Leigh Alexander & Babycastles

Subject: Leigh Alexander & Babycastles.
Sources: leighalexander.net, Los Angeles Times, Gamasutra, Kickstarter.
Date Compiled: December 31st, 2015.
Credits: Original Research. (GamerGate.me - On rereading the archived entry, two of the blog posts were included in the resources that establish Leigh claiming them to be friends. As such it is included here out of respect. https://archive.is/1j8Xu) (Jasperge had written on this issue earlier as well, this is another good reference regarding this issue and others on Leigh Alexander. https://archive.is/1j8Xu)

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Summary:
Multiple times Leigh Alexander has stated that she was friends with the people behind Babycastles, Syed Salahuddin and Kunal Gupta. One such statement was made mere days after her article for the LA Times, strongly suggesting that such friendship already existed by the time the article was created. Furthermore, how closely the discussion on kickstarter rewards was to the article for the LA Times being published, I feel that it is likely she was already planning on getting involved with and actively promoting Babycastles before the article was even created. Which could have affected any potential "critical" perception in her coverage of Babycastles during this time.

Although disclosures were added to later coverage that she curated the event "Bad Bitches" for Babycastles in 2011, no disclosure was added to the fact that she was friends with the people involved.



07.11.10: "Many weekends I join friends from the local Silent Barn community space in playing and promoting Babycastles, the indie arcade they’ve got going on in the basement (I recently had the privilege of playing Messhof’s Nidhogg with a bunch of my friends whose usual purview is playing music). People at my local hangouts tell me my job is cool. I know one bartender with a Triforce on his arm, and another bartender with a Buster Sword on his calf — and that’s just at one restaurant." ~ From leighalexander.net (https://archive.is/MWVH1#selection-209.121-223.258)

08.21.10: "Here’s an LA Times article I just wrote about Babycastles, the fantastic indie arcade some friends of mine are setting up in the basement of a community space where I love to hang out. It’s so cool seeing an indie game scene here merging with the music scene. I wish you could all check it out for yourselves, but until then, read the piece, willya?" ~ From leighalexander.net (https://archive.is/rbROW#selection-511.0-515.292)

09.30.10: Kickstarter Page. "1 Pixelblock Rendering of Leigh Alexander of Sexy Video Game Land + Gamasutra" included in the rewards. Leigh Alexander also listed among those "actively curating, managing, and representing the new Babycastles arcade". https://archive.is/blVUI [These were added on 09.19.10 as indicated by an update Alexander made on her personal website (https://archive.is/9W0Tt)]

Posts on the Babycastles Media google group indicate that she was aware and actively involved in the selection of said rewards as well. The discussion took place at 08.24.10. Ten days after the LA Times article (https://archive.is/ontC5)

These are not COIs in and of themselves as they occurred after the LA Times coverage, however, they do give more weight to the claim that she was friends with them and coverage could have been affected by said relationship.

Here is yet another statement from Alexander once again reinterating that the people behind Babycastles are her friends.

09.20.10: "I’ve talked to you a bit before about Babycastles, the arcade some friends of mine are founding in a local community space here in New York City. It’s meant to be a tangible showcase and play space for independent games, the kind a wider audience wouldn’t necessarily encounter on their own. How great for indies, how great for games!" https://archive.is/9W0Tt

This next piece is merely to show that she still considered them friends all the way to July 19th, 2011. Clearly showing that this friendship was a sustained one.

06.19.11: "Now for some bad news: Silent Barn, Babycastles’ first home in Ridgewood, Queens, has been burglarized. Not only is it the home of my friends, it’s an important art and show space for our neighborhood and for New York City in general." https://archive.is/AmJBw#selection-137.0-141.132

Articles with Potential Conflicts of Interest:
08.14.10: In a Queens neighborhood, the birth of indie video games (Los Angeles Times) https://archive.is/4l1Ud https://archive.is/BPUAW (No disclosure of the friendship she has with the people behind Babycastles)
01.25.11: New Game Industry Crowdsourced Funding Site Launches (Gamasutra) https://archive.is/Aztnk (Namedrops Babycastles. Doesn't disclose that she's friends with the people involved and had been actively involved in Babycastles in decision making and strategizing)
01.26.11: Road To The IGF: We're Very Uncomfortable With The Copenhagen Game Collective (Gamasutra) https://archive.is/OrwN4 (Same as above)
02.24.12: Stars, sports, sweetness! Catching up with NYC's Babycastles (Gamasutra) https://archive.is/Yri2z (Discloses that she curated an event (2011 Bad Bitches) and that she's a big supporter, but her entries on her personal webpage go further to suggest that not only is she a supporter of the group, but is friends with them)