Thursday, January 26, 2023

Clearing the Air: Pat Contri, a.k.a. The NES Punk, Trashing Me On His Podcast & YouTube Channel




Years ago Pat Contri, who plays the character The NES Punk on YouTube, asked me to contribute to his then-forthcoming NES Guide Book, which came to be called the Ultimate Nintendo: Guide to the NES Library (1985-1995). It was released in 2016. I wrote 60 reviews and reflections (nostalgic stories, cultural impact, etc.) for the book and was proud to take part. Pat was and is a popular YouTube personality, and I was excited to be part of such a high-profile (relatively speaking) project. Pat was fun to work with, and he was actually a pretty good editor on the project, making some suggestions for me to beef up some of my reviews with more detail.

Unfortunately, a few years after the book was published, things went south. He deleted my reviews from the third edition of the book (which was his prerogative, and which I wouldn’t have minded if he would have handled it better), began ghosting me at video game conventions (which got awkward), and starting saying nasty things about me on his podcast and YouTube channel (which was part irritating, part amusing).

In his comments about me on his podcast, he would refer to me sarcastically as “the famous author,” and he even called me a “passive-aggressive asshole.” I always assumed he didn’t mention me by name because he didn’t want to draw attention to my YouTube channel or my books, which is probably true. I think he began viewing me as a competitor instead of a friend once my Omnibus books started coming out, which I’ll get to in a bit. However, in a recent podcast/video, he threw the gloves off and called me out by name and said some things I’d like to clear up and correct.

To answer a few quick questions brought about by Pat and his pal Ian’s recent take on me, here you go:

1. Yes, I played all the games I reviewed in Pat’s NES book thoroughly, though I didn’t beat them all. Yes, Pat paid me to write the reviews upfront, and I never expected royalties (sorry if this was ever unclear). I genuinely liked the oft-criticized Magic Johnson’s Fastbreak, though I admit nostalgia for the game colored my opinion. (I would have given Double Dribble 4 stars, BTW.) Pat rewrote my Rad Gravity review and gave me full credit for it--that’s the type of thing editors do sometimes, so not a big deal.

2. As far as I can tell, Pat thought my reviews were perfectly fine (he even said I was doing a good job) until he saw me as competition when my Omnibus books started coming out. After that, he called them “garbage” on his podcast. If he thought my reviews were garbage, he wouldn’t have published most of them in the SECOND EDITION of the book as well. My reviews in his NES book are no better or worse than his or Ian’s or the other writers—they’re about on-par with the other entries (this isn't rocket science), which you can see for yourself if you have either earlier edition.

Further, and this is the most important point, in a friendly email marked Dec. 07, 2016, he implied that he WANTED ME TO WRITE FOR HIS SUPER NINTENDO BOOK MONTHS AFTER HIS NES BOOK WAS PUBLISHED. This proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that he was happy with my reviews in his book until he saw me as competition. It also shows that I was forthcoming in telling him I was working on a large SNES book with high production values.




3. I don’t have “animosity” toward Pat because of him deleting my reviews from the third edition of his NES book. I was irritated and in fact felt betrayed by him for not telling me ahead of time (or ever) and having to discover it on my own. He subsequently ignored my very polite DMs inquiring about it, and he even ignored a message I sent congratulating him on his highly successful Kickstarter for his SNES book. He had every right to do with his book what he wanted, including removing my reviews, but he didn’t handle it professionally in my opinion.


4. After Pat deleted my reviews from his NES book without telling me, and without answering my DMs about it, and ignoring me at conventions, I made an objective, extremely fair video about who wrote the first complete NES book (it’s complicated), giving credit to several authors, including Joe Santulli, Jeff Wittenhagen, and Pat himself. Each of the NES books by these authors has merit. I could have simply trashed Pat in the video, but that’s not my style, and I didn’t view him as an enemy or anything like that anyway. I figured an objective video with some history was more useful and more substantive than a drama video, but the latter would’ve certainly gotten more views. I try to get along and be reasonable and civilized with everyone, and I never take personal shots at those I disagree with (which they do briefly admit to in their recent video). I suppose this is one reason why Pat and Ian call me passive-aggressive.

5. They said in the video that I “suddenly glommed onto the Intellivision Amico” immediately after they got skeptical about it. That’s completely untrue. I’ve been a fan of the original Intellivision since I first played it in 1980, and I love the idea of retro-reimagined games. My interest had nothing to do with them, and I was onboard with the idea behind the console the first time I heard about it. When they started making nasty remarks about the Amico and former Intellivision CEO Tommy Tallarico (which turned out to be justified in many cases), did I root even more for the console to succeed? Yes, but that’s much different than me being for the Amico simply because they were against it.

6. Were Pat and Ian ultimately right about the Amico in many respects, such as it not coming out? And about people getting screwed out of their investments and pre-orders? Sadly, yes. I thought the Amico was a cool idea, especially early on, but Tommy and Intellivision mishandled it horribly. As such, I did a video on the mistakes they made and how I canceled my pre-order. I never got hateful toward Tommy about the Amico—I simply stated my views as objectively as I could—which I guess makes me passive-aggressive.

7. My video about the Play Date was actually pretty even-handed. I said I didn’t “get” the handheld console, the same way a lot of people didn’t “get” the Amico, so I could empathize. Was my Play Date video a response to Pat and Ian’s video about the Play Date? Not really, as I recall. I simply thought the system was an interesting parallel to the Amico: an underpowered, overpriced console that I wasn’t interested in, compared to the Amico, which I was interested in, despite it being underpowered and eventually overpriced. I saw some irony there and felt it was a good topic. I was honest in my assessment about the prospective Play Date at the time, based on what I saw of the thing in action on YouTube. I was unimpressed with the tiny (if clear) black-and-white screen and the awkward crank that shook the system when you played it. I would have said so if I thought that it looked cool—I try to be as objective and as honest as possible in my videos.

For some added perspective on all of this, let’s go back to the first time I met Pat and our subsequent encounters.

I was a vendor at the 2009 (or perhaps 2010, I forget which) ScrewAttack Game Convention in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. This was a fun (and fondly remembered) show hosted by Craig Skistimas and company. Pat approached my table, said hello, and started flipping through a copy of my then-most recent book, Classic Home Video Games:1985-1988 (the cover dates refer to console era—the book features a write-up for every US release for the NES, Master System, and 7800). He told me that he was planning on writing an NES book of his own, but that he had something bigger in mind: a full-color hardcover book with screenshots and the like (my CHVG book is more like an encyclopedia with game synopses and relatively few black-and-white images).

At some point—I can’t remember exactly when or where—Pat asked me if I’d like to write some reviews for his book. He said he would write the majority, but that he was going to include some contributing writers on the project. I expressed interest, and we had a series of highly congenial phone calls. We share a lot of common interests and had some interesting conversations about writing, pop culture, the NES, and more. He had a clear vision for his book, and I was excited to take part. At the time, I was a full-time freelance writer and always grateful for paying work as well as added exposure. We agreed on a sum that suited us both (he paid me upfront for my work as I turned it in), and over the next few months, I played and replayed more than 60 games and wrote up my reviews and reflections for those titles. I repurposed some of my reviews from my previous projects, which I told him upfront I was going to do, such as the website (the late, lamented All Game Guide) that Pat references in his recent video, but I played the games anew and polished up my reviews accordingly. Admittedly, some of my opinions of retro/vintage games are colored by nostalgia.

When Pat’s NES book came out in 2016, I was super excited and did an unboxing on my YouTube channel. The previous year, I promoted the book on my website. I shared the full Kickstarter campaign on my website (which I deleted when it was no longer relevant). I even included the book in a roundup of retro gaming books I did for the Fort WorthStar-Telegram and a few other outlets, being sure to include a disclaimer that I was a contributing writer. I didn’t expect further compensation—no royalties or anything like that—but I was happy to help promote the book without him or anyone else asking me to. I was just pumped up about it!

From time to time, Pat and I are guests at the same retro gaming convention, such as the Portland Retro Gaming Expo and the Midwest Gaming Classic. We always said “hey” to each other in the past, and sometimes people would bring me Pat’s book to sign. I would also tell people to check out Pat’s book if they hadn’t already. I asked Pat at a PRGE if he wanted to do a book panel sometime, and he said no, which of course was his prerogative—not a big deal. One time at Retropalooza, I volunteered to take him to a shop to get his phone repaired, but he had already called an Uber. He did a panel at Classic Game Fest, and I stood in line to ask him a question. When it was my turn to as my question, he referred to me as the author of The 100 Greatest Console Video Games, which I thought was cool. I texted him from time to time, and he would usually respond. In short, we were what I considered to be acquaintances and even friends. Pat published a second edition of the book, and most of my reviews and reflections were in that edition as well.

Then things got a little off-kilter, which I’ll explain in a bit. Instead of doing a fourth volume in the Classic Home Video Games series, I decided to do a full-on Super Nintendo book, complete with box art, cartridge photos, screenshots, vintage ads, and the like. I also included Insider Insights (supplemental stories about certain games from other content creators), the idea of which I got in part from the stories in Rob Strangman’s Memoirs of a Virtual Caveman book. I was also inspired by the “Lore” stories from Digital Press. I didn’t pay for these Insider Insights, but the contributing writers were very excited to tell their stories and see them in print, especially in a professionally published (by Schiffer) book that would appear in actual brick-and-mortar stores, such as Barnes & Noble. These “contributions” were literally that: contributions.

And I am eternally grateful for the from-the-heart work people have written for the Omnibus books. The Insider Insight writers list reads like a retro gaming all-star squad. Everyone from Kelsey Lewin to John Riggs to Shawn “RGT 85” Long to Console Wars author Blake Harris to Intellivision programmer David Warhol to New York Best-Selling Author John Jackson Miller has contributed awesome tales about games they had a particular interest in. And this just scratches the surface—I have had probably more than 200 contributing writers, most of whom have worked in the industry in one way or another. Pat is always quick to ridicule me for not paying these contributing writers, but I’m not forcing anyone to do anything they don’t want to. The contributing writers have been extremely supportive, and many share my posts and videos. I've had my publisher send some of them review copies as well.

After The SNES Omnibus: The Super Nintendo and Its Games, Vol. 1 (A–M) was published in 2018, Pat stopped by my booth at a show and flipped through a copy, and we spoke briefly. The encounter seemed friendly enough. I went by his booth later to get a pic with him and his NES book and me with my SNES book. I sort of detected he wasn’t thrilled to be in the pic, but I may have been misreading the situation (so to speak)--I wasn’t sure. Regardless, he did take the time to be in the pic.

As I referenced earlier, my Classic Home Video Games books, while professionally published (by McFarland), are relatively simple guides to numerous old consoles, with brief write-ups for each game. Pat didn’t seem too concerned about those books. As a matter of fact, he once told me via FB messaging that my CGVG 1985-1988 covering the 7800, NES, and Master System “wasn’t an NES book.” However, my Omnibus books are very slickly produced with deluxe hardcover binding, thousands of full-color photos, hundreds of thousands of words, etc. As far as I can tell, Pat’s attitude toward me changed when he saw my first Omnibus book. I believe he suddenly felt like I was competition, and he didn’t like me encroaching on “his” territory, even though I have been at it much longer than him. My Omnibus books are fairly similar to his Guide books in terms of basic structure but with plenty of differences to make them stand apart. You can check out sample pages on Amazon too see the differences.

After Pat saw my SNES book(s), I saw his behavior toward me begin to change. The timing sure seems to suggest that, anyway. He suddenly stopped mentioning my name on his podcast when he would talk about guests at video game conventions we were both doing, and he started acting strangely around me at said conventions, like he would rather be anywhere else than around me. I would still try to make small talk with him, but he seemed uncomfortable. He also blocked me on social media. And then the trash-talking on his podcast began. My support for the Amico and his conflict with Tommy, who I was friends with for many years before the Amico debacle, only made things worse. Somehow, things have gotten to point where we are what…enemies? Seems silly, really. I don’t like drama, nor do I see Pat as an enemy, so I hope we can at least be polite to one another moving forward, but that’s entirely up to him.

Pat can always reach out to me via social media or give me an email (brettw105@sbcglobal.net) if he wants to clear the air. He can also call me any time. It’s possible he has misconstrued what has transpired over the past few years regarding all of this, and I’ll be happy to discuss it. It’s possible I have misunderstood his perspective as well. If his attitude towards me changed for reasons other than him seeing my Omnibus books as competition, I’d appreciate him telling me. After all, there are two sides to every story, as they say. Or am I just being passive-aggressive?

Thanks to everyone who has made it this far, and to everyone for your continued support!

Brett

 

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

I truly do not understand why the backlash and why now? Isn’t gaming supposed to be fun? I don’t like people creating pseudo drama.

Josh said...

I have money to spend, and I have a few of your books. I was thinking about picking up Pat's books too because they seem to complement yours. In my opinion, like retro VG Youtube content, the more, the better. I don't see why anyone should be concerned about competition. There's a ton of interest in this area. Also, these are video games. They're supposed to be about fun. When the fun stops and the petty drama begins, what's the point?

That said, I'm likely not going to pick up Pat's books unless he stops the personal attacks and shows some maturity here. So far, it's a bad look. As you point out, Brett, there are 2 sides, but I've seen both, and the tone and reasons are worlds apart.

Full Metal Nekokami said...

you have class, cant say the same about Pat and thats me being generous. This was a pretty good read.

Anonymous said...

Very classy of you. Pat and I am seem like sensitive bullies. I'll be checking out your library for sure! Stay positive and continue your great work!

Anonymous said...

This was a great read and it's very clear that you are a genuine person.
Take my opinion with a grain of salt, but I believe it boils down to Pat's ego and nothing to do with what you did or didn't do.

He came up with what he believed was a great idea for a book, and one that, up until your book, was original. Rather than be content that he came up with it first, he felt jealous.

Looking at the pages from each of your respective books, it's clear that your book is what Pat's should have been. Better executed, professionally published, with contributions from an unimaginable number of people from the gaming community just happy to be part your project (which is probably why Pat made those snide remarks about payment - what he had to pay for, you got for free, with love, xoxo).

This is just high school all over again for Pat. You reached out, showed kindness, and that's all you can do.

The rest is up to him.

Anonymous said...

I wouldn't worry about Pat's comments Brett, the guy is a complete and utter joke in the retro gaming community, no one likes the guy IRL, and is only tollerated by people he believes are "friends" as they just want to keep the peace.

He's a sad, envious little man who can never let things go, and is too pathetic to ever make amends with anyone. Pat burns bridges quicker than operation market garden.

Anonymous said...

Brett, don’t even sweat it man. Pat is on a path of destruction and it’s really sad because I used to be a big fan of his channel back in the day. Your a great writer and an icon in the retro gaming community. Patian (new nickname for the NES punk) seems extremely desperate for attention and cash flow to the point of acting like a 5 year old. Be the better man, stay positive and keep doing what you do!

Ze [Zuplemento.com] said...

Kudos mate, keep the good work.

Ze

Anonymous said...

Pat is a whiny man child who has always used others to further his own ends. Nobody in the entire world knew who he was before James Rolfe featured him in his videos. He and Ian are two of the most toxic, nasty people around. Notice that Rolfe has completely disowned him and hasn't been in any of his videos in a very long time (nor has he been in any of Pat's). At this point, you honestly should consider a slander lawsuit against him. I'd bet there are quite a few others you could get in on it and make it a class action suit. I'd pay good money to see him have to see his precious collection to afford the lawyer fees.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like Pat just doesn't vibe with you. I'm sure he has dozens of small channel YouTubers who'd love to co-host a panel with him. He'd probably be more inclined to panel-up with a bigger name like Norm the Gaming Historian or James Rolph. And as far as your contributions to his book that got axed, it just sounds like your writing style didn't jive with the rest of the writing in his book, and he disagreed with your reviews. All subjective. No sweat. As long as he paid you for your work, that's fine.

You're a great writer, Brett, and I hope this bump in the road doesn't slow you down any. Peace, brother!

Anonymous said...

I got the sense that Pat knew the way he treated you was crap. Him doubling down and grasping at straws to try to excuse his behavior was even worse.

Anonymous said...

Envious of what? I'm against all this drama but it's no secret pat has more fans, better content and better books. Not sure what he is envious of?

Anonymous said...

Hey Pat! How’s Ian doing?

Anonymous said...

Pat seems to be veering off course, into the area of “drama videos.” He was right about Amico and I give him credit, but he really seems to relish trashing those who believed in the console. I bought Pat’s book, and have Brett’s. I don’t see a competition. I enjoy both, though I have to say that Brett’s are (decisively) better written.

Barbarian said...

Well, everyone can see the true intentions of a person from miles away. You're old enough to know that, Brett.

When Pat first stopped by your table and told you about his project, he was being honest...but never thought you were going to come out with a -somehow- better version of the book. He in fact never thought anybody could come up with such an idea; an idea that he thinks its his own and nothing but his own, like he has the right to have it and no one else.

But indeed this is a competitive world and no one should share his/her ideas of a project if uniqueness it's what's a person after. People ain't prepared to deal with competition, because there isn't enough criteria to face the problems that come later. You guys both ain't business men, just enthusiasts. People who purchases your products are just consumers. Wanting to have the whole market out of a product that can be improved, is precisely the major problem Pat couldn't deal with.

Instead of seeing your books as a challenge to improve, he saw them as competition. He's right in this one when he told you about his plan on an NES book, and since you published books earlier than him, then why not wait to see his final work and make something better, right? In the process you were acquiring experience and new ideas.

Both have the right to publish and come up with a final version that meets high demanding people. I like both books, but I enjoy an A4 format instead of a larger one. You, Brett, could have made a single volume for NES and SNES, and because of the number of pages, done by a publisher that knows how to produce books with its spine both sewed and glued. This recommendation of course goes for all authors with such projects in mind.

Even with a better made product, prices can be lower than what they are. They are overpriced, yes. By a few bits (like the ones in the 8-bit era that is). I tell you this because I own a publishing company and can freely say that the real cost for each of your large sized books is at about $15 per piece, even a bit less in cases when large amounts are to be produced.

Finally, business knows no friendship. When there's money involved, people see it as a god that rules everything. Business and persons with high criteria are very hard to come by, and can say that just a few of them exist, as those persons are the only ones that know how to separate business from friendship.

Pat can improve his previous work. You can also (in the way I mentioned earlier), and then coexist without hard feelings, at all. Try it, get involved in this life project...

Good luck!

Brett said...

Thank you so much, everyone!