The emulation and fan localization communities are seeing an outpouring of memorials and grief today after the reported death of Near, who was the force behind both the BSNES emulator and the Bahamut Lagoon fan translation.
Also known as Byuu, Near took their own life over the weekend. A friend confirmed the reports circulating social media, but asked for privacy.
Community members took to social media to express their sadness following the tragedy, praising Near's work and talking about the positive impact they had on their life. Many expressed anger at the online bullying that ultimately pushed Near to take their life, their outrage centered on Kiwi Farms, a forum with a reputation for vicious targeted online harassment.
In a series of messages published on Twitter, Near talked about the online attacks and doxing that they and their friends suffered from Kiwi Farms, saying, "The internet is not a game. It's real life. I'm a real person."
Near was famous for their detailed, perfectionist approach to their work. They were particularly passionate about game preservation, and dedicated the development of BSNES — later renamed Higan — to being as accurate as possible. Their accomplishments include overclocking the virtual SNES processor without any distortion, with spectacular results.
In remembrance of their contributions to the emulation community, Ars Technica republished a piece from Near that delved into the coding of the BSNES and how SNES emulators were able to get "a few pixels from complete perfection." Back in March, Vice Games published an account of Near's perfectionist quest to localize Bahamut Lagoon, a cult 16-bit RPG that never made it to North America.
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, which is available 24 hours a day. A list of international suicide hotlines can be found here.
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Kat Bailey is a Senior Editor at IGN
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Also known as Byuu, Near took their own life over the weekend. A friend confirmed the reports circulating social media, but asked for privacy.
Community members took to social media to express their sadness following the tragedy, praising Near's work and talking about the positive impact they had on their life. Many expressed anger at the online bullying that ultimately pushed Near to take their life, their outrage centered on Kiwi Farms, a forum with a reputation for vicious targeted online harassment.
In a series of messages published on Twitter, Near talked about the online attacks and doxing that they and their friends suffered from Kiwi Farms, saying, "The internet is not a game. It's real life. I'm a real person."
Near was famous for their detailed, perfectionist approach to their work. They were particularly passionate about game preservation, and dedicated the development of BSNES — later renamed Higan — to being as accurate as possible. Their accomplishments include overclocking the virtual SNES processor without any distortion, with spectacular results.
In remembrance of their contributions to the emulation community, Ars Technica republished a piece from Near that delved into the coding of the BSNES and how SNES emulators were able to get "a few pixels from complete perfection." Back in March, Vice Games published an account of Near's perfectionist quest to localize Bahamut Lagoon, a cult 16-bit RPG that never made it to North America.
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, which is available 24 hours a day. A list of international suicide hotlines can be found here.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Kat Bailey is a Senior Editor at IGN
Continue reading...