Fnaf, no way I could continue supporting it after finding out that Scott Cawton was the type of fundamentalist cristian I hate for using my religion as a excuse to hate and hurt those who are different. Jesus message was all about equality and inclusion so seeing ot perverted like that is... disgusting to me. I still listen to the fan music, it's not fair to the musicians to be boycotted because the game maker is a conservative shit.

[@thatoneweirdrandomguy4766]

2:05:42 Honestly,the idea of Henry having a sanity meter similar to that of Don’t Starve or the hallucinations being that of the ink machine and it contributing to world building/plot/exploration is an amazing idea. Now I’m very hyped to see how it would be implemented!

[@Spongi_124]

Thank you Chris, seriously, thank you for putting in so much effort to show the public the true side of these nasty people, and that is coming from my heart. Seriously, thank you for everything.

[@Banana807]

You mean, nasty person, bc all of this stuff happened bc of kindly beast's fault

[@ChrisPortalBits]

You’re welcome! I’m glad that my hard work is appreciated!

[@davidmills47]

As a game dev I can tell you we are all nasty. A lot of the time, the players made us that way. And that's the most honest thing you will probably recoil from today...and before the obligatory "nah son, that's just you" you can save it

[@Hyperdeath.Kisses]

As someone in the game industry, thank you for sharing those perspectives, for being candid about your information and thoughts about the company and all of the experiences shared. It means a lot to have creators dive deep and look into shady behaviors like that. The fans, employees, ex-employees, and peeps in the industry appreciate it. You earned my sub. Get well soon dude! ❤️✨

[@ChrisPortalBits]

Thank you! It's easy to talk to fans of a game, but it's a whole other thing to know my work is appreciated by those in the games industry itself!

[@Hyperdeath.Kisses]

@liquid ​ Sure thing! Sorry about the late reply on this. I've worked on several titles as Quality Assurance and Dev Support for UI/Accessibility. My most notable being God of War: Ragnarok (loved that team so much, super talented and passionate folks), Dungeons and Dragons Online, about 14 other titles varying in scope, team size, budget and purpose! I've been in the industry for about 8-9 years and... it's definitely crazy. Here's some things to know about the industry and what I did to help get my foot in the door. 1. You don't need a game design major to get a game design job. I went for my major anyways because it taught me a lot of skills I wasn't my strongest at. (I went into my major knowing a lot about Flash/Adobe Suite and general design) Picking up some programming languages/art programs via online courses (Skillshare/KZbin/Coursera/LinkedIn Learning) are some great ways to get a head start at home! It also helps taking some leadership, management and accessibility classes depending on your niche. But, like I've mentioned before, you DO NOT have to be a game design major. My QA Lead at my first internship had a specialty major in baking! He managed to get into the industry through a LARP he was involved with in his community. Which leads to... 2. Talk with friends/family who might be in the industry! You'd be surprised how small the industry is. There were numerous folks I've worked with multiple times or knew a friend of a friend. My producer for my college project helped me get my job for God of War. My college friend and coworker on an indie project helped me snag a job when my internship was about to end. Get a LinkedIn and definitely connect with people. One connection might go a long way. 3. Build a solid portfolio/website. LinkedIn helps with getting your experiences straight, but having a solid website that showcases any game projects, art, concept art, design documents, sketches, website examples, etc. REALLY gives you a lot of leverage. If you're not strong at HTML/Javascript/PHP/Python, I recommend getting a site via Squarespace or a similar platform. Be careful about plopping your resume so you don't accidentally DOX yourself. (addresses, full job addresses) 4. You're not going to get your dream job with the first job. There were a few lucky souls who got to work on God of War as an internship, but a lot of entry level folks end up either at small indie companies, "serious games" (military/medical software), or even volunteering/contracting through online projects (I briefly volunteered for a dating sim when I was unemployed for giggles). Don't beat yourself up, entry level jobs are hard to find. LinkedIn/Word of Mouth/Indie Game Job groups really help with showing off new opportunities. Honestly, QA is your biggest foot in the door. This helps get you in the games industry, know the processes, know how the game is tested/viewed from the developers and players eyes, and help you raise your voice as a leader/team player. 5. When being interviewed, have a good idea of where you want to go. There are probably going to be times where you interview for a job that's either entry level or another job title within the game company. Most likely, they will ask you "Where would you like to be in the future?", be honest. If you want to be a level designer, say it. They're not going to be offended if you say you want to be an artist when you're applying for QA. It's a good way for them to scale your potential within the company and kind of get a feel for what skills you bring to the table. It's not always going to lead to another opportunity down the road. 6. Know your worth when you're in the industry. The industry... isn't always perfect. (This video definitely showcases some of the darker points of the industry) I've worked at jobs where I did some incredible and inspiring stuff, seeing players enjoy what I worked on, seeing fan posts that brought me to tears. But I also worked jobs that brought me to tears on a day to day basis. (Because of NDA, definitely not disclosing those and they haven't been mentioned here) Jobs will definitely have things that challenge you or get you out of your comfort zone. (Lead team meetings, lead other team members, present important concepts to stock brokers, do fixes on live titles without impacting the player experience) But there are jobs out there that... aren't great. Red Flags include: *"We're a family!" *Management that's quick to blame and belittle new hires/interns for issues that may occur. *Crunch. Okay, there's crunch EVERYWHERE in the industry. It's unfortunately kind of unavoidable for the most part. There may be days you have to come in early in the morning/late at night, at the worst, work part of the weekend. A good company will make sure those days are made up, lunch/dinner is comp'd so you get a free meal, you'll get better bonuses/overtime for working and they offer mental health services for when crap hits the fan. If staff is treating you like crap, not recognizing your efforts, and making you work UNGODLY hours (my worst being 9 am - 2 am the next day, and then coming in at 8 am that same day.), that's a bad sign. *If management is comparing themselves to other companies and saying "You won't get this at another company!"... most likely you'll get better benefits at another company. Last and certainty not least, when you get a job, you're excited! You're stoked! You made it in! They give you the job contract and before you sign on the doted line, READ. EVERYTHING. Seriously, because of a line I missed in one of my job opportunities, I realized my paychecks WEREN'T being taxed. I ended up owing $4,000 to the IRS. PLEASE. READ THE CONTRACT. Verify you're getting paid correctly, that if you're contract/full-time and whatnot. This is important to know your current salary/pay level in the future, if you qualify for certain benefits, how PTO/Days off work. Don't be afraid to send a follow up email for clarification. Typically the job offer is sent by HR or the Manager and they'd be more than happy to elaborate on things your confused on. Okay, I wrote a novel, but I really hope this helps! Good luck!

[@Hyperdeath.Kisses]

@liquid you’re more than welcome! Wishing you the best! ❤️🤘🏻✨

[@theftking]

I've looked into this topic several times, but I always walked away after realizing the resulting video would be _hours long._ Pretty impressive. I'm so curious to find out what has happened since the last video, because this whole situation is pretty fascinating and surprising. Looking forward to watching this this weekend!

[@RandomPerson-vq9kw]

Hey, theft, did not expect to see you here

[@mikethcz]

Of course your looking for drama lol

[@dogeboithedoomslayer]

@@mikethcz mans got to get that bread what can he say

[@Get.Pwned619]

@@mikethcz why am i not subscribed to you yet?

[@Diamondjests]

Theft, my king.

[@Plexxis_SugarPom]

Do I think Batdr is a good game? Yes. I like the artstyle, the story, the upgrade of animation, I loved that. But just because the game was enjoyable doesn't mean we shouldn't acknowledge the controversies of the creators. Keep an open mind and do your best to know your interests. It might bite you back one day.

[@jamzee_]

Hearing “It’s not your place to know” before even seeing the img link, i imagined it with the mocking spongebob. You dont tell someone performing open investigation, “it’s not your place to ask” because it legitimately is your place as a person doing a study while trying to stay unbiased to know as much information as possible. This is a really well done documentary and look into a subject you previously seemed really passionate about. But now, the subject has done too many things to keep support. Keep up the work man.

[@RobBoyBlunder]

As someone who got popular for bendy fanart and even won the halloween fanbuilt shirt contest, all I can look back upon with bendy most of the time is... disappointment and shame. I just can't forgive the harassments, threats, and even stalking I got over it- I'm wounded because bendy meant so much to me and it opened a new path in my love for horror and art in general; even with writing! But any and all success I had with the franchise was short lived as things began stabbing so many in the back, including many people I wish I hadn't met (but there's some I also had positive life changes meeting through bendy). I feel very back and forth on it but i will say i appreciate those who didn't drop artists like me who moved away from the controversy to create something else, and I can still look back on the creative works I had inspired by it with a positive eye. There are times I miss having such a large audience but it goes to show when you dedicate too much to games/studios that haven't been around long enough to develop, it's a risk that can pay off or drop out. This video covers a whole mess that ate up three years of my life both for better and for worse and I appreciate the time you put into making this!

[@DrawciaGleam02]

oof. I'm sorry man. Honestly, my interest in the series started due to watching a dubbed fancomic on KZbin! Haven't seen much official gameplay yet.

[@hershelroswell]

i'm really sorry that happened to you - that sounds fucking awful. i honestly wish you the best in whatever you're up to at the moment, and i hope it brings you lots of happiness and fulfilment

[@paradoxtatorstudios9681]

i fell out of favor with bendy for like two years, sorry you went through that. people can really ruin something you love sometimes-

[@StarvinMarvin828]

Howdy Chris! I wanna just shed some light on the ROBLOX bendy thing for you since I feel this needs to be stated or at the very least mentioned: So as you have stated ROBLOX bendy devs went through hell and back in making bendy games on the platform. But I think I should mention something here that's very very interesting, to say the least. Back in 2018 some of us (still making bendy fangames on Roblox) contacted the devs asking them: "How can we keep our games up on ROBLOX?" And shockingly enough we got a response back saying "You can't make money off of it" and that was about it. So we remove all gamepasses/any exclusive offer stuff and revive the game, however, a week or two later the same thing happens again with our games being taken down, and this time being unable to be reopened. The worst part was we try to contact them again asking why this happened and we got complete radio silence. Fast forward to 2021 and they finally stop striking bendy games down with an Iron fist and have allowed a bunch to stay afloat. I guess this somewhat has a happy end but I will never ever understand why it took so long for them to finally quit stalking our games, not to mention why we got ignored by them. But yeah hope that sheds some light on all of that ROBLOX garbage some of us had to go through.

[@StarvinMarvin828]

@BlueIsABitConfused I am glad also cuz so so many hours were put into those fan games and it felt like all my hard work was frowned upon...

[@Banana807]

@@StarvinMarvin828 too bad they basically let fan games stay when bendy died out

[@StarvinMarvin828]

@@Banana807 I honestly am sad about it also, but no point in crying over spilled milk

[@gamerstheater1187]

Honestly the Roblox thing is just Roblox being Roblox this isn’t the first or only time this has happen

[@StarvinMarvin828]

​@@gamerstheater1187 I would normally agree with this, but it has been public knowledge that KB has gone to ROBLOX to enforce copyright crap, since emails/messages from our games being closed down would say who or what sent in the claim. This is the one time I will cut ROBLOX any slack even though you're 100% right since this is a very very common thing for them.

[@gorilla64__]

Can't believe that the FNF mod has more structure and effort than the official version

[@ColorHeartCarlie42]

I’ll just stick to indie cross bendy.

[@SomniSerotonin]

Ew

[@coolioscor4082]

Are you referring to Indie Cross?

[@DrawciaGleam02]

Anyone low key wonders if they (Indie Cross team) should take the reins from the old Bendy team??

[@SomniSerotonin]

@@DrawciaGleam02 ew

[@TravisPlushProductions]

Y’know I found out the day I went to NYCC in 2017 that theMeatly was going to show up and sign posters at a Bendy booth. I was honestly excited and showed up to the booth the meet the guy. Then he apparently couldn’t make it and the guys at the booth had to tell us in line that. Kinda happy I missed out on that now.

[@EternalYorkieMom]

I can’t believe that they wanted us to write the story and that WE GAVE THEM A GOOD IDEA WITH BENDY RECOGNIZING HENRY AND BECOMING CUTE AND LITTLE AND THEY DIDNT USE IT

[@EdenHellCipher]

It’s funny, regarding the Bioshock influence: When I was first playing Bendy Ch. 1, I turned to my partner and said, “You know, this is gonna sound weird, but this reminds me a lot of Bioshock. I think they got a lot of their ideas from it.” I’d played Infinite not too long before playing Bendy, so certain things were standing out to me but at the time I didn’t really put any more thought into it. I’m glad to know it wasn’t just me being a jaded, over-analytical nerd. Thank you for all the hard work you’re putting into these videos and getting all this info out there in an easy to access format. I’m disappointed I won’t enjoy Bendy anymore, but I’d rather not enjoy it than support a morally deficient company. 🖖

[@sammyjaohnson5631]

I got the bioshock collection on switch and bioshock infinte was one of the best gaming expirence I've ever had but anyway i wish that they could've looked into bioshock and saw what made the games great instead of looking at the serface of the games and based things on cool events but not putting in the substance on why the events happen you know, those visions or what ever tf they were in ch 4 were pointless scares with zero reasoning behind them yhry just leave to many questions

[@aldiascholarofthefirstsin1051]

@@sammyjaohnson5631 Also, the combat system is a million times better in bioshock.

[@sammyjaohnson5631]

@@aldiascholarofthefirstsin1051 and in bioshock your able to hold multiple objects and is able to upgrade weapons and what not

[@umairashraf5167]

@@sammyjaohnson5631 I mean being able to upgrade your weapons and what not has been a thing since Re4 and maybe even before that ¯\_(ツ)_/¯so inspiration comes a long way

[@sammyjaohnson5631]

@@umairashraf5167 yea i know weapons upgrade been a thing for ever it wouldv been cool bendy had that or you know actual good combat and weapons

[@cohenthepeter7237]

It sucks that the game that heavily influenced my skills and passion for art has gone to shit for the past few months. Really fucking sad man

[@bobi200samatar6]

Sorry to hear that.

[@X-SPONGED]

1:35:12 I genuinely think Mike and Meatly were doing a Hello Neighbor (or Jack Sparrow depending on who you ask). They were making shit up along the way. Throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks. The Ending is left ambiguous not because they have something in mind. But because they wanted Matpat to theorize a Timeline and Story for them so that they can take all the credit. Tinybuild already got so low as to beg for Theories on Twitter from Matpat. Maybe JDS would fall such lengths aswell. They're already this deep... Might aswell take The Leap of Fail, right ?

[@compassrose1466]

I remember people praising the ending like it was a Rick and Morty plot back when it came out. “Oh you’re just don’t get it that’s what makes it so good…” when after chapter three all the cracks showed. There wasn’t enough episodes to finish it as the climax already had hit with Angel…but there’s still two episodes. And then the glitches/bugs on top of the “Easter eggs” when you hacked and looked behind certain doors on top of that to keep a hint of ‘mystery’. I don’t know I feel like there was so much potential for a story but instead of planning they just made it up in hopes of money. I feel like there maybe was a passion from some people working behind it but it left quickly.

[@OdaSwifteye]

They were doing a Hello Neighbor because just like Tiny Build they took too many notes from Matpat videos instead of making their own game.

[@gamerstheater1187]

It’s funny cause that’s the opposite of Mojang and Scott, they literally retcon their lore to disprove theories

[@DrawciaGleam02]

@@compassrose1466 Oof. It's crazy when people not happy with a story/ending get criticized because they don't like it. But then after hype dies down the majority starts to realize the validity of such criticisms.

[@erimgard3128]

@@OdaSwifteye I genuinely can't imagine anyone wanting MatPat's advice on story telling

[@lilylohmann614]

As an artist, the part where you highlighted everyone and what they’re doing now so they can get support really hit me. I appreciate that segment a lot, especially since you’re giving them the respect that the studio never did. Hope you get better soon, if you haven’t already. I watched both of these controversy vids back to back, so I’m gonna go lay down now and maybe play a video game. Not Bendy tho, lol

[@TardedJ3rker]

Sucks because showdown bandit has such a good idea behind it but a studio who doesn't care about it

[@fialovaledlampa5118]

I was interested in this controversy just because of you, and at first, when I saw the length of this video I thought I wouldn't watch it all. But I did, and it opened my eyes even more than before, thank you for this hard work! and I hope your condition gets better!

[@ChrisPortalBits]

Thank you! I know it's a long video to watch (which is why I gave it a table of contents at the start) but I'm glad you were willing to watch it, it means a lot to me!

[@RAC00NFANGIRL]

@@ChrisPortalBits are you okay? Just got recommend your video now I love your hard work on research.. I hope feel better lol even couple six months late.

[@MegaMetroGirl]

Mike was really out there advertising the fact he doesn't respect women. Why am I not surprised.

[@bigoblivion]

I can't find the words for how wonderful this watch was. Seeing such a descriptive and respectful explanation behind a company I looked up to for five years was really eye-opening. It's a bittersweet feeling for me to see Joey Drew Studios literally become the fictional corrupted brand they created by the same name. The amount of information you searched for, the editing, the hours of voice recording and the little Promoting Positivity segment at the end is awe-inspiring. Thank you for releasing such a phenomenal project and I hope that your sickness continues to subside.

[@magicrainbowkitties1023]

When Bendy came out on console, my friends and I were EXTATIC to play it. We all loved the characters and the art style, and we couldn't wait to play it ourselves. I bought a copy, and that Halloween night we all got together after vigorous trick-or-treating. We booted it up, started playing and.... good god did we get BORED. It was such a slog to get through ANYTHING. Hell, we quit halfway through Chapter 2 to watch the Conjuring just because it'd be more fun to make fun of stupid people in a horror movie.

[@DrawciaGleam02]

I...got bored watched a NUTSHELL video about the first four chapters. A NUTSHELL VIDEO! That's...pretty bad. I wanna read fancomics of Bendy instead.

[@magicrainbowkitties1023]

Ikr, and I'm one of those people who fucking eat breaths and sleeps Bioshock XD

[@DrawciaGleam02]

@@magicrainbowkitties1023 Hey again! The recordings of the employees was one of the best parts of the game IMO. But I still think I prefer fan interpretations of Bendy.

[@cas3268]

I hope this video starts circulating again now that BATIM is in the spotlight

[@EdenHellCipher]

Revisiting this video after the new game came out. I was really curious to see if there were any developments on this end. Have the ex-employees commented on BATDR?

[@Raypalch]

This... This hurts, a lot. I've been a fan of Bendy before ch2 has came out. The wait between chapters were never boring since the developers kept things excited for us, and this really inspired me. Their game opened a really big path in media in general, specially in the art community: I drew fanart, wrote headcanons for the in-game employees, almost finished an AU - damn, even got some clout from Meatly when he tweeted my art -, all out of passion, all made without any reward. Now, after seeing they were shitty people, I feel fake. I've watched your past video when it came out, it also hurt, knowing they (Mike in special) were hiding so much and not saying a word. But now it isn't just Mike. now it isn't about games, it's about money, fame, ego. They really got into the spirit with their on game!! /s I cannot say if I still support the games, I absolutely LOVE Bendy as a whole: the world, the era, the style, and it made me grew as a person through the people I knew from the community; but, if I'm gonna buy merchandise, their game, follow them on socials, it will still be fake af. Your effort as a whole, on presenting the people who really need support, digging to find legit info and, generally going a respectful person, really makes this all worthy. Thank you for these videos, mate!

[@zerostars7499]

Having watched the entire thing, and the original video, I can only say: Well Done. Not only did you create a useful catalogue of information regarding this whole situation, you’ve also addressed issues which too many in the Bendy Community are willing to brush under the rug. Frankly, as a Dreams Come to Life fan, I’m just glad that’s one of the few Bendy products with little controversy surrounding it. Look forward to seeing what comes next :)

[@SchmidtTimes]

The time and effort you put into this production is admirable and appreciated, pal. Thanks a bundle for promoting the Ex-Kindly Crew, too! 💚

[@awildbagel6723]

I'm pretty sure Epic Mickey did "scary ink consuming and transforming characters" LONG before Bendy did

[@lpshegecat9889]

Tbh as soon as the sequel trailer dropped everyone seemed to forget this whole thing. Really depressing

[@lukebytes5366]

I'm doubtful the people who saw the trailers even know about the controversy at all, that or they brushed it off as mere drama.

[@sped325]

I guess Mike was right about selling games to dumb kids, they only care about more bendy, anything else isn’t important for them.

[@erickamakeeaina1649]

The creator of the video himself said he does not mind if people go play the game and such.

[@lpshegecat9889]

@@erickamakeeaina1649 I’m just saying it’s weird that no one was critical of the company suddenly when the new game came out. I don’t care if people play the game, I’m just surprised everyone just forgot about this stuff

[@VivianaSilverback]

@@lpshegecat9889 That's because they don't care and only care about the game. "BATDR gud!!!" is all they think about, when honestly i think the game was kind of meh.

[@cheatcode436]

KindlyBeast is the dictionary definition of 'fallen from grace'. Hope you recover dude. You're the reason I know about the controversy in the first place.

[@BCNRP]

It's likely that Scholastic may have something to do with the stolen fanart, as some of the asset heavy fnaf books are also published by scholastic and are true breeding grounds of stolen fan work.

[@lfamvs5520]

I follow this controversy since your BATIM video of August 18th. It was amazing to watch this video in its entirety and I’ll CERTAINLY replay it multiple times while working on my own art ❤️❤️❤️. I’ll also support some the fired employees who have a KZbin account. Thanks a lot for this incredible update and for giving me an amazingly good evening🥰🥰🥰

[@ChrisPortalBits]

Thanks! As someone whose favorite videos are ones I put on in the background: I'm honored! And I'm glad to see that some ex-employees will get some support from this video. I never know what will come from making a video like this, but I'm glad it was something positive!

[@gayrurumon]

Hey sorry if this is a weird question, but: why is your comment yellow and say 9.99 pounds on it? Just curious because I have never encountered it before, you don't have to answer

[@lfamvs5520]

@@gayrurumon No problem, underneath the video next to the ‘download’ button you got the ‘thanks’ button where you can support the creator by giving some money. I wanted to support Chris by giving him € 10,00,-. The ‘thanks’ button also comes with the ability to write a comment that shows up like mine does.

[@gayrurumon]

@@lfamvs5520 oh awesome. Thanks for explaining :)

[@lfamvs5520]

@@gayrurumon No problem :)

[@SaltyBlueSea]

Having watched this entire video with no previous knowledge of the situation and no real interest in Bendy beyond passingly watching a few creators' videos on it and losing interest (John Wolfe/HarshlyCritical was the one to open my eyes to the blatant merchandising push, and I thank him for that), all I have to say is...wow. The ending made me tear up, the hope so many ex-employees still have is a wonderful thing to see, and just overall...the world is a little darker, yes, knowing the mismanagement and horrors of the company, and the things so many people had to go through. At the same time, though, even as the world grows darker, the light of hope grew brighter and I feel like there's some good to come out of the whole thing. I may have never watched one of your videos before, no clue if I'll ever watch one again (the almighty algorithm decides that), but I'll still subscribe because I appreciate the depth and passion of your research. People that go all the way to the roots of an issue are rare, and I appreciate it; most only analyze the tangled surface issues and never realize how the first knots formed in the whole ordeal. Going forward, I don't think much will change, at least not for me. I've never bought a game from the studio, nor did I ever plan to. But knowing the sources for a few of those who came out the other side and are moving forward and upward, I'll do my best to support that! To any ex-employees who shared their stories and happen to see this (and even to those who didn't share), all I have to say is, thank you for your gifts to the world and your contributions to what would have been a great thing. I'm sorry your work was underappreciated, but I hope to see it flourish elsewhere. You've got this!

[@soundbytedj8938]

I never bought into the game myself either. I would just watch it and find it fun, but I was never interested in playing it. And thanks to this I know I never will @Si Renae

[@psychonautmaddy7409]

Sooo did everybody just FORGET these controversies ever since BATDR came out?

[@michtheclowns]

IM WONDERING THE SAME THING-

[@nihili4196]

To be fair, i forgot this franchise was even a thing.

[@thicc_vic]

holy crap, this might actually be a journalistic masterpiece! the amount of time you invested into research and interviewing + edeting for this video must be insane!

[@melaniey.5596]

Okay, I’m intrigued, if I get the chance I gotta get my hands in the Bendy: Dreams come to Life book. It’s incredible how such a... “safe” story like Bendy could be adapted to cover so many themes, while making use of the time it is set in to tackle them in ways that can’t be covered in modern stories.

[@erickamakeeaina1649]

Hundredth like

[@niknokYT]

Well, shit. This video is nothing short of fucking incredible. I've got a real soft spot for long-form content, be that documentaries, big analysis', etc, and this video is genuinely one of the best I've ever seen, like topping a lot of Hollywood-grade professional stuff! You can just feel the passion ooze through every line, every little edit, there's not a single frame of this video that doesn't feel like it has 110% effort put in. You did an outstanding job at covering every single corner of the entire Bendy franchise in about as much detail as anyone could ask for, you should be immensely proud. I'm struggling to find more things to say, just because there's only so many ways to phrase "this is exceptionally good", so... this is exceptionally good!! You've seriously got an insane amount of talent, and I hope you continue making truly amazing videos, you've definitely earned my subscription. (Though I think everyone will understand if your next video isn't quite as long lol) I also want to share a quick "hope your condition improves"-esc message, that last little bit of the video really hit me hard, so obviously I hope things work out well for you. I put this at the end because I don't want it to overshadow the praise you deserve for the actual main video. But still, obviously I'm hoping for nothing but the best for you.

[@ChrisPortalBits]

Thank you! I honestly don't have a response that can match how grateful I am for your kind words. I was worried that this video wouldn't meet people's expectations, and that the employees would have their story in a video that was difficult to watch. I'm glad I made something that was watchable, let alone have the kind of praise you've given me here. I can't promise that my next big project will match this one or your expectations, but I will certainly try! Thank you again!

[@BootyCrusader]

oh my god when you said "Let's talk about Bioshock." and that music started, it gave me chills. Bioshock is my favorite game and I couldn't help but feel that Bendy was trying to emulate it super hard.

[@HOWLING._.NIGHTMARE]

As a bendy fan I am pissed at how mike said "stupid kids" dude, batim was my childhood, batdr is gonna be harder cause it's higher quality ect, I don't care that I was and am a stupid child, but hearing that about favorite franchise just breaks my heart. And for the fan games, I only get it if your doing it randomly without saying just do you don't get bashed with harrasment or something like that if that person is being a snowflake or whatever and just doesn't get the fact that they're taking a lot of copyright, but yeah you should still warn or tell the person.

[@VivianaSilverback]

But children aren't stupid, that's the thing. So if you're still a child (please get off the internet it's very dangerous out here) you aren't stupid. Children are inexperienced, not stupid.

[@nicolebrown1874]

I'm still halfway through, but holy crap, man! This is really well made so far! I remember people bringing up that bendy shared the audio log similarities with bioshock earlier on in the game's life, but it's insane to see HOW much they took from it! Props to you for making a good documentary series on this company!

[@Silentaslife]

Bruh I came here for random internet drama and ended up enthralled by a tale with far more depth than most fictional novels. 10/10 would watch nearly 4 hours of an egotistical person ruining his life again.

[@RottingEmuBird]

It really hurts when you're super passionate about something, the creators or company always ends up as horrible people, really goes to show that no matter what you like or who you like, there is always a chance that they have done some pretty bad things in the past.

[@thatkingdomheartsguy9615]

After playing the Dark Revival, I'd say it's an improvement. The characters have their own motivations, the gameplay is much more dynamic, and it's actually playable LOL.

[@dragonbornexpress5650]

What did it cost, though?

[@thatkingdomheartsguy9615]

@@dragonbornexpress5650 I can't remember like 20 dollars maybe 30

[@thatkingdomheartsguy9615]

@OkPe-ww5rs yeah very much so if you liked that yous like TDR

[@Trunks1stApprentice]

I'm sure other comments have pointed it out, but it amuses me, so I will repeat it: the irony of Mike bashing Nintendo for being on the verge of death, only for Nintendo to bounce back with the Switch becoming the third best selling console of all time with some of the biggest hits in recent memories while Mike's own company isn't talked about unless a game goes viral or they get embroiled in controversy is not lost on me.

[@FrenchYeast]

Man. No words can even start to explain how grateful I am for these videos you've made. I've always known there was something off about KB, and only now I get to have the full story. I can finally know how bad they were; and now I know I will not spend any money on their games either anymore. I hope you do well fighting against your illness. My best wishes.

[@ChrisPortalBits]

Thanks! I'm glad these videos have helped! I always worry if these videos are worth making, if I should've just posted a giant thread on Reddit or something. It's comments like these that remind me that the time I spent did make a difference!

[@Cynfulpleasures]

Full story?

[@garfield336]

@@Cynfulpleasures release your side then lol

[@doubleyoupersonality]

But one question still remains: Did that one person ever get their cheesecake?

[@doubleyoupersonality]

@New Player Please… Link?

[@maekami2480]

@@doubleyoupersonality kzbin.info/www/bejne/aKKydo2dnbKel7M if the link doesn't work just go on the previous bendy video and click on the cheesecake-guys channel (he's pinned)

[@ChrisPortalBits]

Yep! kzbin.info/www/bejne/aKKydo2dnbKel7M

[@fossilizedamber]

This man looked up BATIM porn just for research purposes, what dedication.

[@jaydeesc2812]

3:28:17 Dude, the way you nailed that they would try to humanize Joey, after all the monstrous stuff he did, by making Audrey his daughter and making him out to be just "a bitter old man who made many mistakes"... it's damn impressive! On top of that, a note can be found in the game, in which an employee talks about Joey Drew Studios failing, and ending the note with "it goes to show that JDS grew too much, too fast."

[@askerror1987]

I hope this gets a resurgence after the trailer for BATDR dropped today. Definitely glad this was recommended to me

[@sped325]

Sadly many kids are just calling this fake or saying they don’t care about it because they’d rather stay in denial than accept the truth.

[@RAC00NFANGIRL]

@@sped325 truth hurts a lot specially when your attach to something you care about. Trust me I know I’m attach to many games I find out the company is shit it hurts. But these kids need grow realize some of this is fact.

[@FrahdChikun]

​@@sped325 people can accept that there's a dark side to what they love, but that doesn't mean they have to stop enjoying it. You can like what you want to like and separate art from artist.

[@dragonbornexpress5650]

@@FrahdChikun. Except this is a situation where the artist clearly doesn't care about the art they produce, and their own actions lead to the destruction of said art; By continuously supporting them even after the shit they pull, you are telling them that you're the "stupid kids" they're trying to sell their products to. In other words, you're proving them right.

[@thekoolkrab3226]

After watching this video, even though i do like BATIMs' character designs, I'm definitely not supporting Joey Drew Studios, that part about "we are making games for stupid kids, this isn't hard" was honestly disgusting and just shows that they don't care about their products or fans. Other than that, I can't put into words how informative and well made this video was. I'm also really glad you gave credit to the people who were hurt by KB, they 100% deserve the support and as an artist i wish nothing but the best for them!

[@micer2012]

as an artist and someone who's content was also stolen and profited off of by a bigger youtuber i used to admire (Game Theory) watching this I got extremely heated for them.. thank you for this video

[@nivekakninblarg8076]

What was it?

[@sanescale]

Whats the video?? Im curious

[@micer2012]

@@sanescale my response keeps bein taken down for self promotion (fair), it was his video “Game Theory: Minecraft's DARKEST Timeline! (Hermitcraft SMP)” . look up that and my username n u should be able to find my 10 page post :> 👍

[@nivekakninblarg8076]

@@micer2012 I found the reddit post.

[@danthegooberman15]

i keep autoplaying this video in bed right when im falling asleep, and i hear it when i wake. finally actually watching and listening.

[@nightwatch3889]

You may not upload very frequently but your content is pretty dang good. Thanks for taking the time to make this. I can never learn enough about these subjects.

[@ChrisPortalBits]

Thank you!

[@LeGurdah]

Good gods, Kindly Beast has taken on a new layer of irony. Slap on the _next_ layer of irony worthy of reinforcing horse shoes with, with Kindly Beast's rebranding into Joey Drew Studios, which _would_ be funny if it didn't end up inadvertently reflecting how Joey Drew treated _his_ employees in turn.

[@ConnorGrail]

heyo thanks for all the shoutouts, excellent work again!

[@ChrisPortalBits]

You're welcome! Thanks for making such cool music!

[@kamo7293]

im sorry but if they believe anyone would mistake a fan game from their game... they would have to be brain dead. that is the most ridiculous thing ive heard yet. even if a fan game broke the policy, they should have realised that the way they approach a situation like that could put their reputation in danger.

[@TheHENOOB]

In Bendy and the Dark Revival, Mike Mood's name isn't mentioned on the game's credits neither as an creator of the game.

[@FrahdChikun]

Unfortunately, as of the Archives update he has been credited as the Programmer, but is only named "Mike."

[@logic9680]

I never knew how similar Bioshock and Bendy were. I mean when you list the similarities, they sound identical. You know other than the fact that Bioshock's story and characters are infinitely more interesting

[@PakieVSRG]

shoutouts to you making subtitles for the ENTIRE thing, like deadass the whole, 3 HOUR video, that's some dedication i like to see

[@noraunhappy]

Ok but can we talk about how Bunny apparently only got compensated 100£ for the merchandising rights to her art? That’s basically nothing, especially considering how much money they ended up making off it. Honestly that offer is disrespectful as hell

[@Beatstart]

"I've never played Bioshock untill 2020" *Proceeds to pull out 13 different copies of the game*

[@phbtonyou]

This was an eye opener. Bendy was my introduction to actually playing horror and I love the aesthetics of it to the point I cosplay from it. But to hear all of this that happened behind the scenes is such a disappointment. And to know that KB was just trying to make games for 'stupid kids' is so insulting and lets me know exactly how they feel about the fanbase. The fanbase that, in my opinion, really helped get the game going with the hype through art, music, and other fan made media. I'll still play the game, since I already have it, they have my money, but I won't be willingly giving them more at this point. And it's been how long since they announced BatDR? Nah, time to move on. Edit: Nice placement of the Hollow Knight music in the conclusion

[@BlueAmpharos]

Yeah I saw a great content creator covering Dark Revival and while it looks much more polished than the original game I wasn't sure if I should even give the views since it could end up promoting the game through KZbin's recommendation algorithm. Then again, I have already had it in my recommended so maybe it doesn't matter but I don't feel like supporting the company at all with how they treated people.

[@missgalaxia14]

Hopefully this entire situation didn’t deter you from playing more horror games! It sucks to read that a great game is ruined by its developers’ actions and reputation, but there are loads of horror games with amazing devs and fandoms that’ll catch your attention!

[@phbtonyou]

@@missgalaxia14 It did not! It's still not my go to genre, but I have played a few more, and even gotten into Dead By Daylight recently with friends! I've also picked up a couple of Resident Evil titles, and Layers of Fear! So slowly but surely dipping my feet into it!

[@missgalaxia14]

@@phbtonyou that’s great to hear, and it’s nice to see someone in the DBD community! Good luck on your matches! Cheers!

[@merry____0001]

Ngl as a fan artist who often creates art regarding Bendy due to a 5-year-long special interest, thank you for bringing light to this situation again in a very digestible manner and in a way that's not only very informing and educational but also one of those things that keep your interest and attention while doing so! This video is created and structured wonderfully, and I appreciate your dedication to revisiting the controversy and helping people understand what's going on. Not only do I appreciate the fact you made this, but I generally just want to say... Bonus points for having subtitles. Helps a lot as a visually impaired person with audio processing issues haha, with a lot of other videos I have to rewind sometimes to understand what I'm hearing. Very accessible to those who need it ! However, the fanbase has been fr treated horribly and I just hope we make it through, especially other folks with hyperfixations, attachments, and special interests on the franchise that we can't just easily get rid of. At this point, I feel like if Dark Revival doesn't release, the fans should sort of try to reclaim (Not sure if that's the right word?) the characters in a way from their rotten creators and give Bendy life separate from Mike Mood and KB. Not ignoring what they did, but recognizing it, and choosing to make better use of the characters that many people grew up with. And if it does come out... people who insist on playing BATDR should just find other totally "legal" ways to get it if you know what I mean, lmao. Disappointed but not surprised, because although a lot of companies are like this nowadays... it's really sad to witness it with something that genuinely shaped me and many others as a person from my early teenage years to now. Overall, I hope this video reaches more people! The way you put everything into one video is really impressive and I hope things improve for you, the fanbase, and all of those who were put through hardships and harm while working for the KB. Such a shame that they're recreating their own corrupt fictional company with the route they're heading down. Hope I worded everything right, I struggle with putting my thoughts into words most of the time lmao

[@ThePoisonbubbles]

I really love the fact somebody else noted that Bendy is more a Bioshock fan-game than an actual game... I was beginning to think I was crazy..more being a fan of the Rapture/columbia classic