R.I.P. Jeff Freeman, The Former Lead Designer in SWG *Committed Suicide*

"Freeman had previously worked at Spacetime Studios as well as on Ultima Online, but is best known for his stint on Star Wars Galaxies, where he was unfortunate enough to become the public face of the "New Game Enhancements" update, one of the most infamous debacles in MMOG history. In a story from June 2007, Allen Varney detailed how Freeman became the target of gamer rage over the NGE, even though his role in its development was minor.

Despite the fact that he continued to suffer online abuse at the hands of Star Wars Galaxies players unhappy with the NGE changes even after leaving Sony Online Entertainment in late 2006, Freeman's brother clarified that his suicide had nothing to do with the game. "I want everyone to know that it was not SWG that led him to take his life," he said. "He has been troubled for some time. There were a lot of personal issues that tore at him. A memorial service will be held for Freeman in his hometown of Austin, Texas, on October 2. He was 39."

Link to The Incident

R.I.P. Jeff, you will be missed and loved.

Good man...

Jeff Freeman's Memorial Fountain in Test Center.

Ramsey -

"In observance of the death of Jeff Freeman, we have erected a memorial in the memory of him in the center of Theed.

The NGE which, as we all know, was a change motivated by corporate greed - not the creativity of the employees. Jeff Freeman (age 39) worked at SOE as a designer of SWG until late 2006 and received much of the public blame for the NGE blunder. About two weeks ago, he committed suicide for "troubling personal issues" according to his brother. We have the utmost respect for a character like Freeman who under the stressful clash between; his beliefs, the requests of his employer, and the scrutiny of the community, made choices that brought us PreCU. The pressure he had to endure probably required him to distort the vision of PreCU we all came to know and love, which, as one could guess, made Mr. Freeman's latter years at SOE an unfortunate heartbreaking experience.

We have the ability to infinitely love one another, something most of us do not exercise enough. His death will always be a reminder to seek the beauty of others who cannot see it in themselves. May he rest in peace."

You will be remembered...

R.I.P. Jeff Freeman. You will be remembered and my heart, prayers & thoughts go out to the family. I cant believe it was all these 39 years you had lived a good life with your family, friends, and relatives that John Smedley & Julio Torres token away from you and to something else that everybody loved considering SWG "Pre-CU" & "CU" and to what was hurting on that day everybody disliked and disgust, November 15th, 2005, the day when NGE "Nasty Game Enhancments" released which nobody wanted or ever. I can understand why you left SOE in late 2006 which was a good move to do because SOE and the Developers are traitors, still traitors, always be traitors and put that on God & Jesus capital name and bolded on both of em' like what i said to ever who ever fucks with Anti-SOE players including me and many others and maybe one day i would hope the drama would stop with Fan Faires and all of Smedley's announcements. But i can also understand it was not the game just took your life away, but the things you have done outside in the real world.

*Salute*

Moved this thread because its SWG related.

This is sad, our old SWG Lead Designer died. I feel bad for this poor man.

R.I.P. Jeff Freeman.