Until Blizzard steps up and fires many people, no apology is sincere, especially from management. Apology without action is only manipulation.
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California sues Activision/Blizzard for employment discrimination because of sex, retaliation, discrimination & harassment, unequal pay
- Thread starter Seri
- Start date
- News Activision/Blizzard
I've stopped playing and buying their games since the Blitzchung incident. Warcraft 3: Reforged cemented my disillusionment.
While this doesn't actually surprise me, I am still absolutely disgusted by the extent of the events. Activision-Blizzard joined the list of companies I no longer support in any way, along THQ Nordic, Ubisoft and EA (and apparently I need to add Insomniac Games too).
While this doesn't actually surprise me, I am still absolutely disgusted by the extent of the events. Activision-Blizzard joined the list of companies I no longer support in any way, along THQ Nordic, Ubisoft and EA (and apparently I need to add Insomniac Games too).
The information in that report is both revolting and disgusting, assumably Activision had access to it and still thought to respond in the most disrespectful way.
My work experience is limited, I am a white Male and haven't ever had to worry about this, I have been making a conscious effort to read up on these issues when I see them because they effect lives.
even still, to think humans could act like that, and then the support supposedly in place for situations like this could reinforce it is atrocious, I feel banning discussion on the games that "company" makes is a necessary decision, have a pinned thread that lists blacklisted companies/games and explains in great detail why that is, there has to be a way to spotlight these issues without supporting them.
My work experience is limited, I am a white Male and haven't ever had to worry about this, I have been making a conscious effort to read up on these issues when I see them because they effect lives.
even still, to think humans could act like that, and then the support supposedly in place for situations like this could reinforce it is atrocious, I feel banning discussion on the games that "company" makes is a necessary decision, have a pinned thread that lists blacklisted companies/games and explains in great detail why that is, there has to be a way to spotlight these issues without supporting them.
I'd also keep in mind that people who went through this at Blizzard can and will have different opinions about the executives and other employees involved and they shouldn't be poked at for that being the case. A large group of people having similar but ultimately unique, personal experiences with discrimination, sexual harassment and sexual assault do not need to agree about everything for there to be a problem. They are not a monolith. Support them all.
Blizzard sure turned into a shithole over the past decade. And fuck Morhaime, I don't buy that he didn't know, not one bit.
Given the nature and severity of the incidents, I suspect that it has been a shit show far longer than a decade. Those higher up the chain would have been aware of some of the abusers and likely did whatever they could to protect them if they were in positions that were allowing the company to be as successful as it was.
Again, it's pretty clear Blizzard was like this from the beginning, even when they made games you liked.
There may be no bigger indictment of Morhaime than the sheer ARROGANCE of thinking he could get away with posting that bullshit without people immediately coming back at him with receipts.
All the things he "thought" he stood for, all the things he "tried" to do-- all blatant lies. He knew. He was told exactly what was happening and didn't give a shit. He's only sorry now because it's finally getting attention. He's sorry he got caught, he's not sorry he did it.
People have started harassing current employees on social media to quit their jobs as a sign of protest. It is so insanely stupid.
Seems to be a very common trait of people who have never had to face any real consequences or be held accountable for anything in their lives.
"No one has ever dared to call me out publicly in the past, so no one will this time, either." I hope he gets destroyed.
Some big "how can I be racist when I have [x] friends" energy.
computer science has been a boys club since the mid 80s, so it becomes self selecting for this shit.
Tech companies today are largely pretty corporate so no it's not really about CS.
This just seems like another symptom of game studios just being behind the curve.
The shit I'm reading about Blizzard is something from like an early 2000s silicon valley startup lol
I've seen similar in a 2016 Silicon Valley startup. Not a lot has truly changed. In many ways it's gotten less outwardly blatant depending on how big and corporate the company is, but it's certainly there. I also worked at a Fortune 500 with 8k+ employees, many many many women leaders, nothing stopped executives and managers from preying on the interns every summer. Even one who was ultimately fired because he could NOT stop texting the intern despite his own wife working at the same company and after warnings he received to stop.
Surely there's a difference between hitting on employees discreetly and uh *checks notes* doing coke in bathrooms, spreading nudes of employees, and large swathes of sexual assault allegations.
This is John McAfee startup levels crazy.
I don't buy Morhaime's apology at all. There is no way he wasn't fully aware of what was going on and that culture probably started at the top and worked its way down.
square enix still works with an actual homophobic war crimes denier -- don't die on this hill
There is not a CEO in gaming right now who isn't sitting down with legal, HR and upper management and coming up with an action plan.
You shouldn't. He just started a new company and cannot afford the negative press.
You shouldn't. He just started a new company and cannot afford the negative press.
We are only a Danish videogame magazine / podcast but we have decided to not cover any blizzard / Activision game before real change happens.
Wonder where Blizzard North fits into all of this. Separate office, but still answering to the same leadership... granted, most (or all?) have long left Blizzard, so easier to not get dragged into this. But with Morhaime looking like he was aware what was going on and did nothing, I wonder how it was at Blizzard North.
I just don't understand how it's so hard for so many people to not be a giant piece of shit. Seeing this stuff just… fuck.
And all of these people hand waiving it away, I wonder if they know that most likely women they work with probably are uncomfortable/afraid of them, especially if they saw their comments.
I also want to point out, when you look at the general gaming populace, a lot of them are monstrously toxic assholes. Look at how many people get death threats over video game reviews or how Jason Schrerier got death threats for saying a game was delayed. These same people are also WORKING IN THESE GAME COMPANIES. These same incels are the ones making games you like. That's why having strong policies and leadership to handle this kind of thing when it comes up and to deal with it is so important.
Think about women you all know in your life. Think about how many time's they've told you about times when they've had to work harder than others, about random comments that were made to them, about times when they had an idea and that idea wasn't used but then a man repeated the same idea and the man was listened to.
Now imagine all the stuff they aren't telling you.
That's what it's like for women in the work place if there aren't strong controls in place to stop this kind of behavior. Especially in the tech sector. It's even WORSE in game development.
And all of these people hand waiving it away, I wonder if they know that most likely women they work with probably are uncomfortable/afraid of them, especially if they saw their comments.
Agreed. This is what command climate looks like. People see what folks at the top will allow and act accordingly. This shit happened because Morhaime and people like him allowed it through inaction or direct action. Either way they created the climate that allowed this to fester.
I also want to point out, when you look at the general gaming populace, a lot of them are monstrously toxic assholes. Look at how many people get death threats over video game reviews or how Jason Schrerier got death threats for saying a game was delayed. These same people are also WORKING IN THESE GAME COMPANIES. These same incels are the ones making games you like. That's why having strong policies and leadership to handle this kind of thing when it comes up and to deal with it is so important.
Think about women you all know in your life. Think about how many time's they've told you about times when they've had to work harder than others, about random comments that were made to them, about times when they had an idea and that idea wasn't used but then a man repeated the same idea and the man was listened to.
Now imagine all the stuff they aren't telling you.
That's what it's like for women in the work place if there aren't strong controls in place to stop this kind of behavior. Especially in the tech sector. It's even WORSE in game development.
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Shocking that the company that hired a toxic player from Everquest named Tigole (short for "big ol titties") would have a frat house reputation. Where is Tigole now? Oh right:
"Jeffrey Kaplan (born November 4, 1972) is an American video game designer who was vice president of Blizzard Entertainment."
Edit: He left in 2021
"Jeffrey Kaplan (born November 4, 1972) is an American video game designer who was vice president of Blizzard Entertainment."
Edit: He left in 2021
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So you are going to turn this horrific situation into an opportunity for you to signal to everyone what "team" you are on and where you stand in a stupid irrelevant MMO war? Weird.
Sugiyama has a stake in Dragon Quest specifically that's both unfortunate and makes it extremely difficult if not impossible to just get rid of him. At this point, it's just a waiting game on when he croaks.
Coke is the drug of choice when you're working by Wall Street I learned frankly. Either way that was just a small example as I'm not going to start discussing more of the worse stories I've heard as I've only heard them second hand. So I'm not putting them out there randomly. The point is more to highlight that Blizzard or other game dev companies aren't unique in the slightest for this kind of behavior.
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Ahh yes, on the notorious feminism Japan is known for, clearly
Yeah, pretty unlikely that Morhaime didn't know about this stuff. Disappointed to see his non-specific apology and promise to do better is receiving a somewhat positive response. I guess it really shows how inept Brack and Activision corporate are that they can't even manage that level of response.
Yeah, I'm not mad at Tahnit. I just know other people who's said the same thing so I needed a bit to vent because it feels so surreal to just go "you see my billion dollar company's mmo would never let this fly". It feels like console war shit. This isn't directed Tahnit. All love to them!
yeah thats true
I thought Riot Games had a similar lawsuit which they settled.
I dunno why you're still turning this into a MMO VS.
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I wasn't really directing that at you in particular, just felt like bringing up an already resolved conversation isn't all that productive (and you weren't the first person to bring it up, so it's cool).
I understand your need to vent. It's weird to see a lot of people under the impression that Japan is some feminist utopia with great worker's rights.
Yeah I didn't see the apology, but I was definitely more interested where that idea came from.
Like with a lot of the various problematic issues that you get in western nations, you will get in japan and then some, just a somewhat different flavour of it. Sometimes a lot more insidious, ingrained and subtle.
Oh no, don't worry I know it wasn't at me. I take no offense! Yeah, pretty much your last sentence sums it up for me.
edit: nevermind, she's retracted her statement, see post below
edit: Also worth mentioning these posts from a (supposed) ex-blizz employee:
re: mike
re: lore community manager
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Well, she retracted her sympathy for Mike entirely. She didn't mention what exactly changed her mind (yet), but damn she seems distraught.
She posted more right after about him basically saying it was a problem to the people under him which directly led to her failing performance targets and losing bonuses etc
Seems people are doing too much, people attacking and making accusations to people working for Activision Blizzard.
not productive at all, let it go to court and see what happens