"Frat boy culture" cited as serious factor for pay disparity, sexual harassment.
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CA State agency sues Activision Blizzard, alleges discrimination against women
- Thread starter JournalBot
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Their response instantly made me convinced the suit has merit. Which is a shame, since Activision Blizzard used to be such a powerhouse of a game studio, but was ruined as so many others by being an EA takeover. I really do not understand why EA and Tencent are allowed to buy up every successful game studio out there - it really isn't healthy for society.
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"Capitalism"
You see this in *every* industry, the end result of corporations being allowed to hoard cash is consolidation, lack of direct competition, and stagnation. But because our economy is currently geared toward maximizing stock prices above all else, this is not only tolerated but encouraged.
And the long term result is when an industry eventually gets fat and collapses, the Federal government is forced to bail them out because the loss of jobs that would result is politically unacceptable.
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Considering which industry this suit was filed under, i'm surprised we don't hear about these types of suits on a weekly basis.
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EA doesn’t own Activision Blizzard. Vivendi owned both then spun them off together.
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Yeah, these are some pretty hideous and numerous allegations. When your initial response is to complain that you weren't treated fairly before they filed the lawsuit, and that it's just a bunch of bureaucrats causing trouble, you're starting by digging further into the crater you've already found yourself in.
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Activision's response is pretty hilarious actually.
The first part claims that the state agency's lawsuit has no merit while the second part explicitly mentioned that Activision has made reforms/changes since then; changes that addressed the very things the state agency mentioned.
If the suit has no merit, why bother mention that reforms/changes were made in response to the lawsuit?
As a result, Activision's response tells me a lot more about their internal shenanigans than the lawsuit so I'd say that the lawsuit has a hell of a lot more merit than Activision wants people to believe.
The first part claims that the state agency's lawsuit has no merit while the second part explicitly mentioned that Activision has made reforms/changes since then; changes that addressed the very things the state agency mentioned.
If the suit has no merit, why bother mention that reforms/changes were made in response to the lawsuit?
As a result, Activision's response tells me a lot more about their internal shenanigans than the lawsuit so I'd say that the lawsuit has a hell of a lot more merit than Activision wants people to believe.
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Organizational culture is set by organization leadership - not so much in terms of what they promote but in the example that they set themselves and the behviour that they expect, reward, tolerate, or do not tolerate from their subordinates.
So, given that this is a deep seated cultural problem, I'll remain skeptical of any attempts to address it that don't involve mass turnover at the management and executive levels.
(That particular institutional cultural rot is currently coming home to roost for the Canadian military, especially at the national headquarters level. Just check the list of senior officers and defence staff that have recently resigned, are being investigated, or actively prosecuted)
So, given that this is a deep seated cultural problem, I'll remain skeptical of any attempts to address it that don't involve mass turnover at the management and executive levels.
(That particular institutional cultural rot is currently coming home to roost for the Canadian military, especially at the national headquarters level. Just check the list of senior officers and defence staff that have recently resigned, are being investigated, or actively prosecuted)
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This has very quickly become a massive thing. Women are putting their hands up and saying 'this happened to me at Blizzard.'
https://twitter.com/skrutsick/status/14 ... 3495762944
https://twitter.com/alex_frostwolf/stat ... 1433477120
Alex Afrisiabi left quietly a little while ago. Now it's clear why.
https://twitter.com/skrutsick/status/14 ... 3495762944
https://twitter.com/alex_frostwolf/stat ... 1433477120
Alex Afrisiabi left quietly a little while ago. Now it's clear why.
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Guys like these thrive because they have an inner circle that voluntarily helps them.
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Well that's the beauty of going to court. We'll all ideally get to the truth of the matter. Unless we get another token cash settlement that results in no acknowledgement of wrongdoing by the company.
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Unfortunately, guillotines don't quite work on corporations or buildings. So, just burn it all to the ground. I've gotten way past my tolerance for these kinds of shenanigans and have no tolerance for second chances. Dissolve them. The actual talent will find jobs elsewhere.
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I thought that Blizzard had already lost a sex harrasment & sex discrimination lawsuit.
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The allegations note that Afrasiabi's office suite was known as the "Crosby Suite", in reference to Bill Crosby for obvious reasons.
https://twitter.com/perculia/status/141 ... 20/photo/1
https://twitter.com/perculia/status/141 ... 20/photo/1
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scortiusthecharioteer
Ars Centurion
I worked at ATVI from 2005-2008 in a couple different roles and I can say at least when I was there, this didn't seem to be the case as far as the culture in general, but I have heard from friends who've left more recently it's gotten bad.
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Funny how it's turning out the selfproclaimed good tolerant organizations (Blizzard is involved in every good deed they think will earn themselves a buck) are also the worst when it comes to sexual harrasment and bending knees to dictator states.
Such a shame, Blizzard was once a great company.
Such a shame, Blizzard was once a great company.
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Corporate Capture can be a force multiplier. If the only KPI is shareholder value then other values get relegated.
So if you have a creative director who is worth 20% profit and someone who is worth 0.01%. Then creating shareholder value means putting the creative director first, even if they are toxic and one of any or many of the -ists.
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And the hits just keep on coming for Blizzard. First how they underpay and treat their employees like crap, now this. I really hope this sort of behaviour gets burnt out of the games industry.
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With bullshit like, "California is to blame here," I guess I'll have to cancel my sub until they get their act together.
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That lawsuit is insane and I’m just going to boycott them until they fire all management and CEO.
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a recently deceased French singer (Anne Sylvestre) had a bunch of not-really-kids songs, and more serious stuff. One goes
" it wasn't me, it wasn't me
or if it was, I wasn't there
I saw nothing, I heard nothing
and you know what : they're all lying!"
I wish megacorps didn't think they can get away w/ PR crapola that's deconstructed in kids' songs..
" it wasn't me, it wasn't me
or if it was, I wasn't there
I saw nothing, I heard nothing
and you know what : they're all lying!"
I wish megacorps didn't think they can get away w/ PR crapola that's deconstructed in kids' songs..
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Never liked that studio anyways, they have little to do with pre 2000s Blizzard and rarely innovate. Even Wow was always more of a bunch of ideas from other games put together in a good package than anything. But hey at least their marketing is pretty effective...
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In this reddit post they have links to some victim tweets and comments.
I'm not surprised about the frat culture, what I am surprised is how far some people took it.
I mean, do this.. "people" even realized what they were doing to other human beings? How can you get to be a disgusting piece of shit like that?
As IT crowd so brilliantly put it: "People, what a bunch of bastards"
I'm not surprised about the frat culture, what I am surprised is how far some people took it.
I mean, do this.. "people" even realized what they were doing to other human beings? How can you get to be a disgusting piece of shit like that?
As IT crowd so brilliantly put it: "People, what a bunch of bastards"
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Snarky Robot
Ars Legatus Legionis
“Accountability is driving businesses out of California” is a hell of a response to a lawsuit documenting sexual abuse.
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If I were you I would read some of the things in the link I just posted, some things happened before they were acquired by Activision
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Indeed.
"If you don't let us sexually harass women we'll move to another state." Not a good look, is it?
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Goddamn assholes. I have no doubt this is true.
You don't have tons of women coming forward when it isn't true.
Blizzard can go to hell.
You don't have tons of women coming forward when it isn't true.
Blizzard can go to hell.
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Then entire gamer culture - from software houses to players - is totally fucked up.
Change my view.
Change my view.
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Some people took it that far because all the other men allowed it. A man looking the other way is a man that lets it continue. A man that laughs it off as "boys being boys" is a man that lets it continue. A man that thinks it's not serious enough to do more than a slap on the wrist is a man that lets it continue.
The grotesque don't appear out of nowhere. They feel free to do what they do because they don't get real pushback if they get any pushback at all. This is what people mean when they talk about "Rape Culture".
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When you say the "entire gamer culture" you're including all gamers here.
We're not all like THAT... granted, a high percentage is, but not everyone!
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I won't copy-paste the meme but you should give FF14 a shot. It's very different from WoW (your goal is to continue the story rather than reach the endgame.) It feels a little slower than WoW (in both combat and questing) but the combat system gets a lot better as you get more skills and the story is one of the best I've ever read in a video game.
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I'm not. I'd argue that the ones who aren't insulting each other's mothers over chat or sexually harassing women or excluding them for not being "gamers" are not part of "gamer culture." Gamer Culture is a toxic cesspit.
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