My bet is Kaplan. He was Afraisabi's BFF, and his departure of the company seemed very sketchy at the time, they couldn't just quietly drop him like they did to Afraisabi since he was the face of Overwatch, so they put that statement.
it's definitely not just One Guy or A Couple Of Guys though, this shit is systemic as hell. And it's not just Activision-Blizzard, this is systemic through the whole game dev ecosystem. The rare problem people who get let go probably get referrals from their management buddies who are so sorry they have to be mean to their good sexism buddy to go on to Riot, Insomniac, Ubisoft, etc., which are well documented to have just the same kinds of issues.
The high-profile people who got out probably were taking their severance packages and running before this very PR shitstorm hit and splattered all over them too.
I try hard to be a good ally, and for me that means letting women speak about their experiences without folks like me always chiming in. There are no skeletons in my closet. No doubt I have failed being enough of an ally at times. This industry still has a long way to go.
Morhaime put out a pretty statement where he is Very Sad and Believes Victims and uses a wonderful linguistic trick where he, specifically, tried very hard to make blizzard safe for women while the company, collectively, failed at that, carefully sidestepping a statement of personal responsibility. Lovely deployment the English language. Go fuck yourself, Mike.
Morhaime put out a pretty statement where he is Very Sad and Believes Victims and uses a wonderful linguistic trick where he, specifically, tried very hard to make blizzard safe for women while the company, collectively, failed at that, carefully sidestepping a statement of personal responsibility. Lovely deployment the English language. Go fuck yourself, Mike.
And, more importantly, one of the female workers that left Blizzard stated that she wrote him a letter on 2018 saying "I LEFT THANKS TO ALL THE SEXUAL HARASSMENT THAT YOU ALLOW, JACKASS":
Former worker Cher Scarlett adds her two cents saying that they did went to Morhaime and his answer was "Will someone get rid of these meddlesome women":
As hard as this is, and knowing I'll never work in games again:
Mike was directly responsible for the chain reaction of events that got me nearly fired for cc'ing him about Tia Zimmerman threatening me with violence for contacting emergency dispatch when she threatened suicide.
While he didn't tell anyone to do it, he was the leader of the company and made comments about how was causing problems for the company and that "things need to be taken care of immediately" which was interpreted as "fire Cher".
My immediate supervisor put his job on the line -
for me, and as a result, the compromise was to label me as a low performer and cut my bonus and my pay.
Don't tell me you wanted us to come to you. I came to you. And you destroyed my self worth.
No one should have the power to destroy someone's career because they are annoyed in a high stress situation.
NOT EVEN THE CEO.
+9
admanbunionize your workplaceSeattle, WARegistered Userregular
Munkus BeaverYou don't have to attend every argument you are invited to.Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPAregular
If I was responsible for naming NPCs in an RPG, literally every character that I have played or has appeared in one of my TTRPGs would be on the table as a potential name if it seemed appropriate. Using names that you're fond of and have personal significance to you when you're responsible for naming dozens-to-hundreds of characters seems very low on a list of sins.
Using insider knowledge to get world firsts is pretty scummy tho.
I mean, I was contacted once because I knew someone writing a game and they were like "I need a one-off name I can use for this random quest, do you wanna be in the game?"
Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
If I was responsible for naming NPCs in an RPG, literally every character that I have played or has appeared in one of my TTRPGs would be on the table as a potential name if it seemed appropriate. Using names that you're fond of and have personal significance to you when you're responsible for naming dozens-to-hundreds of characters seems very low on a list of sins.
Using insider knowledge to get world firsts is pretty scummy tho.
I mean, I was contacted once because I knew someone writing a game and they were like "I need a one-off name I can use for this random quest, do you wanna be in the game?"
There are forumers from here who had their names used in Mass Effect 3.
+2
Munkus BeaverYou don't have to attend every argument you are invited to.Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPAregular
If I was responsible for naming NPCs in an RPG, literally every character that I have played or has appeared in one of my TTRPGs would be on the table as a potential name if it seemed appropriate. Using names that you're fond of and have personal significance to you when you're responsible for naming dozens-to-hundreds of characters seems very low on a list of sins.
Using insider knowledge to get world firsts is pretty scummy tho.
I mean, I was contacted once because I knew someone writing a game and they were like "I need a one-off name I can use for this random quest, do you wanna be in the game?"
There are forumers from here who had their names used in Mass Effect 3.
Yes, that is the thing I'm referring to.
Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
Pretty much: "I'm sorry, I didn't notice because I had the priviledge to not notice, both as a male and as the top of the chain".
0
3cl1ps3I will build a labyrinth to house the cheeseRegistered Userregular
If nothing else, he acknowledges that it was real and ht was just privileged enough to ignore it, which is a damn sight more than the other folks have done.
Low bar, but. I hate his the least. It feels the most sincere.
I'm curious if/when we'll find out exactly which teams are/were trouble areas, since I've seen multiple current and former employees saying things were really bad on one team or another, but great when they transferred to a different team.
If nothing else, he acknowledges that it was real and ht was just privileged enough to ignore it, which is a damn sight more than the other folks have done.
Low bar, but. I hate his the least. It feels the most sincere.
It is the best response. Almost as if written by a professional writer.
However, former Blizzard folks have said that when they reported incidents of harassment to Metzen, his response was the evergreen classic, "boys will be boys".
0
3cl1ps3I will build a labyrinth to house the cheeseRegistered Userregular
If nothing else, he acknowledges that it was real and ht was just privileged enough to ignore it, which is a damn sight more than the other folks have done.
Low bar, but. I hate his the least. It feels the most sincere.
It is the best response. Almost as if written by a professional writer.
However, former Blizzard folks have said that when they reported incidents of harassment to Metzen, his response was the evergreen classic, "boys will be boys".
Metzen was fully aware, no way he wasn't. That bunch of words is just a way to try to dodge any responsibility. Notice he doesn't say "I am currently/will cooperate fully with the investigation and make sure there is some justice for those abused." He just says, "Oh my, I'm so sad, I didn't know about any of this. We must do better. Cya!".
As for Alex. I loved working with him and jamming in story meetings. He was someone I thought very highly of on the job, but we never interacted outside of story jams and such. I was never his boss. We never really interacted outside of doing the work or taking smoke breaks…
/1
/2 we haven’t worked closely together sorry nice WotLK. I never heard a peep about him other than that he could be tough on his team or an asshole from time to time. So learning all this the past week has been just utterly shocking. Just reprehensible shit.
Nobody on
0
Dhalphirdon't you open that trapdooryou're a fool if you dareRegistered Userregular
Jeff Hamilton (@JeffAHamilton)
I don’t know what to do. I don’t have all the answers. I can tell you, almost no work is being done on World of Warcraft right now while this obscenity plays out. And that benefits nobody - not the players, not the developers, not the shareholders.
Dhalphir on
0
3cl1ps3I will build a labyrinth to house the cheeseRegistered Userregular
I don't buy Metzen's write up.
Unless he was horrifically bad at his job there's no way he didn't notice what was going on in the lower rungs.
Also that Afrasiabi comment feels like a Trump coffee boy moment.
tip.. tip.. TALLY.. HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
+7
Kai_SanCommonly known as Klineshrike!Registered Userregular
I thought Metzen's one was at least a "well this is good BUT". And that is legit supposed to be a big but.
There was no direct admission of guilt. No saying that he was just as bad. It still felt slightly dodgy. But he didn't deny it happened.
However, at the same time I feel like even while not being at Blizzard now, he was there for the times during the allegations. I feel like most would be unsure what they are allowed to say without something happening to them. Maybe they shouldn't be, but anyone not an idiot or full of overwhelming pride knows its best to not say anything until a lawyer tells you to. Even if the right thing would be to just tell the truth and accept what happens for what they have already done.
I don't buy Metzen's write up.
Unless he was horrifically bad at his job there's no way he didn't notice what was going on in the lower rungs.
Also that Afrasiabi comment feels like a Trump coffee boy moment.
Yep....this was one of the responses and it went a bit more in-depth.
Oh looks like the "how dare people speak up about workplace abuse and disrupt development, this is really harming the workers and you, the consumer!" garbage takes are popping up today. Don't fall for that shit. This is ABOUT safety and fairness for the workers.
so i've debated posting this because afaik no one has publicly named him and i don't know how much right i have to when it's not my story, but i don't know i feel maybe something should be said so it's known
i also don't know how much should legally be said, now that we're dealing with a lawsuit? so maybe i will delete this later???
sean copeland/loreology has pretty dirty hands on this subject and at a minimum preyed on content creators
Unless you're some part of the lawsuit yourself it shouldn't really matter what you say. Lord knows it hasn't stopped Blizzard's management either way, lawl.
so i've debated posting this because afaik no one has publicly named him and i don't know how much right i have to when it's not my story, but i don't know i feel maybe something should be said so it's known
i also don't know how much should legally be said, now that we're dealing with a lawsuit? so maybe i will delete this later???
sean copeland/loreology has pretty dirty hands on this subject and at a minimum preyed on content creators
Pretty sure that the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing would be very interested on your story.
in the past litigious groups or persons have threatened the ownership of the site for negative things people have posted about them so that is probably the concern, site ownership doesn't want to deal with lawsuit harassment.
0
Munkus BeaverYou don't have to attend every argument you are invited to.Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPAregular
so i've debated posting this because afaik no one has publicly named him and i don't know how much right i have to when it's not my story, but i don't know i feel maybe something should be said so it's known
i also don't know how much should legally be said, now that we're dealing with a lawsuit? so maybe i will delete this later???
sean copeland/loreology has pretty dirty hands on this subject and at a minimum preyed on content creators
Pretty sure that the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing would be very interested on your story.
Well, it's not INAGTP's story.
Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
Does the Torghast timer progress while on floor 3? What about in the "preparation areas" at the start of floors? Is there any place that has all these sorts of details worked out that I can look at?
Officially the unluckiest CCG player ever.
0
admanbunionize your workplaceSeattle, WARegistered Userregular
Does the Torghast timer progress while on floor 3? What about in the "preparation areas" at the start of floors? Is there any place that has all these sorts of details worked out that I can look at?
I'm pretty sure Torghast par times are floor-by-floor and you get points for each floor you complete under time. Floor 3 and 5 don't have par times, so you can't score or fail to score for them.
Does the Torghast timer progress while on floor 3? What about in the "preparation areas" at the start of floors? Is there any place that has all these sorts of details worked out that I can look at?
I'm pretty sure Torghast par times are floor-by-floor and you get points for each floor you complete under time. Floor 3 and 5 don't have par times, so you can't score or fail to score for them.
That said there is a bonus based on how fast you kill the Floor 5 boss, but only counts while in combat.
Posts
https://mobile.twitter.com/Ghostcrawler/status/1418567430792753153
https://clips.twitch.tv/AntediluvianSucculentAyeayeNotATK-Ii-eeHzkFF36m0cI
(boomy was asked for innervate and pressed...not innervate)
Another worthy contender for "I must go, my people need me".
https://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1srp1ie
Lore ripped him a new one on Twitter for that:
And, more importantly, one of the female workers that left Blizzard stated that she wrote him a letter on 2018 saying "I LEFT THANKS TO ALL THE SEXUAL HARASSMENT THAT YOU ALLOW, JACKASS":
I mean, I was contacted once because I knew someone writing a game and they were like "I need a one-off name I can use for this random quest, do you wanna be in the game?"
There are forumers from here who had their names used in Mass Effect 3.
Yes, that is the thing I'm referring to.
Pretty much: "I'm sorry, I didn't notice because I had the priviledge to not notice, both as a male and as the top of the chain".
Low bar, but. I hate his the least. It feels the most sincere.
It is the best response. Almost as if written by a professional writer.
However, former Blizzard folks have said that when they reported incidents of harassment to Metzen, his response was the evergreen classic, "boys will be boys".
UUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH
Unless he was horrifically bad at his job there's no way he didn't notice what was going on in the lower rungs.
Also that Afrasiabi comment feels like a Trump coffee boy moment.
There was no direct admission of guilt. No saying that he was just as bad. It still felt slightly dodgy. But he didn't deny it happened.
However, at the same time I feel like even while not being at Blizzard now, he was there for the times during the allegations. I feel like most would be unsure what they are allowed to say without something happening to them. Maybe they shouldn't be, but anyone not an idiot or full of overwhelming pride knows its best to not say anything until a lawyer tells you to. Even if the right thing would be to just tell the truth and accept what happens for what they have already done.
Yep....this was one of the responses and it went a bit more in-depth.
They're stupid even posting the apologies at this point, tbh.
PSN: Bizazedo
CFN: Bizazedo (I don't think I suck, add me).
i also don't know how much should legally be said, now that we're dealing with a lawsuit? so maybe i will delete this later???
sean copeland/loreology has pretty dirty hands on this subject and at a minimum preyed on content creators
Pretty sure that the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing would be very interested on your story.
Well, it's not INAGTP's story.
I'm pretty sure Torghast par times are floor-by-floor and you get points for each floor you complete under time. Floor 3 and 5 don't have par times, so you can't score or fail to score for them.
That said there is a bonus based on how fast you kill the Floor 5 boss, but only counts while in combat.