WotC may have sent the Pinkertons to a magic leakers home. Update: WotC confirms it and has a response.

[Ondath]

@Henadic Theologian @Alzrius


WotC has a leak, they want to plug it, so please tell me which company you think they should have gone with.

If the guy indeed possessed the cards unlawfully, perhaps they could have, I don't know, actually requested the cards through legal means?

You make it sound like the poor multi-billion dollar company was so desperate that their only choice in avoiding leaking some printed cardboard that they were already going to reveal in two weeks was hiring a literal union-busting group from the 19th century. That's ludicrous.

Leaks happen all the time in entertainment. Series 8 of Doctor Who had the first 5-6 episodes have their scripts leak (and some episodes had their no-effects cuts leak too), but the BBC didn't send a detective agency behind whoever leaked the scripts. Genshin Impact, a gacha game made in China, has leaks from its beta testing constantly, and while people get banned or lose access to future builds because of that stuff, even they don't do something as pointless as what WotC allegedly did. If this is true, this is beyond defensible.

 

[Retreater]

Yeah. It's a bad look.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Leaks happen all the time in entertainment. Series 8 of Doctor Who had the first 5-6 episodes have their scripts leak (and some episodes had their no-effects cuts leak too), but the BBC didn't send a detective agency behind whoever leaked the scripts. Genshin Impact, a gacha game made in China, has leaks from its beta testing constantly, and while people get banned or lose access to future builds because of that stuff, even they don't do something as pointless as what WotC allegedly did. If this is true, this is beyond defensible.

Yeah, I'm having a hard time picturing what actual harm had been done, from a legal standpoint. "We didn't like it" isn't anything that would impress a judge.

 

[Gradine]

Bioshock Infinite had their protagonist's backstory be someone who was a Pinkerton but got kicked out of the Pinkertons for being too brutal and violent as a way to make it clear how messed up he was.

"That was then-" Pinkertons have been busting unions as recently as last year for Starbucks and Amazon. Their incredibly despicable reputation is well-earned, not just historically but contemporaneously.

A company does not hire Pinkertons (not even against a building coalition but just like... one guy, just a dude) and remain in way, shape or form redeemable.

 

[Tonguez]

No, I was working.

And instead of attacking the person who has the cards, who has no ability to obtain them himself -- unless they think he broke into the building, which no one appears to believe -- going after him is an incredibly stupid way to do it.

He has no ability to cause this to happen again and going after him in a predictably Pinkerton fashion is going to just result in him blabbing about it on social media, as happened.

The Pinkertons are not just any old private investigators. They're famously thugs. Anyone who's heard of their brand should know that.

If you reach out to him, go with a soft approach, appealing to his love of the game and the brand, offer him a bunch of swag and work up to getting the fan to "understand" that leaks are bad for the brand overall and seeing if he'd flip on his source. (Even then, checking his social media connections is a lot better way to do that and wouldn't tip him off that he's being investigated.)


This was a stunningly stupid way to do it and it predictably blew up in WotC's collective face (again).

But since you asked: You start with creating a list of who had access to the cards, figuring out where this particular batch came from and at what point it could have left the building. All of which could be done in-house (with or without thugs) and which would actually address the disease, not the symptoms.


Not me. I have an automatic dislike for stupid and short-sighted actions, though.

the only one claiming they were thugs is a guy getting clicks on youtube because they made his wife cry.

What the article implies is that some employees of Pinkertons knocked on his door and informed him and his wife that they cards they had acquired were stolen and that they could go to jail having them, so give them back. The guy said he acquired them by proper means from an unnamed supplier who apparently couldnt tell one card set from another similarly named card set. WoTC said that wanted the cards so they could trace the leak and improve their security.

I’m not defending Pinkertons as I’m sure they were heavy handed in their approach, but I also dont think WoTC did anything wrong in recovering their property either - especially as they have offered the guy a replacement, acknowledging that he is the end-of-line victim too.

What we arent told is who sold him the cards and whether they are being investigated- Brand Protection is big business (yes I know we are suppose to not like that)

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

the only one claiming they were thugs is a guy getting clicks on youtube because they made his wife crew.

Were they Pinkertons? Because if so, they're thugs. The Pinkertons have a very clear track record up through the current day.

Outside of Blackrock, there's not a private American security force that has a worse reputation. No one accidentally hires a company famous for pushing the boundaries of the law and, historically, going well beyond it.

What the article implies is that some employees of Pinkertons knocked on his door and informed him and his wife that they cards they had acquired were stolen and that they could go to jail having them, so give them back. The guy said he acquired them by proper means from an unnamed supplier who apparently could tell one card set from another similarly named card set. WoTC said that wanted the cards so they could trace the leak and improve their security.

If they cannot figure out where these cards came from without having them in their hot little hands, then they have production-side security issues.

I think it's more likely they wanted the cards back out of injured pride.

 

[Parmandur]

If the guy indeed possessed the cards unlawfully, perhaps they could have, I don't know, actually requested the cards through legal means?

You make it sound like the poor multi-billion dollar company was so desperate that their only choice in avoiding leaking some printed cardboard that they were already going to reveal in two weeks was hiring a literal union-busting group from the 19th century. That's ludicrous.

Leaks happen all the time in entertainment. Series 8 of Doctor Who had the first 5-6 episodes have their scripts leak (and some episodes had their no-effects cuts leak too), but the BBC didn't send a detective agency behind whoever leaked the scripts. Genshin Impact, a gacha game made in China, has leaks from its beta testing constantly, and while people get banned or lose access to future builds because of that stuff, even they don't do something as pointless as what WotC allegedly did. If this is true, this is beyond defensible.

I mean, not to day it isn't a bad look, but the Pinkertond absolutely operate legally, and I'm sure they were meticulous to not break any laws here.

 

[MGibster]

The Pinkertons are not just any old private investigators. They're famously thugs. Anyone who's heard of their brand should know that.

Since the Pinkertons have been around for so long, the original Deadlands RPG in 1996 included them in their setting. A few years later the actual Pinkerton company must have sent them a letter because they were dropped from the setting. I think we can all agree that's the worst thing they've ever done. Okay, for those who don't know, the Pinkertons first made a splash in the 19th century going after train robbers. They then became a bit more infamous that same century by violently busting up workers' strikes.

If any private investigator came to me asking me to return stolen property, especially if they threaten jail time, I'd tell them to go piss up a rope. They're not law enforcement officers they're just private citizens. And I have to agree, not a good look for WotC at this time given how they're trying to rebuild trust with their customers.

 

[jdrakeh]

I mean, not to day it isn't a bad look, but the Pinkertond absolutely operate legally, and I'm sure they were meticulous to not break any laws here.

The Pinkertons are pretty well known in the security industry for being one of two companies you go to when you want to push legal boundaries (the other is Blackwater/Constellis).

 

[Parmandur]

The Pinkertons are pretty well known in the security industry for being one of two companies you go to when you want to push legal boundaries (the other is Blackwater/Constellis).

Yeah, theybare gross, and hiring them is a PR gaffe. But, bend, not break: this was thuggish, but not illegal as described.